Michael Jordan’s historic ‘Flu Game’ is widely considered one of the most iconic moments in NBA history.
However, his long-time rival, Isiah Thomas, has now blasted the false myth surrounding his flu.
NBA Legend Shares Thoughts on Rival Michael Jordan’s ‘Flu Game’
Looking to lead the Chicago Bulls to a fifth NBA title, Jordan got ill on the eve of Game 5 of the Finals against the Utah Jazz. Despite experiencing vomiting and diarrhea, he still played and finished with 38 points as the Chicago Bulls won 90-88.
The ‘Flu Game’ story existed for years, and a legend was built around it, rooted in the incredible performance of Jordan despite dealing with an illness.
However, Jordan himself revealed on the “The Last Dance” docuseries that he did not have the flu but was instead dealing with severe food poisoning, likely stemming from a pizza he had eaten the night before.
Thomas has now called Jordan out for building up a myth around his ‘Flu Game.’ The two-time NBA champion said on FanDuel’s “Run it Back” that NBA legends must tell the truth about the game rather than lying about their achievements to the next generation.
“Tell the truth about the game to the fans so they can continue to love and grow our game. But the way our game is talked about in some ways, it’s very mythical. It ain’t real. We are still calling his game the ‘Flu Game’ even though he didn’t have the flu.”
“But they promote it. So if NBC is going to bring back people to talk about the game, bring the folks who will be honest and tell the truth. Not this BS,” Thomas said.
Thomas, who spent his NBA playing career with the Detroit Pistons and won NBA titles in 1989 and 1990, shared an intense rivalry with Jordan.
The Bulls’ superstar was not a fan of the Pistons’ physicality and aggressive style of play. He was also left angered by Thomas and the Pistons walking off the court without shaking hands with the Bulls players after losing to them in the 1991 Eastern Conference Finals. Thomas was later snubbed from the 1992 Team USA roster for the Olympic Games.
Jordan also revealed on “The Last Dance” that he still harbors animosity toward Thomas. Based on Thomas’ comments, the feud is unlikely to end anytime soon.
