Champions Creed

Chapter 229 Chapter 228: He may need someone to support him more (ask for monthly tickets!)

Since leaving the Magic, Shark has embarrassed himself every time he meets Roger.

But this was undoubtedly the most humiliating one.

In basketball, he was once again defeated by Roger, and he couldn't beat the Eagles even with their weakened team.

Outside of basketball, he, who had a huge advantage in size, was knocked down on the spot by Roger.

Whether you are a superstar like Jordan or a giant like Shark, everyone is equal in front of Roger's fist.

The shark was beaten so badly that his face, as Bob Costa described it, "looked like a piece of chocolate cake destroyed by a kid!"

But no one sympathizes with the shark as much as they sympathize with Tomjanovich.

Because he had it all his own fault.

He is not innocent at all, he deserves it.

No matter how Kurt Rambis cleans it, he can't cover up the filthiness of that clothesline foul.

The fans are not stupid. They can actually tell whether a player is working hard or lazy, tough or dirty on the court. These points cannot be faked.

No matter how innocent Stockton pretends to be, everyone knows he is a dirty guy. No matter how hard players like Wang Lin and Ben Simmons try to pretend, everyone knows they are scoundrels.

So the Sharks not only suffered damage, they also lost the respect of most of the fans.

Sure enough, the next day, Shark's reputation completely collapsed.

Keith Olbermann of the "SportsCenter" show publicly executed Shark. He replayed Shark's foul on Roger from more than a dozen angles, which was no less than stripping Shark's underwear.

"I don't want to bring it up, but Roger really helped the Sharks a lot when he was in Orlando.

Who will speak up for his contract, even if it means offending Mr. Rich DeVos?
Who comforted him and kept him company when his grandmother passed away?

Who enabled him to win three championships and become a world-renowned athlete?

I'm not exaggerating because Roger still won a championship without Shaq, so Shaq wasn't necessary for Roger to win a championship. I think I can say that Roger made Shaq win a championship.

But look at what Shaq did to Roger?
He almost made the Magic lose their great three-peat, and now he gave Roger a clothesline foul that could end his career. Jealousy and greed turned Shaquille O'Neal into a man-eating devil!

If it were me, I would be very angry too!
You can forget about the past, but there is absolutely no need to destroy the other person because of it!

From this day forward, I have no respect for Shaq."

The "SportsCenter" show is just one of many media outlets that have criticized the sharks.

Sharks' reputation hit rock bottom.

In fact, even his parents criticized him.

Colonel Harrison was very angry: "Shaq, I have failed miserably in educating you. I am disappointed in myself and even more disappointed in you! You can become an enemy of Roger in basketball competition, but you can't use that kind of action on Roger! Have you ever thought that you might ruin him! You can beat him fair and square, but you can't ruin him like that!"

O'Neal did not refute. He lay on the bed with various gauze on his head, staring blankly at the ceiling.

Is he regretting it?
Not at all!
Did I ruin Roger?
It was clearly Roger who made him faint in the stands!
Didn't that bastard kill me too? Why is everyone blaming only me?!
Well, when a person does something wrong, he always finds all kinds of excuses for himself.

For the first time, O'Neal had a desire, a strong desire to win everything.

He wants to win.

He wanted to be as successful as Roger.

He has lost too many times, and as long as he can't win, everything he does is wrong.

While Colonel Harrison was getting angry, the doorbell of Shark's house rang.

"I'll go open the door." O'Neal took the opportunity to leave so that he could have some peace and quiet.

Walking through the garden and reaching the big iron gate of the villa, Shark saw Kobe, whose face was also covered with gauze.

Kobe's look made O'Neal couldn't help laughing: "You got fucking beaten up badly. To be honest, the funny way you fought yesterday can be selected as one of the top ten funniest moments of the season. I would rank you second, only behind Tim Duncan who covered his mouth with his hands like a sissy after being called for a foul."

