Champions Creed

Chapter 223 222: I am not afraid of failure, not at all (asking for monthly tickets!)

Paul Pierce opened his mouth wide, which lasted about five seconds before closing. He then hugged his family, went on stage, forced a smile, took the Hawks cap and put it on casually with his mouth tilted, showing no excitement at all.

Pierce's casual look made TNT draft commentator Ernie Johnson joke: "Paul has the kind of relaxed feeling that is unique to old Europeans, but as far as I know, he does not have Kobe's European background. He is a native California boy."

Doug Collins on the side smiled but said nothing. Yes, yes, old Europeans have a strong sense of relaxation, even their sphincters are relaxed. You will know if you have been there.

Pierce wasn't relaxed, he just couldn't get excited.

At that moment, he wished he could get a deal like Antawn Jamison and Vince Carter.

But that didn't happen.

He’s actually going to play in Atlanta.

Paul Pierce really has no reason to be happy.

For most players, entering the NBA means entering the ranks of millionaires, and it means that your strength has been recognized. No matter which pick you are in, whether it is the first round or the second round, as long as you are selected, it is worth being happy for most players.

But for a small number of players, entering the NBA is just their most basic need, and what they pursue is a higher draft pick.

The draft pick is the first business card for talented players entering the league. It represents your status and how much resources and time the team is willing to spend on you.

Paul Pierce is one of this small group of players.

Before the draft, Wizards scout Trevor Allen was Pierce's biggest hater because he said Pierce was expected to be selected with the fifth pick.

Pierce's reason for hating him? He thought this idiot ranked him too low!

Most scouts other than him believe that Pierce, the NCAA's No. 1 small forward who already possesses a full set of wing offensive skills, will never fall out of the top three in the draft.

As we all saw, Pierce was not selected until the eighth pick.

However, his college teammate Reeve LaFrentz was picked in third place - in the Kansas team, Pierce always believed that he was better than LaFrentz and that he was the real core.

Also, Pierce is a junior and LaFrentz is a senior.

In terms of potential and combat effectiveness, Pierce believes that he is better than LaFrentz.

As a result, he was drafted so much lower than LaFrentz.

Before the draft, Pierce comforted LaFrentz: "Don't be nervous, man. Although your draft pick won't be as high as mine, you won't fall out of the top ten no matter how low you are."

The result is now
Pierce felt ashamed!

The first seven teams that didn't draft Pierce did so mostly because they felt his athleticism was too mediocre.

He doesn't have the exaggerated bounce of Vince Carter, nor does he have an explosive first step.

Can a skilled NCAA player survive in the NBA? Or, can he reach the NCAA level?

This is what most teams are concerned about.

Look at how much those Larry Birds from the NCAA struggled when they came to the NBA. Although Pierce's athletic ability is not at the level of Bird's successors, it is indeed not top-notch.

Moreover, Pierce's playing style is too boring. Even the most loyal Kansas fans can't say nonsense like "Paul Pierce's games are very entertaining to watch."

Celtics scouts commented: Paul Pierce has a little bit of Kiki Vandeweghe and a little bit of Alex English. He scores so quickly and so efficiently, but if you just watch the game, you will feel that he plays average.

Yahoo Sports writer Bill Simmons's comment on Pierce was more direct: Watching Paul play is like watching your wife of 20 years wearing sexy clothes. It's not bad, but there's really no passion.

If you were controlling the Toronto Raptors and your team needed a star to stimulate the market, would you choose Carter, who said, "I don't care about the games we lose, just watching him play every night is worth the price of the ticket," or would you choose Pierce, who said, "This guy plays like a 35-year-old shorter version of Duncan"?
So it's understandable that Pierce fell to eighth.

In fact, if it weren't for the Hawks, Pierce would have dropped two more spots.

Eighth place is the Eagles' limit, not Pierce's.

The huge gap in the draft rankings has already made Pierce very unhappy.

What was even more difficult for him to accept was that he had to be on the same team with Roger!
Paul Pierce still can't forget the beating Roger gave him that spring.

That vicious mouth and even more vicious behavior turned him from a Luo Hei into a superficial Luo Mi.

He thought his bad relationship with Roger was over, but now he and Roger are teammates.
Pierce didn't even dare to think about how wonderful the training days would be in the future.

By the way, did a damn reporter ask him what would happen if he and Roger were teammates? At that time, Pierce answered with a definite answer: "Absolutely not!"

Oh, that was careless.

Pierce didn't want to be teammates with Roger, and he didn't want to play for the Hawks.

No rookie wants to play for a championship team because that means your playing time will definitely be squeezed by older players who are more experienced and more effective.

