When Michael Jordan exploded toward the rim, it appeared as though he was floating on a different plane of existence than any other NBA player. Jordan wore a jersey, shorts and sneakers just like everyone else, but this guy simply wasn't the same as those other mere mortals.
But even Superman could be brought down by Kryptonite, and Jordan could be brought down by... a threat to his immune system? On June 11, 1997, Jordan added an unforgettable chapter to his legacy with one of the most iconic performances in NBA Finals history.
Yes, we're talking about "The Flu Game."
Beyond the basics of Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals — Jordan led the Bulls to a 90-88 victory despite feeling under the weather — what do you really know about "The Flu Game"? Let's travel back 25 years and revisit what went down in Salt Lake City.
1. Michael Jordan didn't actually have the flu.
OK, maybe you did know this part. However, there has been so much chatter about the background of "The Flu Game" that you may have blended facts and fiction together.
Before Game 5, play-by-play announcer Marv Albert declared that Jordan was suffering from "flu-like symptoms." After the game, Jordan said that he was "almost dehydrated" and felt like he "couldn't breathe."
But the truth came out years later. In 2013, Tim Grover, Jordan's former personal trainer, said on TrueHoop TV that Jordan was actually dealing with food poisoning, not the flu. With room service unavailable, he had ordered a pizza to the team's hotel the night before Game 5.
"So we order a pizza, they come to deliver it, five guys come to deliver this pizza," Grover said. "And I'm just... I take the pizza, and I tell them, I said, 'I got a bad feeling about this.' I said, 'I just got a bad feeling about this.' Out of everybody in the room, he was the only one that ate. Nobody else... then 2 o'clock in the morning, I get a call to my room.
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"I come to the room, he's curled up, he's curled up in the fetal position. We're looking at him. We're finding the team physician at that time. And immediately I said, 'It's food poisoning.' Guaranteed. Not the flu."
During the ninth episode of ESPN's "The Last Dance," Jordan himself confirmed that food poisoning was the real issue.
"The Food Poisoning Game" just doesn't sound as smooth, though, so that famous description isn't going to change.
2. The Bulls were strategic in how they used and protected Michael Jordan.
There was no doubt that Jordan was struggling heading into Game 5, so the Bulls tried to limit his workload on and off the floor. In a 2012 interview with ESPN, Hall of Fame coach Phil Jackson explained that the team kept him away from the media before the game. He checked on Jordan before tipoff, saying that he was going to play despite feeling "like crap."
As for on-court strategy, having Scottie Pippen, one of the greatest defensive players of all time, allowed Jordan to focus on what he did best — putting the ball in the basket.
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"Scottie was all about, 'We'll take care of the defense. Don't expend yourself. Save yourself for the other end of the floor where you can score. We know you can finish this game off and I'll help you out part-time and hedge off my man,'" Jackson said. "And Scottie set him up by drawing the double-team and getting the ball back to Michael [on offense]."
Jordan had enough in the tank to give the Bulls 38 points (13-of-27 shooting), seven rebounds, five assists, three steals and one block in 44 minutes. His scoring came in spurts, as he had 17 in the second quarter and 15 in the fourth quarter, including a clutch 3-pointer off a pass from Pippen. He nearly outscored the Jazz (16) by himself in the final frame.
3. Scottie Pippen's view of Michael Jordan and 'The Flu Game' has changed.
Pippen was undoubtedly Jordan's best teammate throughout the Bulls' multiple three-peats, and he quite literally carried Jordan to the finish line in Game 5. One of the most incredible images of Chicago's dynasty is Jordan collapsing into Pippen's arms as they walked toward the bench.
But Jordan and Pippen aren't on great terms now. Ever since the release of "The Last Dance," Pippen has been taking shots at Jordan for, well, anything and everything. He openly criticized the documentary series and called Jordan "selfish" and "condescending."
He even downplayed the legacy of "The Flu Game" during a SiriusXM Radio interview, comparing his back issues in the 1998 NBA Finals to Jordan's illness.
"Is it easier to play with a herniated disc or to play with the flu?" Pippen said. "Well, I don't see many bad back games, but I do see flu games. Flu, come on."
Will Pippen and Jordan ever reconcile? While appearing on "The Bill Simmons Podcast" earlier this year, Charles Oakley, who played for Chicago from 1985-88 and is one of Jordan's close friends, expressed his doubts. He believes Pippen remains frustrated he didn't get more airtime on "The Last Dance."
"I think they [covered] Dennis Rodman more than Scottie — and Steve Kerr," Oakley said, referring to two key members of Chicago's second three-peat. "But my thing to that is, Kerr did way more off the court than Scottie. Dennis probably has, too. But on that court, Scottie did a lot more than both of them, but Scottie felt like he was left out of there. And he felt like Jordan wouldn't have six rings if it wasn't for him. ...
"[Jordan] always praised Scottie, always praised Scottie. He never talked down about him, but I don't know what happened since 'The Last Dance.' It seems like things just — he probably said, 'OK, Scottie said this stuff about me. OK, I'm not gonna say nothing.' He's not gonna say nothing back in the press, none of that, try to go back to Scottie. He's just gonna keep doing what he's doing — play golf, fish, relax and smoke cigars."
It could be an unfortunate end to one of the most successful pairings in NBA history, but if nothing else, Pippen and Jordan will always have that image from "The Flu Game."
