Champions Creed

Chapter 327 Chapter 326: For the beloved Michael Jordan and LeBron James (asking for monthly tickets!)
When observing San Francisco from a distance, the fog will make everyone feel the beauty and grandeur of the combination of nature and modern architecture.

In particular, Roger was deeply shocked when he first saw the half-sea and half-fog spectacle formed by the Golden Gate Bridge and the fog. He made up his mind not to buy a helicopter for transportation while playing for the Warriors.

Such beautiful scenery is magnificent when viewed from a distance, but when you actually drive into the Golden Gate Bridge in the fog, any beautiful impression will be destroyed.

Roger was stuck on the Golden Gate Bridge, with nothing to see except thick fog and congested cars. Being in it, Roger did not feel relaxed and happy when appreciating the beautiful scenery, but only felt irritable and endless waiting.

This is not the rush hour for commuting, and a good player certainly knows how to avoid rush hour travel.

Roger didn't know why there was still a traffic jam even though he had avoided the rush hour. Sitting in the back seat of the car, he looked out the window at the vast expanse of white and complained impatiently: "What on earth happened to this damn bridge?"

Trainer and driver Joe Abunassar, who was driving, did not answer but turned on the car radio.

As expected, Roger got the answer from the news on the car radio.

"Good morning, San Francisco. If you are watching the Golden Gate Bridge from a distance, it will be the most unforgettable scene in your life. But if you are stuck on the Golden Gate Bridge, you may have to wait patiently. It is reported that several young people turned off their cars and parked on the bridge, occupying all lanes, and then put up a banner that read 'Add a third gender option in official documents'. The incident is currently being handled, the police have intervened, and it may take some time to resume traffic."

After figuring out the cause of the traffic jam, Roger sighed.

Mom felt the strong and pure breath of freedom early in the morning.

He just wants the team to move sooner, not because he dislikes the old Oakland Coliseum or the huge gap between Oakland and San Francisco. He just wants to work somewhere closer to his home, because commuting between the two cities every day is too painful.

Joe Abunassar, who was driving in the front seat, was confused by the news on the radio: "What's wrong with young people nowadays? You are either a woman or a man. What the hell is a third gender?"

Roger calmly replied: "Then tell me, is the magician's son, who is tall and strong but only likes to wear skirts, play with dolls and luxury bags, a man or a woman?"

"Hey, do you think that kid is really gay? I'm looking forward to a second generation magician."

At this point, it was still nine years before EJ publicly announced that he was gay, so Roger, who already knew the answer in advance, could only shrug and say, "Anything is possible, Joe."

"Roger, why don't you just buy a helicopter?"

"Shut up, let's continue talking about the magician's son."

The two chatted about this and that. Roger was used to the random events that occurred on the Golden Gate Bridge.

Today a group of so-called third gender people held banners, last week someone jumped off a bridge, and the week before that a police chase resulted in a car accident.

Now Roger finally understood why disaster film directors hated this damn bridge so much. They must have been stuck in traffic on this bridge.

Then the radio broadcast began reporting sports news, and the radio host described the Warriors' game last night as "the beginning of an immortal season."

"I know this may sound a little exaggerated, but I'm confident Roger will have his first immortal season in Oakland.

Last season, the Detroit Pistons were the most difficult team to beat in the league. We all saw how the San Antonio Spurs dominated the Western Conference, but in the finals, the Spurs were swept by the Pistons. This is enough to show that the Pistons are a level stronger than the Spurs who dominated the Western Conference. But in last night's game, the Warriors led by Roger suppressed the defending champion Pistons throughout the game and won.

No one on the Pistons played poorly, and no one on the Warriors suddenly exploded. Last night's matchup was the truest reflection of the strength of the two teams under normal circumstances.

If they can hold down the league's toughest team for a full game and win, they can beat every other team in the league.

Yes, Roger had already won a historic 56 games in Oakland last season and reached the division semifinals with a starting lineup consisting of two first-year rookies, but this is by no means Roger's ceiling in Oakland.

We all know what he wants to achieve, and this season may be the time to achieve it."

The news gave Roger and Joe Abunassar something new to talk about.

"Roger, what do you think of that kid Amar'e this season?"

"Great, Dikembe taught him a lot of practical things."

"for example?"

"For example, he gave David five more bruises last night."

"Well, it's quite useful. It's a pity that the Cleveland Cavaliers will steal all the heat for the new season tonight."

When talking about the Cleveland Cavaliers, Roger's eyes sparkled, and his interest was higher than all the previous topics: "Of course, Joe, after tonight, the Cleveland Cavaliers will become the most watched team, which is why I have to go to New York today to make my commentary debut!"

