Chicago Bulls

Michael Jordan is coming clean about his epic flu game performance in the 1997 NBA Finals ... saying he didn't actually have the flu -- it was some bad pizza.

Remember, #23 was dealing with "flu-like symptoms" before a crucial Game 5 against the Utah Jazz ... and fought through the pain for a 38-point performance to give the Bulls a 3-2 lead.

But, MJ's trainer, Tim Grover, revealed it was actually food poisoning -- not the flu -- that had Jordan under the weather ... after a late-night order from the only place that was open -- a pizza shop.

When the pie was delivered, Grover says 5 dudes pulled up to Jordan's hotel room ... and the trainer hinted there could have been something fishy going on, saying, "I’ve got a bad feeling about this."

Glover's instincts were right ... 'cause MJ woke up at 2 AM "throwing up left and right."

"So, it really wasn’t the flu game. It was food poisoning," MJ admitted on ESPN's "The Last Dance."

MJ's mom thought it was best he didn't play ... but as we all know, he didn't listen and went on to put up one of the most iconic performances of his career.

Michael Jordan says he socked Steve Kerr in the face during a fight at Bulls practice back in 1995 ... and said he felt so badly about it afterward, he had to call the guy to apologize.

"I'm in the shower and I'm saying, 'I just beat up the littlest guy on the f*cking court,'" Jordan said. "And, I felt about this small."

Jordan admitted to all of it in the eighth episode of "The Last Dance" docuseries Sunday ... explaining how Phil Jackson calling "ticky-tack" fouls in a training camp workout led to MJ roughing up the future head coach of the Golden State Warriors.

Jordan says in the preseason after his return to the NBA from a failed baseball career ... he was trying to get his new teammates like Kerr to understand what it would take for Chicago to win another championship.

Yet MJ claims Jackson attempted to "tone me down" in one particularly aggressive practice ... and that pissed off the NBA legend to the point where he intentionally fouled Kerr.

That's when Steve says he punched MJ in the chest ... and Jordan responded with this -- "I just haul off and hit him right in the f*cking eye."

Jordan says he knew he was wrong almost immediately ... and called Kerr shortly after to say he was sorry.

"I feel bad," Jordan says he told Kerr.

But, the good news? Kerr says standing up to Jordan was "the best thing that I ever did" ... and says their relationship "dramatically improved" afterward.

Of course, later that season the Bulls won 72 regular-season games and took home the NBA championship ... prompting Steve to say, "that season has to be the best team I've ever been a part of."

Michael Jordan hated losing so much, he wouldn't allow HIS OWN teammate to eat after bad games -- reportedly taking food off Horace Grant's table some nights in the '90s!

Legendary Bulls reporter Sam Smith revealed the insane story this week ... saying players told him MJ would make airline stewardesses skip Grant on team planes after games if he sucked earlier in the day.

"Players would come to me over the years and said, 'You know what he did? He took Horace's food away on the plane because Horace had a bad game,'" Smith said on the Tolbert, Krueger & Brooks Podcast.

"He told the stewardesses, 'Don’t feed him, he doesn’t deserve to eat!'"

Of course, Jordan and Grant won A LOT together -- so it's unclear how often MJ pulled the savage move ... but it's well known the two didn't exactly have the best relationship regardless.

Their friction has been touched on several times in ESPN's "The Last Dance" documentary ... with Jordan even accusing Grant on the show of leaking stories in the '90s to paint him in a bad light.

Michael Jordan was SO insanely famous in Chicago during his Bulls days -- he couldn't even shop for groceries without being mobbed.

So, the guy would pay staffers to keep the store open JUST FOR HIM so he could cruise the aisles alone in peace!

Pretty baller, right!?

Jordan's former Bulls teammate Brad Sellers explained to The Undefeated ...

"You saw MJ doing laundry in the first few episodes [of ESPN's 'The Last Dance'] and that was him back then, the country side of him, just living like a regular dude."

“But, he just got bigger and bigger in basketball and to a point where he couldn’t go out. I remember saying to him one day, ‘Hey, M ... how do you eat?'"

