wedding of the king of pop and the daughter of the king of rock and roll. but we begin with the murder trial that would consume the nation's attention in the 90s and beyond. it began after former nfl star o.j simpson was arraigned on two counts of murder for the deaths of ex-wife nicole brown simpson and her friend ron goldman in june, 1994. it was dubbed the trial of the century and it had all the makings of a hollywood film with bigger than life, real- life characters from the prosecution to the defense to the judge to the defendant himself. and it all played out on television every day for the whole country to watch. "o.j. simpson was back in court today for the first time since a judge ordered him to stand trial for two brutal murders. the formal charges against him were read.then he entered his plea." july 22, 1994, oj simpson's high profile defense attorneys pushed their way through a throng of onlookers to reach the court for their client's arraignment. "in the hushed courtroom, supervising judge cecil mills read the charges, that o.j. simpson with malice of forethought, murdered both his ex-wife nicole brown simpson and her friend ronald goldman." courtroom practice dictates that the accused may plead using only the words "guilty" or "not guilty." but there would be nothing ordinary about this trial, and that was clear from the moment simpson entered his plea. "how do you plead to counts one and two?" "absolutely 100-percent not guilty." one hundred percent not guilty setting the definitive tone for the defense. "well, the prosecution has its work cut out for them. they are facing perhaps the toughest team ever assembled by a defendant." the prosecution was led by deputy district attorney marcia clark. from her point of view, clark wouldn't just take on just one murder case. with simpson, she would face defending the entire los angeles system of law enforcement -- with all its shortcomings. "in the larger context, there had been tension between the black community and lapd for many years. i had been trying cases downtown los angeles for 10 years when i picked up the simpson case and race was always an issue in every case for those 10 years when the defendant was an african- american." "there were the rodney king riots after the rodney king verdict, in which the police officers caught on videotape beating rodney king were acquitted by an all-white jury." "the riots that followed that verdict were the most violent in that century and that was just two years before the simpson case came about." "when i read the jury questionnaires, it became apparent to me that a big section of the jury pool was inclined to acquit right from the start." "it has taken seven months to reach this point but today the state of california finally did get to begin to prove to a jury that o.j. simpson is a cold blooded murderer and a double murderer." "there was a determination, i think, in the black community to not see him go down for this. it kind of evened the score. there was this attitude of, 'it's payback time for the rodney king verdict' and one of the jurors was overheard saying during voir dire that it was payback time." "now, we will show you the other side of the smiling face you saw on the hertz commercial. the one you never saw on camera. the one none of us ever wanted to see." "o.j. simpson's attorneys began their attack today on the people's case against simpson. in his opening statement, defense attorney johnnie cochran junior insisted o.j. simpson would not, could not and did not murder his former wife nicole brown and ronald goldman." "i mean, the trial was a nightmare because justice was subverted and i watched it happen every single day. the defense ran the cotroom. the judge dropped the reigns, let them basically run amok in the courtroom and do whatever they wanted really. motions that never existed, they invented them and the judge was granting them." "ito won high marks for his handling of the lincoln savings & loan swindle case. ito recently said, 'a judge would be crazy to want the o.j. simpson case because of the amount of public scrutiny.'" "i know he was very invested in celebrity. he was somebody who was so starstruck. it was palpable and obvious. he had a steady stream of celebrities going in and out of that fi ws tto problem placing the glove on his hand." problem placing the glove on his hand." "simpson was wearing latex gloves as he attempted to pull on the extra large leather gloves. they appeared too small, and that's exactly what simpson mouthed to the jury." "and of course, there were a million reasons why it doesn't work. the gloves have been frozen and unfrozen, they shrunk, not to mention the fact that he is not gonna to try very hard to make them fit. you know, it was a disaster of an idea." "would you expect that the fact that he is wearing latex gloves here today inhibit -- would that his ability to extend his hand through the glove?" "i personally have never put on latex gloves and tried on gloves so i really couldn't say but i would say that appears to be a factor." "and this is what always blows my mind. we had a duplicate set of gloves brought in that he didn't have to wear over latex and they fit him perfectly and yes, and nobody reported on it." "mr. simpson, would you please stand and face the jury." "even today as o.j. simpson looked directly