Champions Creed

Chapter 168 Chapter 167: You will have nothing (ask for monthly ticket!)

At this time of year, the topic of who will become the MVP is always a hot topic among fans.

After the All-Star Game, the regular season has entered a period of aesthetic fatigue for fans. Only the MVP can continue to attract fans to pay attention to the regular season.

For fans, MVP is just a topic of conversation after dinner and a tool for the league to maintain discussion.

But for players, competing for MVP is never easy.

This is not something that people like Ben Simmons, who posted a training video in the offseason saying "revenge season is coming" and then lay down as soon as the game starts, can understand. If you want to win the MVP, you have to fight, you have to be strong, and you have to truly devote yourself to this long season.

Role players can get praise for occasionally having a few explosive games, but if you want to compete for the MVP, you have to maintain a high level of performance in at least 82 games, not to mention 70 games. And your record must also be among the best.

Therefore, Jim Gray is not optimistic about Roger. Without Shark, how can the Magic be among the best in the league?

Jim Gray really didn't want Roger to win the MVP, but not just because Roger had publicly insulted him.

Also, if Roger becomes the MVP, Jim Gray will not be able to interview the MVP of that season.

This will undoubtedly cause great trouble to his work.

After all, he is in his contract year this year. If he wants to ask ESPN for a big contract, he needs more blockbuster programs.

The previous interview with Shark was indeed heavy enough, but it is generally believed that the reason for the high ratings was that Shark fired at Roger in the interview, and Roger was the traffic itself.

This view is not without reason. A few days ago, when Sports Marketing Communications magazine announced the list of the top ten highest-earning players in 96-97, Shark was not on the list, but Roger was on the list as expected.

In terms of commercial value, Shark and Roger have never been on the same level.

Although the two are both in Reebok, Reebok has already prepared a lifetime contract with equity for Roger, but only wants to offer Shark a 5-year, $1500 million contract extension. You read that right, 5 years, $1500 million.

Roger's first shoe contract was bigger than this.

Apart from this, there is also a huge gap between the two in other commercial endorsements.

The bottom line is, times have changed. Pence, who likes to backstab, may be an asshole, but he was right: these days, guards rule the roost.

As a fan, do you prefer to imitate Roger's moves or Shark's?
Do you prefer a tall, handsome guy or a giant that would scare people if you saw him on the street?
Therefore, the Shark show alone is not important enough. In ESPN's view, unless Jim Gray can do a more influential interview, they will not meet Jim Gray's high contract extension offer.

Nothing has more influence and traffic than the MVP of the season, but given Roger's current attitude towards Jim Gray, he will definitely not accept the invitation.

Therefore, only if someone else wins the MVP will Jim Gray have the opportunity to invite the MVP to his own show.

So, Jim Gray may be the person in the world who least wants Roger to win the MVP.

He wanted this arrogant bastard to die, and he also wanted his future to remain unaffected.

When you really like or hate a player from the bottom of your heart, the game will affect your emotions.

So the Magic's opening performance made Jim Gray a little worried.

Roger now is basically not the same player as Roger in his rookie season.

In his rookie season, Roger was only influential on the offensive end, but now his influence is all-round.

He can lock down Jeff Hornacek, rush back to the penalty area to block Mutombo, and assist his teammates to score. Of course, his own personal score is not affected at all.

He can influence the game in various ways, and his control over the game is getting higher and higher.

Even Jim Gray had to admit that Roger really played like an MVP!

Can Karl Malone handle this guy?
Karl Malone responded quickly, trying to take control of the game.

This time when the Jazz attacked, Stockton finally did not look for Hornacek again, but instead passed the ball to Malone.

Malone didn't make any adjustments and successfully made a turnaround jump shot before the double team came up.

Derek McKay's interference had little effect on Malone.

One round later, Malone intercepted Harper's pass to Roger.

Don't be fooled into thinking that Karl Malone is a simple-minded guy just because he has well-developed muscles.

He is rustic, rugged, fierce, yet cunning.

He has always been like a hunter hiding in the jungle with a shotgun, silently judging where the prey will go.

After determining Harper's intention, Malone immediately rushed out with his strong body and intercepted the pass midway.

Then on the offensive end, Karl Malone assisted Stockton with a mid-range shot.

This is an MVP vs. MVP showdown, where both can impact the game at every level.

They can all change the course of a game on their own.

Doesn’t Malone also want to win an MVP?
He has been immersed in Salt Lake City for more than ten years, but has never achieved much. He has been working silently like an ordinary farmer.