It means the team won't spend too much patience and time to train you.

It would be fine if you played in a position that just filled the gap of the championship team, but in the Hawks, the position that Pierce can play, Roger, Steve Smith and Pippen can play.
This is a completely devastating start!

How can I compete for time with those three people?
Starting from the bench?
It's not impossible, but the problem is, how long will I have to be a substitute?

If he is a substitute for three or four years during his growth period, he will be completely useless.

Pierce was helpless. He suffered a setback in the draft, was on the same team with Roger, and even made it to the championship team. This triple blow made his smile when he went on stage look extremely forced.

Pete Babcock's smile was also forced.

He knew that Pierce and Roger had a grudge, and he knew that Paul Pierce's domineering personality was very dangerous.

Besides being the best small forward in the NCAA, that bastard also has the nickname of the best foul mouth in the NCAA.

His trash talk is notorious in NCAA basketball.

Reeve LaFrentz, who played on the same team as Pierce, once commented: "Is Paul the Gary of the NCAA? Oh, his mouth may stink worse than Gary Payton's."

Can you imagine a rookie trash-talking Roger?
Or, can you imagine Paul Pierce being obedient after being scolded by Roger?
Steve Smith can get along peacefully with Roger on the court because Steve Smith is not aggressive.

In fact, his relationship with Roger was very cold. He never attended Roger's parties, and he even didn't go to the championship party Roger held at home a few days ago.

But one thing is that he would not take the initiative to provoke Roger. And his good temper also allowed him to endure Roger's anger most of the time.

No matter how much he disliked Roger, he wouldn't cause any problems in the locker room.

But don't expect this to happen to Paul Pierce.

No one knew how "good" he and Roger would get along.

Pete Babcock doesn't know whether this is the right option. In terms of strength, Pierce has the potential to play well, but he is also likely to be lost in the crowd because of his mediocre physical fitness.

From the locker room's perspective, Pierce is simply a bad pick.

However, Babcock was willing to trust Roger's leadership.

He saw with his own eyes that guy help the Eagles break the 30-year championship curse, so Babcock would not be surprised by anything Roger did.

Since he personally chose this person, he would definitely be able to handle it.

Then the Magic, who were in a slump, selected Larry Hughes, and Florida's chosen one finally had a good partner.

The second round of the draft began. Because of some trades a long time ago, the Hawks' second-round pick was not high, only 45th.

The name Roger gave was Rashard Lewis, a high school forward from Texas who was the MVP of Roger's training camp this year.

But he was taken away by Seattle early, and then the SuperSonics rejected the trade chips of cash + draft picks for Pete Babcock.

So what about changing the target to Cuttino Mobley from the University of Rhode Island? He's good, but isn't that too many attackers on the team?

So in the end, the Eagles took Andre Patterson.

The duo that swept the American high school basketball world in 1993 reunited in the NBA five years later.

The Eagles need some toughness inside, and Patterson is a good choice.

And he can also play the role of a thug.

There are never too many characters like this around Roger.

After the draft, Paul Pierce attracted more attention than the No. 1 pick Olowokandi.

During the lottery show group photo, many reporters were clicking their shutters at Pierce.

Considering the traffic of the Hawks, Pierce will be the most anticipated rookie in the 1998 class not only tonight but throughout the next season.

This kind of popularity is what most rookies dream of, but Pierce is very distressed.

Because the season hasn't even started yet, he already feels like he's living in a kingdom ruled by Roger. In the interview after the photo, facing a bunch of questions from reporters about Roger, Pierce's smile was extremely stiff.

"You have too many questions. I just want to be a champion, that's all."

At the end of the draft, Roger could give Babcock a 10 for his performance.

Because he faithfully carried out Roger's plan.

According to Ted Turner, Roger actually only has the "right to make suggestions".

The final decision is made by General Manager Babcock.

But Babcock knew that was just a nice way of putting it.

Given Roger's current status in Georgia, Babcock would be beaten to a pulp if he disobeyed Roger.

What is Roger's current status in Georgia? The media joked that he could be the first foreign governor in American history.

The draft was conducted entirely under Roger's will. Although he failed to pick Dirk, he did not gain nothing.

It's a great feeling to be in control of everything.

However, there are still things in this world that Roger cannot control.

For example, shortly after the draft, on July 7, the NBA officially entered a lockout period due to the breakdown of labor-management negotiations.

During this period, teams are prohibited from signing and trading players, and from holding training and meetings.

This lockout is something Roger cannot control.

Then, there is the second thing that is beyond our control.