That's right, Roger will only train until noon today and then leave, then rush across the United States to New York to participate in tonight's Knicks vs. Cavaliers game as a guest commentator.

As an unwavering supporter of Michael and LeBron, Roger of course had to go to the scene to witness the first step this legendary duo took together.

This step must be big and steady!

When everyone watched the Cleveland Cavaliers from a distance, it was like looking at the Golden Gate Bridge, and it was so beautiful.

And once you get up close and see how they perform in the actual game, well, it will definitely be even better. Roger can't wait to get up close and see it.

At the same time, Michael Jordan in New York has been feeling extremely excited since he got up today. He hasn't been so excited in many years.

Not even when he was at the gaming table with a hand that might have made him win all his money, nor when he spent the whole night with five Cuban models while calling his wife.

Although Michael Jordan had found some feeling for the game in the preseason, he knew that it was not a formal game after all.

Only winning in a formal competition can be considered a real victory.

And tonight is the day when he wins a formal competition again after six years!

Although today is not the opening game, the popularity is no less than that of the opening game. Countless eyes are watching tonight's game.

What makes Michael Jordan happy is that LeBron James is not intimidated by the huge attention.

At breakfast, he calmly appeared in the hotel restaurant and greeted Jordan: "Good morning, Michael."

"Good morning, I hope you are ready for your first NBA game."

"I'm always ready and I'm playing next to a great player so there's nothing to worry about."

Listen, is there anyone in this world who doesn’t like LeBron James?

Jordan always likes to talk to James because of his maturity. He is so mature that it seems unreal. He is less than 19 years old, but he is already incredibly smooth.

Perhaps just like his football skills, his interpersonal skills are also one of his talents.

This sense of unreality makes him look like a perfect superstar.

Perfect image, perfect football skills, all of this destined him to have a great career.

Michael Jordan smiled kindly: "You will become a great player, LeBron, sooner or later."

Listen, is there anyone in this world who doesn’t like Michael Jordan?
LeBron James also feels that Michael Jordan is easy to get along with. Unlike Roger, who always has a sense of superiority and alienation, Michael Jordan is like a good brother who is willing to confide in you.

Once upon a time, LeBron James was also a fan of Roger and participated in Roger's training camp.

But what did he get? Only Roger's arrogant face as a superstar.

In the days that followed, Michael Jordan often went to watch James' games and invited James to his home.

What about Roger, who had known James even longer? He never took the initiative to look for the Akron boy.

James has expressed his love for Roger in front of the media many times, but Roger doesn't seem to need this friendship.

It wasn't until Reebok approached him this summer that Roger expressed his desire to meet with him.

Compared to Roger, Michael Jordan is truly a good man!

He was even willing to come back to assist me, and was even willing to give up No. 23 for me and wear No. 45 again!
This is what true brotherhood is. James will let the entire league see the power of brotherly basketball.

In fact, when James first heard that Michael Jordan was going to make a comeback with the Cavaliers, he was a little worried. He had heard a lot of rumors. He knew that Michael Jordan was very harsh on rookies. In the 94-95 season, Chris Webber, the core of the current Kings, once thought about retiring.

But after spending time with Jordan, James swore that the stories about Webber and Jordan must have been maliciously exaggerated.

Michael Jordan was indeed strict with his teammates during training, but not to the point of being unacceptable.

James had made some mistakes in practice and preseason games, but Jordan just patted him on the shoulder and said, "Be careful next time, LeBron."

Michael Jordan's "good brother" persona has penetrated into LeBron James' heart, which makes him willing to fight for Michael Jordan's dignity and reputation. He wants to let those who say the Cavaliers can't beat the Knicks and those who don't respect Michael see what happens when they underestimate them!
Tonight, we will definitely win!
At night, the streets around Madison Square Garden, the Mecca of basketball, were completely paralyzed, and subway traffic was also facing a severe test. The subway cars were completely out of control and filled with Knicks fans wearing No. 11 jerseys, half of whom took the subway without buying tickets. Many of them did not go to the scene to watch the game, but just wanted to join in the fun around Madison Square Garden and feel the atmosphere.

Knicks basketball hasn't had such a fanatical atmosphere for many years. The last time was in the 1997 playoffs, when the Knicks played against the Magic.

At that time, all New Yorkers were looking forward to Michael Jordan and Patrick Ewing interrupting Roger's dominance. That was the last time New Yorkers were so passionate about basketball.

Finally, six years later, New Yorkers' passion for basketball has been rekindled.

The world thought that Michael Jordan and LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers could show off their majesty at Madison Square Garden? No, they came to the wrong place!

