Champions Creed

Chapter 144 Chapter 143: Will it be me? (Please give me a monthly ticket!)
After 3-0, almost no one cared about the result of the game.

After all, there is absolutely no suspense about this.

Even if the Sonics did pull one back in Game 4, what would happen? The championship was already decided, and it was hard to imagine the Sonics defeating the Magic four times in a row.

The only suspense is who will become this year's FMVP between Roger and Shark.

The day before Game 4 of the Finals, almost all media were discussing this matter.

目前三场比赛打下来，罗杰场均能够贡献33.3分6助攻4篮板2.6次抢断和1.6次盖帽。

Compared to last year's finals, Roger's assists, rebounds, steals and blocks have all increased.

But the score was not as much as last season's finals. In last year's finals, Roger scored 40+ points in three consecutive games and finally contributed 39 points per game.

This is not because Roger has degenerated, but because the Sonics' perimeter defense is stronger than the Rockets, but the interior defense is not as tight as the Rockets. In other words, because Shaq is also exerting his strength, Roger does not need to score so many points to win the game.

奥尼尔目前则是场均26.3分10.6个篮板2.6次助攻1.3次抢断和2.6次盖帽。

Judging from the statistics alone, Shaq is not superior. He blocks more shots than Roger, but steals less than Roger, and the defensive statistics are equal. Other than that, the only real advantage of O'Neal is rebounding.

Of course, data is not the only criterion for measuring a player. But if we ignore the data and look at the actual performance on the field, Roger is still better.

In the first game, the Sharks were slightly restricted by the double team defense, and it was Roger who was responsible for opening the game.

In the second game, the Sharks performed poorly due to the Hack-a-Shaq tactic, and Roger continued to carry the team strongly, allowing the team to win with a slight advantage.

In the third game, the Sharks were troubled by fouls for a while, and it was Roger and Salu who carried through the most difficult third quarter. Although the Sharks came back in the fourth quarter and played the only game in the series with a higher score than Roger, he was absent in the decisive third quarter.

But from another perspective, it was the Shark's nuclear-like threat that prevented the Supersonics from easily pinching Roger, which was also part of the influence of the game.

But judging from the feedback, Shark's performance was not able to surpass Roger in any game.

Therefore, public opinion generally believes that Roger can win two consecutive FMVPs.

This is a huge shame for the Supersonics. The finals haven't even ended yet, but everyone is already concerned about who will win the FMVP.

This only shows that they are so weak that the media can't find any topics to talk about.

But in fact, not all Magic players are so happy.

Sitting in the locker room to rest, O'Neal looked at the news in the newspaper that the FMVP was awarded to Roger in advance, and felt a little unhappy.

Sharks are like Frodo Baggins wearing the Lord of the Rings, with a terrifying curse always ringing in their ears: "You're not even the best player on your team."

These words had clearly disappeared from his mind for some time, but now they reappeared like a ghost.

At this moment, the door of the locker room was suddenly pushed open.

O'Neal was so scared that he immediately closed the newspaper and hid in the closet, like a child peeking at Playboy.

After practicing a few more shots, Roger walked into the locker room and looked at the extremely sly Shaq. He pointed at him and said, "Don't think I don't know what you're thinking, you bastard Shaq."

"Ah? I didn't think about that. I just want the championship. I don't care about anything else!"

"Really? Then I'll ask Cindy not to bring her bestie tomorrow night. I heard there's a single lady who's 165cm tall but 36D. Since you don't care about anything except the championship, forget it. Just sleep with the championship trophy."

"what?"

"Don't pretend. Don't tell me you only want to hang out with a bunch of grown men at the championship party tomorrow night. I invited Cindy, and she said she'll bring some friends over. Let's party!"

O'Neill let out a sigh of relief. He thought Roger had guessed what he was thinking. "Okay, wait, you said Cindy would invite other girls?"

"Of course, who wouldn't want to see our big, shiny new trophy?"

"That's great, Roger. We must party till dawn tomorrow night!"

"The premise is that we have to take the championship away in the fourth game, sweep them Shaq, and kill them!"

"Nothing will happen, Roger. As long as you and I are here, everything is bound to go well."

After that, Shark and Roger bumped fists.

Afterwards, Roger went to take a shower, and O'Neal looked at his fist, thoughtful.

He cherishes Roger as a friend, and he and Roger have always spoken their minds to each other.

If one of them needs more shots in a particular game, OK, just say so.

