Champions Creed

Chapter 250 249: A pack of wolves is the real wolf (please give me a monthly ticket!)
In the early morning, Roger, who was sleeping soundly, suddenly opened his eyes.

Next to him, naked Gisele Bundchen had fallen asleep. Because the weather in Georgia was very hot, she didn't cover herself with a blanket. The moonlight shone down, and the slender girl seemed to be covered with a thin layer of silver gauze, as beautiful as a Renaissance oil painting.

Roger has always enjoyed appreciating such paintings.

But he doesn't have that intention now.

He looked at the clock. It was only 3:17 in the morning.

"Damn, it's a similar time again."

After cursing, rubbing his tired eyes, Roger relaxed his body and stared at the ceiling.

This was not the first time he woke up suddenly in the early morning. This habit of waking up in the middle of the night had been going on for quite some time.

When did it start?
Probably after the failure of last season.

He would always wake up suddenly, eagerly checking the time and date to see how long it would take until the Eastern Conference Finals, and then sigh, feeling the length of time.

The defeat in that round of games has been bothering him and making him very unwilling.

He knows he has the ability to beat the Heat this season, but there is no way, he has to wait for the next opportunity, suffering day after day.

One year, half a year, three months, one month
Now, there are finally only a few days left.

Right away.

Soon, he will take back everything that belongs to him.

There is only one round of competition left, and all the suffering will soon be over.
-
The subject of the greatest team of all time is too broad.

So Bill Simmons used the term "the hardest team to beat in history" to describe the Hawks, who they averaged 32 points per game to beat in the first round.

And the best second-in-command around Roger, Shark, lent a helping hand and gave Roger a push at this time, proving that the Eagles are indeed the most difficult team to beat.

Whether a team is strong or not can be determined through comparison.

Unlike the Hawks who advanced easily, the Los Angeles Lakers, ranked first in the Western Conference, were strongly blocked by the Sacramento Kings in the first round.

How strong is it? The Lakers almost lost to the eighth place!

Chris Webber, the guy who hated sharks for seven years, finally straightened his back in the spring of 7 after being bent for seven years.

In the first two games of the first round, the Lakers lived up to expectations and easily led the Kings 2-0.

The Sharks also humiliated Webber as usual.

"If there was no Sugar Man, Chris could have competed for the worst No. 1 pick in history. Now you know why I failed with him in Orlando? Now you know why Michael failed with him in Chicago? Another victim was Grant Hill. God, Chris never succeeded. Whoever plays with him will fail."

O'Neal humiliated Webber wantonly, and this has never changed in seven years.

Because Webber is one of the few people he hates but won't make him fail.

It's like teasing a dog in a cage. No matter how much you go too far, it can't hurt you at all.

But this year, O'Neal was bitten hard.

In G3, all Lakers players thought they could sweep the Kings tonight and advance to the second round with their heads held high like the Hawks.

As a result, O'Neal was limited to 22 of 8 shots under the Kings' double-team, and his free throw percentage was only 35.7%.

韦伯则强硬的拿下了29分14个篮板8次助攻的准三双数据，一直被诟病的罚球也8中7。

This was arguably Webber's best performance in the playoffs of his career, and he led the Kings to the team's first playoff victory since 1981.

That's right, the Kings haven't won a single playoff game in the past 19 years. They've made the playoffs a few times, but they haven't won a single game.

This has been a long time.

In 1981, Magic Johnson was only in his sophomore year, the Magic-Bird rivalry had just begun, and people were still discussing the future of Magic and Bird.

Now? Even Michael Jordan, who came after Magic, has been judged.

So the significance of this victory to Sacramento fans is self-evident.

It means a lot to Weber, too.

He experienced the scars of his Magic era, the injuries of his Bulls era, and the disappointment of his Detroit era.

Finally, in Sacramento, Chris Webber caught up with the person he had hoped to be.

After winning the game, Chris Webber walked off the court and hugged a white-haired old man wearing glasses.

That was Kings consultant and assistant coach Pete Carril, who served as head coach at Princeton University from 1967 to 1996 and is the only college coach in history to "win 500 games without relying on basketball scholarship players."

The famous Princeton system also came from him.

