Champions Creed

Chapter 185 Chapter 184: About the Future (asking for monthly tickets!)

The warmth of the championship will not fade away so quickly.

Although it has been several days since the end of the finals, people are still keen to discuss Roger's historical status.

As expected, the quarrels persisted.

Everyone has different opinions on Roger's current achievements.

Joe Dumars, Roger's former opponent who returned to the Pistons as deputy director of player affairs a year after retirement, acknowledged Roger's greatness:

"Times have to move on, don't they? Michael was the best player of his time, but Roger is creating a greater career. A player who has achieved the great achievement of three consecutive championships at the age of 22 will definitely be included in the discussion of the best in history. This is professional basketball. There will always be newcomers climbing up, and no one's status is eternal."

Charles Barkley refuted this in an interview:

"I never doubted his ability, but I questioned where his historical status came from. This season, Shaq was a top-three player in the MVP rankings before he got hurt. I have never seen anyone have better teammates than Roger. I have never seen two top-three MVPs playing together.

When he can get rid of Shaq and win the championship, then we can talk about his historical status. This sentence also applies to Shaq, that fat guy thinks he has ruled the world? No, he is not, he is just luckier than others. "

Kobe also expressed his own point of view: "Roger has surpassed Michael, just like I will surpass him in the future."

Jerry Stackhouse came uninvited to join in the fun: "You know, I am his lifelong enemy!"

Roger still has a lot to do to calm the controversy.

But controversy is a good thing, at least it proves that you as a player are indeed the focus of attention.

Do you see anyone discussing Karl Malone's historical status?

who cares?
The championship parade before the draft was very lively. Because it was the third consecutive championship, the entire Orlando city was crowded with people.

Several fixed-wing aircraft were flying in the space, dragging huge ice-blue banners on their tails. On the banner was written "Dynasty", the supreme word in the basketball world. The roar of the aircraft engines even created a lively atmosphere of celebration.

When you ride the Orlando Eye to the top, you'll see crowds of people moving on the ground like ants.

From International Drive to the Municipal Building, fans cheered and hugged each other.

If you see some men and women leading the way.

If you see someone climbing on top of a street lamp.

If you see crocodiles mixed in with the crowd.

Don't be surprised, because Florida doesn't keep idle people.

Everyone had a smile on their face, and when the double-decker bus carrying the players passed by, the fans raised their signs and cheered.

"Michael sucks! Roger is number one!"

"Even dogs don't wear AJ!"

"Karl Malone, the biggest wimp in history."

"We will only make the Eastern Conference championship banner into a carpet and put it at the bathroom door, because we are a true dynasty team! And the Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks? They can't even get the Eastern Conference championship banner now!"

"Roger, fuck me! Even my bestie can come along!"

Look at these slogans, they are as arrogant as Roger.

This is the confidence given by their star player.

It can be seen that Orlando has become a real basketball city.

Florida had no connection with basketball originally, but now, the fans here are extremely enthusiastic and the basketball market here has been completely activated.

Rich DeVos looked at everything in front of him and couldn't help but smile.

Yes, the warmth of the championship will not fade away so quickly.

The afterglow of the dynasty can last for a long time.

This season, even though Jordan has left, the Bulls are still one of the best-selling teams in the league.

This is the warmth left by the dynasty.

In the original history, after Jordan retired for the second time, the Bulls' attendance rate did not start to decline until the 01-02 season. In the three seasons before that, the Bulls ranked first in attendance for two years and second in attendance for one year, even though the Bulls ranked last every year in those three years.

The Bulls' situation makes DeVos very confident about the team's development. In the next few years, no matter who more or less the Magic have, they will be one of the most watched and profitable teams in the league!

definitely!
Thinking of this, DeVos' face was filled with the same happy smile as the heroine in 91 when she was counting money. This kind of happiness could not be concealed.

NBC broadcast the entire parade live, but the magicians and Steve Jones who participated in the live broadcast did not care about the slogans and the live images.

One question they kept discussing was, "Where's Shaq?"