Malone's statistics have always been good, and can even be said to be exaggeratedly good. From the 87-88 season to the present, he has played MVP-level personal performances in almost every season.

The biggest gap between him and the MVP is the record.

Throughout his career, Karl Malone has only achieved 60 wins in a season once.

But after adding Mutombo this year, everyone knows that the Jazz have reached the peak of their team's strength in history, and Malone also has the opportunity to cross this gap.

If he can break the 60-win bottleneck, then the hard-working farmer in Salt Lake City will also get a taste of the MVP. As one of the strongest frontcourt players in the 90s, he should have some shiny accessories.

Karl Malone is very eager for this, so he will not give up any victory in the game easily.

Whoever stops him will be defeated.

If that doesn't work, just elbow him to death.

The most well-known label of this Utah Jazz, besides the UCLA 1-4 pick-and-roll, is probably that they will do whatever it takes to win.

Karl Malone's vicious elbow alone could make a four-minute highlight reel.

The only single-action highlights that can surpass Malone's elbow are the goat's fadeaway jump shot and the goat's breakthrough footwork.

Yes, Stockton and Karl Malone are like two farmers living in a remote area. But in today's world, many farmers are not simple.

After successfully tying the score, Karl Malone smiled at Roger and said, "Don't be scared, kid, everything will be fine. It will be over before you know it."

This isn't just trash talk, it's more like intimidation.

Before, Karl Malone and Roger didn't have much contact.

Although they had played against each other several times during the regular season, the two sides did not have such a strong hostile relationship at that time, so they basically never spoke to each other and were like strangers.

So, Karl Malone had no idea how stupid it was to trash-talk Roger.

"Oh, is that what you told the little girl when you were in bed with her? Tell her not to be afraid? Go away, Carl. I feel sick just talking to a bastard like you."

Roger will not hesitate to use the crudest words to open your most painful scars.

Everyone in the league knew about the affair between Malone and that girl, but few people used it to attack Malone. After all, it was too difficult to talk about.

But with Roger, nothing is too difficult to talk about.

You have the nerve to do such dirty things, why should I be embarrassed to say anything? Just pack it up and send it away, what civilized person are you?

Karl Malone's face twitched twice. People often don't think anything of it when they do dirty things. But if this matter is exposed, he will feel humiliated.

The smell of gunpowder began to fill the Triangle Center, and Karl Malone vowed to make Roger get out of there in disgrace!

In the subsequent games, both players played very hard and demonstrated MVP-level influence.

Karl Malone's rebounds gave the Jazz many second-chance opportunities, and Roger's defense shut out the Jazz's second scoring point, Hornacek.

The commentator Steve Jones said: "The ray gun can't pull the trigger tonight!"

Being shutout was not the most heartbreaking thing for Hornacek. What hurt him the most was that every time Roger defended him, his baby daughter Abby would show her innocent and cute smile and applaud Roger!

On the offensive end, Karl Malone and Roger also performed well.

No one can stop Malone's mid-range shots and forced breakthroughs, and Roger's offense is never bad.

The game was very tense, with both sides taking turns leading and it was difficult to widen the gap.

Although the outcome is still undecided, the current tense situation has made Jazz fans somewhat dissatisfied
Because judging from the lineup on paper, the Jazz are clearly stronger.

Especially on the defensive end, the inside combination of Karl Malone and Mutombo seemed to be able to block the Magic from scoring a single goal.

But basketball is not a game of paper, it is not like that in actual play.

Mutombo is very tall, but he has no independent offensive ability, so he can't actually gain any advantage against the Magic's weak inside line on the offensive end.

On the defensive end, because of Mutombo's presence, it was indeed difficult for the Magic to make trouble in the interior today.

But the Magic also had an excellent touch, and most of their goals came from outside the arc, so Mutombo's defensive role was also weakened.

The Utah Jazz didn't take the lead easily, and the Orlando Magic didn't collapse simply because of the lack of Shaq.

This was bound to be a long night.

As the competition became more intense, conflicts between the two sides gradually increased.

In the second quarter, Harper pointed at Stockton's nose and cursed, almost causing a fight between the two sides.

"Damn, that bastard is dirtier than the bathroom in this gym! Can't you guys do something about it!?"

In the third quarter, Karl Malone even had a face-to-face exchange of insults with Magic coach Brian Hill.

At that time, Karl Malone grabbed the offensive rebound and hit Michael Cage in the face with his elbow, knocking him over.