Whenever Roger hit the penny, he would tell the shark "I want to take more shots tonight."

When the Sharks meet the Admirals, they will tell Roger, "Hey man, pass me more balls tonight."

If O'Neal's defense started to lose focus, Roger would point it out.

If Roger got too excited and started not passing the ball for a long time, O'Neal would also be generous and tell him.

When Pat Riley slandered Roger in front of the media and tried to sow discord between him and the Shark, O'Neal would call Roger immediately and tell him not to think too much about it. Roger would also tell the Shark why he had not spoken publicly for him in front of the media before.

They have always spoken their minds, which is a key step in their becoming good friends.

But what about this matter now? How do you want the shark to speak?
"Oh my good brother, please let me win the FMVP for once, please."

"Hey man, why don't you just play casually in the next game and let me get the FMVP."

is it possible?

Is it meaningful to get the FMVP in this way?

O'Neal really wanted the FMVP, but this time, even though he had a good relationship with Roger, he could never say it to his face.

He can only fight for it in his own way.

Everyone has his own way of winning the Finals MVP, and Shaq certainly has one.

Game 4 of the finals on the second day was more intense than people expected. A stubborn team like the Supersonics would fight to the death with their opponents with bare hands even if they had run out of ammunition and food.

1996 was undoubtedly the Sonics' peak, both in terms of lineup and psychology, and it was a peak they never approached again.

If nothing unexpected happens, something very stupid will happen during this offseason: The Supersonics have been slow to renew Kemp's contract in advance, and instead signed 216-centimeter white center Jim McIlwain at a price twice the market price, and then let Kemp watch this center who can only contribute 3.8+4 per game and get the same salary as himself, and did not mention a word about renewal.

This made Kemp completely depressed. He was no longer full of fighting spirit and became addicted to women and drugs. It also became the fuse for him to leave the Supersonics.

Therefore, the Supersonics in 96 are completely different from the Supersonics after that. Now they are extremely strong in both lineup and mental strength.

In the original 96 finals, they won two games in a row after falling behind 0-3.

This would never have happened if this group of people didn't have the determination to fight to the end.

This spirit comes from Payton who never admits defeat: "The last battle? No, this is the most important battle in our lives!"

From Camp, who just graduated from high school and can't find fancy words, but is still sincere: "Maybe they will win, but we can't let them kick our ass. I think we can't give up without a fight!"

"Mr. Supersonics" McMillan, who was in so much pain that he couldn't even bend over to touch his toes, couldn't stand idly by and watch the team's predicament, so he decided to return in Game 4 with the help of painkillers.

This team still wanted to fight on in Game 4 and they refused to surrender.

Today, the SuperSonics even held a grand starting ceremony.

Amid the cheers of the fans, performers waved the Sonics flag in the center of the court, and every Sonics starter rushed into the court with their heads held high.

The big screen at the scene showed an old man in the audience. That was George Karl's 90-year-old father, Joseph Karl. Due to health reasons, he last came to watch a game in person three years ago.

But today, on a night when the team theoretically had no chance of winning, he came to the scene with the support of his family to cheer for the team.

The whole Seattle did not give up. They were all shouting, hoping that the team could survive this do-or-die battle.

These scenes probably explain why Payton refused to retire his jersey with the Thunder.

He dedicated his best to this place and gave his most passionate heart to this place. But after retiring, he was completely rootless. No one could bear this.

In short, the people of Seattle are not willing to give up the fight.

Then Roger will give them the most dignified death.

The people of Seattle are full of fighting spirit, but basketball games are cruel.

If the gap in strength is too big, no matter how high your fighting spirit is, you will not be able to win.

Roger continued to step on Payton's head to consolidate his status as the scoring champion. He turned a deaf ear to the shouts in the KeyArena, and just silently took out weapons one by one from the arsenal and used them all on Payton.

Cindy Crawford on the sidelines would stand up every time Roger scored a goal, twisting her strong waist to cheer for Roger, which seemed to indicate that Roger would not be able to sleep easily tonight.

Roger was in the spotlight again, while Shark struggled much more, continuing to wallow in the quagmire of double-teams and shark-slashing.

He watched Roger's score continue to increase and his chances of winning the FMVP continue to decrease.

So in the third quarter, he started to play in his own way, and the Magic's game entered a very strange period.

During this period, O'Neal frantically asked for the ball in the paint and attacked hard against double teams. Even though the efficiency was not high, he still did it.