Kobe has always wanted to pretend to be a tough guy from the streets, but all his efforts came to nothing last night.

It's obvious that AI is a kid from the streets without any pretense, but Kobe will always look awkward no matter how he pretends.

Facing O'Neal's complaints, Kobe remained proud as always, pouting his lips: "That's because I was ambushed, that bastard Paul Pierce! Don't forget Shaq, if I hadn't helped you, you would have been beaten even worse. Maybe you would have lost more teeth, not six, not seven, not eight."

"Come on, you can't help anyone. Next time something like this happens, you'd better stay away and let Shaq deal with it."

"What to do? Sleep in the audience?"

"You know what, Kobe? This is why all the reporters laughed when you mentioned chatting with your NBA friends during the offseason in an interview. You don't have any f**king friends in the NBA."

"Would you like to invite me in and sit down?" Kobe didn't want to continue this awkward topic. Neither he nor O'Neal should pretend to be "very scary when they get ruthless" in the future.

O'Neal opened the door, invited Kobe into the living room, and poured two glasses of wine: "Come on, relax."

"I don't want to drink during the season," Kobe refused.

O'Neal had enough. In some ways, Kobe was just a little Roger!
But for some reason, maybe because he hated Roger even more, he felt that Kobe wasn't that annoying: "Whatever, how do you feel? You don't have a concussion like me, do you?"

"No, I was in great shape during training today. How about you? How are you feeling?"

"My jaw still hurts and I still feel dizzy. The doctor said it will take a week to heal."

"I won't put the team in trouble, so you can rest assured."

O'Neal wanted to ridicule Kobe as usual, but when he was about to say it, he paused and said, "Of course I believe you."

Even Kobe was a little surprised. This was probably the first time O'Neal spoke human language.

O'Neal realized that no matter how much he disliked Kobe, he was his best helper at this stage.

He wanted to win, he wanted to defeat Roger, he wanted to win the championship, and he needed Kobe.

He acknowledged Kobe's talent, but he just didn't like his arrogance.

But compared to Roger, really, Kobe's shortcomings are nothing.

After the two chatted for a while, Kobe prepared to leave.

Before leaving, Kobe told the Shark: "Forget last night, Shaq. It was just a temporary defeat. We will definitely win the championship, and soon. Sooner or later, Michael's ending will be Roger's ending. For this goal, I am willing to give everything! Goodbye and have a good rest."

Watching Kobe walk away, O'Neal looked at his own hands.

Time to end.

This damn, humiliating life needs to end.

The Shark remembered the commercial that Reebok shot for him when he first entered the league.

In the ad, four legendary centers, Russell, Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Walton, all said, "Shaq, you came too early."

The shark said confidently, "I'm ready."

Then, O'Neal passed four legends and opened the door that symbolized success.

At that time, everyone believed that O'Neal was here to rule the league.

Yes, I am here to destroy this alliance!
The Sharks' desire to win reached its peak at this moment.

"Hey, Kobe!"

"Ah?" The cauliflower-haired guy with his hands in his pockets turned back lazily.

"We all know what I can do and what you can do. Listen, try to give me the ball in the first three quarters, and I'll do what I should do. In the fourth quarter, I'll take a step back and give you more ball rights, and you do what you should do."

Kobe was stunned for a moment, then continued to pretend to be calm: "Oh."

"Well, bye Kobe."

"Bye, Shaq."

At the same time, at Los Angeles International Airport, all the Eagles players had boarded the plane and were waiting to take off.

Ben Ben looked at the newspaper indignantly: "Why should Roger be suspended for five games? But Kobe Bryant didn't have to be suspended for even one game?"

Andre Patterson laughed: "Have you ever seen anyone get suspended for punching the air?"

Next to Patterson, Roger was sitting by the window, also reading a newspaper.

Patterson asked Roger curiously: "Yesterday I saw you talking to a fan in the player tunnel for a long time?"

"Yes, he is Paul's neighbor, Officer Kurt Collins."