Karl Malone took this opportunity to dunk at the basket.

Seeing that Michael Cage didn't get up for a long time, Brian Hill suspended Buss, then yelled at the referee in a rage:

This is basketball, not a fucking octagon fight! That damn bastard, he elbowed my guy at least 10 times!

Karl Malone was not happy when he heard himself being called "damn trash".

He walked towards the Magic bench and confronted Brian Hill directly: "Shut up, you incompetent idiot. Do you know why you have never won the best coach award? Because the league knows that even a dog can win the best coach award for the Magic's coaching position. They can't give the trophy to a dog!"

Although Brian Hill is unpopular in the locker room, the same old saying still applies: you can scold your own people, but not outsiders.

Derek McKay immediately went up and pushed Malone away. More and more people got involved in the scuffle, and it almost caused another conflict.

The tension between the two sides grew stronger and stronger, and the action in the game became more and more intense. The greater the action, the stronger the tension, and the game fell into an inextricable cycle.

Things have changed, and this regular season game has become more like a playoff game.

In addition to the goals, the field was also filled with various scenes of people falling to the ground and cursing at each other.

Until the ninth minute of the fourth quarter, the fierce confrontation and tense situation had not changed at all.

In the fourth quarter, Roger's touch began to decline amid fierce confrontation and strenuous defense.

He has already scored 35 points tonight, and he has still not let Hornacek score a single point. But there is a price to pay for top performance on both offense and defense, and the price is that Roger's physical energy consumption is almost doubled.

But fortunately, Derek McKay found his touch in this quarter and made three consecutive mid-range shots.

But with Karl Malone's turnaround jump shot in the low post, the Jazz led by 1 point again.

Unlike Roger who lost his touch, Karl Malone's low-post jump shot in the fourth quarter was very accurate. Because there was no big man like O'Neal to help defend, and the position of his shot was closer to the basket than Roger's, his efficiency was extremely high.

Seeing Malone score, Jim Gray in front of the TV jumped up excitedly with bloodshot eyes: "Kill him, kill Roger! Make him lose, let that arrogant bastard taste the feeling of failure!" Jim Gray was frightened all night, afraid that Roger would win the game and get closer to the MVP.

But fortunately, judging from the performance of Roger and Malone in the fourth quarter, the Jazz have a greater chance of winning.

He can't always rely on Derek McKay, right?
Steve Jones, who was commentating on the scene, couldn't help but praise: "I guess today's game will be killed by low-post turnaround and defense! Karl Malone is too stable, he is simply the perfect combination of strength and softness. He can use his muscles that are enough to hold off Sir Charles, and then use a soft turnaround jump shot to finish. And the Jazz's interior defense is simply rock solid!"

Brian Hill paused the game and continued to complain to the referee: "He elbowed Derek McKay when he was getting into position just now!"

Karl Malone seemed to have heard what Brian Hill said, so he touched his elbow, as if to show off, and then yelled to the Magic bench: "Complain, keep complaining. No matter how much you complain, cowards will be crushed in the game."

The entire Magic team was angered by Malone, and Roger, as the team leader, naturally would not let everyone suffer this.

He must lead his team to conquer the triangle center and make that damn copper smelting addict get out in despair!

From today on, Roger has a new "good friend".

He has always been kind to his good friends. Just ask Pippen, who was "warmly entertained" by Roger every time they met.

So Roger immediately clapped his hands: "I know you are angry, but pay attention! Brian, I have an idea!"

During the pause in the game, the live feed was switched back to the NBC studios.

The host Matt Ogukas looked at the Shark: "Without you, the Magic's offense was forced to the perimeter by Dikembe and Karl. Most of the Magic's shots today were jump shots from the perimeter. But this is a test of stability. Roger's jump shot stability in the fourth quarter was not very good. Shaq, how do you think the Magic can break through?"

"The easiest way is for them to go to the Pentagon and find a treatment chamber like the ones you see in science fiction movies, and let me lie down in it. I will be healed and ready to play in 10 minutes. In this way, all problems will be solved."

Well, Ogukas didn't expect O'Neal to answer this question properly.

In other words, who can answer this question?

The Jazz's restricted area was tightly guarded by Mutombo and Malone, and the Magic had no means to lure Mutombo out of the restricted area.

Michael Cage has no offensive ability at all. In his years with the Magic, he even ensured that O'Neal was not the worst free throw shooter on the team.

