National Basketball Association

Jordan Brand opened a Salt Lake City pop-up store honoring the 'Flu Game' anniversary

Published Jun. 11, 2016 5:15 p.m. ET

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Andrew Lynch

Saturday marks the 19th anniversary of one of the greatest games in NBA history -- Michael Jordan's epic "Flu Game" in the 1997 Finals against the Utah Jazz.

The events leading up to that pivotal Game 5 in Salt Lake City have become the stuff of legend. Whether Jordan truly had the flu or was suffering from a bout of food poisioning, one thing was clear: he wasn't himself on the court that night. But thanks to some help from Scottie Pippen, Jordan fought through his violent illness to score 38 points in a 90-88 Bulls win. You can watch the whole thing here, if you're so inclined.

Jordan's performance was so unbelievable that even the shoes he wore gained a certain notoriety. The "Flu Game" 12s are some of the most sought after basketball sneakers on the retro market, and they were recently re-released in the weeks before the anniversary of Game 5. 

And in a creative -- and kind of trollish, if we're being honest -- bit of marketing, Jordan Brand opened a pop-up shop in Salt Lake City on Saturday to celebrate the anniversary of one of the cruelest moments in Jazz history.

Yes, the "Flu Game" 12s were on sale. Of course they were.

The 12 is a gorgeous shoe; if Utah fans decided they needed to cop a pair or two, we won't hold it against them. Just maybe don't wear them around town. That's probably not the greatest look. If you're looking for a throwback signature John Stockton shoe, though, the newest Stephen Curry kicks might fit the bill.

Oh, and one more thing about that "Flu Game": Jordan absolutely wasn't hungover, like some people insist on believing. The game was at 7:00 p.m local time in Utah. There's about a 0.0000001 percent chance Jordan was carousing the night before the game. Even if he had a drink or two, he wouldn't have been in that awful of shape that late in the day. It doesn't make any sense.

The poisonied pizza conspiracy, on the other hand, is one we can get behind.

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