Champions Creed

Chapter 260 259: The Rights of the Emperor (asking for a monthly ticket!)
Bill Russell admitted that he didn't expect Roger to return to the podium so soon.

Last season, when the big guy who loved to tell bad jokes came on stage, the Lord of the Rings really thought that guy could usher in a new era.

Because Tim Duncan is someone who truly understands the "secret" of victory.

He doesn't care about statistics, he loves defense, and he integrates into the team. But he is by no means an ordinary team player, because he has superior personal abilities.

His teammates love him, and the admiral is willing to be his deputy. But he never thinks of himself as the boss, and the team takes precedence over him.

He's a superstar who realized from his rookie year that basketball is a team sport in every way, and he knew it from his first game in the NBA.

Maybe you will say that Jason Kidd is also such a player. No, Jason Kidd's selflessness is limited to the court, but he will still mess up the locker room off the court.

Tim Duncan's understanding of the team encompassed everything on and off the court, and no Spurs player ever whispered, "I hate that bastard."

This is a very rare quality for those who are gifted.

The reason why Bill Russell felt that Duncan could succeed was because he relied on these qualities to dominate the league with less than ten teams.

He thought Duncan would also show his due dominance, but just one year later, Roger came back.

Yes, a big part of the reason the Spurs were eliminated early was because of Duncan's injury.

If Tim Duncan hadn't been injured and the Spurs were standing in front of Roger, could the Hawks still win the championship?
Bill Russell liked Duncan, but he had to admit that the Spurs had no chance.

You can't question a team that has won all its games in the playoffs. That's the stupidest thing in the world.

The Spurs may not face the same internal strife as the Lakers, and may be able to win one or two games decently in the finals.

But they also had a hard time dealing with the Hawks in a seven-game series.

This Eagles team adapts to any style and is not afraid of any opponent.

There is even Paul Pierce, the ultimate weapon that even Auerbach couldn't think of.

At least this year, Bill Russell feels that no team can beat the Hawks.

Bill Russell had never seen anything like it before. In the past six years, he had presented the award to the same person five times.

In today's competitive environment with 29 teams in the league, what a terrifying winning frequency!

This is not unscientific, this is simply anti-scientific!
In the first half of the 90s, when people thought Michael Jordan was outrageous enough, they never imagined that there would be a king bomb like Roger.

Bill Russell lamented Roger's horror while handing him the FMVP trophy.

Roger jokingly asked the Lord of the Rings: "Hey, are you getting bored?"

This was a joke that spanned two years.

When Roger won the championship with the Hawks in 1998, Bill Russell joked that Roger was the only one who made him worry about being surpassed in the number of championship rings.

Roger replied that as long as you don't get annoyed by giving me too many awards, all other difficulties will not be a problem.

So after receiving the trophy again this year, Roger asked that question.

Bill Russell shook his head. "There's still Karim between you and me, so I can bear it. Congratulations, Roger."

Taking the small trophy, Roger raised it above his head.

He won his fifth FMVP trophy on the Sharks' turf.

This is what makes Roger different from other stars. Those players who have won many championships, whether it is Magic, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar or Bird, cannot guarantee that they will be the Most Valuable Player of the Finals in every championship season.

Magic Johnson has won five championships, but only three FMVPs.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has six rings but only two FMVPs.

Bird won three championships and two FMVPs.

Only Roger not only wins the championship, but also ensures that he is the best player on the championship team every time.

Michael Jordan is one of the few people who can achieve three championships and three FMVPs.

But Jordan's achievements pale in comparison to Roger's five.

The on-site commentator also talked about Roger's five championships and five FMVPs: "This is the most difficult part. Roger can be the best player on two different teams when winning championships. His dominance is just like the dominance of the Hawks this season. It is hard to match."

After thoroughly analyzing Roger's career plan, LeBron James got another inspiration from the on-site commentary - to win the championship, you must win the FMVP.

A championship that is not FMVP will always be a little less valuable.

Look at Shaq, he also built a dynasty, he also created three consecutive championships, but now he has lost all respect.

Just because people would say that he won the championship because of Roger because he was never the MVP of the Finals.

What if one day I have the chance to win the championship but not the FMVP?
James didn't think any further. He felt that if he really won the NBA championship one day, he would definitely be the best player on the team.

