Michael Jordan’s Second Best Game

Everyone knows Michael Jordan, but few understand what it took to become the greatest player of all time. Michael Jordan had grit like no one else; just read the story of his second best game.

Game 5, known as “The Flu Game”, was one of Michael Jordan‘s most memorable. At 2 a.m on Tuesday morning, Jordan called his personal trainer to his hotel room, where he was lying in the fetal position and sweating profusely. He hardly had the strength to sit up in bed and was diagnosed with a stomach virus or food poisoning, likely caused by a pizza ordered the night before. The Bulls’ trainers told Jordan that there was no way he could play the next day. The Jazz had just won Games 3 and 4 to tie the series at 2 wins apiece, and a third consecutive win would give them the momentum. The Bulls needed their leader for this critical swing game, and despite his ailments, Jordan got out of bed at 5:50 p.m on Wednesday, just in time for the 7 o’clock tip-off at the Delta Center.

Jordan was visibly weak and pale as he stepped on the court for Game 5. At first, he displayed little energy, and John Stockton, along with reigning MVP Karl Malone, led the Jazz to a 16-point lead (36-20) in the second quarter. But Jordan slowly began to make shots despite lacking his usual explosive speed. He scored 17 points in the quarter as the Bulls ended the half with a large run. While Jordan was fatigued in the third and sitting on the bench, Utah was able to reclaim the lead and stretched it to 8 points (77-69). Jordan shot well again in the fourth quarter, scoring 15 points. With 46.4 seconds left and Chicago down 85-84, he was fouled and went to the free throw line. He made the first to tie the game, but missed the second. Toni Kukoc tapped the offensive rebound to Jordan, who dribbled back to allow the offense to set up. He passed the ball to Pippen, who was quickly double-teamed. Pippen then passed the ball back to a now-unguarded Jordan, who made a 3-point shot to give the Bulls an 88-85 lead with 25 seconds remaining in the game. A Greg Ostertag dunk brought the Jazz back within one point, but Luc Longley answered with a dunk of his own, and Chicago held on for a narrow victory when John Stockton missed the first of two free throws in front of the stunned crowd. With only a few seconds remaining and the game’s result safely in Chicago’s favor, Jordan collapsed into Scottie Pippen’s arms, creating an iconic image that has come to symbolize The Flu Game.

“Very queasy, low on energy,” Jordan said after the win, describing how he felt when he arrived at the arena a few hours before the game. “Once I got out there and started sweating, I really didn’t want to sit down. I knew I had to play in spurts, with bursts of energy.”

Greatness takes actions despite your feelings. No matter how you feel today, make sure your feelings don’t spoil your actions. Carry on, and remember that greatness means doing what no one else is willing to do.