at them, the members of the jury refused to return his gaze, instead staring straight ahead, stealing furtive glances at the audience as the clerk of court read. the world it seemed, held its breath." "in the matter of the people of the state of california versus orenthal james simpson, case number ba097211, we the jury in the above entitled action, find the defendant orenthal james simpson not guilty of the crime of murder in violation of penal code section 187(a), a felony against nicole brown simpson, a human being ..." "the words exploded upn the courtroom. after 167 days of bitter trial, team simpson dissolved in relief. prosecutors froze in stunned disbelief, braced for the second verdict." "you can know that something is going to happen and then when it does it still really hurts." "prosecutor marcia clark tried to console her team." "please don't let this make you lose faith in our system. please don't let this deter you from doing a job you're so well-qualified to do." "o.j. simpson was in jail and held the nation in thrall for 473 days. today, his imprisonment and trial are over. but the questions raised about race, the police, the judicial system, are not." "in every case, i walk out the door thinking every day, 'i should have done this. i could have done that. i should have done' -- but the bottom line is nothing that i could change would have made a difference in the verdict." when we continue our look back on the 90s, when the voice of a rock movement brought his own story to an early end. the short lived t-v series that serves as a touchpoint for teen drama. the historic clash that produced one of sport's more bizarre moments. plus, we look back on the sensational marriage between the king of rock's daughter and pop music royalty. then, we remember the show that made "90210" television's most famous zip code. and the legendary career of a man who was known to the world as "his airness" and how exactly michael jordan came to hold the title. it's all still ahead, right here on "through the decades." it's all still ahead, right here on "through the decades." janis joplin. jim morrison. jimi hendrix. amy winehouse. an all-star group of musicians joined by more than talent. none would live to see their 28th birthday. another member of the infamous "27 club" was kurt cobain. he defined the 90s as the face of grunge and voice of the decades' counter-culture. the nirvana frontman took his life in 1994, just a few years after he burst onto the national scene and altered music's landscape. "he was about making the music he wanted to make and the fact that it connected with this audience, you know, is almost irrelevant." in 1989, kurt cobain, along with fellow seattle area friend krist novoselic, started the alternative rock band "nirvana," producing their first album in 1990. the next year they added drummer dave grohl and released "nevermind," with its smash single "smells like teen spirit." nirvana would go mainstream, the album would go platinum and cobain was crowned the voice of a generation, a rock star -- something he never aspired to. (singing) "here we are now, entertain us." "here we are now entertain us. kurt hated this businesss of voice of a generation but the use of that second person plural, 'here we are now' is something that you didn't get from the hair metal bands, you didn't get from michael jackson." "cobain was seen as a man who had everything -- success, a beautiful wife, a baby and a drug problem." "i think they knew he was troubled. they knew he was battling drug problems. they knew that the marriage with courtney love was very controversial. it had its ups and downs." "do you like fatherhood?" "vodka? yes, i love vodka." "these troubles caught up with him so people were not surprised, they knew he had troubles. he's a guy who wrote really good songs and made us feel connected to him through that and then also had troubles that claimed his life." "the lead singer of nirvana, a rock group especially popular with people in their teens and twenties, shot and killed himself at his home in seattle, washington today. just last month, cobain was hospitalized for an overdose of drugs and alcohol. kurt cobain was 27." it was a loss that shook the music world, but even his fans -- while shaken -- weren't surprised. "he almost od'd about a couple of weeks ago and he was in a coma and we almost lost him then." "well, it's just sad, really. it's really a sad thing." the aftermath gripped the country. his wife, musician courtney love, told barbara walters she felt responsible for his suicide because she had staged an intervention for him as he struggled with his addictions. "this is a woman who feels very guilty and what happened is that after the intervention she screamed at him one day because evidently he had dropped their baby daughter, frances bean. the child was heavily dressed and had a hood on so she didn't get hurt. and courtney said, 'you dropped this baby. you dropped this baby' and he was so filled with guilt that she feels that was the trigger that made him kill himself." jim derogatis, who interviewed the singer before he died, says music was cobain's life and he had been looking forward to the music he would make in the future. "kurt cobain was a man who could just as soon imagine not breathing or not eating as not playing music. it was that important