“We were having breakfast and it was already apparent that Michael wasn’t OK, so we were all thinking about whether he would be able to play that evening,” recalls Chicago Bulls legend Scottie Pippen. Despite this, Jordan entered the finals game against the Utah Jazz, and that’s how one of the most famous sporting events in history, dubbed the Flu Game, was born, along with the world’s most expensive sneakers, but we’ll get into that shortly.
Waking up from a dream
The 1997 NBA finals included 7 games in total. The first team to score 4 wins would win the title. The finals pitted the Utah Jazz against Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls. The way the finals would be played was as follows: the first two games would take place in Chicago, the next three on the Utah court, and, if needed, the last two games would be held in Chicago again. The first two games were won by the Bulls, which then traveled to Salt Lake City, where the Utah Jazz managed to catch up, also scoring two wins. Unfortunately for the Chicago Bulls, an unexpected complication came up.
The king’s in trouble
The night before the next game, Jordan called the team doctor to his room. He was ill, and according to the doctor, it was either because of food poisoning or some sort of stomach bug. The finger of blame was pointed, among others, at the pizza Michael ordered on the night before the game. Either way, the doctor’s verdict was straightforward: the Bulls would have to enter the game without their leader, who is in no shape to participate in it. But Michael had other ideas.
Game 5 AKA Flu Game
The game was due to start any minute. Jordan was moving around sluggishly, he was sweating and instead of with a ball in his hands, the cameras showed him with a soaking towel on his head. It didn’t look well for the Bulls. Despite their attempts to keep increasing the score difference, soon enough, the scoreboard showed a clear advantage for the Utah Jazz – 36:20.
Miraculously, in the second quarter, Jordan picked himself up and scored an incredible 17 points during it. He was drenched in sweat, and, after releasing what looked like all of his leftover energy, shuffled back to the bench. The contrast between when Jordan was in play and when he wasn’t was striking, and despite his efforts the score was still in favor of the Salt Lake City team – 53:49.
Jordan spent the third quarter on the bench, exhausted and conserving the last of his energy for the final leg of the game. When he got back onto the court, disbelieving players, fans and commentators witnessed him leading his team to victory – there simply wasn’t any other outcome for Jordan. The match ended 90:88 in favor of the Chicago Bulls, with Michael scoring an incredible 38 points. By the time the game was over, he didn’t even have the strength to raise his hands above his head.
In the next game, which was held in the Bull’s home city, they beat the Utah Jazz, and the team centered around Jordan and Pippen had cemented its place in history.
Air Jordan 12 Flu Game
Game 5 has one more interesting curiosity surrounding it. The Air Jordan 12 “Flu Game”sneakers, which Michael wore during this memorable game, were later auctioned off for an incredible 104 000 dollars. Which made them the most expensive sneakers at the time.
If you would like to read more about astronomically expensive sneakers, check out our list of the world’s most expensive sneakers, where the AJ 12 Flu Game holds the respectable 4th position. Can you guess the first three?
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