That's right, the goal of this Akron boy was never to enter the NBA, that would be too easy for him.

His goal is to become one of the best players in history!

After the award ceremony, the Eagles players began to celebrate wildly in the locker room.

Amidst the jubilation, Ted Turner sat in front of his locker, holding the Eagles' two O'Brien trophies and crying with his face covered.

Few team owners would join in the players' celebrations, but Ted Turner was an exception.

He took a few sips of champagne and then started crying while holding the O'Brien glass.

This was his last chance to experience winning a championship as the owner of a professional sports team. It was his favorite feeling in his life and a feeling he would never experience again.

He didn't care that his expensive suit was completely soaked by the wine. He just wanted to enjoy the final pleasure.

After the celebration, Ted Turner looked at the messy locker room and turned to look at Roger, who was already tired from playing. "Hey, do you have any more wine?"

Roger searched for a while and found an unopened bottle of champagne on the ground and handed it to Ted Turner.

Ted Turner put down the championship trophy, took the bottle, opened it and took a big gulp.

"The news of the Eagles being sold will be announced soon. At the championship parade, I will introduce the new owner to the fans and then leave completely. From 1977 to now, 23 years have passed. I didn't expect it to come to an end so soon. But thank you for being there. If it weren't for you, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to experience the joy of winning the championship until I sold the team."

Roger patted Ted Turner on the shoulder and said, "At least you left with the championship in your arms."

After the celebration in the locker room, Pierce, as a Los Angeles native, decided to arrange for the entire team to go to a nightclub in Los Angeles to party.

In order to attend the party, he specially prepared a stab-proof suit to wear under his T-shirt.

Before leaving for the nightclub, Roger changed into casual clothes and borrowed a VIP room in the Staples Center, where he met Bruce Levinson and Steve Belkin for the first time.

When he saw Roger coming in, Steve Belkin went up to him and hugged him warmly: "Legend, nice to meet you! Incredible, 15 wins in the playoffs! If I were to ask you, you are already the best player in history!"

Bruce Levinson, another major shareholder, was much more indifferent. He just shook hands with Roger and said, "Congratulations."

Because Roger's contract will expire this summer, in order to avoid any accidents or misunderstandings, Steve Belkin said directly: "You can trust us as much as you trust Ted. Our goal is to build a dynasty at all costs. You will not encounter any problems here. You still have all the privileges you have now. You can achieve greatness without worry."

Roger liked Steve Belkin's straightforwardness, but as far as Roger knew, he couldn't completely control everything.

He is one of the largest shareholders, but the problem is that there is an “one of” at the end.

Roger looked at Bruce, who just smiled and didn't make any comment.

It was not a polite smile, but the kind of smile that kept people at a distance.

He refused to mingle with the players, and he wanted to maintain that sense of distance between the owner and the players.

Roger had heard Eric Fleischer's analysis before, so he knew that all Bruce Levinson cared about was the financial report.

When they met for the first time today, the difference between Steve Belkin and Bruce Levinson was clearly demonstrated to Roger.

Two major shareholders with completely different goals? And with their respective supporters?
Brilliant, really fucking brilliant.

After the greetings, Roger also expressed his attitude: "Of course I trust you. In the final analysis, any action that prevents us from establishing a dynasty is self-destruction."

"Roger, you're absolutely right! You don't have to go in person for the negotiations this summer. We will deliver the maximum salary contract to your home!" Belkin was very excited and he had already started to get into the role.

Levinson still said nothing, just smiled.

"Okay, we won't disturb you and your teammates from celebrating. If you have any questions, you can always contact me. See you later, Legend."

"Okay Steve, bye. Bruce, bye."

In the luxury box where Roger left, Belkin waved his fist: "See? I love his courage! Any behavior that prevents us from building a dynasty is self-destruction. It seems like this sentence will definitely come true when it comes out of his mouth! We have the best players in the world, this is great!"

"But he's still just a basketball player, it doesn't matter, the Hawks have unlimited potential. I'm also very happy that we have the most profitable basketball player in the world."

After the meeting, Roger and his teammates went to a nightclub that had been arranged in advance.

The hottest fruit plates in Los Angeles will be there today to accompany the champions through a wonderful night.

The Staples Center, which had just witnessed the greatest championship in history, fell into a state of immersion. The excitement here had dissipated until the next fall.