When Chris Webber experienced three rounds of failure and said in a press conference that he had "no intention of moving forward" and did not even want to report to the Kings, it was Pete Carril who called him and told him: "Stop complaining, big man. Come on, I'll let you play as the core."

This sentence saved Chris Webber's career.

At this time, Pete Carrier put his arm around Webber's neck and smiled like a father: "See, I said that Princeton would let smart people defeat strong people, and you did it, Chris."

O'Neal looked at the cheering Sacramento fans and the sensational scenes between Webber and Pete Carril and became furious.

It was a winning night for Kings fans and Webber.

But for the Lakers and Sharks, it was a night of shame.

When the Hawks easily defeated the Bucks and the Lakers lost in the first round, it meant that there was a gap in dominance between the two sides.

This is difficult for sharks to accept.

All along, he has been comforting himself: "The difference between Roger and I is only 3 wins, which is not a big difference. My dominance is the same as his."

But now, this excuse has been ruthlessly exposed.

Roger beat his first-round opponent by an average of 32 points per game, but he himself lost in the first round. This is completely two levels of playoff performance.

The angry Shark swore at the press conference: "Chris is very lucky, otherwise he would not have become the No. 4 pick. Obviously, good luck also took care of him today. But in G, Sacramento fans can say goodbye to their hero. I will handle the next game, and I won't play a game five!"

Amid the Big Shark's firm tone, the Lakers lost Game 4 cleanly and entered Game .

自信起来的克里斯.韦伯在系列赛第四战打出了足以载入史册的数据，23分13个篮板8次助攻4个抢断7个盖帽。

He was just one steal away from setting a 5X5 record in the playoffs.

The moment the game ended, no matter what the final outcome of the series was, Shaquille O'Neal had become a clown.

The on-site commentator joked: "Someone tried to imitate Roger, but failed."

In the past few seasons, Roger's most memorable quote in the playoffs was "No Game 7 this year."

Roger said this for two consecutive years, in 97 and 98, and he fulfilled his promise both times.

But the Shark said he didn't want to play for a game five, and ended up getting beaten badly by the Kings in Game 4.

The No. 1 team in the Western Conference was forced into a five-game series by the No. 8 team. O'Neal had completely lost.

Of course, it was not the Shark's fault that Webber got such terrible data. He was not directly against Webber, he was always dealing with the cunning Yugoslav center who fell down at the touch.

But that's no excuse, he can choose not to play against Webber, but he can win the game.

It’s a pity that he didn’t do it.

As a seemingly dominant center, O'Neal's underwear was almost stripped off in the first round.

It also makes the Eagles' title of "the most unbeatable team" even more shining.

Although the Lakers finally defeated the Kings in G5, the Sharks' reputation has been affected.

Faced with various criticisms, O'Neal began to complain about this and that.

"The referee didn't even give me a whistle!"

"We wasted too many three-point opportunities!"

"Don't talk about Roger's sweep of opponents. The opponents he met were not even on the same level as me!"

The last sentence made the reporters laugh.

Roger swept the Pistons with Webber and Hill in the playoffs for many consecutive years.

The Sharks nearly lost the series the first time they met Webber alone in the playoffs.

What? Weber automatically moves up a level when he meets you?
All in all, the Lakers' performance in the playoffs was disappointing.

Considering that Tim Duncan is out for the season with a torn meniscus and Utah's duo are old, the Lakers are considered the biggest favorites to win the championship besides the Hawks.

As a result, they had a hard time in the first round.

What else can Roger say? This is my favorite second in command.

Like Pippen, a true second-in-command doesn't even need to be on your team.

Originally, the Hawks' sweep of the Bucks was nothing special, but seeing the equally ambitious Lakers being forced into a Game 5 instantly highlighted how strong the Hawks were.

In the second round, both the Hawks and the Lakers met opponents with better talent.

Roger really met AI, and Shark's opponent was another Reebok spokesperson KG.

All Reebok executives were grinning from ear to ear. This would be a year of dramatically increased exposure for Reebok spokespersons.

Iverson was very competitive. Although the whole world knew that his chances of winning were slim, he still showed his fighting spirit.

In Game 1 of the series, Iverson played the full 48 minutes.

Facing the most terrifying perimeter defense chain in the league and the most terrifying assist defense machine Ben Wallace, Philadelphia No. 3 ran, collided, fell, scored, and roared.