"What did you talk about?"

Roger put down the newspaper, turned his head to look at Pierce who was sitting in the last row with a blank look in his eyes, and shook his head: "Nothing special."

Paul Pierce is in a bad mood today.

He was very happy beating up Kobe yesterday.

But after the brief passion, what lingered in him was emptiness.

What's the point of doing this? The meaning of life is not this, why should we indulge in such cheap happiness? It's boring, too boring.

Even if he beat Kobe so hard that his crotch turned yellow, it couldn't change the fact that he was completely beaten by Kobe.

He lost completely.

The frustration that Pierce felt last night was too great. If he couldn't even beat a trash player like Kobe, how could he be a championship player?
Halfway through the flight, Pierce, who had been emo for a long time, took off his headphones, walked to Roger's seat, and patted Andre Patterson on the shoulder: "Bodyguard, change seats, I want to talk to Roger."

"OK."

Pierce sat down and looked at Roger seriously: "I want to know how you train your defense."

"You want to learn now? Your 'take a vacation' theory doesn't work?"

"Roger, stop mocking me."

"No, losers have to accept ridicule and criticism, only winners are qualified to receive praise. We won yesterday, but you were the one who held us back, so you can't be considered a winner."

Pierce was not angry, and his eyes were still firm: "Whatever you say, just tell me what to do!"

Well, the difference between Pierce and Steve Smith was fully demonstrated at this moment.

He doesn't need any additional factors to stimulate his nerves.

One unforgettable defeat is enough.

Win or lose, it's that simple for Pierce.

"Do you want to know how to defend better?"

"miss you!"

"Try to focus on defense in every game, Paul, go to hell with 'taking a vacation'. I really think I should be stricter with you. If you perform this kind of disastrous performance again next time, I will slap you in the face."

"Okay, I won't fight back!"

Paul Pierce's desire to win reached its peak at this moment.

Two days later, the latest issue of Sports Illustrated went on sale.

Roger's interview article was read across the United States.

Of course, this also includes O'Neal and Kobe.

war?

Haha, come on!

The shortened season that followed continued to progress quickly, with the regular season coming to an end in just three months.

Because the schedule is short and there are few matches between Eastern and Western teams, the gap in everyone's record is not that big.

The first-place Heat have 39 wins, the Hawks have 36 wins, and the third and fourth places have 33 wins respectively.

In the Western Conference, the Spurs have 37 wins, the Jazz have 37 wins, the Trail Blazers have 35 wins, and the Lakers have 31 wins.

In the first round of the playoffs, the Hawks easily defeated the Milwaukee Bucks.

This was the first time Roger encountered a team led by the 96 generation in the playoffs. Ray Allen showed his talent and played a nearly perfect personal performance, averaging 22.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game, with a shooting percentage of 53.2% and a three-point shooting percentage of 47.4%.

But what is incredible is that Gentleman Lei's free throw shooting percentage is only 61.5%.

Playing in the playoffs for the first time, facing the boos and pressure from the entire stadium, this perfectionist also showed his imperfect side.

No one is a born killer, even Ray Allen needs time to grow.

With a 3-0 sweep, the defending champions easily advanced to the divisional semifinals.

In the second round, old rivals met again, and Grant Hill ran into his nightmare again.

After losing Chris Webber, the Pistons quickly acquired Jerry Stackhouse through operations. Duke forward + North Carolina guard? This dream combination gave Detroit people too much room for imagination.

As a result, Stackhouse's performance was not as good as Webber's. During the regular season, he averaged only 14 points per game and his shooting percentage was only 37%.

His performance in the playoffs was even worse, averaging 10 points per game and shooting 39%.

So, once again, Grant Hill was swept.

Pistons fans don't know what sin Grant Hill has committed, always encountering these damn playoff poisons, one bottle after another. Who said good people get good rewards?

4-0, Roger reached the Eastern Conference Finals for the sixth consecutive season.

