Time goes back to early June 1997, the Finals, Chicago Bulls against Utah Jazz.
The Bulls were obsessed with facing the Portland Trail Blazers in the Finals to avenge past humiliations; Michael Jordan wanted a "real championship," one that must be achieved over the corpse of Gan Guoyang.
From Phil Jackson to Jordan, from Scottie Pippen to Dennis Rodman, each of them longed to defeat the Trail Blazers and Ah Gan to be crowned; it would be the sweetest championship.
This year’s Chicago Bulls were stronger than in 1996; Jordan played in all 82 regular season games, and despite Pippen and Rodman missing more than 20 games, the Bulls secured 70 wins.
Consecutive 70-win regular seasons, something no other team has achieved.
Although regular-season performance only grants home-court advantage in the playoffs, reaching a certain level of regular-season success indicates that a team’s strength has reached a place where entering the playoffs with intensity isn’t enough to threaten them.
The Bulls indeed reached a certain level—strong, cohesive, confident, self-contained, with everyone on the team believing they could defeat the Trail Blazers and Ah Gan this year.
But the Trail Blazers were unprepared; when Kobe missed a crucial shot in Game 7, and Gan Guoyang failed to secure the Offensive Rebound, the Bulls players watching the Western Conference Finals in the gym were utterly disappointed.
Jordan was so furious he nearly smashed the TV, cursing, "Ah Gan, you’re useless, and what kind of fool is Kobe? He missed three shots in a row, Sonny, can’t you make a shot yourself? You coward!"
The Bulls had to face the Utah Jazz in the Finals, leaving the entire Bulls team somewhat disheartened.
Soon, however, they realized the Jazz team was not an easy opponent, as defeating the Trail Blazers and Ah Gan had given them immense confidence.
In the first game, they unbelievably toppled the unbeatable Bulls in Chicago, making people believe the Utah Jazz really had a chance at the championship.
Defeat made the Bulls realize there was a reason the Jazz could beat the Trail Blazers and Ah Gan; the second and third games came to Salt Lake City, and the Bulls won both.
In a critical fourth game, the Jazz rallied at home, tying the series 2-2, leading to a pivotal Game 5.
The 2-3-2 Finals format once again highlighted the advantage for the lower-seeded team; the crucial Game 5 would be played at the lower-seeded team’s home, and a win would mean taking command of the series.
The Bulls lost the championship like this in 1992; they faltered in Game 5 in Portland, and the entire series was turned around, unable to recover.
Playing in Salt Lake City wasn’t an easy task; in fact, during the fourth game, the Bulls had a chance to lead the series 3-1.
They were leading by 5 points with over two minutes left in the fourth quarter, a significant advantage in a low-scoring Finals game.
At that moment, the Bulls performed poorly, while Stockton seemingly blessed, made consecutive shots to help the Jazz overtake the score and ultimately win, changing the series’ progression.
It was later revealed that a Bulls assistant mistakenly replaced the players’ "Gatorade" with a knockoff "Gatorlode," akin to swapping Sprite with a fake brand.
Players who lost a lot of fluids, energy, and micronutrients in the high-intensity game experienced discomfort after drinking the knockoff beverage, reporting stomach discomfort and cramping symptoms.
Even Michael Jordan felt unwell and requested a break, leading to the Bulls’ defeat.
No one ever found out where the fake Gatorade came from or how it ended up on the Bulls bench.
But all this undeniably connected to Salt Lake City, where the desire for a championship was so intense and the animosity towards the Chicago Bulls was so strong.
Before Game 5, Jordan fell ill, feeling extremely unwell.
The Bulls announced externally that Jordan had the flu and fever but would persist in playing.
However, various rumors after the Finals suggested it was likely not the flu, but food poisoning from a questionable pizza Jordan consumed.
Some also claimed Jordan got so drunk the night before the game that he hadn’t recovered from the hangover by the next day, which explained his poor state before the game.
Regardless of whether it was the flu, food poisoning, or a hangover, Jordan indeed was in poor physical condition before Game 5.
From the first quarter, he seemed struggling to keep up on the court, resting with his hands on his knees whenever there was a free throw, a sight unseen in previous games.
The Jazz seized the opportunity to attack, widening the lead to 16 points, a huge advantage; at one point, Stockton, Malone, Jerry Sloan, and thousands of Jazz fans seemed to see the dawn of the Utah Jazz clinching the championship.
If they succeeded, the Utah Jazz would become the most famous Cinderella story in NBA history.
They were the league’s most overlooked team, yet in the playoffs, they defeated both Ah Gan and Jordan, the two greatest players of the 1990s, possibly the best in NBA history, and clinched the championship.
What a fascinating story, what an enchanting fairy tale.