Legendary NBA Commentator Recalls Michael Jordan’s Flu Game as the Best Thing he Witnessed in his Storied Career

Published 06/25/2021, 3:30 PM EDT

If there is one sports broadcaster that the world is most familiar with, it’s Marv Albert. He was the voice of the New York Knicks for 40 years until their marriage ended because he was too critical and brutal with his opinions. Even at the age of 80, he continues to be a legend in the industry. So, when someone asked him about the best moments of his storied career, he couldn’t help but name the game that defined Michael Jordan.

The Flu Game from Marv Albert’s eyes

Ahead of the 1997 NBA Finals matchup against the Utah Jazz, commentator Marv Albert had announced that Jordan was suffering from flu-like symptoms. However, as everyone knows, nothing stops the GOAT. It became the performance of a lifetime and was labeled as the ‘Flu Game’.

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Looking back at that day, Albert confessed it was one of the best things he witnessed. “The performance that he put on… And then as he went back on timeouts to the huddle at the bench with teammates helping him back to the bench.

“He looked like he was going to faint. He’d sit on the bench, recover, go back out and continue to play Jordan-style basketball. It was unbelievable to see that kind of emotion.”

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How did Michael Jordan win against the Utah Jazz?

Not only is Jordan the best player to ever walk on the court, but his competitive attitude makes him infallible. This was only half-true until fans saw Jordan demolishing the Jazz despite being severely and visibly ill.

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Bent over his knees and sweating nonstop, it wasn’t the Jordan fans were used to watching. Yet, he played 44 minutes ensuring a 90-88 win to take a 3-2 lead in the series. A loss would have put the Chicago Bulls in a tough spot of winning two straight games after it. However, MJ didn’t let that happen and added 38 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals.

This also included a 17-point performance in the second quarter alone along with a three-pointer in the last few seconds. This helped them close in on a 16 point deficit and gave them the much-needed win.

MJ might have struggled throughout the game but he made sure the Jazz suffered too. He has given us more brilliant games than anyone in the NBA. How else does Jordan need to make the case for being the GOAT? No other player holds a candle to MJ’s greatness.

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Written by:

Yashima Bhatia is an NBA writer for EssentiallySports who specialises in providing nuanced predictions and updates for matches. She has a Bachelor's degree in journalism and mass communication. Yashima's love for playing the game came up at a young age, when the excitement of the games coupled with the intensity of the Playoffs had her hooked.

Legendary NBA Commentator Recalls Michael Jordan’s Flu Game as the Best Thing he Witnessed in his Storied Career

The Flu Game from Marv Albert’s eyes

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How did Michael Jordan win against the Utah Jazz?