to him. the man i met, i very rarely recognize in media portraits. you know, he's depressed. he's in pain. it's angst. it's a product of divorce, drug addicted, miserable s-o-b. no. no. no. no. he had a very strong vision and he was very, very smart. he intended to live a long time and continue to make music. there was not a death wish there. this was a man who loved music. for him, every time he picked up the guitar it was an act of saying, 'i'm glad to be alive.'" while his music proclaimed life, his death worried some about the impact it would have on his gen x-er fans. "he was a very gifted person but i don't think they're gonna take this as some message that you should just give up." "i personally think he had a lot of self emotional problems that he just couldn't deal with himself and he chose to be selfish about it." "right. there's other ways to deal with you're problems, you know? everybody's got 'em." "in fact, some are hoping cobain's death may serve to demystify and deglorify the somewhat romantic notion of suicide and might ultimately save lives." ulitmately, there was not a rash of teenagers that followed suit but the music kurt left behind remains revolutionary -- a tribute to an era that he alone came to define. "the fact is, that they are very, very good. they were very good and they're timeless in their strengths, like all great rock and roll." still ahead, as we continue our look back on the stories that defined a decade. we remember the brief-lived but landmark television series, "my so-called life." plus, the story behind one of the most bizarre moments in olympic history. the most bizarre moments in olympic history. it's just my eczema again, but it's fine. yeah, it's fine. you ok? eczema. it's fine. hey! hi! aren't you hot? eczema again? it's fine. i saw something the other day. eczema exposed. your eczema could be something called atopic dermatitis, which can be caused by inflammation under your skin. maybe you should ask your doctor? go to eczemaexposed.com to learn more. praised by critics for its thoughtful writing, the cult classic was about an angst- ridden teen, played by hollywood newcomer, claire danes. but the show's critical acclaim did not translate into ratings and much to the disappointment of its fans, it was canceled after 19 episodes. "background and action!" when "my so called life" premiered on august 25, 1994, it got a prime spot -- thursdays at 8 p-m on the abc network. airing opposite nbc's widly popular "mad about you" and "friends," the new show had its work cut out for it. claire danes was 15 when she took on the lead role of angela chase, an introspective teen navigating life's weighty issues. "i feel so stupid. my entire relationship with jordan catalano, every minute of it has completely sucked and now its over. i should've just had sex with him." dane's love interest was played by teen heartthrob and future oscar winner, jared leto. "i would say that it's a show that talks to you like you're a person ... and that doesn't treat you like you're inept." "if something happens it doesn't always have a solution you know -- which is more like life, you know." cruz, who played dane's best friend, rickie vasquez, was the first openly gay teenager on primetime television. the show would end upaunching danes' career, but it came with a price. "i never have a break so i don't know. you know, if i'm not working i'm in school and if i'm not in school, i'm working and i'm always being tugged from place to place. you know, 'claire we need you. claire we need you. claire you want to go to make up? claire you wanna?' no, i don't but you know i have to say i love everyone on the set so much and it just makes this craziness possible." in january 1995, danes' hard work paid off when she took home a golden globe for best actress in a drama. "i don't know what's happening even right now. yeah. good things. good things. it's all good. it works out in the end." but in the end, ratings for the show never matched its critical acclaim. "our kids will enjoy this show." "it's going to be the lost series 40 years from now they'll come back to the archives at abc and go, 'look, this was kind of good!" the news led to a grassroots campaign by fans to try and save it. "operation life support is a viewer campaign to generate interest and sustain interest in 'my so called life.'" "here's one that reads, 'steve, i'm a big fan of 'my so called life' and want to help keep it on t-v. my so called life is the best thing that happened to television and its a damn shame majorty of the american population doesn't know it.'" but their efforts would be in vain. more than 20 years later, my so-called life lives on and for many, the show has left an enduring legacy. still to come, the fight and the bite that stunned america. plus, from his nba titles and m-v-p awards to his iconic brand, we look back on how michael jordan reached the stratosphere of the greatest athlete alive. this is "through the decades." athlete alive. this is "through the decades." few boxing matches have been cemented into pop culture like the 1997 re-match between mike tyson and evander holyfield. but the events of june 28, 1997 will always be remembered for the way the fight ended. tyson entered the ring that night in 1997 looking for revenge. he was no longer the "baddest man on the planet." three