You can't expect him to pull out and shoot a jump shot.

Travis Knight, the first-year center selected by the Magic last summer? Yes, Knight is soft, but that doesn't stop him from shooting poorly. Can you expect a center who can't even average double-digit points per game in the NCAA to do anything on the offensive end?

Roger and the Sharks predicted last year that the only purpose of John Gabriel choosing him was to help the old guys in the team carry an extra bag.

Therefore, the Magic cannot solve Mutombo's problem, and their offense can still only be locked on the outside and can only rely on their touch.

The only way is that Roger suddenly finds the magical touch of mid-range and long-range shooting.

But considering Roger's physical exertion today, this seems to be just a gamble on luck and is not a solution.

Anyway, with Matt August's level, he doesn't know how the magic can break the deadlock.

During the conversation, the game resumed.

The Magic attacked, Harper controlled the ball outside the three-point line, and Derek McKay ran around like a three-position wing.

Where is Roger?
He unexpectedly sank into the low post and pressed Brian Russell with his back!
Roger had just told head coach Hill that he was going to try to play Russell in the low post.

The reason is simple. The low post is closer to the basket, the requirements on the feel are not so demanding, and you can attack more efficiently.

Secondly, Derek McKay is in good form right now, so let him go to the middle and long distances to pull Malone away.

In this way, Roger can get a good singles opportunity in the low post!

The Magic rarely arrange low-post singles tactics specifically for Roger, because most of the time, the low post belongs to the Shark.

Moreover, in the past few seasons, Roger's weight was not enough, which put him at a disadvantage when playing in the low post.

In addition, Roger does not have the technical support of back-to-the-basket footwork and can only turn over, so there is no need for him to play in the low post.

But today, facing Brian Russell, the so-called outside defense pioneer who is only half-baked, Roger is very confident that he can defeat him.

It doesn't take any exquisite footwork to deal with him.

Brian Russell tried to push Roger out, but Roger, who already weighed 98 kilograms, insisted on staying in place.

Harper lobbed the ball in and Roger caught it firmly.

Karl Malone was a little hesitant, after all, Derek McKay had just scored three goals in a row.

In the end, he still did not choose to assist in defense. He could not leave a dangerous person open at such a critical moment.

Roger took the opportunity to turn around and jump shot the moment he received the ball. Because he was closer to the basket, Roger had a very good chance of success.

Boom!

The basketball hit the backboard and went into the net, and the Magic regained the lead!
Roger found his rhythm again. Turning over and wiping the board has always been Iceman's forte, and it is also Roger's forte.

But the Iceman never weighed more than 90 kilograms in his entire life, and he was unable to develop this move in the low post.

And Roger had never used it as a killer move before.

Now Roger can try to do that.

Just as he said at the 50th anniversary celebration, Roger has come a long way compared to the Iceman.

MVP means being able to use various means to help the team win.

The Jazz attacked, Karl Malone used smart positioning to cut to the mid-range, received a pass from Stockton and made another jump shot. 89 to 88, the Jazz took the lead again.

But after that, Roger did the same thing. The Magic emptied one side and completely vacated the low post on the other side for Roger.

Brian Russell couldn't shake Roger at this position at all. He was like a plumber who accidentally walked into a lonely young woman's house, a complete delicacy on the plate.

Roger held the ball firmly and turned over again.

Russell tried his best to jump up and block it, but this time, Roger just made a fake shot after turning over. After deceiving Russell, Roger jumped up, deliberately collided with Russell head-on, and then picked it up with his low hand.

brush.

Beep!
Roger gets a chance to hit a three-pointer!

Roger was right. To deal with someone of Brian Russell's level, there was no need for any fancy footwork.

A few simple feints are enough to lure him into the trap.

Roger stood on the free throw line, and Malone interfered on the side: "You will lose this free throw, lose the record of not losing streak in the season, and lose the MVP."

brush.

40th point in a single game.

Roger didn't know why Malone would say such stupid things to him who shot 88% of his free throws. After he made the free throw, he turned his head and looked at Malone and smiled: "You will not only lose the MVP, but also the championship. I promise you will."

Roger's words continued to escalate the game.

Now, Karl Malone is treating this as a preview of the finals!
Considering the strength of the Jazz and Magic this year, it is indeed very likely that they will meet in the finals.

Moreover, Roger's words really stung Marlon.

Although Malone's statistics are explosive, he is not the kind of person who covets statistics. His desire for the championship is even greater than that for the MVP.

