Champions Creed

Chapter 186 185: Taste buds grow at the end of the large intestine (ask for monthly votes!)

After the championship parade, the Magic announced: "We are still negotiating a contract extension with Shaq, and the team will do everything possible to bring him back to the Orlando Arena."

Of course, this kind of nonsense is just like "You are really big", even the most naive fans will not believe it.

Is it possible for a guy who can't even miss the championship parade to return to Orlando?
As Magic Johnson said, all teams with salary cap space launched a fierce offensive against the Sharks.

However, the Los Angeles Lakers are the closest to the Sharks.

Jerry West flew to Orlando almost immediately, ready to reap the fruits of his year-long wait.

Last year, when the Shaqs announced they were adding a player option to their contract, Jerry West knew he still had a chance.

He deliberately left enough salary space for this day and gave up all plans to recruit players last summer.

He had been preparing for this day for a long time.

Although the Shark has expressed his intention to play in Los Angeles, everything is still uncertain before the contract is officially signed.

The Lakers were already very close to signing O'Neal last season, but God knows what happened. In the end, the Shark actually renewed his contract with the Magic.

This must not happen again this year.

So now, Jerry West is as nervous as an FBI agent worried about a package bomb appearing near Baigong. He just wants to sign a contract with the Sharks as soon as possible and get everything done.

Unfortunately, both parties have to wait until the free agent market actually opens before they can officially finalize the contract.

West is very worried that Roger or the Magic will send someone to brainwash Shark during this period and make him stay, just like last season.

So Logo stayed in Orlando these days, playing golf, watching movies and going for a drive with the Shark.

To be honest, I don’t like any of these event logos.

There is a generation gap between him and the shark, and they can't play together at all.

When Shark took Logo to the studio to record his new rap album, Logo was very confused: "Is this music? This is clearly agricultural product!"

But there was no way, Jerry West didn't want his plan to be thwarted again.

He knew very well what the arrival of Shark meant, and he also knew the power of the OK combination - this was the combination name that Jerry West gave to Shark and Kobe.

No matter what the cost, he had to bring the shark back to the West Coast.

The logo wishes to be tied to the shark 24 hours a day and become a pendant on the shark's body.

But it turned out that Logo was totally overthinking it.

Roger never called the shark.

The Magic did not send anyone to negotiate with the Sharks.

As the goal got closer, Logo couldn't believe it. Is the best center in the league really going to belong to Los Angeles?

Is he really going to start another glorious era for the Lakers after Showtime?

The day before the draft, when Shaq and Logo were having dinner, O'Neal unexpectedly took the initiative to talk about Kobe.

"How's the kid? Is he as good as you say?"

"Some of his playing habits still need to be corrected, but his talent is unparalleled." Logo still gave Kobe a high evaluation.

"Can I be the next Kareem (Jabbar)?"

"You will surpass his greatness!"

"As soon as the free agent market opens, we will sign it."

The Shark is looking forward to his future in Los Angeles. Well, at least Kobe Bryant won't ride on his head like Roger did.

Before the Sharks signed their contract, June 6, Charlotte Coliseum, North Carolina.

At the 1997 NBA Draft, Tim Duncan was probably the calmest person at the scene.

Because he already knew what his fate would be.

Hubie Brown, a guest on TNT's draft show, commented: "Before the draft even started, Tim had already ended the biggest suspense. Fans in San Antonio also believe that Tim is here to end the suspense in the league. When he and David Robinson form a twin tower inside, no team in the league will be able to stop them. Spurs fans even think that Tim may lead the team to win the championship in his rookie season!"

Ernie Johnson on the side laughed and said, "Perhaps the biggest obstacle for Tim is the Orlando Magic, which has the strongest duo in history. It will be very difficult for Tim + David to challenge them."

"Oh, we may never know which is the better duo, Roger + Shaq or Tim + David," Hubie Brown shook his head. "Shaq has already announced that he will opt out of his contract, right? I don't believe that he did this just to pursue a bigger contract. He must want to start somewhere else. In Orlando, he can only be Scott Pippen forever."

I don't know when "You play like Scott" became a derogatory term for star players.

He was clearly the best small forward in the 90s, but no star wanted to hear comments like "You play like Scott."

Perhaps, this is the fate of the small forward.

The best small forwards of the 21st century also have similar problems. No player wants to hear the media comment on him, "You play like LeBron."

After chatting about some irrelevant things, the 97 NBA draft officially began.

David Stern walked onto the stage and the Spurs fans who had come to the draft were already cheering wildly.

It can be said that this draft night almost belongs to Tim Duncan alone.

