The legendary “Flu Game” in which Michael Jordan led the Chicago Bulls to victory over the Utah Jazz in the 1997 NBA Finals has long been etched in basketball lore. The narrative that Jordan played through a severe flu illness to deliver a heroic performance, scoring 38 points and helping the Bulls to a crucial Game 5 win, is one of the most iconic moments in sports history. However, according to Jordan himself, the truth behind that memorable night is quite different.
In the latest episode of The Last Dance, the documentary series chronicling Jordan’s career, the basketball great offered a new explanation for his infamous illness. According to Jordan and his long-time trainer Tim Grover, it wasn’t the flu that sidelined him—it was food poisoning caused by a pizza he ate the night before the game.
Jordan recounted a late-night incident before Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals in Utah. Around 10:30 p.m., Jordan, feeling hungry and unable to find other food options, ordered a pizza. What followed was an unusual delivery: five people arrived at Jordan’s hotel with the single pizza. Grover, who was with Jordan at the time, recalled his immediate unease about the situation.
“Five guys delivering one pizza,” Grover said. “They’re all trying to look in. I take the pizza, I pay them, and I put it down. I say, ‘I’ve got a bad feeling about this pizza.’”
Despite his reservations, Jordan ate the entire pizza himself, while no one else in the room touched it. Later that night, Jordan woke up feeling extremely ill, suffering from severe vomiting. Grover described him as curled up in pain, asking for a doctor.
“It really wasn’t the flu game,” Jordan said. “It was food poisoning.”
Despite the food poisoning, Jordan still went on to deliver one of his greatest performances. He played through the sickness, contributing 38 points, seven rebounds, and five assists, including a crucial three-pointer in the final moments of the game, which the Bulls won 90-88. This victory gave Chicago a 3-2 series lead, ultimately leading to their fifth NBA championship.
While Jordan’s health struggles before the game have been re-framed, the outcome remains unchanged. The Bulls went on to win the NBA Finals in a 4-2 series victory over the Jazz, solidifying Jordan’s legacy.
As for the pizza’s origins, the restaurant that delivered it remains unidentified. The story of five delivery drivers and the uneaten pizza will likely spur further speculation as fans and internet sleuths try to track down which Salt Lake City pizzeria was open late that night.
An additional tidbit from The Last Dance director Jason Hehir, shared after the episode aired, revealed that Jordan claimed to have taken ownership of the pizza in a more unusual way. According to Hehir, Jordan said he had spit on the pizza to ensure no one else would eat it, though Hehir expressed doubt about whether the pizza had been intentionally tampered with. Regardless, Jordan’s account that he was the only one to consume it remains central to this newly revealed story.
The updated version of the infamous “Flu Game” may have changed, but the legend of Michael Jordan’s resilience and performance under pressure endures.
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