Champions Creed

Chapter 109 Chapter 108: As the transaction proceeds, the old king's influence is visibly declining (seeking monthly votes!)

"Man, I don't know how many armored trucks it would take to carry 120 million! That's a full 120 million!" O'Neal was very excited on the other end of the phone.

He was happy for Roger.

At the same time, I am also happy for myself.

Because Roger's contract extension amount proves that the DeVos family is indeed generous.

This also means that his contract renewal price next summer will definitely not be low.

"I don't know how many armored trucks it will take to hold it. They didn't pay me 120 million all at once. When they pay you next year, you can find a few armored trucks to do the experiment yourself. Don't worry, Shaq, you fully supported me this year, and I will fully support you next year," Roger replied.

Roger didn't know whether the Magic in history would go crazy again, but he would definitely fully support O'Neal. After all, the Shark had always been on his side in this matter.

Don’t worry about whether O’Neill’s support is useful or not, at least he has expressed his attitude, and that’s enough.

Roger would never do something like being a Nike spokesperson that would cause his brother to lose tens of millions. Yes, Roger said pennies.

In the original history, O'Neal once compared his three most famous teammates to the Corleone brothers in the movie "The Godfather".

Wade is the protagonist Mike. In the eyes of the Sharks, he is the most trustworthy and the future godfather of the Heat.

Kobe is Santino, who is capable but too careless and speaks without restraint. Sonny in the movie died in a toll booth with ulterior motives, and Kobe in reality almost fell for a woman with ulterior motives.

O'Neal's evaluation of Penny is Fredo: a good boy that all Italians pray to God for, but in the end he betrayed the entire family.

From this metaphor, you can see that the person Shaq hates the most may not be Kobe. Penny is not the only reason why the Magic did not give Shaq a big contract, but he undoubtedly played a very bad role in it.

Roger is not as narrow-minded as Penny. The team's status is earned through strength, not by tricks.

I just don’t know what kind of chain reaction my stance will trigger.

The Magic team shouldn't give themselves and the Sharks a double happiness package, right?
Roger's 1996 million contract extension not only made O'Neal feel good about himself, but also made Michael Jordan look forward to his summer of .

Of course, the premise is that he can prove that he is still dominant.

Jordan's dominance was visibly weakening. Not only in the entire league, but even in Chicago, the media and fans began to criticize him.

Just recently, in the fan connection program on the car radio, many fans complained to the host.

"It's stupid to send away the youngest FMVP in NBA history for personal gain. I don't know why Michael forced the team to do this."

"Can you imagine? Last season, we were slaughtered by the Orlando Magic 8-0, 8-0. It was such a shame! Roger staged a revenge more perfect than the one in The Count of Monte Cristo, and the whole of Chicago became a clown! Is all this really Jerry Krause's fault? Does Michael have no responsibility at all? We all hope he can come back, but he shouldn't have put forward those excessive conditions!"

"We love this team so much, we plan our vacations around the team's schedule and have bought season tickets for five years in a row. The result? They can't just ruin the Chicago Bulls!"

Jordan was sitting in the car with a very, very ferocious expression.

The driver turned off the radio for fear of affecting Jordan's mood, but Jordan yelled instead: "Damn it! Who told you to touch it! Don't switch or turn off my radio without my permission, just concentrate on driving!"

The driver could only turn on the radio. At this time, the fan connection session had ended, but Jordan's anger was still burning very vigorously.

Ruined the Chicago Bulls?
How dare you say that!
It was me who created the glory of the Chicago Bulls and it was me who made this team so special.

Now, you actually dare to say such things!

Jordan could clearly feel that many things were gradually moving away from him.

Respect, love, victory, status and even money, everything he once had was gradually slipping away from him.

This is the cruelty of competitive sports. Failure will change a lot of things.

He must take it all back!

Jordan came to do this today. He wanted to meet the dangerous man who could decide victory in person with the Zen Master.

When they arrived at the restaurant where they had agreed to meet, Jordan discovered that only the Zen Master was there, and Dennis Rodman was nowhere to be seen.

Jordan sat down and looked at his watch: "It's time. Where is he? Toilet? Wait, don't tell me he is late."

The Zen Master shrugged. "Late? I'm not even sure he'll show up! Damn, we're really desperate to find this guy! Have you heard? He stuffed a golf ball into the pussy of his female companion a few days ago. He's a lunatic! David Stern must be eager to dig a hole and bury him in it!"

"Oh, you sound like you're some kind person," Jordan laughed. "Phil, weren't you a hippie when you were young? You did a lot of drugs and promiscuous sex. Are you done? So don't say such dejected bullshit. Besides, what do you mean by desperate? We can win even without him, but it's better with him. Didn't you talk to Chuck Daly on the phone? What did old Chuck say?"