Seeing the cheers at the scene, Celtics fans were the most angry.

A few weeks ago, Boston fans were still fantasizing about the beginning of another Bill Russell era.

As a result, the Celtics didn't even get the second pick.

Stern tried to make everyone feel that this was pure luck. Good luck or bad luck, you have to accept it, this is the lottery.

But Bostonians don't believe these lies. The Celtics have been in a slump for so many years and have never won the No. 1 pick in a season.

And what about the Magic before? They actually got the No. 1 pick for two consecutive years.

Although Chris Webber, the No. 93 pick in , did not bring much improvement to the Magic team, he indirectly facilitated Roger's joining.

If Webber wasn't the main bargaining chip, the Magic wouldn't have been able to trade for Roger.

Boston fans are extremely desperate as they see other teams turning their fortunes around with the No. 1 pick while the Celtics still see no hope.

There was no suspense about what happened next. David Stern announced that the Spurs would select Tim Duncan with the first pick.

Amid the applause, Duncan, wearing a beige suit, smiled shyly. At that time, people did not know how wild his smile could be.

The camera turned to Gregg Popovich, who had gray hair and a gloomy face. After noticing that the camera was pointed at him, Popovich forced a smile, which was in stark contrast to the excited fans around him.

For him, drafting Duncan wasn't the end.

The basketball season in San Antonio has just begun.

If Roger + Shaq can win three championships, Popovich believes that the Spurs will usher in their own dynasty.

At this time, Roger was at home, watching the draft live with Kevin Garnett.

After the season ended, Garnett came to Florida to spend the holidays with Roger.

"What do you think of him?" Garnett looked at Duncan as if he was facing a formidable enemy. After all, this stone-like man would face Garnett directly next season.

The media began looking forward to this 21VS21 showdown a long time ago.

"He's a big trouble," Roger nodded, "You must be prepared for this."

Garnett was a little surprised. He thought that with Roger's personality, he would show disdain to everyone.

And then, he actually said that that dull-witted guy was a big trouble?
Garnett was even more excited: "This is why I want to spend the whole summer with you! When do we start training?"

Before Roger could speak, Joe Abunassar was already wailing, "God, please at least give me and my wife three nights!"

Garnett smiled and said, "Come on, old Joe, stop bragging. At most, you will call Roger the next night and beg him to start training quickly. As long as it can take you away from your wife's room, anywhere will do."

"Shut up Kevin, my wife isn't that scary, and I'm not that weak. You may not be able to do more push-ups than me!"

Amidst laughter and cheers, everyone was waiting for the result of the second pick.

Jerry Krause was sweating profusely, but his eyes were firm and full of confidence.

Tracy McGrady was sleepy, as if everything happening in front of him had nothing to do with him.

The reason why McGrady was so calm was that he, like Duncan, had already received the promise.

Just yesterday, at 12 o'clock in the middle of the night, McGrady's agent received a call asking him to take McGrady to a secret location arranged by the Bulls for a physical examination.

The Bulls will trade for McGrady at the third pick!
The exposure of the top three picks is different from that of other rookies, so McGrady's team is very willing to cooperate.

McGrady and his agent drove an hour out of downtown Charlotte and mysteriously entered a private medical institution through the back door.

Those who don’t know would think that this is an arrangement for the kidneys to be broken.

This physical examination allowed Krause to confirm that McGrady's back injury was not that serious, at least not now.

Many teams were scared off by McGrady's injury concerns, but Krause decided to take a gamble.

He has already reached an agreement with the Celtics to trade Scott Pippen for the Celtics' third and sixth picks.

Among them, the third pick was used to select McGrady.

This deal did exist in the original history, but it was ultimately called off by Michael Jordan with a statement, "I will retire if you trade Scott."

And in this history, no one will call Krause to stop the deal.

Both Krause and McGrady are full of confidence. Krause believes that other teams have no confidence in McGrady's health and no one will snatch him away.

McGrady believes that the 76ers, who had the second pick, had never invited him to a tryout and would definitely not choose him.

As a result, when David Stern came on stage, the two were suddenly at a loss.

They understood one thing: nothing in this world is 100% certain.

"With the second pick in the 1997 NBA Draft, the Philadelphia 76ers selected Tracy McGrady from Zion's Christian Academy."

"Damn, what happened!?" Jerry Krause was furious. He immediately picked up the phone and called the Celtics' new general manager and head coach Rick Pitino.

He thought that Pitino, a rookie who had just entered the professional basketball world from college, accidentally leaked the news.

The 76ers must have known that they wanted McGrady, so they deliberately chose him and then prepared to blackmail themselves!
Those bastards! "Rick, I told you to be careful!"

But Rick Pitino on the other side was also very excited: "I haven't told anybody about this. I don't know what's going on!"

The Celtics were also very anxious because if they couldn't help the Bulls select McGrady, it would mean they would also lose Pippen.

At the scene, McGrady walked onto the stage with a confused look on his face and took over the Philadelphia 76ers' cap.

It wasn't until he shook hands with Stern and walked to the studio for the interview that McGrady realized what had happened.

Philadelphia?

They didn’t even try me out!

The audience began to introduce McGrady's basketball experience, and of course, his miserable childhood without a father was inevitably mentioned.

The playing templates of black players vary greatly, but their childhood templates are surprisingly consistent.

However, this trend of comparing misery will be completely ended in 2024.

When the No. 55 rookie who had undergone heart surgery and entered the league with an unemployed mother, two younger siblings in school, and a father who was about to lose his job, no one could say that they were worse off than him.

Garnett pouted: "Wrong choice, this guy can never become a star player, just look at his eyes and you will know, he looks like he hasn't woken up yet!"

Sage, the man in colorful clothes who was in charge of interviewing rookies, saw McGrady walking into the studio and motioned him to sit down. "Tracy, unlike Bryant and Kevin, you were almost unknown before your senior year of high school. It was not until last year at Roger's training camp that you really shined. But now, you are sitting here, second only to Tim Duncan in being selected. What does this mean to you?"

"I'm very excited, you know, I want to thank God first. There are a lot of people who have always supported me, and I have been working hard to have a special moment like today."

"You've already signed a $1200 million shoe contract, and the 76ers are about to give you a generous contract. What will you do with so much money? Wear jewelry all over your body? Or go back to Zion Christian Academy and continue training with the coach?"

"I will go back to training and then set up a charity foundation so that I can help more people in need."

Roger laughed. What a generous thing to say. Then who was the highest paid person in the Rockets team who always let his teammates pay for meals? When Mutombo criticized McGrady for this, he was very angry and left $200 and walked away.

"What do you want to say to your new teammate AI?"

"Let's go to the playoffs, man."

"Okay, thank you for the interview Tracy, I wish you all the best in the future, bye."

"Bye, Craig."

"and many more!"

Maddie was about to leave when she heard Sarge yelling.

The man in colorful clothes held the headset and stood up: "Wait, Tracy!"

McGrady stayed where he was in confusion. At this moment, he saw the transaction information appear on the big screen.

He was traded to the Atlanta Hawks!

McGrady never thought his draft night would be so eventful.

He thought he would definitely go to the Bulls, but he was intercepted with the second pick.

He had just accepted the fact that he was going to be teammates with AI, and then he was immediately traded to Atlanta.

At this moment, McGrady had only one thought in his mind: "There shouldn't be any more surprises waiting for me this summer, right?"

When Jerry Krause saw the trade information, the fat on his chin twitched. He knew that the Hawks had invited McGrady for a tryout, but he didn't expect them to be so determined for McGrady.

Even though McGrady was at risk of injury, he was still picked with the second pick.

The Hawks do value McGrady. With Roger and others setting great examples, they believe McGrady can succeed.

As for the potential for injury, as long as you pay attention to protection, you should be fine.

On the other end of the line, Rick Pitino of the Celtics was still yelling, "Jerry, are we still on the deal?"

"Deal canceled!" Jerry Krause hung up the phone angrily.

Without McGrady, he wouldn't have sent Pippen away in vain.

So, once again, the plan to move Pippen out of Chicago was shelved.

Krause sometimes wondered if he and Pippen were lovers in their previous life.

At the beginning, it was Krause who chose Pippen against all odds.

Now, they want to get rid of Pippen but they can't.

They seemed to be bound together by some kind of fate, until the end of time!
Roger watched all this silently. He didn't expect that just by making McGrady famous a year earlier, it would cause such a big fuss.

Then, the most ironic scene in the history of the NBA draft occurred.

The Celtics did not choose Keith Van Horn, who was praised by themselves as a great player, with the third pick, but instead selected Chauncey Billups from Colorado State University.

The Celtics have always upheld the basic principle of operating with integrity. I bet everyone in the league doesn't know this.

Van Horn eventually fell to the fourth pick and was happily picked up by the Vancouver Grizzlies.

They feel that they are the most successful team in this year's draft other than the Spurs.

The drafts after that were nothing special. The 97 draft was indeed a weak year. There were only three All-Stars in the entire draft, the top three picks.