years in prison had stolen his prime. he was something else -- a curiosity. a man trying to regain his spot and his heavyweight title. but the only thing that went down that night was a piece of tyson's opponent, evander holyfield. the groundwork for this iconic fight was laid eight months prior in november of 1996. holyfield came into that first tyson fight as a big underdog, but was confident nonetheless. "i know that on november the ninth, whatever it takes, i have it and i will be victorious." tyson had lost only one fight in his career . "i don't know how anyone feels. my objective is to make my opponent feel my punches." but in what would be the "ring magazine" upset of the year, holyfield would take it to tyson and end up winning by t-k- o in the 11th round. with a 100 million dollar purse, a re-match was a no brainer. "the energy is growing by geometric progression. the enthusiam you could cut it with a knife. the excitement, the anticipation -- it's just overwhelming." so holyfield and tyson started training again for another heavyweight clash . holyfield again came out and took it to tyson, taking the first and second rounds. but in the third, tyson just lost it. during a tie-up, tyson spit out his mouth guard and took a bite out of holyfield's ear. but the fight continued. that is, until a few seconds later when tyson did it again. the ref stopped the fight. tyson was disqualifed and the thousands in attendance and millions watching at home couldn't believe what they saw. "it's commonly known that holyfield likes to put dijon mustard on his ears and people know that mike loves dijon mustard." the nevada athletic commission fined tyson and revoked his license for a year. tyson would apologize shortly after the fight -- then again years later. now-a-days, holyfield has forgiven the former champ. part of the 90s would be headlines after headlines about scandals involving athletes, entertainers and royalty. but one such scandal managed to incorporate all three -- the attack on olympic fire- skating queen nancy kerrigan in 1994. "why? why? why?" the news rocked the figure- skating community -- and the world. just moments after finishing a practice, nancy kerrigan, the favorite in the upcoming winter olympics women's figure-skating competition, was attacked by an unknown assailant, who struck her right knee with a blunt object before escaping. the injury might have jeopardized her place on the team but she was made of stronger stuff. "a terrifying assault kept nancy kerrigan from competing in the u.s. olympic trials but the figure skater is going to lillehammer next month and this afternoon she posed with the entire team." "i'm just really glad that the vote didn't take any longer. it was really nice to be done so quickly." "today, kerrigan was once again the quintessential spokes- athlete, lending her support to one of the corporate sponsors of the olympic skating team. in an interview with cbs news, she said that physically she's recovering quite rapidly." "how are you feeling today? how's your knee?" "um, it's better. i've already had therapy first thing this morning and swelling's gone down a little bit more." a few days later, the story took a bizarre turn when investigators uncovered a link to one of kerrigan's chief rivals on the team. "tonya harding returned home to portland, oregon this week a champion but now reports link her husband and her bodyguard to the attack last week on nancy kerrigan. the two are said to be heard on an audiotape plotting the incident in which kerrigan's leg was hit by a man wielding an iron bar." "a local minister, gene saunders, told a private investigator he heard taped discussion about the attack but today saunders wasn't talking." "i don't have any comment." "the private investigator, gary crowe, says reverend gene saunders identified one of those on the tape as shawn eckhardt, harding's bodyguard." "it was -- gene explained to me that shawn was approached by harding's husband and asked to put him in touch with someone who could do some sort of bodily damage to nancy kerrigan." the focus shifted from victim to suspect. "good evening. there is word tonight that arrest warrants have now been issued for the attack on olympic figure skater nancy kerrigan. the charges are said to include conspiracy." "reports continue to identify harding's bodyguard, shawn eckardt, the man in the trenchcoat, as involved in arranging the attack. there is no evidence, however, to support some reports the skater herself is a suspect." "harding herself has always seemed a bit of a misfit in the skating world -- the blue- collar kid who became a champion." "she would be much more comfortable in a pool hall than at a skating luncheon." "harding's rocky marriage and bursts of temper have made her anything but a darling of figure skating, but so far none of that controversy has diminished her enormous talent." two weeks later, the controversy became outright scandal. "it was a nervous tonya harding who admitted today she did not immediately report everything she knew about the attack on her rival nancy kerrigan." "many of you will be unable to forgive me for that. it will be difficult to forgive myself." "but harding insisted she knew nothing about the assault until after it happened, until after she returned to portland from the national figure skating