The final two episodes of “The Last Dance” air tonight on ESPN, and they detail the Chicago Bulls’ two battles with the Utah Jazz in the NBA Finals in the late 1990s.
Former Cleveland Cavalier Kendrick Perkins tweeted his thoughts on how Michael Jordan suffered food poisoning prior to Game 5 of the ’97 championship series.
Utah Jazz Tried to Kill MJ….somethings just don’t change! Now I see why Chris Paul and Russ Westbrook had problems in Utah! Dirty MFs! SMH
— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) May 18, 2020
The Jazz had arguably the most raucous fans in the league at that time, and they rarely lost games in their home arena.
Perhaps it was no stretch to say that it wasn’t a big surprise that someone would attempt to poison Jordan before a big game, which is what the documentary seemed to imply.
The night before Game 5, Jordan ordered some pizza for dinner from his hotel room, which was uncharacteristically delivered by a group of several people. Just a few hours later, he woke up with symptoms of severe food poisoning.
Some who were close to him thought he may not be able to play, but he did play.
Despite looking visibly unwell throughout, Jordan poured in 38 points, seven rebounds and five assists to lead the Bulls to victory in a very tight game, en route to their fifth championship.
The game exemplified Jordan’s ironclad will to win no matter the circumstances.
