“If he tells you he’s gonna do something, he does it” – Michael Jordan kept his promise to a Jazz ballboy during the “Flu Game” originally appeared on Basketball Network.
Michael Jordan’s iconic “Flu Game” performance is the epitome of greatness, cementing his legacy as one of, if not the greatest, basketball players in the sport’s history. It was Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals and Jordan and the Chicago Bulls were in Salt Lake City to battle the Utah Jazz.But little did Mike know that he would not only be battling John Stockton, Karl Malone and the Jazz, but also a flu that left him feverish and dehydrated. While most sports fans recall that game as a testament to Mike’s resilience and unwavering determination to win against all odds, a young Jazz ball boy remembers it for an entirely different reason.
MJ was curled up in the fetal position
Jazz ball boy Preston Truman vividly remembers minute details of that day. He was already at the Delta Center at 2 p.m., going through his usual routine of filling fridges with beverages, washing towels, and making sure to have a few bottles of applesauce ready for when Jordan asked for some.
That day was unlike any other. Long before Mike even arrived at the arena, whispers began circulating about his condition. Some claimed it was so severe that he might not even take the court that night. Those rumors were soon proven right the moment Preston saw Michael enter the bowels of the arena.”You could visibly tell there was something wrong with him,” Preston recalled. “Any time Michael is in a room, it’s like Elvis. There’s so much energy around. He was not himself. Usually, he’s smiling. He walked into the arena very slowly.”
As the young ballboy carried the Bulls’ bags into the hockey locker room designated for their use during away games, he noticed MJ heading straight to a private room at the back, where the doctors and team personnel immediately attended to him. Mostly, though, Preston noted how Jordan was in so much discomfort that he assumed the fetal position.
A promise delivered
As the clock wound down to tip-off of Game 5, Preston saw Mike get up, get his bearings together and put on Air Jordan’s cape. He was determined to play, despite his obvious pain. As he listed the names of those receiving tickets for the game, Preston took a bold step — one that even the adults had never dared to take.”Hey, MJ, you think I could get your kicks after the game?” he queried.
“You want them?” Mike responded.
“I’d be honored,” Preston answered without batting an eyelash.
“They’re yours,” Jordan blurted out.
Jordan eventually did Jordan things in Game 5, hitting a three-pointer with less than a minute to go to give the Bulls the lead for good. The image of MJ collapsing into the arms of teammate Scottie Pippen as they walked back to the bench is one of the most iconic moments in NBA history. He finished with 38 points, seven rebounds, five assists and three steals.After the game, Preston patiently waited amidst all the chaos inside the locker room. At one point, the Bulls’ equipment manager attempted to secure the black and red Air Jordan 12s that Mike wore during Game 5 for safekeeping, but Mike intervened and stopped him.”No, no. Leave those there. I’m doing something with them,” he exclaimed before motioning Preston to come closer.
“Here you go, man,” Mike said. “You worked hard for these.”
As Preston walked away, smiling from ear to ear, he couldn’t believe what had just happened. More than anything, he was in awe of how the Bulls megastar remembered their pact and kept his word.
“That’s how Michael is,” he gushed. “If he tells you he’s gonna do something, he does it.”
Truman sold the pair for a whopping $105,000 in 2013. A decade later, they were sold again, fetching an eye-watering $1.38 million.