championships where kerrigan was injured." "within the next few days, i learned that some persons that were close to me may have been involved. my first reaction was one of disbelief and the disbelief was followed by shock and fear." "it was not until 12 days after the attack that harding went to fbi headquarters in portland to tell what she knew." "although my lawyers tell me that my failure to immediately report this information is not a crime, i know i have let you down but i have also let myself down." "although harding would have clearly broken the law if she helped cover up the assault in any way, if she simply failed to speak up immediately, she may avoid criminal charges. in some ways, harding's olympic dream may already be gone. in an interview for tonight's 'eye to eye' program on cbs, harding's mother told connie chung even a win would in some ways be a loss." "at this point, it wouldn't mean anything. because of the fact she'll never have sponsors, she can't do commercials and things for them i don't imagine, the way the media has destroyed her." "i have devoted my entire life to one objective -- winning an olympic gold medal for my country." "whether the world gets to see that performance may hinge on statements by ex-husband jeff gillooly, who again today met investigators. harding has said she performs best under pressure. and now she's under more pressure than ever." in the end, harding was allowed to compete at lillehammer. her final routine was cut short by a faulty boot lace but she was granted a re-skate and came in eighth. kerrigan skated superbly but lost the gold medal by the slimmest of margins to ukraine's oksana baiul. in the months and years that followed, we'd watch the fall- out for the co-conspirators. shawn eckardt served 14 months in prison for carrying out the attack. harding's ex-husband, jeff gillooly, was also convicted in the scheme. harding herself would pop up time to time from reality t-v to a book and a boxing career -- serving as a reminder of one of the more bizarre chapters not only in skating, but in all of sports. as we continue our look back on the stories that made the 1990s, we look back on when the king of pop married the princess of graceland. plus, the t-v show that left us with a california zip code burned into our collective memory. this is "through the decades." memory. this is "through the decades." he was arguable the biggest pop star on the planet. she was the daughter of rock royalty and in 1994, the king of pop, michael jackson and lisa marie presley got married in a private ceremony. they seemed an unlikely pair and their nearly two year marriage seemed to play out entirely in the tabloid headlines. "please welcome mr. and mrs. michael jackson." "i'm very happy to be he, and just think -- nobody thought this would last." just think -- nobody thought this would last." and it wouldn't last -- not for long, anyway. on may 26, 1994, michael jackson, the self-proclaimed king of pop and lisa marie presley, daughter of the king of rock and roll, tied the knot in a private ceremony in the dominican republic. though the world's most famous newlyweds tried to keep it a secret, it wouldn't be long before word of their nuptials leaked out. even then, jackson's spokesman denied it, saying there had been no marriage. but when a dominican newspaper published photos of what appeared to be a marriage license, jackson and presley could no longer deny the truth. on august 1, 1994, presley released a statement. in it, she said, "my marriage to michael jackson took place in a private ceremony outside the united states 11 weeks ago. my married name is mrs. lisa marie presley-jackson. i am very much in love with michael. i dedicate my life to being his wife. i understand and support him. we both look forward to raising a family and living a happy, healthy life together." it was the first marriage for 35-year-old jackson and the second for 26-year-old presley, who had two children with ex- husband, musician danny keough. their less than two year marriage seemed like it was made in tabloid heaven, and there was widespread speculation about motives for their union. "ladies and ntlemen, mr. michael jackson and miss lisa presley jackson" the wedding came at a time jackson was embroiled in an ongoing investigation over whether he had sexually abused a 13-year old boy. "there were no prenuptial agreeemnts. why did he marry her? he married her to get credibility, get legitimacy because these terrible allegations that were out." jackson vehemently denied the accusations and charges were never filed. as for presley, some thought she was using jackson to jumpstart her singing career. but she strongly defended her decision to marry jackson, even years after their divorce. "i fell in love with him. i probably hadsome delusional idea that we could save the world together, we were similar and compatible, it was not somebody that was going to be squashed by me, by my celebrity or my garbage that comes with me." at the time, lisa's mother, priscilla presley, publicly announced that she gave the couple her blessing. "there was a point in my life where no one would ever tell me anything bad that was ever said or things that were going on around me that, you know, i was kind of protected and no one was ever telling me what was happening or what was going on really