It is very rare for a championship player not to participate in the championship parade.

In the past, even those players on championship teams who were certain to leave the team next season would definitely participate in the championship parade.

After all, no matter where you are next season, you have contributed to this season's championship.

No one will give up this day of being worshipped by fans and surrounded by honors.

But O'Neal, who loved to be in the spotlight, disappeared.

This is even more outrageous than Jerry West missing the 50th anniversary celebration.

Jerry West at least found an excuse that he needed nose surgery.

What about sharks?
He didn't even bother to make an excuse.

He did not make any announcement to the public, and no one knew in advance that the Sharks would not attend the championship parade.

Even the Magic players only learned this morning that O'Neal would not appear.

"Hey buddy, do you think this is a sign that Shaq has completely broken with the team?" Steve Jones asked during the show, looking at the cheering crowd.

"Is there a clearer signal than this? I've said it before, Shaq is 100% going to leave Orlando. The only suspense is where he's going to end up next."

"What teams are currently interested in Shaq?"

"That's a bad question, Steve. Let me put it this way, if you list all the teams in the league that have salary space, and then point to any one, that team will definitely be interested in the Sharks!"

While Magic and Steve Jones were chatting, the Magic team's parade had already arrived at the outer plaza of the Orlando Arena.

Amid the cheers of the crowd, Michael Cage, Wilkins and Saroo, the three people who were about to retire, spoke the most and with the most emotion.

As for Roger, he only said some very official words as the protagonist, and seemed absent-minded about this year's extremely important championship parade.

Shaq is gone, which was unexpected, but people were prepared for it given the turmoil he had with the team's management and locker room last season.

Really, there are few players who can offend both the boss and teammates.
But what people don't know is that Roger is actually talking to the team about the future. So, he doesn't want to say too much at the championship parade.

Over the past two days, Roger, who finally won his third championship, spent time talking to the team about the future direction of development.

The results were not very ideal.

John Gabriel and Roger said a lot:
"We will certainly remain competitive and we will become the most successful team in NBA history, just like the Lakers and Celtics."

"We're going to get this team back to championship contention in five years."

"This is your home, so there's no better place for you than Orlando."

But no matter how much he talked, John Gabriel was still vague on the issue of luxury tax: "I don't understand, why are we talking about a rule that doesn't exist at all?"

Roger responded by saying, "Don't give a crap!"

Gabriel's answer about the luxury tax may be the least sincere of all answers because it is essentially an evasion.

As a fan in his previous life, Roger didn't care about the labor agreement, so he didn't know the specific year when the luxury tax rules began to be implemented.

But now he has Eric Fleischer by his side, so he is not isolated from the news.

He is well aware that the inclusion of luxury tax rules in the next version of the labor agreement is a foregone conclusion.

According to Stern's philosophy of governing the league, first of all, he would not allow a team to build a galactic battleship just by using money to disrupt the balance of the entire league.

Second, he must ensure that small markets can retain star players.

Therefore, even if this rule is postponed for one or two years after its passage to allow for a buffer period before being implemented, it will definitely be implemented.

The two sides are not discussing a rule that does not exist.

Instead, they are discussing a rule that is about to emerge and will have a huge impact on the league.

As a result, Gabriel treated Roger as a fool.

Roger doesn't have to force the boss to pay the luxury tax, nor does he have to have a teammate who is in the top five in the league.

But here is a serious question: "If there is really such a chance to win the championship, how would you choose between tax avoidance and winning the championship?"

This is a question of determination to win the championship.

Seeing that John Gabriel was still dodging, Roger also made a direct statement: "Unless the team really has the long-term intention to continue to compete for the championship, I will not rule out other options."

Roger doesn't owe Orlando anything.

The three consecutive championships he brought to this city are definitely worthy of the largest contract in history.

Therefore, he will never completely withdraw from the championship race just because his boss wants to save costs.

You know, the Magic can't lose money. DeVos' only purpose in saving costs is to make more money.

Sacrifice your own chance to win the championship so that your boss can make more money?
Roger would compromise only if he had a hole in his brain.

