Author: Monojit Mandal
The basic combination of applesauce and graham crackers emerged as the odd snack of an NBA champion, in a peculiar twist that delighted basketball fans and created a fierce fight for millions of dollars. This strange story includes none other than Michael Jordan, the great figure who dominated the courts of the Chicago Bulls.
Jordan had a pre-game ritual that included applesauce as a key component during his brilliant career. Preston Truman, a passionate Utah Jazz scorekeeper and enthusiastic Bulls fan, discovered that this knowledge was crucial. Truman’s encounter with the applesauce episode not only projected him into Jordan’s good graces, but also put him in the spotlight as a key player in this fascinating basketball legend.
The momentous occasion took place in November 1996, just before a regular season game between the Jazz and the Bulls. Truman heard Jordan’s coach’s request for cookies and applesauce, but the applesauce was missing. Truman reacted quickly, conducting a frantic search of the stadium, eager to bring the lost item back to Jordan. Somehow, he managed it, handing Jordan the prized applesauce about 40 minutes before the start of the game.
In June of the following year, the Jazz faced the Bulls in the NBA Finals. Truman was sent to the Bulls locker room for Games 3, 4 and 5, packed with apple jam and cookies, in preparation for an order of Jordan’s sneakers. According to Truman’s testimony, Jordan recognized him and thanked him for his efforts, according to the Salt Lake Tribune.
Jordan’s memorable “flu game”, in which he heroically fought off an eating disorder caused by an ill-fated pepperoni pizza, would be remembered as Game 5 of the series. Despite Jordan’s clearly weakened state, which required an intravenous injection before the game, Truman had already formed a connection with him by that time, which allowed him to have the audacity to ask for his sneakers.
Truman had managed to get into the dressing room and was aware of Jordan’s condition, becoming one of the first to see his determination. Jordan even gave him the responsibility of delivering the tickets to the Jazz front office, prompting Truman to seize the chance and ask about the fate of Jordan’s Air Jordans after the game.