Later, when Karl Malone surpassed Chamberlain to rise to second place in the all-time scoring list, he did not celebrate wildly, but said indifferently: "What I have always pursued when playing basketball is always the championship. If I can't succeed, I will quit. I will never stay in the league just to break records. This is just a technical statistic, not an honor."

He kept his promise. After the Lakers F4 failed, the Postman rejected invitations from many teams and announced his retirement in Salt Lake City in February 2005.

This shows the status of the champion in Ma Long's heart.

For so many years, he had never been close to a championship, not even in the finals. He couldn't stand the fact that he couldn't win a championship in his entire career.

This year, he finally saw the long-awaited championship window open.

As a result, the No. 14 guy threatened to make me lose the championship?
Karl Malone now wants to kill Roger!
Come and try it if you have the guts!

Roger's 2+1 gave him his 40th point of the night, and the Magic led by 2 points.

With little time left in the game, the Jazz attacked and Karl Malone also worked in the low post.

He was going to kill the game himself.

But this time, when Malone received the ball in the low post, Roger double-teamed him immediately.

Seeing this, Malone passed the ball to Hornacek who was left open.

Roger quickly turned the gun around, but to be honest, his physical condition slowed down his speed, and it was difficult for him to rush to Hornacek in the first place.

In the end, Roger only slightly interfered with Hornacek's shot.

Given Hornacek's usual level, this level of interference would not have much impact on him.

But this time, Hornacek, who has always been trustworthy, missed the shot!

Roger's pressure on Hornacek today was not in vain, because Roger had completely shut Hornacek out so far, so Hornacek was under great psychological pressure every time he shot. Every time he shot, he was thinking whether he could make it this time.

The more he tried to break this awkward situation, the more he couldn't relax when shooting.

After the basketball missed, Hornacek heard Abby yell, "Cool defense!"

A player, a father, was completely devastated!
Roger played an excellent defense, and Spoelstra's sleepless nights and dark circles under his eyes were not in vain. Roger's vision and ability on the defensive end have obviously matured a lot.

This was a long rebound, so none of the four inside players could grab the ball. The ball was caught by Dominique Wilkins, who then quickly passed it to Roger who was running forward.

Because the Magic were at a disadvantage in the interior, Wilkins had to actively join in the fight for rebounds. He worked very hard in rebounding today and performed this task excellently.

Roger sprinted quickly, and after crossing half court, he looked back as usual to check the situation behind him.

Afterwards, Roger stepped into the three-second zone and did not attack the basket directly, but slammed the ball to the floor.

The basketball bounced high and Dominique Wilkins followed up and caught it in the air.

This was Roger's reward to Wilkins for his hard work in doing the dirty work.

No matter how old an eagle is, it still longs to soar in the sky.

With a one-handed slam dunk, Wilkins and Roger completed a dunk contest-level performance.

The Orlando Magic extended their lead to 1 points with 05 minute and 4 seconds left, and Jerry Sloan called a timeout.

Steve Jones, who was praising Malone before, looked at Roger who led the team to overtake at the critical moment and shook his head: "I guessed that the game would be defeated by the turnaround jump shot and defense, but I didn't expect it to come from Roger! I can only say that this is an MVP-level matchup! Whether it is Roger or Karl, they have the ability to control the trend of the game!"

Roger also walked towards the Jazz's bench and yelled at Karl Malone who had just run to the Magic's bench to show off his power, "You're right, Karl. Cowards will be crushed to pieces in the game. A coward like you can only deal with a 13-year-old girl. Jeff, don't you have a daughter? John, don't you have a daughter? How can you bear to play with this copper-smelting waste?"

"Fuck you!" Karl Malone jumped up from the bench, but was quickly grabbed by Jazz players.

Facing the aggressive Malone, Roger did not retreat a single step, but stared at Malone. Soon, a group of Magic players gathered behind him.

Roger crossed his arms and put his hands on Malone's face: "First a victory, then an MVP, and finally a championship. Wait, Carl, you can't stop me, you will have nothing."

The two sides were on the verge of a fight, and the referee immediately left the field. The horrible boos from the triangle center and the referee's whistle made the scene even more chaotic.

The game was more exciting and intense than expected, but it's not over yet.

At this point, most people, including Steve Jones, were thinking: Is it possible for the two MVP candidates to face off against each other to decide the winner? In that case, the winner would undoubtedly be more convincing.

But for the losers?
It's even more cruel.

This is the last minute of the meeting.

(End of this chapter)