Never Forget That Kobe Bryant Was Once 'Poisoned' Just Like Michael Jordan During NBA Playoffs

The final episodes of "The Last Dance" on Sunday may have left everyone talking about the famous "Flu Game" in Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals. We now know that MJ didn't, in fact, have the flu, according to the GOAT's camp. Instead, he claims to have had food poisoning, possibly contracted from a doctored pizza he ordered from a Salt Lake City pizzeria the night before the game.

However, Jordon may not have been the only Hall-of-Famer poisoned during a playoff run. There has always been much suspicion around a certain bacon cheeseburger Lakers legend Kobe Bryant ordered from room service at a Sacramento Hyatt prior to Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals against the Sacramento Kings in 2002.

Some believe that the mafia was behind Kobe's poisoning (seriously!), favoring the New Jersey Nets to win the title, while others believe his sickness could have been the result of a hangover. Lakers trainer Gary Vitti confirmed that it was food poisoning after treating Bryant. It seems unlikely that the food poisoning came from the hotel itself, as none of the other guests reported any symptoms.

Bryant was able to muster 22 points in the loss to the Kings. We'll never know how many points he would have scored if he wasn't sick, but we know one thing: it would've given the Lakers a better chance to win.

While the Lakers went on to win the controversial series in seven games anyway, the food poisoning was a huge break for the Kings. It all ended well for the Lakers, as they went on to sweep the New Jersey Nets in the NBA Finals and take home their third consecutive championship.

Sorry, "mafia".