Steve Smith requested a trade.
-
Roger, wearing a black suit, stood solemnly on the banks of the Tallapoosa River.

This is a river that originates in Georgia, converges into the Alabama River 431 kilometers later, and finally flows to the Gulf of Mexico.

The wind is very strong on the riverside today, and the "whoosh" sound seems to be whispering to everyone present.

In addition to Roger, the entire Eagles team, including owner Ted Turner and management staff, were also present.

Everyone's expression was serious, and people next to them were talking in low voices.

Next to Roger was Steve Smith, standing closest to the river. They had been standing there for fifteen minutes without saying a word to each other.

"Roger." Steve Smith was about to speak when a black SUV drove up and stopped by the river.

This interrupted any conversation that might have taken place between them.

A couple got out of the car, holding a basket of Chala roses.

Seeing the couple, the atmosphere at the scene became even more solemn. The couple slowly walked towards the river bank. Everyone looked at them solemnly, but they smiled faintly at the people on both sides.

Finally, the two walked up to Roger and Steve Smith.

The couple handed the flower basket to Roger and Steve Smith: "Andy hopes that you will complete it."

Roger and Steve Smith looked at each other and then took the flower basket.

In the flower basket, there is a basketball placed in the middle of the bright Charaji roses.

There are obvious wear and tear on the surface of the basketball, and each mark is a testament to Andy's countless close contacts with the court during his lifetime, recording those days of sweat and laughter.

He once loved basketball so much, but in the end he could only spend the last years of his life in a wheelchair.

The basketball is signed by Roger and Steve Smith.

And a sentence written by Andy himself at the end: "We are the champions!"

Roger and Steve Smith put the flower basket and the basketball inside into the cold river. The basket slowly drifted away along the current. Andy's soul, carrying his love for basketball, will float all the way to the Gulf of Mexico and continue to fly freely in the vast sky and earth.

Watching the flower basket slowly disappear into the distance, Roger slowly lowered his head.

Occasionally, a few suppressed sobs could be heard in the wind.

Roger turned and nodded to Andy's parents.

Andy's parents patted Roger and Steve Smith on the shoulders and said, "He has no regrets in his life, and he will always be with his loved ones. Thank you, thank you for letting him leave with a smile. He also hopes that you can continue to face future competitions with a smile on your face."

Roger didn't know until today that Andy's condition had actually never been good.

He just wanted to avoid upsetting the team so he asked his parents to tell Roger everything was fine.

At this moment, Roger just felt fortunate that he ended the game in G5.

Otherwise it would be the biggest regret of his life.

The simple ceremony ended. Today's atmosphere was not suitable for much chatting, so most people went home.

Soon, only Roger and Steve Smith were left on the scene.

Roger kept looking at the river, seemingly still calming down.

"It's all over." Steve Smith spoke first.

"Yeah, it's over."

They were talking about Andy's illness as well as their relationship.

As everyone knows, although Steve Smith and Roger worked well together last season, their personal relationship remains cold.

The only thing that connected the two of them was Andy.

Now, Steve Smith has completed his mission, won a championship, and sent Andy away.

He didn't see any reason for him to continue playing with Roger.

He doesn't owe Atlanta anything.

I don't owe Roger anything.

I don't owe Andy anything.

I no longer owe anything to myself who is angry at myself for not fighting back.

Two consecutive championships? More honors? Victories?

No, Steve Smith is not that ambitious.

The championship season that just passed was really exhausting for him.

Being around Roger was too much pressure. If you didn't want to move forward, Roger would whip you to move forward.

This is not what Steve Smith wants, he likes a slower pace of life and wants to spend more time with his family.

He and his wife Millie Smith married in 1996, after a year of long-distance dating. They thought things would get better after marriage, but Steve Smith went out early and came back late every day, and the huge pressure of winning the championship also made him neglect his family life.

This year, when Millie became pregnant, Steve Smith was unable to be with her fully.

Because Roger doesn't allow missing training, Roger doesn't allow missing games, Roger doesn't allow this, Roger doesn't allow that.

Roger tied you to basketball, and nothing else seemed to matter.

This tyrant wants you to put all your passion and energy into winning, and makes everyone become "Mr. Groundhog Day", pushing themselves day after day.

He was literally the Oscar Robertson of the 90s.

Yes, the great Big 0, as the former chairman of the players' union, has won countless benefits for the players. His bold style and the innovation he brought to the free agent system are the basis for the current players to easily earn eight-digit annual salaries.

But have you ever seen former teammates come out and say good things about Big O?
As much as his teammates respected him, they didn't want to play with him, and his strictness made it unbearable for everyone around him.

