Champions Creed

Chapter 231 230: You will regret everything you did today (ask for monthly tickets!)

The Los Angeles Lakers were swept 4-0 by the Spurs, which added a bold stroke to the Shaq's shameful record after Roger left.

It might not have been so shameful if he had been defeated by a team led by an outside player.

But it was Tim Duncan who defeated the Shark.

A sophomore big man beat the Shark, who was known as the league's best center, so hard that he couldn't even raise his head.

There really is no more humiliating sweep than this.

The only thing that made O'Neal feel good was that at least Roger didn't go on to win the championship.

This means that if he also gets a ring next season, he will catch up with Roger and end all the humiliation.

Everything can be salvaged.

Let Roger himself write the so-called basketball obituary.

On the other side, in Atlanta, Paul Pierce has started his summer training.

Roger generously loaned Joe Abunassar to Pierce: "Practice well with him, and I hope you won't miss those damn open jump shots next season. Don't treat him as a human being, and practice hard while ensuring your health."

"Don't treat him as a human being? That's not good. Even if Joe doesn't come home, his wife needs him to go home." Pierce showed his concern.

"You misunderstood. I said the second half to Old Joe."

Pierce:
Pierce didn't say anything in reply. He had been very obedient since the Eastern Conference Finals.

He finally lowered his proud head and chose to be a good boy.

Many people will make excuses for themselves after failure, such as European and American swimmers who often accuse the other party of using drugs without any evidence after losing. Please, for some countries, if there is such a good drug, they will definitely provide it to the basketball and football teams that have no future.

But Pierce did not make any excuses for himself. He admitted that it was because of his poor performance that the team lost Game 7.

He made money and lived the life of a millionaire, but he voluntarily gave up his first vacation after becoming a millionaire, determined to use this time to improve himself.

To be honest, even Roger felt that this change was a bit unexpected.

It's like your rebellious son, who suddenly one day starts shaking hands with everyone, picking up the trash, tidying up his room, and studying hard.

As an old father, you will really feel relieved.

Of course, Pierce is only a good boy in front of Roger.

To outsiders, he still speaks without restraint and still looks like a street thug.

In any case, at least he is no longer that proud bastard who pretends to deal with you but is actually unwilling to change anything.

After making arrangements with Pierce, Roger set off for Boston.

This year, the Boston Summer League began to be sponsored by Reebok. As Reebok's top spokesperson, Roger naturally had to go to the event to add some popularity to the game.

In order to attract attention, the first game of this year's Boston Summer League is between the Hawks and the Heat.

Although there is not much connection between the summer league team and the main team, the gimmick is enough.

Moreover, Shawn Marion will also play in this game.

On the plane, Roger's other younger brother Kevin Garnett was very excited because he had just left Nike and became the spokesperson for Reebok. This meant that he would often attend various business events with Roger in the future.

This time, he will participate in the Boston Summer League with Roger.

Kevin Garnett is now a bona fide star player, but his respect for Roger has not changed.

He has not forgotten who invited him to dinner and enlightened him during those confusing days in snowy Milwaukee.

"Roger, what are your plans for tonight? I heard there's a pretty good strip club in Boston. Do you want to join me? After we're done, let's go back to the room and compete!"

"Go have fun on your own Kevin, I can't stay up all night."

"Didn't you break up with that TV host? What else do you have to worry about?"

"That's not the reason. I'm going to be shooting for the cover of VOGUE magazine soon. So, I have to protect my skin as much as possible."

"what is that?"

“You don’t understand things in the fashion industry.”

"Shit, what's there to not understand? It's one of those magazine covers that Pat Riley used to shoot imitating Al Pacino, right?"

"Almost. You can understand it this way."

"Well, luckily I'm not as famous as you. It's really troublesome. If it were me, I wouldn't go even if they begged me."

All I can say is that Garnett really doesn't understand the fashion industry.

You can't just go and take pictures if you want to.

First of all, VOGUE magazine rarely uses male celebrities on its cover.

Secondly, the last time an Asian male star appeared on the cover of VOGUE magazine was John Lone in 1986.

So, the fact that there is a second Asian male star on the cover after 13 years is enough to show Roger's current influence.