In those few minutes, the Shark seemed obsessed with scoring. He didn't move the ball or run any tactics. Every attack was a simple and rough way of positioning, asking for the ball, and playing one-on-one.

George Karl knew that what he longed for had happened. O'Neal suddenly went crazy and became a selfish ghost, and there was only one reason: he wanted to snatch the FMVP from Roger!

This is the only reason!
He knew that no champion in the world could escape such a fate.

Human desires are endless, and it is very difficult to be unselfish.

But if players want to keep winning, they need to make sacrifices in exchange for greater benefits.

These two things are completely contradictory.

You may be able to persist in this kind of sacrifice for one year, but what about two or three years?
This is why the Rockets traded for Drexler because of what the glider said: "I am willing to make any compromise for the championship."

Last season, Roger and O'Neal also gave up their personal interests.

Roger withdrew from the scoring title competition early in order to share the shooting rights with Shaq, while O'Neal was willing to be the bait to attract Olajuwon, allowing Roger to play 40+ in three consecutive games in the finals. Their sacrifice allowed them to win the first championship trophy in the history of the Magic team and made them one of the top 50 stars at a young age.

So far this year, the sacrifices have continued.

Roger sacrificed his relationship with management for the Sharks. After he publicly spoke out for the Sharks on the contract extension issue, Rich DeVos and Roger were never seen alone on the golf course again.

But now, the shark doesn't want to make any more sacrifices.

He wanted to win the Finals MVP, and he wanted his championship season to be even more brilliant. O'Neal was definitely not someone like Pippen who was willing to be a deputy. He had greater ambitions and pursuits.

George Karl sneered in his heart. He was right. He knew that there were no champions in the world who could always live in harmony.

But it was too late, and there was no way Seattle could recover.

At the end of the third quarter, seeing that the Sonics had narrowed the gap to a dangerous level, Roger, as usual, said, "Shaq, calm down. You have to rotate the ball."

In the past, O'Neal would have definitely answered: "Yes sir!"

But tonight, Shark panted, wiped the sweat off his face, and was stunned for a few seconds before nodding slightly.

The damn spell sounded again, making him upset.

O'Neal really is like wearing the One Ring, his inner desires are constantly flowing out, constantly tempting him. In some ways, there is no difference between the championship ring and the One Ring.

"Fuck!" O'Neal slammed the bench hard to suppress the desire that was about to corrode his soul.

He knew that he couldn't mess around anymore, otherwise the Supersonics might change the outcome of the game.

His plan had failed, simple as that, and he had to accept that fact.

At this time, the Supersonics had narrowed the score to just 5 points thanks to O'Neal's continuous outbursts.

Everyone in Seattle thought they could win a tough but glorious victory on this tragic night.

But as I said, competitive sports are very cruel.

When the Shark stopped going crazy, the Magic immediately regained control of the situation and easily widened the gap again.

The first to collapse was Rain Man. He couldn't accept that he and his teammates had worked so hard for so long and had clearly seen hope, but in the end the Magic, who had recovered, easily widened the score again.

He didn't understand the meaning of his persistence.

He thought that tonight's ending would be like most inspirational movies, where the protagonists go through untold hardships and finally get what they want, winning a victory fueled by passion.

But tonight's ending is more like the "Million Dollar Baby" that will be released 8 years later. When you are about to get excited, it suddenly becomes extremely tragic.

Just now, when the score difference was only 5 points, Kemp was really ignited and determined to devote himself completely to this game.

But now? The score difference has widened to double digits again.

Kemp broke down. After being fouled, he flew into a rage and grabbed the basketball with one hand and pressed it directly into O'Neal's face.

The Shark was already angry about the FMVP issue, so he pushed Kemp to the ground.

The referee immediately blew the whistle and stepped forward to intervene, ending the conflict before this wild battle began.

In order to not disturb the finals night in which the president was present, the referee decisively sent off the troublemaker Kemp and also gave a technical foul to the emotionally unstable O'Neal.

With 18 points and 14 rebounds, Shawn Kemp's journey to the finals ended here.

Many years later, I wonder if he will regret this hasty ending. After all, there were not as many chances in the finals as he imagined.

Kemp's departure also means that the end of the Supersonics is approaching.

After Rain Man disappeared, the Sonics collapsed very quickly. George Karl still kept the main players on the court and kept yelling at them to fight one last time. But their defense system was no longer functioning properly, and their offense was stagnant.