The opponent in the Eastern Conference Finals is the strongest team in the East, the Miami Heat.

Pat Riley continued his strategy of using over-teaming to limit Roger.

Sprewell + Jamal Mashburn + Alonzo Mourning + P.J. Brown, this lineup is exactly Pat Riley's ideal.

On the outside, Roger will first encounter the double-team of Sprewell and Mashburn.

After the breakthrough, Mourning and Brown, who are both fast and tough, will immediately provide backup defense.

The Heat put up an incredibly strong barrier that even Roger had trouble breaking through.

In the first game, the Heat relied on excellent defense to win 87 to 83. Roger's hit rate was limited to 39%, and he only scored 29 points.

In the second game, Roger was in great form, making all kinds of shots even in a double-team situation, scoring 34 points and winning the game.

In Game 31, Paul Pierce played his first playoff masterpiece, scoring points. Because the Heat double-teamed Roger, Pierce got too many easy shots.

2-1, the Hawks lead in the Eastern Conference Finals.

But in G4, the Heat adjusted their defensive strategy.

Pat Riley grouped the defense, with Sprewell, Mashburn and Mourning primarily dealing with Roger.

Alan Houston and PJ Brown mainly deal with Pierce.

Because the Hawks' inside attack is so weak, Mourning and P.J. Brown can sweep the court as much as they want.

This grouping worked very well, and both Roger and Pierce were under great pressure.

Roger still scored 30 points, but Pierce went from 31 points in the last game to only 13 points today.

The Heat tied the score, 2-2.

In Game 5, Lenny Wilkens had to start Clifford Robinson.

When P.J. Brown or the rotating power forward joined in the double-teaming of Pierce, Clifford Robinson got some easy three-point shooting opportunities.

He made 4 three-pointers in this game and scored 17 points.

But the Heat grabbed 12 offensive rebounds, 5 of which came in the fourth quarter!

The Hawks' rebounds are only safe when Big Ben and Kurt Thomas are on the court at the same time.

Relying on these second-chance opportunities and Alan Houston's crucial three-pointer in the last 33 seconds, the Heat defeated the Hawks 87-85 and won the decisive battle!

3 to 2, Pat Riley's hands were shaking after the game.

If you let him light a cigar now, he would stick it up his nostrils.

He now feels like he is just one number away from winning the lottery jackpot, and there is only one digit between his dream and reality.

At the post-match press conference, Riley remained low-key: "This series is going to be a seven-game series!"

Countless people had said this during the series against Roger, but this was the first time anyone had said it while leading.

Then we really played seven games.

In Game 6, Roger was in hot form from three-point range, scoring 42 points to tie the game at 3-3.

With 7 minute and 1 seconds left in Game 28, the Hawks were trailing by 3 points.

Roger continued his touch from G6 and remained efficient despite double-teaming.

But Roger is the only one in the team who can score consistently.

Clifford Robinson's shot was completely off target today and everyone was expecting Paul Pierce to stand up and support Roger.

As a result, Pierce made only 8 of 1 shots.

Roger was completely isolated and had no one to share the pressure with. Today's Hawks offense was full of "Since the tactics failed, let's give the ball to the stars."

Seven consecutive games of close combat defense were a bit too much for Paul Pierce.

The most important thing is that when he was out of breath, he found that Alan Houston was still able to run without the ball quickly and flexibly.

Alan Houston scored 33 points tonight and still managed to stay in control.

At this time, the Hawks had just ended a timeout.

Roger's old friend, Spoelstra, who is now an assistant coach for the Heat, could clearly see that Riley's hands were shaking as he held the tactical board.

Riley took a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself down.

But the moment he opened his mouth, his trembling voice betrayed him: "Keep an eye on Roger. Keep an eye on him!"

In the last 2 minutes, leading by 3 points, facing Roger.

Pat Riley has encountered similar situations too many times.

But in the end, he was stabbed by Roger and covered in blood.

Since Roger's rookie season, Riley has been repeatedly reversed by Roger when the situation was favorable.

