Origin of Michael Jordan’s “Flu Game”
One of the most legendary “behind the scenes” stories in sports history is the true origin of Michael Jordan’s “Flu Game” during the 1997 NBA Finals.
For years, the story was that Jordan played through a debilitating case of the stomach flu to lead the Chicago Bulls to a crucial victory against the Utah Jazz.
However, the truth—revealed decades later in The Last Dance—is much weirder.
The night before Game 5, Jordan was in his hotel room in Park City, Utah. He was hungry, but the hotel kitchen was closed.
His trainer, Tim Grover, found the only place still open: a local pizza shop.
When the delivery arrived, Grover noticed something suspicious: five men had come to deliver a single pizza. They were all trying to peer into the room to see if it was really for Michael Jordan.
Grover had a “bad feeling” about it and warned Jordan not to eat it, but Jordan was starving and ate the entire pie himself.
By 2:00 AM, Jordan was curled in a fetal position on his bathroom floor, shaking and vomiting. It wasn’t the flu, it was severe food poisoning. His trainer and doctors didn’t think there was any way he could walk, let alone play an NBA Finals game in the high altitude of Utah.
Jordan didn’t even show up to the arena until shortly before tip-off. He spent the entire pre-game lying in a dark room with a cold compress on his head.
He was visibly pale, sweating profusely, and leaning on teammates during every timeout just to stay upright.
Despite being unable to keep food or water down, he played 44 minutes and scored 38 points, including the game-sealing three-pointer.
The game ended with the famous image of Scottie Pippen literally carrying a collapsing Jordan off the court.
It remains the ultimate “mind over matter” story in sports—not because he beat the flu, but because he beat a pizza intended to take him out of the series.
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