To be precise, even if Garnett wanted to shoot, people might not use him.

After arriving in Boston, Roger returned to the hotel early and even put on a facial mask.

To be honest, Roger actually hated doing these things.

But Eric Fleischer told Roger: "This is a key step in expanding our influence."

Well, let’s experience what it’s like to be a sophisticated boy staying in a hotel.

While lying on the big bed watching TV, Roger found that the sports news was reporting news related to the madman.

In 1999, because of his outstanding performance in the Miami Heat, the madman was reborn from the ashes. As a result, he received many endorsement contracts and made money.

So he started his own investment journey.

However, when a person has money, he is not afraid of eating and drinking to his heart's content, nor is he afraid of having a free fruit plate.

I am afraid of illegitimate children and doing business blindly.

Sadly, Sprewell was both of those things.

He has nine children and a passion for investing.

The cost of raising nine children is a huge sum of money. What’s worse is that most black athletes lose all their money when they do business because these black people often have no business acumen and no one helps to check.

When they start their business, they are usually fooled by a few poor and uneducated relatives. Then they will hold up their bank cards and shout, "Who still has dreams?"

Sprewell is one of them. He was persuaded by his brother to start a motorcycle and car modification company, and he expanded the business right from the start by opening stores all over the country.

Logically speaking, when it comes to business matters, he could just hire an economic advisor for help, just like Roger did.

But deep down, Sprewell refused to let those white scammers in suits make money from him.

In the past, Roger found it difficult to understand why these people with assets of tens of millions would go bankrupt, but now he finds it not surprising.

Today, he opened his store in Boston and attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony in person.

But to be honest, such trivial matters can actually be reported by sports news. I can only say that the madman is really on the move.

Since the Heat defeated Roger to advance, even though they lost the finals, they still gained huge traffic.

All Heat players benefit from this.

Roger didn't care about the madman's affairs. He turned off the TV and prepared to go to bed early.

The next day, the Boston Summer League was held at the Clark Athletic Center at the University of Massachusetts Boston.

The ten teams participating in this year's Boston Summer League are the Celtics, Indiana Pacers, New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Washington Wizards, Seattle SuperSonics, Atlanta Hawks, Miami Heat and the 1999 German men's national basketball team.

Tickets are priced at $8 each. The stadium was packed for today's opening game, and ESPN2 will also broadcast it live.

Of course, most people came to see Roger.

For $8, you can see Roger in person, and the lucky ones may even get Roger's autograph. No fan can refuse such a benefit.

When Roger and Garnett entered the court, the cheers from the audience reached their climax.

The two also went on the court to warm up with the players and demonstrated a few dunks to warm up the scene.

Shawn Marion didn't do any of these fancy things. He told Roger firmly: "I will prove that you did not choose the wrong person!"

Marion is very grateful to be selected by the Eagles.

Although his personal statistics were excellent last season, he failed to lead the team into the March Madness tournament. Therefore, Marion's predicted ranking is only around tenth.

As a result, the Eagles selected him with the sixth pick.

Under the new collective bargaining agreement, a higher draft pick means a bigger rookie contract, and Marion is very grateful to the Hawks for giving him the opportunity.

That's good, at least Roger doesn't have to worry about taming another rookie.

After expressing his loyalty, Marion then began to warm up by shooting seriously in various positions.

The moment Garnett saw Marion's shooting posture, he was stunned.

"Roger, does it have to be him!?"

Roger waved his hand: "Everyone has his shining points. Although Sean's shooting posture is ugly, he is not handsome either. Well, I am interested in his defense."

"I hope your vision is correct. Damn, what kind of shooting motion is that?" At this time, Roger's old acquaintance Spoelstra came up to say hello. He is the head coach of the Heat's summer league: "Are you free tonight, Roger? Let's have dinner together. I'll treat you. Kevin, you can come too."

"No problem Eric."

"Hey, you were actually pretty good last season."

"Come on, you don't think I really need comforting, do you? How are you getting along with Pat?"

"I learned a lot, especially about training. I think our training was too lax during the Magic era!"

"Well, you have learned the essence. Hey, if there is a chance in the future, will you become my head coach?"

"No one can predict what will happen in the future, and I don't think I have the ability to be a head coach in the short term."

