Michael Jordan (23) and Phil Jackson took part in "The Last Dance." Anne Ryan, USA TODAY, USA TODAY via Imagn Content Services, LLC

'The Jordan Rules' author Sam Smith: Michael Jordan told lies in 'The Last Dance'

By Zac Wassink | Last updated 5/22/20

Following the final two episodes of the ESPN series "The Last Dance" about Michael Jordan and the 1997-98 Chicago Bulls, former Chicago forward Horace Grant repeatedly and publicly refuted Jordan's claims that Grant was the source who leaked inside information to journalist Sam Smith for the controversial "The Jordan Rules" book published in the early '90s.

While speaking with San Francisco radio station 95.7 The Game on Thursday, Smith also claimed Jordan was less than completely honest during interviews for the documentary.

“There were several things in the documentary that he (MJ) made up or he lied about...”

Sam Smith saw some flaws in #TheLastDance (via @BontaSteinyGuru) pic.twitter.com/aK4wyaZJi5
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) May 22, 2020

"There were several things in the documentary, what I saw, I would know that he made up or lied about," Smith said.

"There weren't major things, but it was like...when a TV movie comes on, and they say, 'This is based on a true story.' That's what that was. It was based on a true story.

"There were all of the outlines of what happened, but a lot of the detail, like the pizza thing, the poison, that was complete nonsense. There were a couple of other things like that I won't go into.

"They weren't major, but the thing at the end was a complete, blatant lie."

The question remains: Did Jordan have the flu when he played in Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals, was he poisoned by bad pizza or was he suffering from a hangover?

More must-reads: