Champions Creed

Chapter 303 Chapter 302: Hey, look up (ask for a monthly ticket!)

The Atlanta Hawks' shareholders have never been so panicked.

When Michael Gillen repeated Roger's words verbatim at the shareholders' meeting, they knew that the best player on the team was drifting away from the team.

Bruce Levinson is only concerned with profits, but now, the core interests of the Eagles have completely broken up with the shareholder team.

Beau Turner was very emotional at the shareholders' meeting. He didn't want to see his father's hard work go to waste.

"We must renew Paul Pierce's contract right now. Don't waste time on the issue of the length of the contract! This is our only way to resolve the conflict with Roger as soon as possible! Keeping Paul Pierce is a gesture of goodwill to Roger!"

Bruce Levinson certainly knew this was the best solution, but he was also very angry.

Although he is the owner of the team, Roger calls him a "dog that eats leftovers."

He even asked me to shoot a few shots in self-defense in front of the mirror.

How dare he! ?

Which good guy would shoot a few mirrors?
Well, that’s not the point. The point is, has any owner in NBA history ever suffered such humiliation?
So, why should I please this jerk who insulted me? Why should I work with this guy who has no respect at all?
When the Chicago Bulls drafted Roger in 1993, did they think he would become a more influential player than Michael Jordan?

That's the beauty of the NBA draft. You can never accurately predict what the player you select will become.

So, who can guarantee that there won’t be someone with greater influence than Roger in the future?
The last time Bruce Levinson discussed this issue, he was laughing at the stupidity of the Orlando Magic, laughing at their fantasy of replacing Roger with Tracy McGrady.

But now, he himself has the same idea.

All I can say is that he was fearless before.

But when Roger was really on the verge of leaving, he could only start fantasizing.

As a wealthy man, Bruce Levinson has lived his whole life in the compliments of others.

This was the first time someone had dared to speak so bluntly to him.

Is he willing to lose face to earn this money?

Ha, money means nothing. Such a spineless guy doesn’t deserve to be a Jew!
That China guy wanted to scold me and take money from me at the same time?

is it possible! ?
Bruce Levinson slammed the table and yelled loudly during the meeting.

"Enough! It's time to end this! Tell Paul that we agree to a six-year maximum salary contract with him!"

The members of the shareholder team were all stunned. If that's the case, why are you yelling so loudly?

A spineless person is not worthy of being a Jew, but a poor person is even less worthy.

Without Roger, the Eagles would have no profits, it was as simple as that.

The Eagles shareholder team undoubtedly experienced a major earthquake, and the worst thing was that the matter was leaked and became known to everyone.

The Atlanta Military Police first revealed that Roger and one of the Eagles' shareholders had an "argument in a restaurant that used all kinds of insulting words and was so intense that it seemed like a complete breakup," and then more and more media began to follow up with reports.

This time it wasn't Roger's team who deliberately hyped the story, but the waiter in the restaurant who leaked the news - for this he was paid $300 by a reporter from the Atlanta Military Police, and he swore on the life of his grandmother's third husband that everything he said was true.

This matter has caused a lot of controversy. This is not the first time this season that Roger has been exposed to have a discord with the shareholder team.

Ever since Bill Simmons mentioned in his article complaining about the Hawks' shareholder team this summer, "I advise all teams in the league to prepare salary space, as Roger is likely to test the free agent market next summer," Atlanta fans have been feeling very insecure.

Will they go the way of the Florida native?

Is Atlanta's glory really coming to an end?
There are more fan parades, and even on non-match days, a group of fans holding signs will gather in the outer plaza of Philips Arena.

The cards can be roughly divided into two categories. The first category is to keep Roger.

The second type is those who call the shareholder team idiots.

ESPN reporters smelled the heat and conducted street interviews with these fans.

A white-haired old man with red eyes said: "I can't ask Roger to do more, but I still hope that Atlanta's glory will be a star, not a shooting star."

A pair of twin boys wore Roger's jerseys and prayed in front of the camera: "Please Roger, stay, don't go anywhere!"

The most eye-catching one among them is a huge poster held up by 10 people.

On the poster, holy light emanates from Roger's surroundings, and under the photo is a line of large characters: "My God, do not abandon your believers."

Although he has only been here for five years, Roger's influence in Atlanta is no less than that of Michael Jordan in Chicago, Magic in Los Angeles, and Dream in Houston.

He is so deeply tied to this city that his and Andy's story is even being remade into a sports inspirational movie by Hollywood.

The actor who will play Roger is already being sought, and it will probably be chosen between Daniel Wu and Edison Chen.

Although movie fans think that these two people's peak looks are at most only 70% as handsome as Roger, they really can't find anyone better.

35-year-old Cindy Crawford even strongly requested to play herself for free, even if it was just to recall her passionate youth. Since leaving Roger, she has never had such a deep love again, which is her most precious memory.

However, the most important thing about this movie is the story itself. The story of Roger and Andy is naturally a touching script, which also represents his deep bond with Atlanta.

This is an advantage for the Eagles, as Roger is not a heartless person after all.

The city loves him and he loves the city.

He left many memories for this city, he is the god of this city. You can say that he is a part of Atlanta!

Therefore, Michael Gillen still believed that Roger was still exerting pressure and did not really want to leave.

What he didn't know was that Roger had actually asked Eric Fleischer to look for the next stop in his career.

The next day at Roger's house, Eric Fleischer was still a little surprised by the decision: "Are you sure? Are you determined to leave?"

"Just find it for me first. You should know better than me what it means to be prepared for any eventuality."

"Do you still need to find me? All the teams in the league will line up to lick your ass. Line up to get you."

Seeing Eric Fleischer almost blurt out the word "lick dermatitis", Roger smiled and said, "I remember when we first met in 1993, you spoke much more politely than this."

"You know Roger, two people will affect each other if they stay together for a long time."

"You're right, it's all KG's fault that you're in this mess."

"Ah, yes, yes! And you, my friend, you speak much more civilized!"

"Okay Eric, I'll give you six months to prepare. After six months, I want a perfect answer. I want to go to a city that won't stop me from developing, won't stop me from surpassing greatness. And, an owner who loves basketball and can control the team alone."

Eric Fleischer didn't know what Roger meant by "beyond greatness", but in any case, the next stop would probably be Roger's last stop.

Because next summer, Roger will be 27 years old.

The boy who entered the NBA at the age of 18 is no longer so young.

If he had achieved all his glory before the age of 35, would he still be interested in continuing?
Therefore, this is most likely Roger's last stop, and deciding the ultimate height of Roger's career does require careful consideration.

If Roger wants to surpass greatness, continue to expand his influence, and reach the pinnacle of his career, then his next stop would best be a big city.

Boston, New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Washington in the East; Los Angeles, Portland, Seattle, and San Francisco in the West.

Add to that the need for a boss like Ted Turner, and there aren't that many options.

Eric Fleischer had it all sorted out for Roger anyway. Now he had just one question: "What if you fail? I mean, what if you don't deliver on your promise to build a dynasty this season? Will you still leave?"

Eric Fleischer and Roger were friends, so he dared to make such an assumption directly.

"I'm not the kind of coward who runs away when I can't win," Roger waved his hand. Leaving without fulfilling a promise and leaving after building a dynasty are two completely different concepts. He can tell the difference. "And I don't think anyone can stop me. Whether it's the bastards in Detroit or the bastards in Los Angeles, I am sure to win."

The new season has just started for more than a month, and some people are saying that they are confident of winning the championship.

If someone else had said this, Eric Fleischer would have simply laughed at him for overestimating his own abilities.

But if it was Roger who said this, that would be a different story.

"Okay Roger, just like usual, just kick everyone's ass on the basketball court and leave the rest to me."

And so, Roger began his suspension.

Unlike most people who fall out with their team, Roger fell out with management but not with the locker room.

So he is still playing the role of leader of his team.

In the first game after being suspended, the Hawks played against the Raptors. Although Roger could not play, he still sat on the bench in a suit.

Roger had to stay with his teammates no matter what.

The Hawks lost this game as expected. With so many players suspended, plus Olajuwon and Hornacek on the injury list, the Hawks couldn't even put together a complete team for a while. They signed several free agents with short-term contracts before they were finally able to get the team together.

And if you think about it carefully, you will know that the players who are still wandering around the free market basically do not have very strong strength.

So you can imagine the Eagles' current combat effectiveness.

How to describe it? This Hawks team is basically at the level where Tyronn Lue doesn't know who to pass the ball to.

