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Do you remember where you were when Michael Jordan broke your heart?

On June 11, 1997, Chicago Bulls superstar Michael Jordan, all while battling illness, dropped 38 points in Salt Lake City, securing a Game 5 victory that would help his team go on to win the NBA Finals.

Even now, memories of Jordan's "Flu Game" are enough to make some Jazz fans sick.

But 19 years to the day, hundreds of Utahns lined up in downtown Salt Lake City to get their hands on — and their feet in — pairs of $190 sneakers commemorating that remarkable playoff performance. The Jordan Brand took over Salt Lake for a few hours Saturday, offering a one-day only pop-up store in downtown on the anniversary of that famous game, offering local sneaker enthusiasts first dibs on a new Jordan shoe release and other custom merchandise.

"Something like this has never happened in Utah," said Jake Bigler, of South Weber. "It's nice that Utah actually got something that bigger cities usually get."

The 20-year-old Bigler was the first person in line for the store's 2:30 p.m. opening Saturday. To claim that spot, he needed his girlfriend to arrive at noon on Friday and stake out a spot. More than 26 hours (and only 40 minutes of sleep later), the bleary eyed Bigler left the store with a pair of red-and-white Jordan XIIs, a version of the shoe Jordan wore 19 years earlier.

Was it worth it?

"Definitely," Bigler said.

Zac Cummins, of Ogden, considers himself an avid sneaker collector, though not a diehard sneaker head. Still, Cummins had been camping out in line since 6:30 p.m. Friday for a chance to grab some of the new merchandise.

"I cheered for the Jazz, but I always loved Jordan," Cummins said. "… That was a crazy moment. It's sad and it kind of stinks because Stockton and Malone deserved a championship, but Jordan took a lot of championships from multiple players and teams. It wasn't just the Jazz that lost it. No hard feelings."

Organizers insisted this wasn't trolling. Returning to the place where Jordan broke so many Jazz fans' hearts was simply a chance to celebrate one of Jordan's most memorable performances and a chance to reach out to basketball and sneaker fans in a market that doesn't typically get these kind of opportunities.

Jordan Brand took over Fice Gallery, 160 E. 200 South, for their pop-up store. On Saturday, its walls were covered with Jordan-themed artwork. Fans were able to design custom T-shirts and customize their Jordan sneakers.

An alley next to the building was remade like a gallery, with pictures of Jordan from the 1997 game at the Delta Center. The game would be shown on a 15-foot screen behind the building, where food and drinks were being served to customers.

Fice owner Corey Bullough was actually at one of the games in Salt Lake during that Finals.

"Growing up, I was Stockton to Malone for sure," he said. "I got to go to one of the games for this series as a young buck. It was heartbreaking, of course, but looking back I feel honored that I got to see Jordan play."

And when Jordan officials approached him about the possibility of hosting the event, Bullough said he never hesitated.

"This is about community," he said pointing to the line that stretched for two blocks along 200 South and wrapped around onto State Street. "Sure we lost, but that's just a game. This brings people together."

afalk@sltrib.com

Twitter: @aaronfalk