so i had a very obscure and actually completely blocked view of reality for a very long time." on january 18, 1996, after just 20 months of marriage, presley filed for divorce -- citing "irreconcilable differences." but even after their divorce, she often accompanied jackson to red carpet events. years later, presley would say it was jackson's growing dependance on prescription drugs that ultimately pushed them apart. the show embodied the 90s and aired the entire decade from 1990 to 2000. brenda, brandon, dylan, kelly, steve, donna and david -- your not-so-average kids next door from that now famous zipcode, beverly hills 90210. "what's so funny?' "poor steve!" "what's up, buddy?" beverly hills 90210. aaron spelling's glitzy teen drama that would not only define television in the 90s but pave the way for future teen dramas. but in the weeks leading up to the series finale, the show was still doing what it did best -- it kept viewers guessing. "there's a gonna be a big explosion and the whole city of beverly hills is going to go up in smoke." "jason priestly is coming back, except he's not playing brandon. we're going to hide him the cast somewhere. he'll be wearing a mustache. he might be the rabbi at dav's ... somebody's wedding ... oh no, did i just blow it? yeah, don't talk about any weddings, okay please? please?" "it's been like a family for the last 10 years. it's going to be weird not to play donna but i'm really excited to do other things." 90210 debuted on october 4, 1990 on the still-fledgling fox network and perpetuated the fantasy of life in beverly hills -- expensive cars, platinum credit cards and an abundance of bleached blonde good looks. "action! "hey feeling any better today?" "no, actually i'm feeling a lot worse so consider yourself warned." "did i do something?" "look brandon, you're a very sweet boy but i'm going through some heavy personal stuff right now and i'm not about to pour my heart out to a teenager from beverly hills." 90210 was dismissed by critics as vacant and shallow and up against "cheers" on thursday nights, the ratings the first year were low. but it was a sleeper hit and by 1991, the numbers were growing -- fueled mostly by a base of teenage girls. -- fueled mostly by a base of teenage girls. newcomer luke perry played bad boy dylan mckay. "i don't think anybody's good all the time, i don't think anybody's bad all the time and luckily i've gotten to show a little bit of both sides of dylan so i get mixed reviews. you know, some people i go out and see them and they think, 'oh you're such a nice guy' and other people are going, 'ehh, before landing the role ofat.'" dylan, perry had been laying asphalt. the show turned him and jason priestly into major t-v stars. "i'm standing right in front of you you should be able to see me." "action luke! " "action! yo cumbie can i buy you some lemonade?" "tell you what, throw in a little chicken, some salsa ranchero, you got a customer." "cut! thank you!" "in terms of the star business, we start slapping reach other when somebody gets too big headed, you know? the show is good because it's an ensemble piece, everybody works and everybody brings something to it." "there's never been any competition. if anything we're all very supportive of each other and we're all very happy for each other's successes." beneath 90210's glitz and glamour, it was a show about teenagers navigating adolscence. and it potrayed teens as more thoughtful and complicated than they had been depicted on 1950s and 60s television programs. "i think that you have to give your audience a little bit more credit for being more intelligent and that's what a lot of high school shows don't do. our show is not a high school show. it's dealing with life and real issues and sometimes it can be a little controversial, which we all like." being on fox allowed 90210's creators to be experimental. "we had a very big controversial show where i lost my virginity and i was very weary of it and the producers thought it would be great and i didn't and it was kind of interesting because the audience really did not like it and it's nice for me because i thought, well i think it's too soon for brenda as well but it lets us know that our audience is really into the show and really paying attention to it for us to get as many thousands and thousands of phone calls after one show about it." they continued to push the boundaries with storylines about shoplifting, drugs, aids, teen pregnancy and date rape. "the issues. i hope people will remember the show as an issue- based show, not just a fluffy, you know beverly hills, blah blah blah. our show reached the peak of our success during a time when we were dealing with major issues that young people were going through." however it's remembered, "beverly hills 90210" will forever live on in the hearts of its fans. "don't you wish we could rewind the last three years?" "no, not really." "what!you like playing the field?" "no, not really. but you know what? i'm glad i did because now i realize how lucky i am to be with you." "oh! that was sweet." when we continue our look back on the stories that defined the 1990s, we remember the player, the brand and the icon that still influences professional basketball today -- the legacy of michael jordan. it's next on "through the deca throughout his award-winning basketball