Just like he said before at the All-Star party, he didn't care whether he could win or not, he just wanted to compete with Roger, the best player in the world, and do his best.

He didn't care whether he died on the field or walked out standing.

AI never trembles in front of a powerful person, because this person has seen things much more difficult than the competition.

He had seen bullets fly past him and leave his friends lying in pools of blood. He had seen the so-called American rule of law send him to prison without any evidence, just because a few white people said without any basis that he picked up a bench and smashed it on a white girl's head.

Through it all, he still became the No. 1 pick in one of the top three most talented drafts in NBA history.

So what does he have to be afraid of?

He has "Only the strong survive" tattooed on his left upper arm and "Fear no one" tattooed on his left forearm.

His tattoos are like armor, allowing him to get up from fatal blows time and time again and keep moving forward.

Roger also likes to compete with AI. He enjoys the feeling of fighting with warriors, which makes his blood boil.

So, there is almost no possibility for Roger to relax.

This resulted in AI losing the first game by 13 points despite trying very hard.

What's even more cruel is that in the next three games, the 76ers could not narrow the score difference to single digits in any of them.

Iverson played very hard in every game, and he was exhausted in every game. He played four games, averaging 45.7 minutes and 28.7 points per game.

However, the Hawks still beat the 76ers by an average of 11.5 points per game, and AI had no chance from beginning to end.

Roger's scores in the four games were 33, 42, 37 and 44 respectively. He gave people a very impatient feeling, as if he was eager to play four games in one night to end it all.

After G4, Roger shook hands with AI and hugged each other.

Ever since Roger scored 61 points on him in the regular season, the unruly AI has disappeared in front of Roger.

In his place was an AI that was still full of fighting spirit but had great respect for Roger.

"Congratulations, go win the championship." AI patted Roger on the back.

“It’s not about winning, it’s about taking it back.”

"You can say what you want, I wish I lost to a championship team."

"I can still fulfill your wish." After the hug, Roger turned around nonchalantly, high-fived his teammates, and then walked into the player tunnel.

The second round of the series ended with Roger sweeping the 76ers.

It is common for Roger's team to sweep their opponents in the first two rounds, but there is one thing different this year - the Eagles have won seven consecutive games by double digits in the playoffs!
This is a very terrifying record. The previous dynasty Magic didn't do it, the 72-win Bulls didn't do it, and the 86 Celtics didn't do it either!
Bob Costa yelled wildly in the commentary booth: "Their dominance in the playoffs is unprecedented! Hey, someone get a shotgun!"

In sharp contrast to Bob Costa is Roger, who is very calm, a little too calm.

Whether it was the 72 wins in the regular season, 35+5+5, or the overwhelming victory in the two series, Roger was not very excited.

Over the past six seasons, he has won too many games and defeated all kinds of great opponents.

Such a victory could no longer satisfy Roger's taste buds.

What he needed was the victory he had been waiting for for so long.

But fortunately, he finally got to this point.

He could finally do the thing he most desired.

I haven't wanted anything this badly since 1994.

Roger went back to the locker room, took a shower and went to the press conference.

At the press conference, reporters told Roger about breaking the record.

"The Atlanta Hawks' performance in the playoffs is unprecedented, winning seven consecutive games by double digits. How do you maintain your stability?"

"By the determination to win." Roger's answer was perfunctory, and he was even unwilling to say a few more words.

"What do you think of the Los Angeles Lakers losing to the Minnesota Timberwolves last night, making the series 2-1?"

"This is Shaq, my best helper. He set off me in the first round, and he still shines on me in the second round. If it weren't for him, you would think it was natural for me to sweep and advance."

"Next, your opponent in the Eastern Conference Finals will be between the Indiana Pacers and the Miami Heat. Who do you prefer to play against?"

"No disrespect to that asshole Reggie, but I want to play against the Miami Heat."

"why?"

Roger smiled.

why?
That idiot is actually asking me why?
Roger has been doing one thing this entire season: rebirth.

He did this for six months.

He would wake up suddenly at 3 a.m. from time to time, thinking about the damn Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals last year, thinking about the distraught Paul Pierce, and thinking about the Heat players celebrating wildly in front of him.