And that's how Steve Smith feels about Roger.

He respected Roger and he acknowledged Roger's greatness and strength.

But he didn't want to play with Roger, that was too much for him to bear.

Maybe some people like a leader like Roger, but Steve Smith is definitely not the one who likes him.

Last season, Steve Smith was able to endure because of Andy.

He didn't want to disappoint a kid who saw him as a hero.

And now, as he said, it was over.

He won't live this life anymore, he wants to spend more time with his newborn baby and family.

He is not the kind of person who thinks "I can die for victory" and he doesn't want to bear that much pressure.

He knew Roger wouldn't allow him to get away with it because he was the second-leading scorer on the team.

So, he had no choice but to leave.

"I'm leaving and have already requested a trade. But Pete said I should talk to you," Steve Smith told Roger straight to the point.

Roger was a little disappointed, as he thought his influence on Steve Smith would be permanent.

But in the end, Steve Smith still wanted to live a life like David Robinson, who "likes to win, but never thinks failure is a disaster."

But soon, perhaps within tens of seconds, Roger felt relieved.

This is the reality. In the NBA, your teammates and your opponents are real people.

They have different personalities and pursuits.

Some people like to play ball with themselves, some people don’t like to play ball with themselves, and some people didn’t like playing ball with themselves before but now say it’s really great.

No matter which situation occurs, it is normal. It is impossible for everyone to like you, and it is also impossible for everyone to dislike you.

This is not NBA2K. As long as you hold the handle, everyone will be controlled by you stupidly, and they won't be able to speak or complain.

From Bulls Pippen to Magic Shark and now Steve Smith, Roger has deeply experienced the difference between the real NBA and the game.

People are much more complicated than basketball, and the locker room is much more troublesome than tactics.

Steve Smith was ready to withstand Roger's anger. He had prepared himself mentally and would not talk back no matter how Roger scolded him.

Roger replied nonchalantly: "Go ahead. I won't say I'm not disappointed at all. In fact, I'm very disappointed in you, but you have your choice."

Roger could certainly ask the team to force Steve Smith to stay. His contract would not expire until 00. According to the rules, as long as the team did not trade him, he would have no way to leave the team and would have to stay until the millennium.

There is no correct answer as to whether to stay or not.

No one likes this kind of "exchanging 1 dollar for 60-70 cents", so when faced with players who apply for trades, some teams choose to force them to stay. For example, the Nuggets kept Andre Marriner, but then they regretted it and eventually traded him.

Some teams simply choose to trade and benefit greatly from it.

It's hard to say whether this is right or not.

But Roger knew very well that even if Steve Smith stayed, he would no longer be the Steve Smith of the 97-98 season.

That might be the season he wanted to win the most in his entire career, just this one season. Even if he was forced to stay, he couldn't go back.

So there is no need to force them to stay.

"Thank you for understanding me, Roger."

"No, I don't understand you. I can't understand why someone wouldn't want to win. I can understand if someone takes shortcuts to win, but I just can't understand why someone wouldn't even want to win.

But it doesn’t matter, I still say that you have your choice. "

After Roger finished speaking, Steve Smith looked toward the Tallapoosa River.

The flower basket carrying the basketball has disappeared from sight, and the river surface is extremely calm, as if nothing had happened.

Gone, over.

Steve Smith let out a long sigh, he was finally relieved, but there was still one last knot in his heart.

"Roger, I wouldn't say I'm important. But seriously, if the team fails because I leave."

"Maybe I will fail, maybe I won't, but whatever the result is next season, whatever the result is afterwards, I'm not afraid of failure, not at all, that's what Andy taught me.

Look, he is still sailing bravely for what he loves. I am not half as brave as him, but it is enough for basketball games.

Enjoy the cheers when I win and take responsibility when I fail. This is what I should do.

Well, it’s time to go back.”

"Goodbye Roger."

"Good luck, Steve."

"You'll make it."

"Of course, I said that I want to leave a dynasty in Atlanta. If it doesn't work out next season, I'll keep working hard the next season. Even if I fail, it won't knock me down. My plan won't change with or without you."

The next day, multiple media outlets reported that the Hawks were going to trade Steve Smith.

Because the league is currently suspended and the trading market has not yet opened, formal transactions will not take place so quickly.

But everyone knows that since the news has been released, it must be true.

Although losing Steve Smith is sad and will have an impact on the team.

However, the Atlanta Military Police still gave this title.

"Roger shines from the rising sun to the setting sun. As long as he is here, Georgia will never experience long darkness again."

The people here truly believe in him as if he were a God.

(End of this chapter)