"He said that Dennis is actually very obedient, but the prerequisite is that you have to be able to convince him and control him."

At this time, the door of the restaurant was pushed open.

A person with green hair, a nose ring, sunglasses, an LV bag hanging on his forearm and wearing a women's suspenders walked into the restaurant.

This very avant-garde cross-dressing guy was none other than the demon that the entire league avoided, Dennis Rodman. He saw Jordan and Phil Jackson and walked towards them.

"God." Phil Jackson covered his head when he saw Rodman wearing women's clothes.

Jordan didn't say anything, he looked straight into Rodman's evil eyes.

Hua Da Chong sat down very casually, then waved to the waiter: "One serving of black pepper beef pasta."

Neither Jordan nor the Zen Master criticized him for being late, but went straight to the point: "Dennis, we need you to win."

Rodman also got straight to the point:

"Good, I've had enough of David Robinson, the wimp, and Craig Popovich, the flip-flopper and cunning agent.

Damn it, the entire Spurs team betrayed me, leaving me standing alone on a deserted island, saying that the loss was all because of the damn Dennis, and the wins were all because of Dennis who didn't help defend Dream. Why? Why? I just want what they promised me, why do they treat me like this! ? "

Rodman started to curse and even wiped his eyes when he got emotional.

He was actually very sensitive. He lacked love since childhood and grew up under the ridicule of his mother and sisters. He felt that he was a hermaphrodite for a long time and wanted to commit suicide more than once. It was the Pistons who saved him. He found a sense of home there. Chuck Daly was his father, and Laimbeer, Assassin, and Dumars were his brothers.

What happened? His happy home was gone. He could only look for his next home, and he thought the Spurs would be his next home.

But it was full of intrigue, full of Popovich's scolding and rejection by teammates.

He was a complete alien there and couldn't find a sense of belonging. At first he trusted David Robinson, until he found out that the guy was a complete wimp and never spoke up for him.

The Zen Master patted Rodman on the back of his hand and said, "Michael and I, we just need you to win. We don't care what you say or do, and we will still promise you a good contract. How you play outside is your business. The only thing you need to do is to kill every opponent and grab every damn rebound for Michael."

Jordan also spoke up: "I don't care what the outside world thinks of you, because I know what you are capable of. I only need the part of you on the basketball court. For the rest, you are free to do whatever you want. But we must win, we have to kill all those who stand in our way and take the championship back! You have to stay 100% focused on the court, you have to do it!"

Rodman hasn't felt this way for a long time, a group full of blood and desire to win.

Most importantly, they are willing to give themselves freedom.

Unlike that old bastard Popovich who always restrains himself, he would be criticized by that old guy whenever he talked about his affair with Madonna.

But the most decisive thing was the Zen Master's next words, which really calmed the anxious Hua Da Chong: "We are close to getting Joe Dumars. I believe he can help you find the feeling of the past. You can find all the passion in Chicago!"

With someone familiar around, the sensitive Rodman would feel much more at ease.

The green-haired guy looked at Jordan, his former rival, and nodded: "You will win the championship, Michael."

At this time, the waiter brought the black pepper beef pasta that Rodman ordered.

Rodman was about to pick up his fork when he suddenly stopped and called the waiter: "Come and change a plate for me. I don't eat beef!"

Jordan curled his lips. Well, he is indeed a psychopath.

But, it's better than a useless normal person like Weber!
Thus, the NBA transfer market began.

The first trade of the year was very special because it was not a player but a coach who was traded.

Because Riley resigned without the Knicks' consent and signed with the Heat, the Knicks were furious and refused to let him go.

That's nonsense. He married someone else before even getting a divorce certificate. Who can tolerate such a thing?
Finally, after mediation by the league, the Heat gave the Knicks a 96 first-round pick and $400 million in cash, and obtained the official signing rights for Riley.

It's equivalent to trading for a head coach.

Of course, the Heat paid more than just that.

They not only made Riley the head coach, but also made him the president. They also provided Riley with real estate in Los Angeles and New York, credit cards and a $300 per day allowance. Most importantly, they also sold him a 10% stake in the Heat.

See, although Riley likes to let his players take a pay cut, he himself will not take a penny less.

A fortune teller will never get himself into trouble.

The Heat had no choice but to agree to so many conditions, because after the Orlando Magic's success in Florida, the Heat's already insufficient presence was undoubtedly even lower.

If they continue to be so mediocre, the Miami Heat will become even more miserable than the Los Angeles Clippers.

The team needs to achieve results as soon as possible, but currently the team cannot attract star players to join, so it can only attract a star coach first and then let him manage the team.

