{"id":733258,"date":"2026-06-13T04:12:09","date_gmt":"2026-06-13T04:12:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/733258\/"},"modified":"2026-06-13T04:12:09","modified_gmt":"2026-06-13T04:12:09","slug":"isiah-thomas-calls-out-nbas-biggest-michael-jordan-myth-the-flu-game","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/733258\/","title":{"rendered":"Isiah Thomas Calls Out NBA\u2019s Biggest Michael Jordan Myth: The Flu Game"},"content":{"rendered":"

Chicago Bulls<\/a> legend Michael Jordan<\/a> has been retired for over two decades, but his legacy lives on as one of the most iconic NBA superstars in history. Over 15 years in the league, he provided so many memorable moments that often get told as classic stories today.<\/p>\n

One of his more famous acts is the \u2018Flu Game,\u2019 which saw him play hero for the Bulls while stricken with a mysterious illness during Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals. He was lethargic all night and appeared on the verge of passing out at times<\/a>. Yet, in the end, Jordan would lead his team to victory with 38 points, seven rebounds, five assists, three steals, and one block. The only problem is, according to Isiah Thomas<\/a>, the \u201cFlu Game\u201d didn\u2019t actually involve the flu at all.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe way our game now is being talked about in some ways is very mythical, it ain\u2019t real,\u201d said Thomas on \u2018the Run it Back\u2019 show<\/a>. \u201cIt ain\u2019t real. Like, we\u2019re still calling his game \u2018The Flu Game,\u2019 and they know he didn\u2019t have the flu, but they promote it. I\u2019m just down for honesty and telling the truth about what we\u2019re seeing. So, if NBC is going to bring back people to talk about the game, bring folks who are going to be honest and tell the truth, not this BS.\u201d<\/p>\n

Something was clearly off with Jordan that day<\/a>, but it was initially unclear what exactly happened. Some doubted anything had happened at all, while others claimed it was all a hoax to inflate Jordan\u2019s legacy. Others theorized it was simply the result of a bad hangover, brought on after a night full of drinking and gambling.<\/p>\n

Of course, it was later confirmed that the illness was actually a bout of food poisoning<\/a>. As the story goes, Jordan got sick on game day after ordering a pizza the night before that was allegedly sabotaged by Jazz fans. He was the only one who ate a slice that night, which was hand-delivered by five people.<\/p>\n

In the end, whatever the truth, Michael came through for his team when they needed a win. To this day, it\u2019s remembered as a shining example of his unshakeable focus and relentless perseverance. The problem for Isiah is not how the game is celebrated, but the narrative behind what happened that day.<\/p>\n

Instead of cute tales and nicknames that mythologize events, Isiah Thomas wants discourse that is honest and true to the game. That\u2019s especially so when it comes to Michael Jordan, who has always been considered IT\u2019s biggest rival. For years, Thomas has had to watch people spread falsehoods that diminish his own greatness while uplifting No. 23\u2019s legacy. Going forward, he wants more accountability for the media in maintaining historical accuracy.<\/p>\n

Regarding what to think of the \u2018Flu Game,\u2019 nothing can take away what Jordan did that day<\/a>. Regardless of his physical state, the man showed up and delivered on the greatest possible stage. He answered the call and achieved victory against the odds, the mark of a true basketball legend.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan has been retired for over two decades, but his legacy lives on as…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":733259,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[557],"tags":[64,63,590,85],"class_list":["post-733258","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nba","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-nba","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/733258","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=733258"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/733258\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/733259"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=733258"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=733258"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=733258"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}