Only Payton was still responding to George Karl. He repeatedly attacked the inside, argued with the referee, and defended Roger seriously.

George Karl and Payton, neither of them likes each other, but when they look at each other they feel like they are looking in the mirror. This is probably the reason why they haven't strangled each other yet.

However, with 53 seconds left in the game, as Roger extended the score to 17 points with a signature layup after a breakthrough, the fearless Payton stopped running.

There is no fifth game, no chance.

Roger dominated the game with an efficient 35 points, making up for the Sharks' crazy mistakes.

Payton has completely become a thing of the past, and after tonight, people will only talk about how legendary the 1996 Orlando Magic were.

With five seconds left in the game, Payton put the ball on the ground and walked up to hug Roger.

As the red light on the backboard lit up, the 1996 NBA champion was born.

The ribbons fell, and it became a funeral for the Seattle SuperSonics and a hymn to the Orlando Magic.

Roger jumped onto the technical table, which was his usual way of celebrating.

He made a V sign to all the fans, then opened his arms and enjoyed the feeling of having the whole world under his feet.

Steve Jones stood up and applauded Roger in front of him, while continuing to explain: "Roger made a V sign, which is a really retro gesture."

Bill Walton, who was also applauding, smiled and said, "That's not a V, it's a 2, representing two championships. I have a feeling, Steve, that this won't be the last time Roger celebrates his championship like this. The numbers on his fingers will increase."

When he jumped down from the technical table, the staff gave Roger a championship cap and T-shirt.

Then, Saroo walked up to Roger holding an apple.

He missed the smell, had missed it ever since he and Roger had that career-changing conversation on the bus earlier in the season.

On the way to report to the national team that year, the apple in his hand was extremely sweet.

Now is the best time to savor this sweetness.

Roger took the apple and took a bite. The juice burst into his mouth, making the taste of victory even richer and mellower.

"Thank you, Roger, you saved me." Saru hugged Roger.

"Hail to you, brave knight."

After that, Roger and O'Neal, who was hugging someone else, happened to look at each other.

O'Neill smiled and walked up to Roger, holding him tightly in his arms.

"I love you, Roger. You've done so much for me this season."

"The only heroes in the world are you and Cao."

"What do you mean?"

"You and I are the best."

"Good, I learned this sentence."

On the podium, Rich DeVos received the trophy in a good mood.

After two consecutive championships, he knew that his team had gone from obscurity to world-renowned.

In any case, no matter how many unpleasant things happened this season, it doesn't matter anymore.

What’s important is that he is now the biggest winner in the entire league!

This championship will allow the Magic to continue to be one of the most profitable teams in the league!

After the award ceremony, David Stern looked at Bill Russell, and the King of the Rings picked up the FMVP trophy beside him tacitly.

O'Neal stared at the trophy and suddenly felt that the noise around him became much quieter.

He has never cared so much about the results of the FMVP selection in his life.

Will it be me?

David Stern picked up the microphone and said calmly: "Congratulations to Roger, the 1996 NBA Finals Most Valuable Player!"

Roger completely destroyed the DPOY in the finals, so there is nothing much to say about this award. It is a testament to his dominance.

Roger shook hands with Bill Russell and then raised the trophy above his head.

O'Neal was stunned for a few seconds, then smiled and applauded along with everyone else.

Roger deserves it.

Then, aren't you worthy?
"You're not even the best player on your team," Michael Jordan's curse appeared in O'Neal's ears again.

The Shark shook his head vigorously, wondering why he still cared about Jordan's nonsense even though he had already won the championship.

After winning his second championship, the Shark fell into a struggle he had never expected.

As for Roger, in the noisy scene, in front of the live cameras all over the world, he once again won the life-and-death battle with Michael Jordan and sat on the throne.

That’s right, it was not until the moment he won the championship that Roger completely defeated Jordan and defeated God.

And it’s the second time!

The former emperor has fallen into disgrace.

As for Roger, everyone present knew that this was just the beginning of a grand epic.

Roger held the FMVP trophy in one hand and the championship trophy in the other. The league president held the microphone for Roger like a little brother waiting for the leader to speak.

Roger approached the microphone, a rebellious young man with a rebellious smile on his face. Unlike most acceptance speeches, Roger's acceptance speech only had one sentence:

"Who's next!?"

(End of this chapter)