Michael Jordan is a name known for his urge to win, fueled by his competitive spirit. There have been many instances where MJ has defied odds to deliver his best. It can be his 63 points against a team like Larry Bird’s Boston Celtics in Game 2 1986 of the NBA playoffs. Or it can be him working on his build to overcome a physically dominant team like the Detroit Pistons.
However, one of the most popular instances of Michael Jordan overcoming a personal setback will always be his performance in Game 5 of 1997 playoffs against the Utah Jazz. Notably, Jordan had played this game suffering from illness. But Mike did not let his bad health affect his championship aspirations as he led the Chicago Bulls to a 90-88 victory.
A look-back into Michael Jordan’s popular flu game
Both Utah and Bulls had entered the Game 5 tied with each other at a series score of 2-2. The game took place on June 11, 1997 in Salt Lake City. While the Bulls were looking for a second consecutive NBA championship win, the Jazz had the opportunity of securing their first one ever. So the stakes were high, especially for Utah. However, Michael Jordan is known to be a player whose competitive spirit would not let him be any less desiring of another win.
Although the game started with the first quarter favoring Utah as they gained a lead of 29-16, Jordan could score just 4 points in this quarter, but he set the court on fire in the second quarter with his 17 points. This resulted in a second quarter win (33-24) for the Bulls. The third quarter of the game went neck to neck as the Jazz scored 19 points against Bulls’ 18 points. Mike again compensated his 2 points in the third quarter by scoring 15 points in the fourth quarter.
However, by the end of the fourth quarter, Mike could barely stand on his feet. Despite his bad health, he played for 44 minutes in the game. However, Jordan made his most memorable three-pointer of the night while the two teams were tied at 85-85. And he collapsed into the arms of Scottie Pippen after hitting the shot, but since there was only a minute left, he gathered himself. The game eventually concluded at 90-88 with a 3-2 lead for Chicago Bulls in the series. And although the fans still remember it as MJ’s Flu Game, later information disclosed that Mike had suffered a case of food poisoning.
Did a pizza cost MJ his health ahead of Game 5 of 1997 NBA finals?
Jordan’s trainer Tim Grover had revealed that Mike’s illness was a result of food poisoning from a pizza. The revelation came during his appearance on ‘TrueHoop TV’, as per an ESPN article of 2013. He said that they had ordered a pizza, which was strangely delivered by five guys. “And I’m just… I take the pizza, and I tell them, I said, ‘I got a bad feeling about this.’ Out of everybody in the room, he (MJ) was the only one that ate. Nobody else… then 2 o’clock in the morning, I get a call to my room,” Grover said.
Even Michael Jordan had stated in the docuseries ‘The Last Dance‘, it was the pizza which caused him food poisoning. “I ate the pizza… All by myself. Nobody else eats the pizza. I wake up about 2:30 throwing up left and right… So it really wasn’t the flu game. It was food poisoning,” he said. In fact, Mike had suspected foul play involving a deliberate attempt by Jazz fans to sabotage his performance.
It is worth mentioning that the Utah Jazz fanbase has the worst reputation among the NBA stars of opposing teams. From throwing racial slurs to abusing players’ families, there have been several instances of inappropriate conduct on their end. However, it cannot surely be said that they would go to an extent of tampering with a player’s health. Now the mystery behind Jordan’s bad health may remain unsolved, but the Game 5 of 1997 NBA finals has made its place in history by the name of “MJ’s Flu Game”.