Michael Jordan 'Flu Game' saga continues as former Utah chef shoots down latest Pizza Hut theory
The mystery behind MJ's pizza delivery has not yet been solved
We learned in the final episodes of "The Last Dance" documentary that Michael Jordan's famous "flu game" may not have revolved around the flu at all. The NBA legend said his illness was food poisoning caused by pizza. Conspiracy theories about whether the pizza -- which was delivered to him in enemy territory ahead of Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals against the Utah Jazz -- was somehow tampered with have swirled since the episodes dropped.
Now, multiple people are coming forward saying they have information about what really went down that night Jordan got sick from the alleged pizza. On Tuesday, Pizza Hut was pointed to as the source of the pie that night,
Less than 24 hours later, a Utah resident is saying the pizza actually came from a local bar. A man referred to as Otto from Park City went on "The Rich Eisen Show" Tuesday and claimed the pie was actually from a spot in Park City.
Otto said on the night in question -- June 11, 1997 -- he was working as the head chef of a sushi restaurant right near the Chicago Bulls' hotel. He was informed then that pizza came from a bar in the same outdoor mall his sushi spot called home. Otto backed up the story with information about a friend who is a bartender in the bar he claims the pizza came from:
"I have a friend who's a bartender there, Chris, and he's told the story from Day 1 that late at night they got a call. The owner of La Coda delivered the pizza himself. I don't know if it was two, three, four, five people - I just know the owner of the restaurant went up there that night, late night with the pizza run. And the night before, or two nights before, they brought $3,000 worth of alcohol up [to] the room on a bell cart for those guys."
Otto says there is no way Pizza Hut could be responsible for the delivery due to the time it was called in. He added that the restaurant where the pizza came from is no longer in business.
"It wasn't Pizza Hut because Pizza Hut would have been closed," Otto said. "During 'The Last Dance' they said it was late night, nothing was open. Pizza Hut's closed early, everything closes early in Park City in '97, especially in the summer."
Otto added that he does not believe the pizza was "specifically made bad," but did not write off that it could have been what made the six-time champion sick.
A former assistant Manager of Pizza Hut, Craig Fite, was the one who initially stated earlier in the week that his old place of work delivered the pizza to Jordan. He said he delivered the pizza himself and stated that it could not have been the cause of MJ's food poisoning.
No one else felt ill the night of this pizza drama, but according to "The Last Dance" director Jason Hehir, it's could be because MJ spit on the pie to ensure no one else would take a bite.
