No, let alone Tyronn Lue, even if LeBron, the greatest point forward in history, was in this lineup, he wouldn't know who to pass the ball to in the last 5 seconds. Bill Simmons even joked, "If this Hawks team is lost in the 96-97 season, the Spurs will lose Tim Duncan."

The team lost the game, but Roger didn't seem worried: "We played with style and level. You only saw the loss, but I saw Tyronn Lue scoring a season high."

The reporter shook his head. 14 points coming out of your mouth sounded like 40 points.

In the second game of his suspension, Roger traveled with the team to Florida to play against his former team, the Orlando Magic.

The fans at the Magic's home stadium are very good at making trouble. When the Atlanta fans were shouting "Love me, don't leave", the Orlando fans were shouting "Love me, come back".

To be honest, Tracy McGrady didn't make the Magic that bad. At least the Magic are now a playoff team.

But compared with the glory created by Roger, McGrady's achievements are simply not worth mentioning.

Orlando fans don't hate McGrady, but they want Roger back.

If Roger can return to Orlando, the glory will continue.

In order to leave a good impression on Roger, there were even shouts of MVP in the Amway Center when Roger entered.

It is definitely a unique spectacle in history that a visiting player receives the MVP cheers from the home fans.

The Orlando folks tried hard to get Roger to feel like it would be fun to play for the fans here again.

Tracy McGrady, who was warming up, raised his head and looked at the three championship flags on the dome of the stadium that were raised by Roger himself and smiled bitterly.

Listen to the cheers from the audience. What’s the point of trying harder?
This place has long been branded with Roger's mark, and no one in this life can surpass it.

In this game, Bruce Bowen's long-range shooting touch was excellent, making 5 of 4 shots from beyond the three-point line and scoring 21 points.

But this is not enough for the Hawks to win, because the team is now filled with too many incompetent mercenaries, so the Hawks have basically no system on both offense and defense.

There is no chance of winning against a serious playoff team like the Magic if they play blindly without any system.

Tracy McGrady scored 36 points and led the team to a 17-point victory.

But he couldn't smile after the game. He told reporters: "The people here love Roger, and that hasn't changed from the beginning to the end."

McGrady was worried. He thought that if he stayed in this city, he would always be Roger's appendage and would have to live under Roger's shadow all his life.

What McGrady said was right, because after the game, the number of people who asked Roger for his autograph was probably several times more than the number of people who asked McGrady for his autograph.

Roger has been away from Orlando for five years, but his influence here remains unmatched.

As a high-quality idol who speaks politely, Roger always tries his best to meet the requirements of his fans.

He patiently signed autographs for many children, many of whom were even wearing Roger's authentic jerseys from his time in the Magic.

Just as Roger was about to return to the player tunnel, a man's shouting caught Roger's attention.

"Hey, Roger, can you sign an autograph for my brother who is in high school? I worked in a car repair shop and saved money for a long time to bring him to see your game. Please, we have always been fans of the Orlando Magic! Oh no, we have always been your fans. We support you no matter where you are!"

Roger stopped, he didn't know why he stopped. Maybe the man's words reminded him of his uncle who worked in the auto repair shop to support his studies.

"Where's your brother?" Roger responded to the man.

The man danced with excitement, "Amare! Come here, you idiot!"

Soon, the man picked out a boy from the crowd who was sitting on a seat and looked timid.

But when the boy stood up, Roger's expression was probably similar to that of Stephen Chow when he challenged the dwarf in "Kung Fu".

Roger looked up at the big guy in front of him, then looked at the man again: "In my life, I despise those dishonest people the most. This fucking high school student?"

Roger looked more closely and found that this was indeed a high school student, and he recognized himself.

Amar'e Stoudemire is not very famous now because he moved back and forth between two states for high school six times and only played two full seasons.

But in his senior season, he will become famous across the United States in one year, just like Roger.

Speaking of which, as far as Roger knows, Amar'e Stoudemire is indeed from Orlando. His hometown is in a place called Lake Wales, only an hour's drive from Orlando.

So it is very likely that he really grew up watching himself play basketball.

Magical, so magical.

Amar'e Stoudemire, a name that was very old in Roger's memory, actually became a child in front of him at this moment.