Therefore, at the critical moment, he would rather leave Pierce and everyone else open than to block No. 14.

At the start of the game, Sprewell and Jamal Mashburn completely ignored others and chose to double-team Roger the moment he had the ball.

Roger dribbled the ball sideways and then suddenly braked and turned around, passing between the two men!
As a result, as soon as Roger took a step forward, Alan Houston, who was originally defending Pierce, blocked him.

Roger was completely trapped by three people and could only jump up and pass the ball to Pierce.

Pierce was facing a wide open space at this time, and he could tie the game as long as he made the shot.

In the Eastern Conference Finals, the shot that tied the score at the critical moment was a magnificent performance. This is very likely to be the moment when this young man goes down in history, and it is very likely to be the "proudest moment of my career" that he can brag to his children in the future.

甚至这一球投进，足以弥补他之前8中1的过失——有谁会记得王仕鹏绝杀斯诺文尼亚之前出场24分钟3投0中？
Alan Houston was also panicking, he didn't expect Roger to find his teammates so quickly, so he ran towards Pierce with his mouth wide open like a homeless man who found a $100 bill on the ground.

Pierce hesitated for a moment, but finally decided to shoot. Alan Houston interfered with the shot a little, but it was not serious.

The basketball spun in the air and finally made a "bang" sound.

"Paul Pierce missed this great opportunity, making only 9 of 1 shots!" Magic Johnson was extremely disappointed on the commentary desk.

Pierce was also anxious, he wanted to get the ball back immediately, so facing Sprewell who had made a new life after coming to Miami, Pierce stole the ball like a fool.

Since losing to Kobe in April, Pierce has been paying attention to gambling steals and blocks on the defensive end. But at this moment, he lost his calm thinking.

Pierce may have forgotten that the guy in front of him was once a top-level guard when he played well.

Sprewell passed Pierce with a crotch-switch and made a steady jump shot from mid-range.

"7 points! Pat Riley doesn't have to be nervous anymore, he's about to return to the finals after a decade!"

After scoring the goal, Sprewell pounded his chest, then looked at Pierce with a smile: "You know what? If Scott was here, maybe I wouldn't have a chance. So I have to thank you for your brilliant performance, Air Paul! (Air Paul)"

The madman didn't say a single curse word, but it was enough to make Pierce bleed inside.

He changed Air Jordan to Air Paul to mock Pierce, mocking him for not being Jordan and his performance today that was like air.

The camera turned to Pierce, who looked lonely and felt that his career seemed to be over.

In the most crucial game, he made 9 of 1 shots, allowing Alan Houston to score 33 points, but was fooled by Sprewell in the crucial round.

Paul Pierce went from being a proud rookie who felt resentful about his draft position to a lost dog.

The game continued, and Roger later recovered 2 points, but time was no longer on the Eagles' side.

In the end, the Miami Heat won Game 91 86-7 and reached the finals for the first time in team history!
For the first time, Roger put his hands on his hips and sighed amid the falling ribbons.

Pierce dropped his head and stayed where he was, letting the streamers fall onto his head.

He let down all of Atlanta and the entire team.

All Eagles fans regard him as a substitute for Steve Smith, but Steve Smith never flinched at critical moments last season.

Pierce was like a child lost in the crowd, bewildered and full of fear.

Roger walked up and raised his arms high.

Pierce closed his eyes. He still remembered what Roger had said to him: If you perform so disastrously again next time, I will slap you in the face.

Roger has been tough on Pierce all season.

Roger is that kind of person. He will ridicule teammates who perform poorly. He will put extreme pressure on his teammates and urge everyone to do their best. This is why Steve Smith is leaving Atlanta.

After such a terrible game, Pierce was ready to stand at attention and take a beating.

Roger's arms dropped and Pierce closed his eyes.

