Champions Creed

Chapter 201: 200: What is truly valuable is the journey of dignity and courage (asking for monthly tickets!)

Roger has proven himself. He is the best in this league and the best in this era. No matter Tim Duncan or any other Jordan successor, they can't change this. It will be hard for anyone to change this in the next ten years. --Lenny Wilkens praised Roger's performance today.

I told him to watch Roger play in the second half. Feel it with your heart, think with your head, and listen with your ears. - Lenny Wilkens explained the decision to bench Steve Smith in the second half.

God, 50+10. Man, do you know what that means? That's enough for me to play for a whole season! -- Ben Ben marveled at Roger's performance.

They are insulting the sport of basketball! What did I say? They will definitely attack my players, look at them, look at them! The Hawks have no sportsmanship and no sense of honor! People like Bruce Bowen should be put in jail! - Popovich angrily criticized Bowen's rough foul on Duncan at the last moment.

I am indeed in prison. If you don't believe me, you can go ask the warden. ——Bowen responded with an honest smile.

Roger played a great game, and I played well. Don't forget, I'm one of the two best players on this team. - Pippen, who scored 17 points, tried to equate himself with Roger, who scored 52 points.

God, how ironic this is. If you look at what Avery Johnson did to Roger, you will be shocked at the character of coach Craig Popovich. A man who holds the banner of justice, but does the most evil things, this is Craig. - Kurt Thomas refutes Popovich's behavior of being the first to complain.

Yes, after the game, Greg told me to go back to the sea and swim. If possible, drag Roger into the water, so that the whole NBA will thank me and send me to the Hall of Fame. - Tim Duncan said his joke seriously.

At the press conference after the game, it was obvious that Popovich was really anxious.

Because he knew that the biggest obstacle for the Spurs to win the championship was Roger.

Therefore, he attaches great importance to the outcome of this game.

But in the end, he and Duncan became Roger's background.

Roger used his strong performance to maintain his position at a time when the Spurs and Duncan were frantically reorganizing their workplaces.

52分11次助攻4个篮板3次抢断2次封盖，这无疑是本赛季至今最恐怖的个人数据。

This game widened the gap between Roger and other stars.

When everyone else was beaten black and blue by Duncan, a rookie who had just entered the NBA, Roger was the only one who did not have his dignity trampled upon.

Well, Kevin Garnett counts too.

But Garnett's personal performance was not as explosive as Roger's.

The entire Eagles team was happy to win this important game, except Steve Smith who was unhappy.

After two consecutive losses, Lenny Wilkens used the control variable method to test him out.
In the second half, the team completed a reversal without him, won the game and stopped the losing streak.

It's so embarrassing.

Steve Smith sat alone in the locker room for a long time, thinking about how he got to this point today.

Roger never showed those moments of courage and determination during the game.

Steve Smith wanted to change, but he backed off.

It is not easy for a person to change his cowardice.

How many people have been enduring their anger in silence all their lives, and even dare not speak loudly to the store clerk when buying something.

Don't they want to change?

They can't change it.

Steve Smith couldn't imagine how he could muster the courage to play well in a team that excluded him.

He felt heartbroken when he recalled the scene at the end of the second quarter when no one passed the ball to him.

He couldn't face it.

If we say before, Steve Smith wanted to leave because of personal grudges with Roger.

This time, he was unable to face his own predicament.

The next day, when the whole world was praising Roger's exaggerated statistics and making fun of sharks as unique pieces of shit.

Roger and Steve Smith attended a community event arranged by the Eagles.

This community event was very special as Roger and Steve Smith, idols of a little boy with bone cancer, would hide in his bedroom, waiting for the boy to be discharged and return home.

The little boy's family are all fans of the Hawks. Starting from his grandfather's generation, their family has been watching the Hawks games since the team moved to Atlanta in 68.

Although the Eagles have never won a championship, this is their hometown team after all, so they have never given up supporting the team.

While waiting for the little boy to come, his father, a fat man with a big beard, talked to Roger about many things related to eagles.

"In 80, we won 50 games and won the Central Division Championship, which was Atlanta's second professional sports championship. My father told me at the time that sooner or later, we would see the Eagles really reach the top, and I firmly believed in it. Then, 18 years passed. I often say this to my son, and he believes, like me, that sooner or later we will see the Eagles reach the top, but..."

Having said that, the man sighed.

"You will see. Hasn't he returned cured? You can bring him to witness it on the spot." Roger patted the fat man's shoulder.

"No Roger, he didn't come back cured, he came back completely hopeless and went home to die. So... I don't know if he can see it."

After the fat man said this, Roger and Steve Smith both froze in their chairs.

Then, there was a long silence.

To welcome the boy's return, his family filled the house with balloons, cakes and various decorations.

But in the face of the cold reality, all this seems to be cold and meaningless.

At this point, the silence was broken by the little boy’s aunt’s shout: “Hey, Andy’s ambulance is here!”

The fat man stood up and opened the door of the little boy's room: "Roger, Steve, thank you for your hard work."

The boy returned home with the help of his mother. Although the whole family welcomed him with smiles, the boy's face was dead and lifeless.

