Amidst Studio Ghibli AI Outrage, Scottie Pippen Recreates Iconic Michael Jordan Flu Game Moment

As AI art becomes all the rage, many social media users have taken advantage of the new technology to recreate their own photos in the iconic Studio Ghibli art style. Many disagree with the regurgitated “art,” but that didn’t stop Scottie Pippen from joining the trend and recreating an iconic moment from his NBA career.

The Bulls legend took to X to once again share the memorable “Flu Game” photo, this time in the viral AI art style. The recreation is far from accurate, as it depicts Pippen with a toothy smile that he didn’t have in the original shot. But it was close enough for him to post it for his followers to see.

Michael Jordan famously led the Chicago Bulls to a victory in Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals despite nursing what was reported to be the flu. The six-time champion dropped 38 points in a heroic performance that left him exhausted and falling into Pippen’s arms when it was all said and done.

Jordan was the star of the show, but Pippen added well-rounded contributions despite fighting through an ailment of his own. The seven-time All-Star put up 17 points, 10 rebounds and five assists to help Chicago squeak out a 90-88 win over Utah.

Scottie Pippen has shared his negative opinion regarding Jordan’s “Flu Game” before, discounting his Hall of Fame teammate’s performance on multiple occasions. Yet, this isn’t the first time Pippen has shared the image on social media. He also posted it for Throwback Thursday back in 2020.

Scottie Pippen threw shade at MJ’s “Flu Game”

While he looked happy to carry his fatigued teammate in the moment, Scottie Pippen has revealed his true feelings about Jordan’s iconic performance in the years that have followed. Pippen once dismissed MJ playing through the sickness, sharing it doesn’t compare to what he himself played through during the series.

“Is it easier to play with a herniated disc or to play with the flu?” Pippen asked during his appearance on Sirius XM NBA Radio, comparing his bad back that nearly took him out of the Finals to MJ’s much more notorious “Flu Game.” “They always say the worst injury to have is a bad back,” host Frank Isola answered.

“Well, I don’t see many ‘Bad Back’ games, but I do see ‘Flu Games,'” Pippen responded. “Flu, come on.” Now almost three decades removed from this memorable matchup between the Bulls and Jazz, it’s clear Pippen doesn’t have too much reverence for what Jordan overcame to play.