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Throwback: When Michael Jordan Redefined His Legacy With the Infamous Flu Game
Despite having been food poisoned, Michael Jordan willed himself to show up for Game 5 of the 1997 Finals.
No player helped build the allure of 1990s basketball quite like Michael Jeffrey Jordan. On paper, Jordan didn’t seem like a big deal; a 6 '5 guard with trademark jump shot and crazy handles. But what set the North Carolina native apart was his determination and ‘whatever it takes to win’ mindset.
By the time ‘His Airness’ led the Chicago Bulls to the 1997 NBA Finals, he was already a four-time Champion, a three-time MVP, nine-time All-Star, and seven-time All-NBA first team select. Simply put, Jordan’s legend was already well established and well-known, making him one of the winningest athletes in history.
But during one infamous evening on June 11, 1997, that assumption was put to test in one of the most unexpected ways imaginable.
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MJ goes down with a serious case of food poisoning
Leading up to Game 5 of the 1997 NBA finals, the series was tied 2-2 with Utah continuing as ‘gracious’ hosts. Having won 23 straight at home including Games 3 and 4, the Jazz were truly an unstoppable squad on home turf.
The night before the game, Michael was hungry and had ordered Pizza to his hotel room. Tim Grover, MJ’s trainer at the time, grew suspicious of the delivery when he witnessed five guys at the door all gathered to deliver one pizza box. Sensing something foul, Grover warned Jordan not to eat the pizza.
Unsurprisingly, Jordan let hunger get the better of him and ate the Pizza by himself. Grover spoke in length on the risky series of events that soon followed the incident:
“At about three O’Clock in the Morning I get a call to my room and they say hey man come to MJ’s room and he’s curled up in a fetal position. We went and got the team physician at that time and nobody could figure out what was going on and he had eaten a couple slices”. He concluded by stating:
“I’ve not known any flu that can hit you that fast, but I know how quickly food poisoning can hit you”.
His teammates couldn’t believe he missed the shootaround before the game, especially during the finals. Eventually, medication somewhat worked to improve his health and he decided he wanted to play.
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Jordan’s heroics; overcoming finals adversity
From the moment Jordan touched down at the Delta Center, he seemed dizzy and very much unlike himself. Coach Jackson even said, “Literally, I thought he struggled to get down the hallway to the training room where we were at.”
It took about five, six cups of coffee for the Bulls Champ to feel good enough to play. Despite the unexpected struggles and poor health, Jordan became an entirely different personality when he entered game mode.
Led by Pippen and Michael, the Bulls had Cruised through the Eastern Conference with an 11-2 record and led the finals series 2-0. In response, Jazz lived up to their resilient nature and won two back-to-back, thus tying the series.
Game 5 was as competitive as one would’ve expected. Both teams went back and forth exchanging leads and making crucial buckets. While Utah’s starting lineup attempted to keep the game out of reach for Chicago, Jordan and Pippen kept the game alive as they combined for 55 points, 17 rebounds, and 10 assists.
Apart from Pippen’s supporting role, Jordan was the real MVP of the game as he put up 38 points, seven rebounds, and five assists on 48% from the field. With less than thirty seconds left in the game, it was MJ’s crucial three that secured victory for Chicago and avoided overtime.
Jordan and company brought a similar game in Game 6 of the finals and took home the Larry O’Brian Trophy, becoming five-time NBA Champions.
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