Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan were arguably the greatest duos in NBA history. This pair took the Chicago Bulls to the top of the league in the 90s, winning six championships in eight years.
They lived plenty of memorable moments together, and one of the biggest was the ‘Flu Game,’ where MJ didn’t feel so well but still played with a lot of heart and took the Bulls to get a massive win over the Utah Jazz in the 1997 NBA Finals. A lot has been said about that game, and there are different versions of what actually happened that day or the night before the Bulls faced the Jazz at Salt Lake City.
“I almost played myself into passing out,” Jordan said after that game. “I came in and I was almost dehydrated, and it was all just to win a basketball game. I couldn’t breathe. My energy level was really low. My mouth was really dry. They started giving me Gatorade, and I thought about IV.”
That match was incredible for everybody who saw it at the arena, on TV. Even the new generations are delighted watching Jordan play through a mysterious illness and beat the Jazz, as visitors, returning from a 16-point deficit in the first quarter.
Scottie Pippen lived those moments right beside His Airness, leaving one of the most memorable images of that game. He carried Jordan off the court after his 38-point display vs. the Jazz. Three years ago, Pippen recalled that moment, explaining that it wasn’t easy for Michael; he wasn’t himself during the first moments of the duel, but as soon as he started feeling himself again, there was no stopping for the guard.
In the end, the Bulls won, and the image of Pippen taking care of his friend became immortal. He said that wasn’t hard given all the things Michael had done for him during 11 years (3:10).
“It was easy. He carried me for like 11 seasons…”
“It was great. You know me and Michael, we have a special bond. We’ve been together for so long.”
We’ve heard various versions of what really happened the night before the game. Jordan’s former trainer claimed it was a poisoned pizza that caused MJ’s illness.
“100% it was food poisoning. 100%. You know, but obviously, it just sounds better to be the ‘flu game’ than the ‘food poisoning game.’ That doesn’t even roll off your tongue currently. So we were in Utah and back then the team decided to stay in Park City. Park City was not what Park City is now. So literally everything closed down at like 8:30, there was no room service or nothin’ in the hotel and Michael said he’s hungry.
And I’m like, listen, everything is closed. And then I was finally able to find a pizza joint that’s open. So I ordered a pizza and the door rang and by then everybody knew what room Michael was in because we had already been there for a while. And I open up the door and there’s literally five guys standing out there to deliver a pizza. All right, so I take the pizza — obviously they wanted to get a glimpse Michael and, you know, I handed the pizza I paid the guys I closed the door and I just said ‘man, I got a bad feeling about this.’ I told Michael, I said I got a bad feeling about this. He’s like ‘oh, man, f-ck you.”
This is one of the most curious events in NBA history. Even if they poisoned the pizza for Jordan, that didn’t work since the man was always ready to go and he proved that the next day. Even if he felt weak, he knew his team needed him and Michael got to work, taking a huge win in front of a big rival that would succumb to Chicago the next game.
That was one of those moments that marked MJ’s career, showing how incredible this man was. There’s only one Michael Jordan and it’ll be incredibly tough to see another player like him in the NBA. His relationship with Pippen is really great and the forward always have big things to say about No. 23.