"He told me he would call Jewel-Osco [a supermarket chain based in Chicago] about 15 minutes before they closed, and let them know he was coming in. They would stay open later to let him shop."

Sellers says MJ would break off staffers with a fat ass tip for their troubles.

So, MJ got his own version of "Supermarket Sweep" and the workers got some extra bread and the chance to see the most famous dude in Chi-Town?

Isiah Thomas admits he's still "personally hurt" he was not asked to be a part of that legendary '92 Dream Team -- and it's obvious he thinks it's all because he didn't shake Michael Jordan's hand.

Remember, Thomas and his Pistons teammates infamously walked off the court after getting their asses kicked by the '91 Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conf. Finals without shaking hands.

Thomas, now 58, was not only villainized in the media for being a bad sport -- but Michael Jordan took the snub personally. They still don't get along.

The incident was featured in Sunday's new episode of "The Last Dance" ... and Monday morning, Thomas had more to add when he joined ESPN's "Get Up."

"Why I'm personally hurt is another reason why I'm here," Thomas said ... "Because being left off the Dream Team, that personally hurt me."

Thomas says he doesn't know why he was not selected -- but it's obvious he believes it's because he dissed Michael Jordan by not shaking his hand after that '91 series.

Thomas -- one of the best NBA players alive at the time -- says his resume should have made him a lock for the Dream Team, which is why he thinks the non-selection had nothing to do with his talent.

"If I'm not apart of the Dream Team because a lapse in emotion in terms of not shaking someone's hand ... if that's the reason why I didn't make the Dream Team, then I am more disappointed today than I was back then when I wasn't selected."

Thomas -- who had made the NBA All-Star team every year from '82 to '93 -- explained, "The only thing that's missing from my resume is not being on the Dream Team."

The man's got a point -- Thomas was one of the best players in the league at the time ... and had 2 NBA titles and was a 10-time All-Star at the time.

It's something Thomas has stressed for years ... he revealed in 2013 he felt disrespected by the Bulls, but would "absolutely" shake hands if he could do it all over again.

Larsa Pippen wants to make it crystal clear -- Scottie Pippen is NOT strapped for cash ... despite that god-awful deal he signed back in the day, which was a major story pointing the new MJ doc.

One of the biggest takeaways from episode 2 of "The Last Dance" was Pippen's incredibly bad 7-year, $18 million deal ... which made him one of the most undervalued players in the league.

Despite being Michael Jordan's wingman, Scottie was widely considered one of the best players in the Association during the '90s ... but couldn't crack the top 100 in earnings while in Chicago.

And, on top of that, there were rumors for YEARS that Scottie was broke as a joke even after his NBA career.

But, Scottie's estranged wife, Larsa, is stepping up to defend the Bulls legend ... clapping back at the haters by pointing to his 17-year career earnings -- $109 MILLION!

"Thx for your concerns Scottie did ok," Larsa wrote.

BTW -- Larsa filed for divorce back in November 2018, but they don't seem to be in a rush to officially cut ties. Court records show the divorce case is still technically active, but no one is really pushing to get it done.

So, could the doc actually bring Scottie and Larsa closer together and SAVE their marriage???

Stranger things have happened ...

As for the deal, Scottie explained he signed it because his family needed the money at the time ... and he was afraid of suffering a career-ending injury that would kill the gravy train altogether.

Bad decision? Of course, but after banking $109 MIL ... seems he's doing okay.

The new Michael Jordan documentary has a funny way of describing kiiinda important people in U.S. history -- like Barack Obama and Bill Clinton -- but hey ... they aren't wrong.

On Sunday, ESPN aired the first two episodes of "The Last Dance" -- and while they were talking about MJ's early years at UNC and eventually with the Bulls ... they brought in former Presidents Obama and Clinton.

Funny enough, the producers didn't seem interested in highlighting either guy's political career ... referring to Bubba as "Bill Clinton, Former Arkansas Governor" and Barry as "Former Chicago Resident." Disrespectful? Eh, maybe. Hilarious??? Abso-freakin'-lutely!