New York fans hate Jordan. That damn boiled egg failed to make New York great. What's even more infuriating is that after losing once, Jordan retired directly. He only played for the Knicks for one year in total, which made all New York fans feel that he was a cowardly deserter.

In this regard, he is not even as brave as Patrick Ewing.

Ewing stayed with the Knicks until 2000, and he was still trying to create miracles after Jordan retired.

You fled when you were playing in New York, and now you come back to play against the Knicks and you look like you are going to strike back, which makes all Knicks fans angry.

Spike Lee cursed Jordan in an interview: "The Great Wall of New York will let that bastard Michael escape again!"

When Michael Jordan and his Cleveland Cavaliers arrived at the perimeter of Madison Square Garden, the team bus looked like it was about to be overturned by the fans.

Many Cavaliers players were a little panicked. In the past, the Cleveland Cavaliers were a team with no sense of existence. Opponents would not care about them, and fans would not care about them either. Therefore, many Cavaliers players saw this kind of scene for the first time.

But Michael Jordan's calm and composed state made everyone feel at ease and gave everyone a sense of security.

Yes, he lost to Roger in the 90s, but he is still one of the greatest players in history.

The aura he exudes and the respect his players have for him naturally make him the spiritual leader of everyone.

After arriving at the locker room, Michael Jordan felt that every cell in his body was beating actively.

The familiar locker, the familiar scene, the familiar noise, things that he had become accustomed to over the past decade, now made his blood seem to burn.

Michael Jordan looked at his hands. He didn't know how much more power he could exert. But once he returned to the court, he would never allow himself to lose!
"LeBron." Jordan turned his head and looked at the young man who was just starting his career.

"Michael?"

"Tonight, let's shut these damn New Yorkers up!"

After changing their clothes, the Cavaliers players walked into the player tunnel.

The noise made by the fans at the scene has given all the Cavaliers players goose bumps. This game is attracting attention from the entire United States, no, because of Yao Ming's presence, perhaps even the entire world.

LeBron James didn't want his debut to turn into a disaster. When he was about to enter the player tunnel, the young No. 23 stopped the whole team and said, "Everyone, I want to say something."

Jordan nodded, indicating the team leader's tacit approval of his actions.

LeBron James swallowed, clenched his fists, raised his head and yelled: "When we walk out of the court, we will definitely hear huge boos, boos directed at us. The whole of New York is looking at us. But what do the boos mean? They represent attention, fear, and our threat! Come on, guys, quiet down Madison Square Garden!"

Jordan smiled with relief. This kid is a natural leader.

With him, the Cleveland Cavaliers and even Nike as a whole may be able to make a great comeback!
The Cavaliers players rushed into the court led by Jordan, and LeBron James was mentally prepared to face the loudest boos.

As a result, after entering the stadium, the New York fans ignored the Cavaliers and shouted in unison: "Fuck Roger! Fuck Roger! Fuck Roger!"

James:? ? ?

At this time, Roger, who was the guest commentator of ESPN tonight, happened to appear behind the commentary booth when the Cavaliers came out. He was wearing an expensive custom-made suit, smiling and waving at the fans around the stands, like the mayor of New York. In front of Roger, the entire Cleveland Cavaliers team was completely ignored.

The shouts of "Fuck Roger" lasted for several minutes before finally stopping. During this time, LeBron James felt embarrassed when he recalled what he had just said in the player tunnel.

He made it sound like the Cavaliers were so important and so popular. But when the team came out, no one cared about it at all. The team received less attention than Roger, a guest commentator.

The pitch is too high, and the whole thing is out of tune as soon as I open my mouth.

James could only tell himself: "It's okay, it's okay. You don't have to be ashamed of anything you said. What if you can't fulfill your promise? What if you set the tone too high? Being ashamed of these things will only cause trouble for yourself! No one will remember what you said, no one will remember!"

Michael Jordan was burning with anger. Just now outside the court, he thought he had become the protagonist again.

What happens now? He's like a rubbish player that nobody cares about!
The 40-year-old Michael Jordan was shooting, dribbling, and even dunking on the court, but no one cared about him. All the fans were cheering for Roger, and most of the cameras were focused on the bastard who shouldn't have been there.

New York fans hate Jordan, but they hate Roger even more.

Jordan just failed to help the Knicks win, but Roger was the culprit that caused the Knicks to fail again and again in the 90s.

Last summer, Roger and the Knicks flirted with each other but finally chose the Bay Area, which made New York fans hate Roger even more.

Michael Jordan? This little shrimp should just stand aside and cool off. What level are you to deserve us to boo you? Obviously, scolding Roger is more important!

The honorary mayor of New York greeted his fellow citizens before going on the court and walking towards the Cavaliers.