The two were chatting when they heard a commotion coming from the gymnasium.

Logically speaking, the two biggest stars in the arena are already on the court.

So who caused this commotion?
It was Latrell Sprewell who walked in with a swagger wearing sunglasses and a gold chain weighing more than ten pounds.

"What is that guy doing here? Did Reebok invite him?" Garnett was surprised.

"He's the spokesperson for Converse, so this guy must have bought his own ticket to get in." Roger knew that Madman was here because he was opening a modification shop in Boston, but he didn't expect him to stop by to watch the summer league.

The Madman's current appearance is very consistent with his nickname. He swaggered into the court with an arrogant step similar to Conor McGregor, looked at Roger with contempt, and then went on the court to shake hands with the Heat players.

Acting like he was Roger from the Heat.

"I don't like him," Garnett muttered. "That bastard is just trying to show off."

"We have no right to chase away anyone who comes to watch the game, Kevin." Roger didn't care. Today's game was broadcast live across the United States, and because of his participation, it was very popular. Even if the madman came to take advantage of the popularity, Roger could understand.

Spoelstra was very uneasy, even though the madman did not cause any trouble in the team last season, nor did he act as self-willed as Dennis Rodman.

But... he is definitely not a good person.

That guy has always been arrogant, and I don’t know what he will say to Roger this time.

"Roger, don't worry about Latrell, just watch the game," Spoelstra reminded.

"Well, I don't care about him."

The game started soon. Roger and Garnett sat in the first row, while the madman and a few friends he brought sat in the third row.

The two sides did not greet each other in a hypocritical manner because they were not familiar with each other.

After the game started, Shawn Marion quickly demonstrated his excellent defensive ability.

Facing Tim James, the last rookie of the first round from the University of Miami, Marion gave him a good beating right from the start.

Although Marion is only 201 cm tall, her height is actually sufficient because of her short neck.

In addition, Marion's wingspan is an astonishing 223 cm, which is 22 cm more than his height.

This body shape gives him a great advantage in both vertical and horizontal defensive areas on the defensive end.

Marion missed Tim James, but the ball fell into the hands of another player on the Heat summer league team, second-round pick Rodney Buford.

Rodney Buford is from Creighton University. Last season, he led his team to the March Madness tournament again after seven years and reached the second round.

As a shooter, he shot 44% from three-point range last season, averaging 18 points per game.

The Heat's positioning of him is also very clear, that is, an experienced senior shooter.

Rodney Buford did not disappoint and made his first shot from beyond the three-point line.

At this time, the madman stood up and shouted: "Yeah! Hahahaha, kill them, just like we did in the playoffs!"

Garnett turned around and glared at the madman, who stared into Garnett's eyes fearlessly: "What!?"

"Damn, that idiot." Garnett muttered in dissatisfaction.

Roger ignored the madman. If that psychopath was normal, he wouldn't have repeatedly clashed with his teammates and always been in trouble off the court.

Soon on the offensive end, Marion used a reverse cut to easily create an alley-oop with his teammates.

Marion is not a one-on-one player, and his assisted efficiency was high even in college.

On the offensive end, his biggest advantage is his strong ability to execute off-ball tactics.

However, after Marion scored, the Heat immediately counterattacked. Rodney Buford might have gained confidence after scoring a goal, so he chased and shot a three-pointer in this round!

brush!
"Nice goal, will Rodney be the surprise for the Miami Heat in the second round?" The commentator cheered for Rodney Buford.

But there was one person who was even more excited than the live commentator.

"Hahahahaha, so vulnerable! This is the Atlanta Hawks! Even if Roger is there, they are vulnerable, let alone that trash is not here!"

The madman stood up and yelled deliberately, and the camera on the scene was indeed aimed at him.

"Shut up and sit down and watch the game, idiot!" Garnett stood up and pointed at the madman and cursed.

"Dog, didn't your master teach you not to bark at other people?"

Everyone noticed the roar from the sidelines, and people's attention to the sidelines exceeded that to the game.

Roger grabbed Garnett, not wanting to embarrass the Reebok-sponsored game.

But he couldn't be a coward, so he turned to the madman and said, "You'd better keep your mouth shut, or I won't let you off next season."

