7. The buzzer-beater in the NBA Finals
This was the first of two moments where Michael Jordan stole the soul of Bryon Russell (we’ll talk about the second one later).
With a little over nine seconds left and the game tied at 82, the Bulls committed a poor foul that sent Karl Malone to the free-throw line with a chance to take the lead. Thankfully, Malone missed both (no one was surprised) and the Bulls secured the rebound.
Inbounding the ball after a timeout, it was clear what the Bulls were going to do: Get the ball to MJ and get out of the way.
Michael caught the ball on the wing, took a few dribbles to run the clock down, picked his spot and rose up over Russell. Ball game. Fist pump. Celebration.
This play only further affirms that there’s no one in the history of basketball I’d rather give the ball to when my team needs a bucket than Michael Jordan.
6. “The Flu Game”
Is there a higher honor than having something about you used as a verb in everyday contexts? For years now, people have been saying they’re going to “Jordan Flu Game” some specific situation where they don’t feel 100 percent healthy, but they have to get a task done. That’s one way to know how spectacular this game was. The other way is just to actually remember what happened.
It was Game 5 of the ’97 Finals. The series was tied 2-2. Jordan came down with… something. Maybe it was the flu. Maybe it was food poisoning. Maybe it was something else. Who knows? The only things that matter: Jordan was visibly ill, barely able to keep himself upright and he still destroyed the Jazz.
MJ finished the night with 38 points on impressive .481/.400/.833 shooting splits to go along with seven rebounds, five assists, three steals and one block. Oh, and he played over 44 minutes. That’s downright absurd. He was hugging Scottie, leaning on him for support, as he dragged himself off the court.
I’m getting exhausted and starting to come down with something, but I’m going to Jordan Flu Game the rest of this list.