He is 12 years old, it's not that he doesn't know everything.

He knew what he was going to face next.

At this time, Roger and Steve Smith, who were hiding in the little boy's room, were attracted by the layout of the room.

He had sheets and quilts with the Eagles logo on his bed, posters of Steve Smith all over his walls, and a No. 8 Steve Smith jersey.

Next to the No. 8 jersey, there is a piece of paper that reads: "Save money to buy a No. 14!" In addition, there are some posters of Roger hanging on the wall, but they are all relatively new, probably bought recently, and there are not many of them.

It can be inferred that before Roger came to Atlanta, the little boy was a loyal fan of Steve Smith.

After all, he was the top player on the previous Eagles team.

"I really didn't expect that a guy like you would have fans." Roger joked.

"Damn it, shut up. Don't you really have no feelings at all? Forget it, Roger, I have something to tell you." Just as Steve Smith was about to say something, the little boy walked into the room with the support of his family.

When he saw Roger and Steve Smith in the room, a smile appeared on his dead face for the first time.

The little boy broke free from his family members who were supporting him, and ran to Roger and Steve Smith in great pain, hugging them.

"It's really you!?"

Roger looked at the boy who was tortured to a skinny figure, touched his head, and put an Eagles cap on him: "How do you feel, Andy?"

"I'm very good!"

Steve Smith squatted in front of the little boy and gave him a signed jersey: "Good luck, Andy. Do you have any wishes? Roger and I will do our best to fulfill them."

The boy excitedly shook Steve Smith's hand: "Really!?"

"real."

Amusement parks, ice cream, watching football games live, that’s all.

But the boy's answer was beyond Steve Smith's expectations.

"I want to see the Eagles hold the championship trophy! This is my biggest wish!"

Steve Smith hesitated for a moment, and Roger pushed him away in anger:

"We will try our best, Andy! But you know what? The glory of the championship is just a momentary firework. What is really valuable is the journey of dignity and courage. Andy, do you want to be a real champion? Then don't give up, muster up the courage to persevere to the end! We have an agreement that you have to see me win the championship. On the day of the finals, I will invite you to the scene."

As he spoke, Roger held out his fist.

"Yeah!" The little boy raised his arm, which was as thin as a bamboo pole, and collided with Roger's fist with all his strength.

Steve Smith bit his lip after hearing what Roger said.

This was a heartwarming moment. The little boy who had lost hope in life, with the encouragement of the NBA star, rekindled his courage to complete the last part of his life.

In the evening, Roger and Steve Smith prepared to leave the neighborhood after having dinner with the little boy and his family.

On the bus, Roger and Steve Smith were silent all the way. There was nothing to talk about between them.

Roger was extremely disappointed with this guy who didn't even have the courage to say the word "champion" in front of the little boy.

He always thought that the problem between Steve Smith and himself was a personal grudge, but recently Roger has come to realize that it is actually his own problem.

But suddenly, Roger seemed to remember something: "Steve, did you say during the day that you had something to tell me?"

Steve Smith originally wanted to say that he still wanted to apply for a trade, but he wanted to clarify to Roger that it had nothing to do with personal grudges.

"Yes, I have something to tell you."

Roger nodded, motioning for him to continue.

Steve Smith looked Roger in the eye for the first time: "I will not let the team down again."

He has changed his mind.

"this one?"

"Ah."

"Oh, who knows?"

"No, you don't understand what I mean. I won't let the team down again!" Steve Smith said firmly.

The boy saw him as a hero, but he was trying to escape at every turn.

He is not as brave as a little boy fighting against illness!
Countless boys like that, countless families like that, are eager to see the Eagles lift the championship trophy.

But he wanted to escape from the battlefield.

This is so embarrassing!
Maybe, even if he tries his best, he can't win the championship this season.

But as Roger said, the glory of the championship is just a momentary firework.

He wanted to show that little boy, and all his fans, that he was playing like a brave champion!

"Steve," Roger saw that Steve Smith was serious, so he decided to say a few last words to him.

"To be honest, you are the most fucking soft teammate I have ever met. But remember, we are the heroes of countless boys like that. It doesn't matter if you disappoint me or not, but don't disappoint them.

The lights in this city went on and off for a full thirty years, and hope was like a small boat drifting farther and farther away in the storm.

Many people may never see the scene they are looking forward to the most in their entire life, and the boy is also
We are just basketball players. Steve, although we make millions of dollars a year, at the end of the day, we are just basketball players. Our impact on the world is negligible.

But today, when I came out of Andy's house, do you know what I was thinking?

Hell, I could help a lot of boys like that and families of fans like that realize their dreams, give them courage, give them some color in their shitty lives. Did you ever think about that? That's the greatest fucking thing we could do!
I'm going to chase the championship without any reservations.

Whether you come or not is up to you.”

That night, Andy was in his room, looking at the posters on the wall, his heart full of hope.

He doesn't have much time left, but he doesn't feel depressed.

Because he believed that at the end of his life, he could wear Steve Smith or Roger's jersey and proudly shout:

"The Atlanta Hawks are the champions!"

(End of this chapter)