"Who are you trying to scare, you defeated opponent? Do you think I'm a playboy like Kobe Bryant? Do you know Byron Houston? A guy with a physique like Mike Tyson. He didn't know how to respect in the training camp in 1993, so I knocked him down easily. Of course, if you want to experience something else, I can satisfy you."

As he spoke, Sprewell put his hand inside his clothes and made a pistol gesture.

"You've knocked down a nobody, and you still have the nerve to brag about it? You should think about where you're going to earn money to support yourself tomorrow, you stray dog ​​that's giving birth to puppies everywhere."

Roger's words irritated Sprewell's nerves. As a man who would never suffer any loss even if he had to fight with a dog, Sprewell walked down from the stands and seemed to want to take action.

Roger calmly felt in his trouser pocket, pulled out a box of cigars and took out a cigar.

Just as the madman was about to walk up to Roger, several bodyguards immediately stopped him.

His friend wanted to help but was also stopped by security personnel at the scene.

"Oh, Roger, what's this? Are you afraid to face me?"

Garnett lit up the cigar and handed it to Roger. Roger took a sip and then spit the smoke into Sprewell's face: "Have you ever seen a king get his hands dirty touching a stray dog? Throw this idiot out."

"Hey, you have no right to do that, my friends and I have tickets!"

"You can read the notes on the ticket to see under what circumstances we have the right to ask fans to leave. By the way, it's also written on the ticket that smoking and cigars are not allowed in the stadium, but." Roger deliberately took another puff and spit the cigarette in Sprewell's face again.

"But I don't have to follow these rules, because this is my game, my territory, this is the difference between a king and a wild dog, do you understand!? Get out of here, get out of my sight. I can guarantee that next season you will repent for everything you did today!"

Roger waved his hands, holding a cigar, and the bodyguards and security personnel forcibly expelled the madman and his friends.

It just caused quite a commotion, so the players on the field had already stopped playing and all looked towards the sidelines.

After Roger dealt with the madman, he turned to Marion with a cigar in his mouth: "Sean."

"Roger?"

"The victory cigar is lit in advance, don't let me waste it."

"Good warden."

For some reason, Marion suddenly felt a huge sense of oppression and said: You'd better agree to all the warden's requests.

The game resumed and Roger and Garnett sat down again.

KG still frowned: "Hey, is that guy waiting outside the arena to cause trouble? I can call my bodyguard over as well."

"There's no need. Latrell is just crazy, but he's not stupid. What can he do? Give up millions of dollars in annual salary to shoot me and go to jail? He won't do that. He can only avenge me next season."

"Then you better not let them win next season."

"Win?" Roger's expression turned ferocious, like a gang leader with murderous intent.

"After losing this year, I tried to keep myself calm. Do you really think I don't care? Fuck it, I don't just want to win. The Miami Heat just had a beautiful dream, and then they will fall into the dark abyss of reality."

After that, Marion led the team to win the game with all-around data of 22 points, 15 rebounds, 4 steals and 3 blocks.

Well, he is worthy of being the man who made many fans say, "If Marion and James had swapped teams in that year's finals, Wade would probably have won the championship."

In the post-match interview, Marion told reporters: "I don't know if you still remember this popular saying a few years ago, don't make the truth unhappy. If I lose, Roger will be very unhappy, which is why I fought so hard today. In any case, I'd better stay 120% focused in the game."

"What do you think will happen when we meet the Miami Heat again in an official game next season?"

"Oh, I suppose. It would be as brutal as the battles in the ancient Roman arena, maybe even more brutal."

That night, major sports media also reported extensively on the conflict between Roger and Sprewell during the summer league.

SportsCenter's Keith Olbermann reconstructed the entire process and summarized it as follows:

"With the personal feud with Miami, the battle for the throne with Tim Duncan, the long battle with Shaq, and the need to rebuild the dynasty, I think Roger will be very busy next season.

But believe me, in a full season, a healthy season for the Atlanta Hawks, I can describe Roger with a classic line from Jack Nicholson in the movie "The Righteous Man": You Can't Handle The Truth!
If the 90s belonged to Roger and MJ, then the millennium will be an era that belongs to Roger alone.

We'll see. "

(End of this chapter)