Phil Jackson remained in the locker room, thinking about the series of failures since 1993.

It has been seven years since he last won the championship.

Is he really going to be the next Pat Riley? Pat Riley had accumulated a high reputation when he coached Magic Johnson, but now it is almost consumed. Some people even began to mock him as "the coach who can't win the championship without Magic Johnson."

Phil Jackson didn't want to follow Riley's old path and become the "coach who couldn't win a championship without Michael." Ironically, Phil Jackson was very close to continuing to create greatness.

He coached Roger, but the Bulls chose Michael Jordan in a narrow choice.

If the Bulls had made a different choice at the time, Phil Jackson would probably have almost full rings on his hands now.

The Zen master shook his head. There was no point in asking "if" on the basketball court.

He needs to solve the problem he is facing now, which is how to balance Kobe and Shark.

O'Neal never knew how to control the locker room, and Kobe was never willing to be Pippen.

This is the most difficult locker room relationship Phil Jackson has experienced in his coaching career.

Phil Jackson hesitated for a long time, finally took out his cell phone and made a call.

The man seemed to know he would receive this call, so he answered quickly: "I'm sorry for everything that happened tonight, Phil."

"You were right not to come back with the Lakers, Michael. We are still not close to a championship."

"I told you a long time ago that those two guys can't help you. Unless they absolutely trust each other."

"That's the problem. They can't trust each other. Especially Kobe. That guy is uncoachable! Last time I gave him a book, he threw it directly into the trash can! Even Shaq, even Roger, can't do such a thing! You said before that Kobe is a malleable talent. If you meet a teammate like this, what would you do?"

"Hahahaha," Michael Jordan laughed on the other end of the phone. "Phil, I just remember saying Kobe was a poor imitator of Roger."

Phil Jackson didn't say anything, obviously he was not in the mood for joking.

Jordan didn't want to continue to attack his old friend, so he became serious.

"You wanna hear the truth? This may be a little hurtful, but man, I never even read a page of those crappy books you gave me. To be honest, your stuff is totally useless. I didn't read the books you gave me, and it didn't affect our winning three championships.

Sometimes, you have to let Kobe go. For a basketball player, you have to look at his competitiveness, whether he gives his all on and off the court, whether he gives 100 percent, that's all.

If he has all these, then nothing else matters.

Remember? I didn't want to play the triangle offense at first, because your trick was to take the ball away from the stars. But just like the plan we made back then, we played the triangle offense when we needed it, but when I wanted to, I gave the ball to Michael Jordan.

I still don’t think highly of the naive OK combination, but you can definitely do better.”

The Zen Master was stunned for a moment, then took a deep breath and said, "I'm glad you answered my call, Michael."

Phil Jackson considers himself a master at controlling people's hearts, but now he feels that his previous tricks were extremely childish.

He likes to pretend to be mysterious and likes to maintain his mystery, thinking that it can enhance his prestige.

Now, he decided to be pragmatic.

Like Jordan said, since Kobe can't be controlled, just release him.

At least the kid still wants to win.

The Zen Master recalled what Kobe said at the press conference:

"Breakthrough? What did we break through? The goal of playing basketball is not to win 69 games or just get out of the West. Second place means we are the number one loser. Next we only have one thing to do, get ready to come back. Atlanta has been great this season, but this season is over."

The Zen Master decided to continue strengthening the team this summer.

The team needs to improve its defense and have players who are more hungry for championships.

After finishing all this, he will release Kobe!
With OK's talent, it would be such a waste to just give up like that.

The Zen master still wants to make one last effort to defeat the invincible man!

Even if he had to go through a hundred hardships, it wouldn't stop him from trying again!
Phil Jackson turned off the lights in the locker room and walked out of the empty Staples Center.

When he arrived at the parking lot, he saw Jenny Buss waiting for him.

"Jenny."

"Phil, don't be sad, we still have next season. I know you are sad, come on, I will heal you. You need a crazy night to forget everything that happened."

Phil Jackson smiled bitterly.

Can I choose not to?
It's obviously you who needs a crazy night!

The Zen master never expected that the first difficulty would come so soon.

The next day, Roger and the Zen Master both woke up from their beds.

One is dying, the other is still full of energy.