However, unlike the passionate bully image on the court, the Amar'e Stoudemire in front of Roger is very shy.

Although he had a terrifying height and a strong body, he looked a little inferior, kept his head down, and didn't even dare to look Roger in the eye.

"Amare, you useless guy, what are you doing!? Hurry up and take out your jersey! Roger, I'm sorry, he might be a little nervous. Damn it, hurry up and take out your jersey!" Amare's brother was very impatient and kept urging his younger brother who was unusually tall.

At his brother's urging, Stoudemire pulled out a wrinkled Magic No. 14 jersey that looked a bit old.

"Don't mind, Roger, this piece of clothing was the last gift his father gave him before he died. Although it is old, it is absolutely authentic," explained his brother.

Roger didn't say much. He picked up a pen, signed the wrinkled jersey, and handed it back to Stoudemire.

Seeing that Stoudemire had been keeping his head down, Roger patted his arm: "Hey, Amare."

"Ah?" The young man from the lakeside town obviously didn't expect Roger to talk to him.

"Keep your head up."

Stoudemire was completely stunned. What did he say to me?
"Keep your head up and be confident. I believe you can gain a foothold in the NBA, provided you practice your defense well. Just being able to score goals doesn't make you a great player. Come on, you will succeed."

After saying that, Roger walked into the player tunnel amid the cheers of the fans.

Why did he encourage Stoudemire?

There is no reason, it is normal for idols to encourage their fans.

Seeing Roger leave, Stoudemire's brother Hazel Stoudemire was so excited that he danced with joy: "Hahahaha, Amare, do you know how much this jersey is worth now? Damn, we won't have to worry about money for a long time! If Leticia and Marwan knew about this, they would definitely be very happy! Our trip today was not in vain!"

As he spoke, Hazel reached out to grab the jersey.

This was something the two brothers had agreed on long ago; once they got the signed jerseys, they would sell them for money.

Yes, Hazel and Amare are both Roger's fans, that's absolutely true, they are not lying.

But in a family where the father died early, the mother was put in prison, the stepfather didn't care, and there were only four siblings to depend on, the gift of the idol must not be wasted.

But just as Hazle reached for his jersey, Amar'e Stoudemire pulled his hand back.

Hazel frowned, "What do you mean?"

Xiao Si's eyes dodged: "Nothing, I don't want to sell it."

"What the hell are you crazy about?"

"I don't want to sell it, that's all."

"Don't force me to do it, Amare." The eldest brother issued a final warning.

But this time, Stoudemire clutched his jersey tightly and roared in defiance: "This is the last thing our father left us! I will work while playing basketball, and when I enter the NBA, I will make your life easy! But please, Hazel, don't sell this jersey!"

Seeing his brother so insistent, Hazel sighed, then squeezed out of the crowd with an unhappy look on his face and left the stands.

Xiao Si knows his brother and he won’t be really angry because he truly loves everyone in this family.

Amar'e Stoudemire stood there, holding up his old jersey with a slight smile on his face.

This jersey is the last thing left by his father, but to be honest, this is not the biggest reason why he wants to keep it.

The real reason he wanted to keep the jersey was that whenever he saw it, he would be filled with strength.

Because after all these years, after his father passed away, his mother was arrested, after countless transfers and a long period of football detention, only one person said this to him: "Amare, lift your head up."

Half an hour later, the Stoudemire brothers walked out of the arena and prepared to go to the cheapest hotel nearby.

In the outer square of the arena, a reporter found them and said, "Hey big guy, I'm a reporter from the Orlando Sentinel. We are doing a poll. Do you think Roger will return to Orlando next summer?"

Stoudemire and his brother looked at each other. Stoudemire looked at Roger's jersey in his hand and leaned close to the microphone: "I don't think so. This city has failed him."

This answer surprised the reporter: "Young man, what's your name? Isn't your biggest dream to see Roger wear the Magic jersey again?"

"My name is Amare Stoudemire. My biggest dream is to play in the NBA with Roger. Sooner or later, you will get to know me."

Looking at his brother holding his head high and telling the reporters this confidently, Hazel smiled and shook his head.

He hadn't seen his brother stand so straight for a long time. At this moment, he really looked like a giant.

Forget it, if he wants to keep the jersey, let him keep it.

After all, spiritual wealth is also a kind of wealth.

(End of this chapter)