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The date – June 11, 1997.
The site – The Delta Center in Salt Lake City, UT.
The event – Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals.
The Chicago Bulls, attempting to capture their 5th championship in 7 years, were locked in a 2-2 series with the Utah Jazz. With control of the series at stake in this critical Game 5, the Bulls were seemingly dealt with a devastating blow as news broke that Michael Jordan had flu-like symptoms and his physical condition was very troublesome. As the 2020 documentary series The Last Dance revealed, Jordan ordered a pizza the night before the game around 10:30pm. Here are the details of that night:
Jordan would miss the team shoot-around and stay in bed all day with an IV hooked to him. He arrived at the Delta Center right before tip-off to try to compete. What transpired was one of the greatest performances in NBA history:
The end result – Jordan miraculously finished with 38pts, 7rebs, 5assts & 3stls including the dagger 3-pointer that gave the Bulls the lead for good. The Bulls would win the game 90-88, the series in 6 games and their 5th NBA Championship. It was the gutsiest performance I have ever seen and it only added to the aura of the 5-time NBA MVP. The picture of Jordan collapsing in Scottie Pippen’s arms remains one of the most iconic pics in American pop culture history.
You Had To Be There…
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