It is a fact that Riley can establish team culture and build a championship team.

The Clippers' misfortune is not only because they are in the same city as the Lakers, but also because they found a person who is destined to be miserable to control and manage the team.

You can use any words to praise Elgin Baylor. He scored 25+15 in his rookie season, 71 points in a single game in his second year, and 34.8 points and 19.8 rebounds in his third year. This guy's personal ability is ridiculous, but he is not destined to win the championship.

Even as a general manager, letting him manage the team is like asking your wife, who always turns on the windshield wipers and brakes with her left foot, to drive at night. It makes people feel scared all the time. But Riley is different. The Heat believes that he can make the team stand firm in the NBA. To achieve results, the decision maker must not be stupid.

When Riley was interviewed after joining the team, he half-jokingly said: "Our goal, of course, is to beat the Orlando Magic first. Florida can't accommodate two strong teams."

People believe that Riley said this not only because the Heat and the Magic are both Florida teams, but also because he and Roger have a deep personal grudge.

Immediately afterwards, two more trades clearly targeting the Magic appeared.

The Chicago Bulls sent backup center Will Perdue to the San Antonio Spurs in exchange for Dennis Rodman, whose reputation had fallen to the bottom under the influence of Popovich.

The Chicago media did not have a high opinion of the deal.

The Chicago Tribune believes that: "The team is playing with fire! If Dennis can't be controlled, the fire will eventually burn Krause's own butt! But then again, hasn't Krause burned his own butt enough? He even sent away a FMVP last summer."

But another deal that followed made all the Chicago media feel that they had spoken too loudly before.

After the Bulls acquired Rodman, they traded Chris Webber and Bill Wennington to the Pistons for 89 FMVP Joe Dumars.

This is considered the key to the Bulls controlling Rodman. Of course, Dumars also played a big role on the court. Although he is old, the last time he was selected for the defensive team and the best team was in 1993. But in the playoffs, Dumars' experience and heart are much stronger than Nick Anderson.

After all, he has experienced a big battle and won the FMVP.

These two transactions have made up for the Bulls' two biggest shortcomings last season.

The defense of the No. 4 position and the stability of the back line have both been resolved.

Dumars' goal was also clear during the interview: "I am willing to accept any team position. Reducing ball possession and shooting rights is nothing to me. For the championship, I am willing to sacrifice everything. Orlando's young army is indeed strong, but our veterans will not wither so quickly."

Targeted, and very targeted. When the Magic became the champions, the entire league was targeting them.

At this time, who would pay attention to the No. 1 pick who has changed three teams in his third season in the league? He may be the most despised No. 1 pick in history.

However, Detroit doesn't have an old guy like Jordan to continue to torture him, nor does it have a young man like O'Neal who is as bad as him. The Pistons' new owner Grant Hill has a very good personality and can get along with almost anyone. Maybe Webber can really get back on track in Detroit.

After the Bulls completed the deal, the transfer market fell silent and no major transactions occurred.

Although there have been rumors that Alonzo Mourning might join Pat Riley, the deal has never actually taken place.

As for the Magic, since they are a championship team and their salary cap was locked last season, they naturally didn't make any big moves.

For a championship team, the most important thing is to keep the core framework. So after renewing Roger, the Magic's mission has basically been completed.

But the Magic didn't really do nothing. The biggest weakness of the Magic last season was probably that they had too few scoring points. Except for Roger and O'Neal, they were all defensive players. Sometimes when Roger and Shaq got into trouble, the team would fall into an embarrassing situation where they couldn't score at all.

So the newly appointed John Gabriel took immediate action and traded the white forward Jeff Turner, who had almost no playing opportunities last season, from the Seattle Supersonics for the former European king Sarunas Marciulionis.

Everyone in the basketball world knows the story of Marciulionis. Just look at Sports Illustrated's evaluation of him in 1992 to know what kind of player he is: Sarunas will lead Lithuania to cause trouble for the US team, and of course, the 7-foot-3-inch Arvydas Sabonis will also help him.

That is, in the eyes of the American media at the time, Sabonis was at most Marciulionis' deputy.

His best season in the NBA was averaging 18.9 points per game, and he finished second in the Sixth Man of the Year voting twice.

The reason why the Magic only paid such a small price to get him now is that a year and a half after breaking his leg, Marciulionis' comeback with the Supersonics last season was not particularly successful.

He once had a ghostly snake-like breakthrough, and he brought the Eurostep into the collection of the NBA's top ten plays before Ginobili.

But now, after breaking his leg, the European king has almost lost his ability to break through and can basically only be used as a fixed shooter.

Although he still had a very good jump shot percentage, he was still sold at a low price by the Supersonics.