career, michael jordan swished, slammed and dunked his way to victory over and over again. that included six nba championships in the decade of the 90s. he and his chicago bulls did it in two stints of three consecutive runs, dubbed "the three-peats." putting an exclamation mark on one of the most storied careers in sports history. one of the most storied careers in sports history. in the midst of another championship run in 1998 were rumblings that the bulls' dynasty was nearing its end, that the band was breaking up -- that michael jordan, likely the greatest player to ever play the game, would retire for real this time. the 1998 finals, a rematch of the the 1997 finals, would end the same with the bulls beating the utah jazz in six games. with five-point-two seconds left in the game on june 14, 1998, jordan, of course, would hit the winning shot -- securing for chicago its sixth nba championship in eight years. "in chicago, as fans savored the victory, it was difficult to fathom a future without jordan." "i watch basketball a lot and most of the reasons why i watch basketball is because jordan's playing. so i probably, i don't know what i'd do if he didn't come back." "i don't know how well the team's gonna survive, let alone me." six months later, he made it official. "this is a perfect time for me to walk away from the game, and i'm at peace with that." and just like in '93, after his first retirement, fans mourned. "i just wanna tell michael jordan that i think he's the greatest p player in the world and please don't quit." and while jordan's retirement would be a huge loss to the nba, to fans and to the game of basketball, his legacy would endure, reaching heights even he couldn't have imagined. "i don't think there's another figure in the history of american sports that rivals michael jordan for the impact he had on society." smith, who has written extensively about jordan, says m-j's iconic influence transcends the game. "people who didn't know basketball were entranced by this figure. you know, beautiful smile,handled himself, you know, professionally. looked good. the way he dressed, the way he acted, walked, everything. he shaped what people wore, how people dressed." "money, it's got to be the shoes! shoes. shoes. shoes. shoes. you're sure it's not the shoes?" but the air jordans, the now jordan brand and other multimillion dollar endorsements like gatorade and hanes made him and continue to make him one of the most profitable marketing machines in the history of sports, even after being retired for more than a decade. "jordan became a big business icon whose name said as much about the product line as the merchandise itself." smith says one reason his name is synonomous with greatness is that everybody wants to be like mike. "people want to be associated with success, you know the ultimate in success. they want to be associated with quality. jordan, he's the tiffany of sport, this is the best. this is the best to be associated with." as owner of the charlotte hornets, jordan's days of soaring above everyone else are over as he lives his life under the radar and out of the limelight still, his popularity is unprecedented. "because he withdrew and he became almost a mystical figure. he didn't grow old in front of us and part of it is the image that we rememember michael jordan as a player. i think that the world and america appreciates that." in fact, a 2015 harris poll revealed that michael jordan is still considered the top ranked athlete in history. "he hasn't sold himself as a celebrity, that he's maintained true to what he is. he always used to say, 'when i'm done playing, you're never gonna see me' and in part he was true to that in a sense." but the man who was always the barometer for whom everyone else was measured against, remains to this day an incomparable athlete, a once-in-a-lifetime star who will forever be ingrained in our minds for what we too can only hope to accomplish. "he could impact a moment. that's what was special about michael jordan. michael jordan, when the moment came, he rose to the moment." it's the genius of being michael jordan andas smith contends, there is no next. before we start, i just want to say if anyone still doesn't have fios, please stay out of the way so your lag doesn't get us all killed, ben. what's so good about fios anyway? uh. what's so great about a 100% fiber-optic network that makes your gaming system actually work awesomely? hey. did you take out the trash? haha, garbage boy! dad, i already took out ben. it's not funny. gaming is best on a 100% fiber-optic network. so get fios. now, just $79.99 per month with a 2-year price guarantee, with a 2-year agreement. that'll do it for us today. i'm bill kurtis. as we leav back at the the as we leav back at the the decades." james: we welcome you to the nfl today, those tuning in for the second game, we'll get you there, but we have bonus coverage, miami at new england, the patriots on top, 5:38 left in regulation. let's join the announcers. ian: he tried to spin easy sack. first of his career for jonathan jones. ian: and now it's third and 17 for miami atcht loss of 15 yards for the dolphins. new england in control. 35-17 patriots, 5:14 to go in the fourth quarter. patriots are 8-2. dolphins trying to snap a four-game losing streak at 4-6. dropped ball by kenyan drak