But there was no burning pain on his face. Roger just touched Pierce's head and said, "Look up and look at these opponents who are laughing at you. Remember this moment of humiliation. One day, you will become a formidable killer and make them shut up. Go back and practice more. I will let my trainer keep an eye on you. For now, you only need to do one thing."

Pierce looked up and waited for Roger to give the order.

"Go shake those fucking assholes in Miami, be cocky in the moments of victory, and stay cool in the moments of bitterness. Go Air Paul, don't stand there like an idiot. Yeah, I kind of like this nickname."

Roger finished speaking and walked towards the player tunnel.

He was angry, but he was not afraid.

The temporary interruption after his four consecutive championships is not the end of everything.

The war with Shaq still counts, it just entered a buffer period.

Lenny Wilkens stood at the entrance of the player tunnel and hugged every player who walked into the tunnel.

When it came to Roger, he also opened his arms.

“You’ve done a great job this season.”

"You mean we let Karl Malone win the MVP and we didn't make it to the finals?" Roger said self-deprecatingly.

"This isn't the era of Bill Russell, Roger. No one can win seven or eight years in a row."

"You're right, Lanny, but in Atlanta, I only won one championship. It's not enough. Not by a long shot."

Lenny Wilkens decided to change the subject: "I'm surprised you didn't slap Paul."

"You want to hear the truth? I'd tear his head off and throw it in the Tallapoosa River, asshole. What a great opportunity that was."

"What made you change your mind?"

"Remember when we played the Lakers in April and I was chatting with Officer Kurt Collins after the game?"

“The neighbor whom Paul considered a father?”

"Yeah, I'm curious about how he disciplines a jerk like Paul. He can't just handcuff him every day, right?"

"How did he answer you?"

"He told me that the guy who looked forward to his father coming home every day was actually very obedient. Sometimes, he just needed someone like a father to support him, that's all. I have no interest in being his father, but at this moment, I think he may need someone to support him more than criticizing him."

At this point, Roger deliberately made a disgusted expression: "Damn, troublesome rookie."

Roger then walked into the tunnel and kicked a trash can away.

Lenny Wilkens smiled and shook his head.

Even though he cursed a lot, Roger was really trying to be a good brother.

Don't let him get cold feet, boy from Inglewood.

As for the season loss, Lenny Wilkens doesn't think it means anything.

Being at the top all the time is a kind of greatness. Returning to the top from the bottom is also a kind of greatness, isn’t it?

etc.
The conference finals was Roger's lowest point?
There is no difference, both are losses. Well, there is a little difference, Shaq is very strong, because it is difficult to be swept in the playoffs for two consecutive years, anyway Roger can't do it. - Big Ben talks about the difference between the Hawks being eliminated 3-4 and the Lakers being swept by the Spurs.

Shock? Man, can you imagine? This is only the first season in Roger's career that he hasn't made the Finals! Do you know what it means to have five Finals and four championships in a six-year career? Let me tell you, even if you exclude the championships, just making it to the Finals five times would be considered an honor by some people! Why was Roger hit? - Lenny Wilkens on the hit Roger had after losing in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Roger will lead us back to the Finals, and he will be back soon. We always believe that Roger can accomplish his goal, which is to build a dynasty in Atlanta. -- Scott Pippen, who was ruled out for the season, talked about the team's future plans.

"Roger, are you disappointed with Paul Pierce because he made the team miss the chance to enter the finals?"

"It's not Paul's business. If I can get back 7 points in the final moments, we will win. That's it. You can't put all the responsibility on a rookie."

"The last time you did an interview with me, you mentioned your war with Shaq, but you both failed to make the finals this year. Do you think the war will continue?"

"Of course, the war will continue. Scott is right, I will return."

"If you want to achieve the goal of building a dynasty, you need at least three championships in five years. You are still two short in Atlanta. When do you think the championship window will open again?"

"Our window to win the championship has never closed. By the way, Andrew, let me correct a mistake of yours."

"what?"

"Only three consecutive championships can be considered a true dynasty."

(End of this chapter)