He stared at the time, day by day, month by month. He wished he could find a remote control that could control time, fast forward to the moment when he met the Heat in the playoffs this season, beat up those bastards, and beat up everyone wearing the Heat jersey!

Yes, Roger is not afraid of failure.

But the unwillingness and desire in his heart have lasted for an entire season.

He had no feeling in the 32-point win over the Bucks in the first round.

He wasn't thrilled about the team's 76-point win over the 11.5ers in the second round.

He was like a man who had lost his sense of taste and had lost his desire for fine wine and delicious food.

Because he knows that these are just stepping stones to the Eastern Conference Finals.

And now, some idiot actually asks why he wants to play against the Miami Heat?

Roger propped himself up, and for the first time today he showed an attitude of "Let me answer your question properly."

"Why? Because last summer, we lost a series we could have won. After that, I sprayed myself with a hose for 10 hours a day to wash away the memory of that 1999 loss to Miami. I think about that game so often and wake up in the early hours of the morning wishing I could beat those assholes. I'm done with it.

Every day of the past year has been such a torture!
My goal is not to sweep the Bucks, not to sweep AI, and not to watch that idiot Shaq make a fool of himself. Oh, hasn't he made enough jokes?
My goal is to be the champion!
It’s to surpass the Heat and win the championship!
Since the night we lost last year, I have been thinking about this every day. I have been waiting for this for a year!
Now is the time! "

This is the first time Roger has spoken about last year's loss.

For the first time, he vented all his pressure and unwillingness.

After losing the game last season, Roger didn't talk about the defeat much in public, not on any occasion.

People only know that he is regrouping, and people only know that he is comforting Paul Pierce like a good brother.

But who cares what Roger himself thinks?
Roger once said that he was not afraid of failure, but that didn't mean he didn't care.

That loss was unforgettable. After all, except for his rookie season, Roger won the playoffs for four consecutive years.

Orlando's third championship and the first championship that saved Atlanta brought Roger to the pinnacle of his career.

But in 1999, he suddenly fell from the clouds.

Steve Smith's departure made him doubt whether he was a good leader.

The defeat in the Eastern Conference Finals forced him to start his dynasty declaration all over again.

Yes, everyone believed that Roger would be back soon. Everyone believed that Roger would return to the ranks of winners. People had no doubt about it.

But Roger had to patiently endure every agonizing day, every hour, and every minute of his wait to return to the throne.

He has been suppressed for too long.

Now, the opportunity was right in front of him. So Roger could no longer hide his emotions, the emotions that made him want to draw his sword and pierce the heart of Heat.

After saying that, Roger stood up and left, ending today's press conference.

He did not go back to the locker room, but prepared to get on the team bus directly back to the hotel.

The equipment manager will help pack everything in the locker room, so the players don't need to worry about it.

But when he reached the parking lot, Roger stopped.

He saw all the Eagles standing outside the bus waiting for him.

"What's wrong? Is the car broken down?" Roger approached the bus curiously. Logically, the team bus should not have any problems because someone would check it before each use.

But no one answered this question. Everyone stood in a circle, surrounding Roger in the middle like a group of cultists.

Roger looked up and saw that the TV on the team bus was playing sports news.

In other words, everything he said at the press conference just now was broadcast through TV and heard by his teammates.

Then everyone moved closer to Roger and put their hands on his shoulders.

Paul Pierce stood right in front of Roger with a serious expression.

It was also the first time that everyone knew that Roger had been hiding his emotions for the past year.

Everyone was used to being led and protected by Roger. He would solve problems, defeat strong enemies, and bear the consequences.

But everyone forgets that he is also a human being.

"I won't let you wake up suddenly in the early morning this year. Nothing can stop us, not even the 14th hole in me! Hey, let's take it all back! Roger, we will be with you. A pack of wolves are the real wolves!" Pierce squeezed Roger's shoulders even harder.

Then, Pippen took the lead and shouted: "Power, power, power! Let's go!!!"

"call!"

Roger is like Son Goku in the first climax of Dragon Ball Z, who felt the power of everyone and gathered the Spirit Bomb.

He felt this power coming from everyone.

In the past, it was Roger who gave strength to his teammates, from Mathew Lionis to Wilkins, to the guy with holes all over his body. He always gave strength to others and protected others under his wings.

