Michael Jordan rarely took a day off. Even when hurt or sick, the Chicago Bulls legend went out onto the hardwood and gave it his all. An uncanny move by a professional athlete whose health and body should be a top priority, MJ defied all those precautions. He was once interviewed by Playboy back in 1992 and asked how he managed to play during such situations, Jordan revealed his secret behind staying focused even when he was sick or hurt.
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The interviewer was curious about his ability to play through the pain or the weakness and still have a great game.
“Interviewer: One constant in your career is that when you are sick or hurt, you often unload on somebody. Why?
Jordan: I have an uncanny way of focusing when I get hurt. I concentrate on playing and not worrying about the injury. I don’t try to be aggressive or to let the injury take me out of my game, I relax and let the game come to me.”
When players are sick or injured, they tend to rest and choose to recover. A handful would still choose to push their body to the limits and some would end up making matters worse for themselves. But not Michael. Most NBA fans know that not only was MJ gifted but he also possessed immense talent. However, his approach to still play despite not being 100% highlighted his basketball IQ and the feel for the game.
Jordan was a cutthroat competitor. His fierce nature often leaked into other aspects of his life as well. So, unless he wasn’t injured to the point of being carried off the court, Mike would still be standing on the floor, looking for openings.
When Jordan was injured or not well, instead of relying on his usual athleticism, he would finesse his way to getting shots off and draining baskets.
Jordan’s iconic Flu game
One of the most iconic games of MJ’s career was Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals. Labeled as the ‘Flu Game’, MJ was visibly shaken up and exhausted. Fans could see how he’d conserve his energy during timeouts so that he could have some burst when needed.
Many speculated that Jordan was a target of food poisoning when the Bulls traveled to Utah. Whereas there have been others who have downright denied those rumors.
According to BleacherReport, Jordan’s trainer was convinced that he was targeted. Tim Grover, who was with MJ at the time also spoke about that night during his docuseries, The Last Dance.
“Everyone called it a flu game, but we sat there. We were in the room…So we order pizza. Five guys came to deliver this pizza…Out of everybody in the room, [MJ] was the only one who ate. Nobody else had it.”
After a few hours, Grover got a call and rushed to Jordan’s room. It did not take him long to conclude that this was food poisoning. But despite being sick, Mike still had a 38-point game and delivered the Bulls a victory on the road.