Roger was very glad that he had retained a player option in 98, which allowed him to take the initiative in the negotiations.

John Gabriel said he would continue discussions with owner Rich DeVos and would reply to Roger after the draft.

As a result, the plans for future cooperation between the two parties have temporarily come to a standstill.

As for why DeVos didn't come to the conversation in person, Roger didn't care at all.

He had long known that his relationship with his boss had broken down.

After the championship parade, a reporter with a keen sense of smell found Roger.

"Roger, will Shaq be back on the Magic roster next season? Will he opt out of his contract?"

"I don't know anything about that, you should ask Shaq if you can find him."

"how about you?"

"what?"

"We all know that you are discussing the future with the team. Some staff members said that you and John talked in the office for two and a half hours two days ago. What were you talking about? The construction of the team's future lineup? Luxury tax? Or something else?"

"If I wanted the world to know what we were talking about, why didn't I invite a few reporters to my office to participate directly? Sorry, I have no comment."

Roger said, nodded and left.

But for reporters, that was enough.

Because they can already convey a message to the outside world: the Magic will definitely experience greater turmoil this summer.

The dynasty has come to an end.

There is still a lot of work to do around the league before Magic and Roger decide on their future.

The draft is the next top priority.

Tim Duncan's story began to be reported by more and more media, and the entire league began to pave the way for his arrival.

Spurs fans cheered in advance, they believed that Duncan could immediately lead the Spurs back to the championship race.

Because he is more than just a skilled player.

He is also a psychologically mature player.

A widely circulated story: A reporter asked Duncan, "You were already the top college player in the United States when you were a junior, why didn't you enter the NBA a year earlier? That way you could earn millions more dollars."

Duncan replied slowly: "I recommend you to read the story of pulling up the seedlings to help them grow. It taught me a lot."

He is never in a hurry, he is mature and steady.

His answer was just like that of the admiral back then.

Ten years ago in 1987, the Spurs used the No. 100 pick to pick David Robinson and planned to pay him $ million a year. Then he gave an incredible answer: "I want to serve in the Navy. It is my honor to serve my country."

In 1989, when the Admiral decided to enter the league to play basketball, 13-year-old Tim Duncan stood on the coast, looking at the blue sea in confusion. The hurricane destroyed the only swimming pool in the area, and he didn't want to swim in the sea. So, that year he made a decision, he wanted to play basketball, with his innocent smile.

David Robinson and Tim Duncan are like a reincarnation of the Spurs.

They were drafted exactly ten years apart, they have similar personalities, and they even decided to commit to basketball full-time in the same year.

The whole world is discussing Duncan's story and the twin tower combination of him and the Admiral.

Although the draft has not started yet, the Spurs will not miss Duncan unless Popovich is kidnapped by the 76ers with the second pick.

The first pick is no surprise, but the competition for the second pick is very fierce.

1997 was actually a weak year for the draft. If it weren't for the BUG-level rookie Duncan, this draft would not have attracted so much attention.

The 76ers were very unlucky. They got the second pick and missed the most deserving player in this year's draft.

I thought the combination of AI and Duncan would bring the league to a grand finale, but the Spurs got the worst luck.

Philadelphia fans are very upset. Why can the Magic get the No. 1 pick for two consecutive years, but we can't?

Damn David!
After losing Duncan, the 76ers really didn't have anyone they wanted to select.

Keith Van Horn? The best forward at Utah besides Matthews? (They were teammates.) The guy who was called the next Larry Bird?
Come on, he's not worth wasting the pick.

Larry Brown, the new general manager and head coach of the 76ers, is well aware that the nickname "The Next Larry" was completely made up by Auerbach to fool people.

There will never be another Bird in this world.

Not even anyone who gets close to him.

Also, Keith Van Horn's attitude toward basketball during the interview was annoying.

"I love basketball, but when I think of Amy (wife) and children, my life goals have changed. What I can't tolerate most in the world is that a father does not play the role he should play in life. I want to be a qualified husband and father, not just handing the salary home. At any time, family is more important to me than basketball."

