In anticipation of the last two episodes of “The Last Dance,” Tim Grover, Michael Jordan's longtime trainer going back to his humble Chicago Bulls beginnings, revealed the real story behind “The Flu Game.”
Jordan pushed past his illness to put up 38 points on 13-for-27 shooting, seven rebounds, five assists, and the game-winning shot in a 90-88 road victory over the Utah Jazz in Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals.
An image of Michael Jordan being helped off the court by trusty sidekick Scottie Pippen remains one of the iconic moments from that game.
It's been 23 years since that game, and Grover claims he knows exactly what took place, and it wasn't the flu:
Via Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago:
“100 percent it was food poisoning. 100 percent,” Grover said in an appearance on Barstool Sports’ “Pardon My Take” podcast. “But obviously it just sounds better to be the ‘Flu Game' than the ‘Food Poisoning Game.'”
As Grover tells it, that entire fiasco began with a pizza order from the only open food vendor Grover could find in Park City, Utah at the time. Word got around fast and upon answering the hotel door, Grover was greeted with five delivery people.
“I said, ‘Michael, I got a bad feeling about this,’” Grover recalled. “And he was like, ‘Ah man, f**k you.’ I was like, ‘OK.’”
Jordan ate a couple of slices (according to Grover, Jordan was the only one that consumed this delivery pizza) and went to sleep. A few hours later, Grover received a call.
“Then, about 3 o’ clock in the morning, I get a call to my room that just says, ‘Hey, man, come to MJ’s room’ and he’s literally curled up in the fetal position,” Grover continued.
“I’ve not known any flu that can hit you that fast, but I know how quick food poisoning can hit you.”
Not only did Jordan suit up for that vital Game 5 with the series locked at two apiece, but he also played a whopping 44 minutes that game.
“Once you’re in the game, you gotta stay,” Grover recalled telling Jordan. “You gotta play as long as you freaking can, because once you sit down, that’s it.”
Grover's testimony is as good as it gets, as he was a person in the room while all of this took place. As it turns out “The Flu Game” was indeed “The Delivery Pizza I shouldn't have eaten Game.” Though we'll likely stick with the first one, as it already has a nostalgic feel to it.
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