Here's the thing ... the odd title choices aren't incorrect. Yes, Bill was the governor of AR once upon a time before he made a run at the White House in the early '90s -- and he WAS discussing Scottie Pippen's days at the University of Central Arkansas.

And sure, Barack, the former U.S. Senator and Prez WAS talking about what Chi-Town was like when MJ first arrived.

Were Michael Jordan's rookie teammates part of a "Traveling Cocaine Circus"???

The NBA's G.O.A.T. didn't exactly deny that ... confirming during his 1984-85 rookie year -- he caught his Chicago teammates having a party with blow, weed and women out in Peoria, Ill.

"I walk in, and practically the whole team is in there," Jordan said as part of one of his sit-down interviews for ESPN's "The Last Dance" documentary.

"It was things I had never seen in my life as a young kid. You got your lines over here, you got your weed smokers over here, you got your women over here.”

Jordan -- who had spent the previous three years at the University of North Carolina -- says the incident caused him to be an immediate loner on his new team.

"The first thing I said is, 'I'm out,'" Jordan said. "Because all I can think about is if they come raid this place right now, I am just as guilty as everyone else in this room. From that point on, I was more or less on my own."

Jordan's teammate at the time, Rod Higgins, confirmed MJ never partook in the partying that year ... saying the guy didn't even drink with his new NBA squadmates.

"Whatever somebody else might have been doing off the court, if it was partying or whatever, that wasn’t part of what he wanted to do,” Higgins said. "Orange juice and 7-Up was his go-to."

Turned out to be a pretty good move for Jordan ... he went on to change the culture of the Bulls and win SIX championships.

See, kids? Don't do drugs.

Scottie Pippen says he got FIRED from his role with the Chicago Bulls ... but don't feel bad for the guy, 'cause he's pretty glad to be away from that mess!!

The 6-time champ revealed the move on the Thuzio Live & Unfiltered podcast (which was recorded during All-Star Weekend but released Wednesday) ... explaining he couldn't come to an agreement with the Bulls front office prior to the 2019 season, so they canned him.

"I got fired this year. I didn't really want it to be in the public, but I'm no longer employed by the Bulls," Pippen said in the interview.

Here's what went down ... the Bulls reportedly met with Pippen before the season and asked him to make several commitments that would mess up his gig with ESPN's "The Jump" ... but wouldn't budge on compensation, so they let him go.

So ... how is Pippen taking it?? Let's say pretty well.

"It's probably a good thing, right? ... I like to associate myself with winning."

Ouch.

Of course, the Bulls are not great right now -- they're 22-43 and don't really have any star players outside of Zach LaVine.

Chicago DID, however, just hire ex-Nuggets GM Arturas Karnisovas to replace John Paxson ... so at least they're heading in the right direction.

ARE YOU TRYING TO GIVE LEBRON A HEART ATTACK?!?

Anthony Davis just dropped a hint his stint in L.A. could come to an end after just one season ... saying "it's a possibility" he leaves the Lakers for his hometown Chicago Bulls next year.

The Lakers are in town to play the Bulls this week .. so the Brow made a stop at LuLu's Hot Dogs on Monday to speak with folks from his alma mater, Perspectives Charter School.

During a Q&A at the event, AD was asked if he'd ever want to play for his hometown team ... and the dude didn't shut it down at all, even saying it could happen as early as 2020.

"I mean, obviously, it's nothing like playing at home," Davis said. "I don't know. I am a free agent next year ... but I mean ... we'll see, we'll see. It's a possibility."

Of course, AD is a Chicago legend ... he averaged 32 points and 18 rebounds in his senior season at Perspectives, which landed him as the top prospect in the country.

Does this mean Davis is leaving? Absolutely not. Should Laker nation be worried? Who knows.

Good news for Dennis Rodman ... TMZ Sports has learned the NBA legend is NOT being hit with charges in that apparent yoga studio clothing heist back in May.