After all, George Karl doesn't like this kind of shooter who looks soft.

Last season, George Karl treated Marciulionis very badly and often insulted him in public.

"The biggest wimp ever, this weak European bitch can't defend anyone in the league, even I can break through him easily!"

"I don't know why the team signed this kind of useless guy with a broken leg."

"I wish him a happy retirement life, please retire soon!"

Both parties dislike each other, so the price to trade for him is naturally not high.

Although Marciulionis is past his prime, the Magic just need someone who can shoot and score.

Gabriel was well aware of the legendary deeds of John Paxson, a hero of the Bulls dynasty. Paxson also did not have strong personal abilities and could only shoot spot jumpers. But when Jordan and Pippen were double-teamed, he could really kill the game with spot jumpers.

Gabriel doesn't need Marciulionis to be as agile and graceful as before, he just needs this broken-legged version of the European king to be able to hit those key open jump shots, that's enough.

Gabriel received a lot of praise for this deal because he added more possibilities to the team without changing the main rotation.

The offseason is the stage for general managers, and the newly appointed John Gabriel has undoubtedly seized the opportunity to perform.

While the general managers of the teams are fighting, the players are enjoying their vacation.

Michael Jordan is preparing to take his three children and wife to Disneyland in Orlando to relax.

Now that the team has completed the deal, Jordan is in a good mood and decides to relax for a while before continuing training.

However, the day before departure, Jordan received a call from the front desk manager of the Disney Hotel: "Sorry, Michael, due to force majeure, we are afraid that we cannot provide the lake view deluxe suite you booked. We apologize for the inconvenience. However, you can change to our park view deluxe suite."

"Force majeure? Is the toilet in the room blocked?"

"That's not the case," the manager said with an apologetic smile, "it's because the hotel needs to temporarily entertain a very special VIP. I just received the news. I'm really sorry."

Michael Jordan had never heard of such an outrageous thing in his life. A very important VIP? More important than me?
Who is so arrogant as to ask me to move?

"What, Mr. President is going to Disneyland too?" Jordan retorted.

"Of course not. I cannot disclose the customer's information. Sorry, Michael. We are willing to waive your admission ticket to the park and provide free guide service."

Jordan hung up the phone before the manager finished speaking.

He was extremely angry. In 91, Disneyland had begged him to shoot a commercial, but now they dared to ask him to change rooms?

Who on earth is making such a big fuss?
Jordan was just wondering when the TV news showed Roger being interviewed by a reporter:

"Yes, it's actually my first time to Disneyland. I'm very excited. I heard that they prepared the best lake view suite for me. I'm very grateful for their hospitality. Shaq said before that this room type is difficult to book. Maybe I'm lucky that they just happened to have a vacant room."

Michael Jordan clenched his fists. He knew who was making such a big fuss.

Jordan had actually encountered a similar thing before. In 1992, when he was on vacation in Hawaii, he "occupied" the hotel's presidential suite and asked the hotel to move out the guests originally staying in the suite.

This was undoubtedly a very unreasonable request, but because he was Michael Jordan, the hotel did it.

Coincidentally, the unlucky guy who was forced to change rooms was Jordan's colleague - Pat Riley.

The two met at the hotel swimming pool at the time, and Riley told Jordan about it. Jordan smiled and said, "Sorry, Pat, I was the one who asked you to change rooms."

This was Michael Jordan's face in the past. He could move into an occupied room without any reason, even if that room belonged to a championship coach.

But now, everything has changed.

Instead, he became the one who was driven away!
Juanita comforted her husband: "Don't be so angry, Michael. Disney is so disrespectful to you. At worst, we won't go. Kids, how about Universal Studios Hollywood? Do you want to go to the real Jurassic Park?"

The children jumped up happily. For them, being able to go out and play was the happiest thing.

Marcus even asked excitedly, "Is Aunt Larsa going too?"

But Jordan still clenched his fists.

He is not a child. What he cares about is not where to go to play. What he cares about is his influence which is visibly declining!
Now, there is a player who can surpass him!
How could someone ask him to give up his seat?
That’s right, Orlando is Roger’s base, and the Magic and Disney have always had cooperation.

But even so, this shouldn't have happened!

I am Michael Jordan!

Before it was the accusations from Chicago fans, and now it’s Disney’s disdain for itself.

Are the old king’s words no longer effective?

"Juan," Jordan waved to his wife, "you take the kids to Hollywood tomorrow."

"what?"

"You take the kids!"

"how about you?"

"I want to continue training!"

Jordan now has no interest in taking a vacation at all, he has only one goal.

Let Roger feel the wrath of God!

Now that the deal is done, all that’s left is hard work!

(End of this chapter)