There is no doubt that Van Horn is a model good man.

A good husband.

A good father.

His wife and daughter should be happy to have such a family pillar.

To put it more bluntly, this is the difference between white players and black players.

As a husband and a father, he was perfect.

But as a basketball player, Van Horn gives people the impression that he is not tough enough.

He's not someone like Roger who says, "I admire Reggie Miller because he's a fighter."

He's not the kind of player that AI would say, "I don't respect anyone on the basketball court."

He is not cruel enough.

Especially after the 76ers got AI, Van Horn's temperament was no longer in line with the team.

His answer seemed to be telling the 76ers: "I just want to make money and take care of my family. Championship? Fight hard? Restore Philadelphia's glory? Forget it."

The 76ers don't like Van Horn. They want a center who is tall and strong, preferably with a domineering nickname, such as the Great Emperor.

High school student Tracy McGrady? Larry Brown would never trust a high school student.

Therefore, the 76ers, who have no one to choose from, are actively selling their No. pick.

There are many teams that have made offers, the most active of which is the New Jersey Nets.

They are willing to send Jim Jackson, who was once one of the 3Js of Dallas, and the seventh overall draft pick.

Although Jim Jackson was difficult to coach, he was indeed talented.

Is Larry Brown still short of someone who is difficult to coach?
If he can handle AI next season, he can also handle Jim Jackson.

In this way, the 76ers will get a talented backcourt combination.

However, the Eagles' offer made Larry Brown hesitate.

The Atlanta Hawks are willing to give up the 13th overall pick, Christian Laettner, who was selected to the All-Star Game last season, Tyrone Corbin, a solid and experienced defensive guard with an annual salary of less than $50, and a draft pick swap for next year (a first-round draft pick swap can ignore the rule prohibiting the trading of draft picks in consecutive years).

Laettner and Corbin are not as talented as Jackson, but Larry Brown likes their tough style. Moreover, these two people do not need to be trained, they are plug-and-play.

Of course, none of them had the offensive power of Jim Jackson, but AI was enough to digest the shot.

Next year's draft pick swap is also a favorable condition for the 76ers, because no matter who the Hawks choose, their record next season is unlikely to improve much.

On the other hand, if the 76ers can add two combat-ready players, Laettner and Corbin, and combine them with the offensive power of AI, Larry Brown feels that with their level, they can make a push for the playoffs.

Considering that the Bulls made the playoffs with 36 wins this season, this doesn't seem difficult to achieve.

By swapping draft picks with the Hawks, the 76ers will be able to get another lottery pick next season.

So, Larry Brown decided to accept the trade from the Hawks.

When he asked Hawks general manager Pete Babcock who he would help him pick with the second pick, Babcock simply replied: "You'll know when the time comes. For now, let's not reveal any news about the trade."

Well, it’s all so mysterious, who cares?
Larry Brown didn't care.

No matter who Atlanta chooses, it will not have any impact on the landscape of this league.

This summer, it will be quite peaceful.
-
Regarding Michael's future, what are the chances that he will renew his contract with the Knicks? - The New York Times

Will Tracy McGrady be selected at No. 2? We'll have to wait and see. -- Philadelphia Chronicle

Shaquille O'Neal announced that he would opt out of his contract this summer and test the free agent market for the second consecutive year. Where will this three-time champion center go next? - USA Today.

The Atlanta Hawks are actively trading for draft picks. Who are they targeting? Keith Van Horn? Tracy McGrady? Chauncey Billups? - Atlanta Journal-Constable.

Scott Pippen has been put on the shelf by Jerry Krause, seeking a lottery pick. Who would take the risk of betting on a Scott who would waste half a season? The Boston Celtics are currently in the lead in the trade. - Chicago Tribune.

People say that last summer's transfer market was the craziest in history, but I have a feeling that this year will also be a year of major reshuffle in the league. Michael's stay or departure, Shaq's next stop, Scott Pippen's trade, and the future of the Magic are all witnessing history. - John Anderson, SportsCenter

(End of this chapter)