A spokesperson for the Orange County D.A.'s office tells us, "No case has been submitted on Rodman" ... and they don't anticipate receiving one from the Newport Beach PD.

As we previously reported, the owner of VIBES Hot Yoga studio in Newport Beach says Rodman and the NBA Hall of Famer's friends jacked a bunch of clothes from his store in broad daylight on May 7.

The owner also accused Rodman and his crew of breaking -- and then taking -- a $2,500 crystal that was on display at the front desk ... and says the whole thing was caught on video.

Cops investigated the incident ... and a woman who was with Rodman -- Misty Ann Sacapano -- was eventually hit with a felony charge of grand theft as well as a misdemeanor charge of shoplifting.

But, Rodman will likely escape charges ... with the D.A. telling us, "We do not anticipate receiving a case from Newport Beach."

Rodman is still under investigation down in Florida for a separate incident ... where a 30-year-old man is accusing the former Chicago Bulls star of slapping him at a party in Del Ray Beach on May 17.

For his part, Dennis is denying involvement in it all ... telling us back in May, "nothing happened."

Scottie Pippen tells TMZ Sports he likes Doc Rivers' comparison between Kawhi Leonard and Michael Jordan ... but says there's another name that should be in the mix -- Kobe Bryant.

Earlier this week, Doc raved about the Toronto Raptors superstar while appearing on ESPN, saying Kawhi is "the most like Jordan that we've seen."

"There's a lot of great players," River said ... "LeBron is phenomenal, KD is phenomenal. Not that [Leonard] is Jordan or anything like that, but he's the most like him."

"Big hands, post-game, can finish. Great leaper, great defender, in-between game. If you beat him to the spot he bumps you off, and then you add his three-point shooting."

So, who better to weigh in than MJ's Chicago running mate? Who BTW, was leaving Il Pastaio in Beverly Hills in his sick Ferrari.

Ya gotta watch the clip ... at first, Scottie agrees with Doc's assessment but then brings up Kobe -- and ultimately can't make a decision about which one is closer to #23.

And, with the Golden State Warriors now entering their 5th straight NBA Finals -- with a possible 3-peat in the works -- we asked Scottie if he still thinks his '95-96 Bulls squad is still the best team ever.

Don't close the book on Carmelo Anthony's career ... because his wife Lala Anthony tells TMZ Sports he'll DEFINITELY be back on a roster next season.

Lala was out in NYC when we asked about her hubby's NBA status -- considering he hasn't been on the court since 2018 and some people think he's done for good.

But, Anthony is only 34-years-old and he's been training hard recently -- so, we had to know if Lala expects to see Melo back in the league when the 2019-20 season kicks off.

"Why wouldn't we?" Lala said ... adding, "Facts!"

So, where she think Melo will land???

"Whatever team is gonna appreciate him!"

There's talk Anthony could return to the Knicks -- where he played for 7 seasons before he was traded to the OKC Thunder in 2017.

Anthony later spent a minute in Houston in 2018 before being traded to the Chicago Bulls, where he was waived on Feb. 1.

Bill Laimbeer wants to hand Michael Jordan one more "L" ... 'cause the NBA legend says LeBron James is the greatest of all time "every day of the week!!!"

Bill knows what it's like to beat MJ -- the "Bad Boys" Detroit Pistons defeated the Chicago Bulls on their way to back-to-back titles in 1989 and 1990 ... and he had his fair share of tense moments with Jordan.

But, Laimbeer ain't saying this because he's still got a grudge against MJ ... telling Fox Sports Radio's "The Odd Couple" his reasoning behind his choice.

"[LeBron] came into the league involving his teammates from the start, at 18 years old," Laimbeer says.

"He understood how to play team basketball, both offensively and defensively, from day one. Jordan had to learn that."

"No one has single-handedly done what LeBron's done," he added ... noting LBJ has taken some awful teams to the NBA Finals (we're looking at you, 2007 Cavs).

As for how LBJ would fare in Laimbeer's era ... the dude is not backing down, saying straight-up, "If he was in our generation, he would've been by far the greatest that you've saw in your entire, whole world."