The NBA season may be suspended due to the coronavirus, but that's not stopping this father of three from enjoying the game.
The NBA season may be suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic, but that's not stopping one awesome dad from bringing the excitement of the game into his home!
Phillip Nielsen, an entrepreneur in Raleigh, North Carolina, is a diehard Chicago Bulls fan, and was therefore stoked when ESPN announced they would be dropping its Michael Jordan documentary, The Last Dance, early. Now, just moments before each new episode airs, the father of three turns on "Sirius" and pretends he's part of the Bulls' starting lineup with spot-on commentary from his wife, Erin.
"I have been a HUGE Bulls fan since spending the first seven years of my life in Chicago," Nielsen exclusively tells ET, of how the idea came to be. "Since sports were cancelled, and all my kids' activities were cancelled, it was a normal Sunday, not a lot going on, and I had been waiting for a long time for The Last Dance doc to come out."
"I was obviously excited about it, and decided to turn on the Bulls intro song on the HomePod in the living room and run out in full gear," he continued. "I now do it every week, with new Bulls uniforms each time!"
The instrumental song is heavily featured in Director Jason Hehir’s 10-part series, as it was used as the team's introduction theme during their run of six NBA championships between 1991 and 1998.
By week three, Nielsen even got his three daughters -- Scarlet, 9, Lucy, 6, and Piper, 1 -- on board, running around the house in jerseys of NBA greats like Jordan and Scottie Pippen.
"This week I had my three girls dress up with me. They are the best!" he gushed. "They love the teams that I love, and get really into any team I cheer for."
The next episode of The Last Dance, which looks back at Jordan’s entire career while chronicling the Bulls’ efforts to win a sixth NBA title during the 1997-98 season, airs Sunday, May 10 on ESPN. Watch a clip from last week's episode in the video below:
Have you heard an uplifting story that brought you joy amid the coronavirus pandemic? I'd love to hear it! Share it with me on Twitter (@desireemurphy_), and for more heartwarming moments like this one, visit our Good News section for daily inspiration.
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