6th December 2025
On June 11, 1997, Michael Jordan stepped onto the court for Game 5 of the NBA Finals between his Chicago Bulls and the Utah Jazz.
Jordan was reportedly very sick, but chose to play given the critical importance of the game to the series, which was tied 2-2 at the time.
Throughout the game, he looked visibly unwell, with a fever over 100 degrees, he experienced extreme fatigue, dehydration, and body aches.
But despite his condition, he played 44 of the 48 total minutes, scored 38 points, and had 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block. With under one minute left, he hit a 3-pointer to seal the win for the Bulls.
The game—now commonly known as Michael Jordan’s “Flu Game”—has gone down in NBA lore as one of the most impressive, clutch performances in history.
I distinctly rememember a similar situation, when I had to give a talk to a batch of college students and I was running a fever, bad cold and acute headache. I had half a mind to apologise to the organisers & request for an absence or a deferment.
But, then I decided to go ahead and delivered a performance which was applauded
As I was sitting in my room later that day reflecting on the experience, I had a thought: Wait until they see me on a good day.
You see, there’s a mental shift that happens when you prove to yourself that you can feel terrible and still find a way to win. When you show up on a bad day and still execute.
There’s a magic in showing up on your bad days.
You build an unbreakable confidence in yourself.
You will find yourself in your own version of Jordan’s Flu Game from time to time – A big moment, something you’ve been preparing for, and you feel less than perfect.
On those days, you have a choice to make:
How do you show up when you feel like sh*t?
You can shy away from it, wait for perfect conditions, for the stars to align.
Or, you can lean in, you can step up and you can prove to yourself that you are the creator of your own future.
The choice is yours. Choose wisely & stay blessed forever.