However, there are as many as 10 players who never entered the NBA.

After watching the draft, Roger and three others ordered pizza for a midnight snack.

Eric Fleischer talked about the most important thing this summer: "Roger, what are you thinking about with Orlando's future?"

"I still have the same attitude. I can help them make money, but I won't be a tool that only makes money for them. They can't just think about making money. They can't just ignore the chance of winning the championship just to save costs."

"Do you want me to prepare in advance?" Eric Fleischer meant to find a new team in advance. Since Roger set the precedent of "players control their own destiny", trading players has never been decided unilaterally by the team.

Roger nodded. "It's never a bad thing to be prepared."

Garnett was immediately excited: "Will you come to Minneapolis!?"

"Who knows? Maybe." Roger answered nonchalantly. He has no special requirements for the next stop now. It doesn't matter even if it is a bad team at the moment, as long as the management has the desire to compete for the championship.

"Great! Don't worry Roger, I'm not an idiot like Shaq, I won't cause any trouble. Seriously, if I can't do it, I'll grow taste buds at the end of my large intestine!"

The three people who were eating pizza suddenly stopped what they were doing.

They are all high school students, why does Garnett speak so humorously?
The next day, DeVos and Gabriel were also on the golf course thinking about the team's future.

The departure of Shark is a fact, and the Magic have no intention of retaining him.

Now, their main target is Roger.

Roger can make the Magic make money. There is no businessman in the world who can't get along with money.

But there is no businessman in this world who is not greedy.

Many businessmen you know have astronomical net worths, but none of them is willing to stop.

Everyone, no matter how much they earn, will continue to pursue greater profits.

This is what DeVos is doing now. He wants to keep Roger and increase profits at the same time.

But this is contrary to winning the championship, it is a question of input-output ratio.

The Magic's market is currently saturated and no longer needs a championship to stimulate the market, so continuing to pursue a championship is not cost-effective.

Only by reducing investment can we achieve the effect of increasing profits.

To put it bluntly, in response to Roger's question, "If there really is a chance to win the championship, how would you choose between tax avoidance and winning the championship?" DeVos would now choose the former without hesitation.

So, his goals were not consistent with Roger's.

John Gabriel meant: "Even if our goals are not aligned, we can use Roger year after year and squeeze out all the value from him. This way, even if he leaves in the future, we won't lose out."

But Rich DeVos is worried about Roger's player option next year: "He is the kind of person who wants to win the championship at all costs. If we just keep him temporarily, he will still opt out of the contract next summer. By then, we will have nothing and lose him in vain."

"So you think we should take the initiative to trade him? Get some chips now?"

"Why not? We can make Roger famous, and we can also make others famous. Orlando's totem can be Roger or someone else. Since he is not in line with our goals and it is only a matter of time before we start to separate, we should take advantage of his trading value to exchange for the next Orlando totem, a cheaper totem."

"Tim Duncan?"

"That's our first target, but it's very difficult to trade for him. In my opinion, the kid in Florida is also good."

"Tracy?"

"He has a lot of potential, doesn't he? And he's a Florida native. He's not from Orlando, but that's something the marketing department can package. Orlando's Chosen One, how about that idea? Believe me, if Akron produced a basketball genius, the Cavaliers would shamelessly call him Cleveland's Chosen One."

"Are you sure? The last guy who traded Roger has taste buds at the end of his large intestine. Watching us win the championship, Jerry must feel like he's eating shit every day."

"Your analogy is interesting, but John, we are different from Jerry," DeVos said, swinging hard and hitting the ball far. "We are not forced to give up Roger. We are actively choosing the future of the team."

DeVos thinks her plan is a good one.

Whether it is Duncan or McGrady, they can make the team a new championship contender before the dynasty's heat completely fades away, and they don't have to pay so much annual salary.

The most important thing is that neither McGrady nor Duncan is as domineering as Roger.

This means that they have the potential to become "their own people" rather than players like Roger who are difficult to manage and always go against the management team.

Jerry Krause's trade for Roger is indeed the most failed trade in NBA history, but DeVos believes that he is different from Krause.

Everyone who makes a certain decision will feel that he is different from others, and will think, "I won't be that unlucky," even if he knows that the people who made the same decision before him have turned into corpses.

A few days later, the free agent market opened.

On the first day of the free market, Shaquille O'Neal joined the Los Angeles Lakers at lightning speed with a seven-year, $120 million contract.

At the same time, the Magic officially announced their desire to trade Roger.

A new era has begun for California basketball.

And the dynasty story of the magical world has come to an end.

(End of this chapter)