Roger hugged Gisele Bundchen from behind, causing her to change from "Hate it, Roger, ah, don't" to "Roger, ah, don't stop."

What an energetic morning.

In the afternoon, Eric Fleischer went to Roger's house to discuss the most important thing this summer: contract renewal.

According to the rules of the new labor agreement, Roger can get a salary of 30% of the salary cap for next season, and this part is not negotiable.

The only thing that can be discussed is the length of the contract.

Based on his experience, Eric Fleischer wants Roger to sign a short 2+1 contract.

Because the old broadcasting contract will expire in 2002, and every time a new broadcasting contract comes into effect, the salary cap will increase significantly.

If the salary cap increases beyond the salary increase of this contract, Roger will use the player option to opt out of the contract and pursue maximum benefits.

If the salary cap increase does not exceed the salary increase of this contract, Roger can also choose not to exercise the player option and continue to perform the original contract.

In short, the initiative is entirely in Roger's hands.

Eric Fleischer would never let a Scottie Pippen-like tragedy happen to a legend like Roger.

Eric Fleischer dared to sign a short contract because he was confident in Roger's personal ability and health.

After all, Roger is not the kind of person who needs to hold on to a long-term contract for the rest of his life.

Besides, Reebok's lifetime contract has given Roger enough protection, so he doesn't need to be timid about such things.

Michael Jordan's courage to sign a one-year contract with the Bulls also came from his lifetime contract with Nike.

Roger nodded casually while eating his steak, "Okay Eric, let's talk."

"You may be the most casually signed player in the entire NBA." Eric Fleisher thought that Roger looked down on the little money under the maximum salary rules, so he was not too sad about the contract extension.

"No Eric, I thought carefully and decided that 2+1 is the best fit for me."

Roger didn't lie, but the reason why he wanted to sign a 2+1 was different from Eric Fleischer's.

Eric Fleischer considered Roger's interests entirely from the perspective of income, but Roger considered it from the perspective of career planning.

What impressed Roger the most last night was not the fifth FMVP, not the roast chicken with only torn socks on in the nightclub, nor the battle with Gisele Bundchen.

Rather, it is the sharp contrast between the two big bosses, Steve Belkin and Bruce Levinson.

At least for now, the goals of these two big bosses are not completely unified.

How will this affect the team?

Roger is not sure whether he wants to be tied to these two bosses for a long time, but he still needs at least two years to achieve his goal, so 2+1 is the best option.

And no matter the length, the Eagles didn’t have a chip they could refuse.

Roger will create his own glory, but he doesn't want anyone to restrict him.

Fundamentally, Roger and Fleischer have the same goal - only Roger can control others, and others cannot control Roger.

Controlling your own destiny is the right of the five-crown emperor.

"By the way, Roger, there is one more thing."

"You said."

"Although you didn't participate in the Sydney Olympics, the fans' desire to see you in international competitions is getting louder and louder."

"Maybe, maybe one day, Eric."
-
The greatest team in North American sports history was officially born. So is Roger the greatest NBA player? I don't know, but he has definitely surpassed Michael Jordan completely. - Atlanta Police Journal.

No player has ever been able to establish a dynasty in two different teams, and Roger is creating such greatness. The Lord of the Rings, Magic, Michael and Bird have proven time and again that greatness comes from defending one's territory, and Roger is trying to tell people that a true king does not necessarily have to be limited to one territory. He is refreshing our understanding of basketball step by step, and more and more impossibilities will become reality in Roger's hands. --NBA Time and Space

Has no one ever thought about this? What would happen if Roger played against the United States in an international match? Oh, the Dream Team players participating in the Sydney Olympics don't have to panic, change your pants that are wet with fear. I am just assuming that Roger has already determined that he will not participate in the Sydney Olympics. - The New York Times

Ted Turner has officially sold the Eagles to a consortium led by Steve Belkin and Bruce Levinson, marking the end of the Turner era since 1977. Of course, we all know that no matter how the franchise changes, it will not affect Roger's pace of creating great achievements.

He won't break his promise, he won't give up, he won't run away.

Because he is the truth of Orlando, the savior of Atlanta, and the Agent Zero who can reset everything to zero.

In other words, he is the man who is most qualified to be called GOAT.

——Sports Illustrated.

(End of this chapter)