Now, his team is giving back to him and giving him endless strength.

They became each other's shield.

Roger looked around at everyone and raised his head: "The past is a ghost, illusory, only the future has weight. Let's go, let's do the next thing!"

"Kill the Heat?"

"No, pray the Miami people don't die in the cornfields! There's only one place they can die, and that's in the hell created by the wrath of the Atlanta people!"

The next day, Reggie Miller responded to Roger: "I'm sorry to disappoint you, but the team that will advance to the Eastern Conference Finals this year will definitely be the Indiana Pacers. No matter how much you love that complete idiot Latrell, the one who will come to see you in the end will be me."

The Pacers and the Heat are playing very intensely now, and the score is currently tied at 2-2.

On the Pacers side, Reggie Miller is experiencing his final peak, while the rise of Jalen Rose has opened the team's championship window again.

However, the Heat still won the decisive battle in Game 5 of the series.

In the original 00 playoffs, the Pacers eliminated the Knicks, which had Sprewell, Alan Houston and the Gorillas, 4-2.

The Heat still have Sprewell and Alan Houston in their current lineup, but the gorilla in decline has become an MVP candidate, Alonzo Mourning, and there is also Jamal Mashburn who is starting a second spring in his career.

You can understand it as a team that combines all the best of the 00 Heat and 00 Knicks, solving their respective pain points.

The Knicks' pain point is their weak inside line. In the 00 series against the Pacers, Ewing averaged only 14 points and 7 rebounds per game, with a shooting percentage of only 44%. The gorilla that year was essentially no longer a star.

The pain point of the Heat is that Mourning has no outside help, and he himself does not have the inside dominance of the four major centers, so the Heat always lack competitiveness in the deep rounds of the playoffs.

And now, Sprewell and Alan Houston have a top inside player who was selected in the first team + first defense + DPOY + block king last season.

Mourning also has strong enough outside firepower support. Sprewell and Alan Houston's scoring abilities are not top-notch individually, but you can't deny that he is at All-Star level in both positions.

So the Pacers had a hard time playing and lost the decisive Game 5 by 13 points.

In Game 6, the Heat had a great performance, with Sprewell scoring 19 points, Alan Houston scoring 18 points, Mourning scoring 21 points, and Jamal Mashburn scoring 17 points. Especially Mourning, who was full of energy today to win the championship in Miami, scoring 21 points, 14 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 blocks.

On the Pacers side, Miller also gave it a try, because he knew this was Bird's last year coaching the team, so he scored 41 points in a last-ditch effort, setting the team's single-game playoff scoring record.

But with the Heat's excellent defense, the other Pacers players couldn't stand out, and Miller ultimately failed to drag the team into the Eastern Conference Finals.

Larry Bird took a deep breath at the end of the game.

The three-year agreement is over.

His coaching career ended here.

In three years, he won the best coach award once and the Eastern Conference Finals once. His achievements are already quite remarkable.

But it cannot cause even the slightest ripple in this era.

Larry Bird kept his word and he will no longer coach the Pacers.

The rest of the way, walkers have to walk on their own.

Thus, the Miami Heat advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals for the second consecutive year, and the team’s last dance has reached the most critical step.

Roger's career has also reached a critical step.

This year's 72-win team must not stop in the Eastern Conference Finals!

Latrell Sprewell faced the camera, kissed his fist, and then thrust his hand into the camera: "Roger will taste this."

He certainly would never forget the slap from Pierce, nor would he forget the moment when Roger straddled his head.

He was filled with hatred and was ready to unleash it in the Eastern Conference Finals.

"And this." Mourning leaned in front of the camera and showed off his muscles.

They are very confident. Although the Heat and the Hawks have a record of 1 win and 3 losses in this year's regular season, the score difference in each game is in single digits, so the Heat are not without chances.

Obviously, these muscle guys have no idea what it means to win seven consecutive playoff games by double digits.

They had no idea how Roger, who had been waiting for so long for this, would punish them.

Seeing Sprewell and Mourning posing in front of the camera, Roger and Pierce, who were sitting on the sofa watching TV, showed Jordan tablet expressions.

Very good, congratulations on your advancement.

Because only your blood is worthy of dyeing the crown of this new century red!
(End of this chapter)