Michael Jordan felt obligated to his Bulls teammates in the city of Chicago to play the legendary “Flu Game,” saying, “I didn’t wanna give up, no matter how sick I was or how tired I was.”

In Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals, on June 11, 1997, Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan faced the Utah Jazz in what is known as his “Flu Game.”

Despite the nickname “Flu Game,” Jordan had food sickness the night before Game 5 after consuming pizza in his hotel room.

Jordan had IVs inserted in the Bulls locker room after throwing up all night before Game 5. It was probably a bad idea for him to play against the Jazz. But MJ geared up for two very important reasons.

Jordan didn’t talk to the media following the “Flu Game” because he was so weak. After Game 6 in Chicago, reporters had another opportunity to speak with Jordan. Despite being sick, the five-time MVP gave the world an explanation for why he participated in Game 5.

“I refused to give up,” Jordan declared. “Regardless of how ill, exhausted, or low on energy I was. I felt compelled to go above and beyond for the sake of my team and the city of Chicago.

In addition to playing 44 minutes in the “Flu Game,” Jordan scored 38 points off of the Jazz and made the game-winning 3-pointer after a great feed from Scottie Pippen.

With the game tied at 85, Jordan hit a 3-pointer with 25.0 seconds left in regulation to give the Bulls an 88-85 lead. Chicago wound up winning by a final score of 90-88 to take a 3-2 lead in the series.

Pippen, who had the game-winning assist to Jordan in the “Flu Game,” spoke about Jordan’s will to win after Game 5.

“The effort that he gave us today was unbelievable,” Pippen said. “We really appreciate the way he stepped up and showed his leadership for our ball club.”

The Bulls and Jazz only had one day off before playing Game 6 at the United Center. Fortunately for Chicago, Jordan got over his food poisoning and was close to 100% on June 13, 1997. The 10-time scoring champion had another stellar performance in Game 6.

However, he wasn’t the hero.

The Bulls and Jazz were tied at 86 with 28.0 seconds left in regulation in Game 6. Phil Jackson took a timeout to draw up a play for Jordan, who told Steve Kerr to be ready to shoot since he knew he would get doubled.

John Stockton left Kerr to double Jordan, who found the sharpshooter right behind the free-throw line. Kerr hit a jumper with 5.0 seconds remaining to give the Bulls a two-point lead.

However, Chicago still needed one more stop to win championship No. 5.

One of the best defenders in NBA history, Pippen stole the inbounds pass from Bryon Russell and passed it ahead to Toni Kukoc, who dunked the ball at the buzzer for the Bulls’ final exclamation point.

Jordan won his fifth Finals MVP after finishing the series with averages of 32.3 points, 7.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists.

Chicago might have lost the 1997 NBA Finals if Jordan hadn’t played in Game 5. The “Flu Game” is undoubtedly one of the most iconic contests in sports history and showcased Jordan’s mental and physical toughness.