Basketball legend and icon, Michael Jordan, goes down in history as one of the greatest athletes, fully taking on the G.O.A.T. status. Throughout his years, Jordan has delivered many iconic games, one being Game 5 during the 1997 NBA Finals. The Chicago Bulls took on the Utah Jazz in what might be one of the most memorable games in NBA history. During the game, Jordan surpassed his best performance and completely annihilated the court. Little did we know the detrimental state Jordan was in before, during, and after the memorable event. With what we know today, this game has left an even greater mark on history and will be celebrated throughout time. 

The morning of the game should have gone smoothly, but unfortunately, it was only the beginning of a long day of dealing with a sickness brought upon him. During that time he scheduled breakfast with his teammates, Scottie Pippen and Ron Harper, but had to pass in order to focus on his health. In hopes of getting better, Michael Jordan spent his time away from the team. Skipping practices and the pre-game, it’s been said that Jordan was curled up in a dark room trying to relieve himself from whatever was affecting his health. He then finally said he was good to go minutes before the game to his at the time coach, Phil Jackson. Throughout the game, people have speculated and said that he wasn’t looking good and rather sickly. Though there hasn’t been a specific sickness tied to the event, the newspapers and reports have stuck with the term “flu” as his symptoms were closely related. Even though he was suffering throughout the game, that didn’t stop Michael from completely dominating the court. He went on to deliver the Bulls a 3-2 lead which eventually led to their winning. As time passed on, the public referred to this event as the “Flu Game.” 

During “The Last Dance,” a documentary mini-series following the Bulls in the 1997-98 season, the 9th episode alludes to Jordan’s “Flu Game” and gives us a little bit more insight into the day prior. Highly anticipated, it came to the world’s attention that what he was experiencing was actually a bad case of food poisoning. Because of this riveting piece of information, Nike and the Jordan brand have re-released the iconic Jordan XII that Jordan wore himself that game, with a reverse twist. Paying tribute to such a memorable game, the silhouette has since been nicknamed, ‘Reverse Flu Game.’

The sneaker itself speaks true to the original silhouette. An all suede upper is accentuated by the iconic varsity red - a Jordan Brand signature. As for the sole, it’s completely submerged in a jet-black; the perfect counterpart to offset the red. The main design of the shoe is accompanied by red and black leather designs. A faux lizard-print mudguard can be found to break up the suede upper and rubber sole. The sneaker honors the newly found information and celebrates the revolutionary game. 

Grab a more detailed look at the Air Jordan 12 “Reverse Flu Game” above. Ready to secure your pair? Follow the instructions below to enter the draw and to shop all of our other current releases. 

Feature Release - Saturday, December 26th

• Visit the “Releases” page on our site.
• Click your size and enter your information.
• You will be notified the night prior if your entry is granted.

Our Feature Release Draw ends Friday, 12/22, at 4 p.m. PST. All winners will receive notice the night before the official launch date if they have won.