Facts You May Not Know About Michael Jordan's Iconic "Flu Game"

It was food poisoning, not the flu

Like many great myths in sports, the exact facts tend to paint a different picture than the mainstream are led to believe. Why is it called the "Flu Game"? Probably because the "Food Poisoning" game doesn't sound nearly as good. However, one of the accepted pieces of information revealed about what transpired comes from former Bulls trainer Tim Grover. He was with MJ the night before Game 5. Jordan was hungry so they decided to order pizza. Here's what happened next.

“So we order a pizza, they come to deliver it, five guys come to deliver this pizza. 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. 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.”

So in this case the conspiracy theory is that it was intentional poisoning. Perhaps by some nasty Jazz fans trying to derail the one man who could stop their team from becoming NBA champs. It's impossible to prove, but it's also fair to say that Jordan suffered from food poisoning. Doctors later confirmed the symptoms matched up. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIzrYcgfOH4

He played 44 minutes

If people are wondering why Jordan is a six-time champion and why Karl Malone failed to beat him twice in the NBA finals, they need only look at this game. Not so much the play on the court, but how long each man played. Malone, who was perfectly healthy, logged 34 minutes on the court. Jordan, who was dangerously sick, played an absurd 44 minutes. People can talk about the athleticism and physical prowess all they want. That's not what made Jordan the greatest of all-time. It was his heart and unyielding will to win. That night showcased it better than any other in his career. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VNHXD6fZlw

He was 34-years old

Want to know why MJ was such a freak of nature? The widely accepted stat line is that most NBA players tend to retire around the ages of 34 or 35. By that point they've lost most of their explosiveness and just can't go like they used to. It was true of Larry Bird, it was true of Patrick Ewing and it was true of Bill Russell. Somebody must've forgotten to tell Jordan that. By the NBA Finals of 1997 he'd turned 34-years old and somehow was as good or even better than ever. Despite being on the road, sick nearly to death and old for a basketball player he still threw down 38 points against a defense that allowed just 94.3 per game that year. Good for seventh-best in the league. Unreal. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlkrnKkkSQ0

Would've scored 40 if not for two missed free throws

One part of the Flue Game myth that people regularly get mixed up is the fact that Michael Jordan did not score 40 points that night. It's easy to understand why. The number just sounds more legendary than 38, which is what he actually scored. It's still an absurd performance, but 40 just would've sounded cooler. Well people don't know that he almost did reach that number. The biggest reason why was his free throw shooting. Jordan finished the night 10-of-12 at the line. Those two misses are pretty much why he couldn't quite reach the big 4-0. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FVj8ZTJaTY

Jordan said Scottie Pippen was a huge reason for his performance

There wasn't any doubt after Game 5 that Jordan was going to be the Finals MVP. That performance had cemented it. Which is really unfortunate because so many people never fully appreciated how brilliant Scottie Pippen was. Not only in that game but in the entire series. The New York Times touched on it after the Bulls clinched the championship in Game 6, quoting Jordan, Phil Jackson and others on how Pippen was being overlooked.

''You're my m.v.p.,'' Jordan told Pippen after the Chicago Bulls beat the Utah Jazz, 90-86, for the National Basketball Association championship last night at the United Center.

''A lot of people watch who score and that's wonderful,'' said Bulls Coach Phil Jackson. ''But Scottie Pippen's defense is a one-man wrecking crew. He plays 48 feet at every position, both sides of court.''

''Scottie Pippen,'' added the noble John Stockton, ''was in the way a lot.''

Jackson later said in his book that Scottie played the "point forward" position during Game 5 and called one of the most masterful games he'd ever seen. Pippen was able to mask Jordan for much of the game so he wouldn't have to exert much energy on defense and often setting him up for easy baskets. That includes the dagger 3-pointer that put Chicago ahead for good.