It was only then that the Cavaliers finally gained people's attention.

Roger looked at Jordan and opened his arms: "Michael, it's been a long time."

Jordan put on a fake smile and hugged Roger: "You idiot, you want to laugh at me? My answer is: fuck you."

Jordan was smiling the whole time he said this, and the fans and reporters couldn't tell that he was cursing.

"Of course, of course. Are Yao and Dwyane worthy of being compared with the great Michael? Although you have never beaten me even once in the playoffs, it doesn't mean that I can beat you in everything, right?"

"Go away, I'll take care of your people, and then it'll be you in mid-November!"

"I'm so looking forward to it, Michael. So looking forward to it."

Roger was really looking forward to it because Michael Jordan still thought he could win.

After a friendly chat with Jordan, Roger walked towards James.

"How's it feeling kid?"

"very nice."

"But I'm not good at all. I don't like people standing me up. I changed my travel plans for you, changed my vacation schedule for you. And you told me at 10 o'clock the night before the meeting. You went back on your word. LeBron, I don't like it when you do that."

"I've signed with Nike, so I can't see Reebok anymore, and I can't do anything about it."

"Put away your fake smoothness. I know what you and the old man are thinking. But you'd better not think about anything. Don't think about reviving Nike's glory, don't think about taking control from me. What the old man himself can't do, do you think you can do it? Do you think you can do better than Michael Jordan?"

"Of course Roger, I think I can do better than Michael, and Michael thinks so too!" James' eyes were sincere when he answered this sentence. It seemed that he really believed from the bottom of his heart that he would surpass Jordan in the near future.

Facing James' burning gaze, Roger smiled contemptuously: "When you can keep your word like a man, you can talk about surpassing others."

After Roger finished speaking, he chatted with his old subordinate Eric Snow for a few words, then turned to look at the Knicks players. After chatting with Yao Ming and Wade for a few minutes, Roger sat back on the bench with Mike Breen next to him.

"Roger, welcome to today's commentary. Do you have a winner in mind?"

"I've always said Michael and LeBron are going to take care of it."

The game is about to begin. The five tigers of the Cavaliers are Eric Snow, Jordan, James, Carlos Boozer and Big Z.

During the jump ball, Michael Jordan stared at Wade and began his intimidation: "Sorry rookie, but you met God tonight."

Wade, who developed a friendship with Roger by training with him this summer, said bluntly: "Yes, but God is just commentating on the sidelines, so no one can stop me today!"

The referee kicked off and Yao Ming took possession of the ball.

At the beginning of the game, Wade broke through Jordan with a change of direction. Jordan had a lot of experience, and he always felt that he could easily defend this rookie. Jordan was also somewhat familiar with Wade, and he knew that this was just a kid who was predicted to be in the middle and late stages of the first round. He was picked at the fourth pick, which was pure luck.

In Jordan's opinion, this kind of rubbish can be easily judged by him and make him doubt his life.

Jordan knew that Wade's shot was unstable, so he deliberately took a big step. But even so, Jordan still had no time to react when Wade accelerated.

In the 90s, he had never seen anyone so fast. The New York No. 3 seemed to be faster than Tim Hardaway in his prime!
Wade easily passed Jordan's defense, and James immediately came up to help. Knicks' No. 3 Shandon Anderson had little scoring ability, so as long as James forced Wade to pass the ball to him, the defense would be considered a success.

James stood in Wade's path. He knew that this rookie was very strong in getting to the rim, but his mid-range and long-range shooting was even more unstable than his own. As long as he was not allowed to get to the rim directly, his threat would be reduced a lot.

Just when Wade and James were about to collide, Wade suddenly passed the ball, then took a European step while moving at high speed and passed by James!

Because Wade is so fast, his European step gives people a special feeling, as if he changes position in an instant.

After breaking through James, Wade easily scored a layup. The cheers from Madison Square Garden were like magma erupting from a volcano, causing the temperature of the entire arena to rise sharply!
Roger, who was "optimistic" about Jordan and James before the game, was furious: "Damn, Michael and LeBron are like two wooden stakes! What are they doing? Stop that rookie!"

Amid everyone's high expectations, James and Jordan's defense in the first round was shocking.

But this was just one round, the game continued and the Cavaliers attacked.

Jordan tried to find an open space to catch the ball and shoot, but Wade's defense was too fast.

Early in his career, Jordan was annoyed by small but fast defenders, such as two-time Defensive Player of the Year Simone Moncrief and Gary Payton.

After that, Jordan's mid-range shooting became more and more popular, and these defenders were no longer his nightmares.

But now, the nightmare is back.

Wade's entanglement made it difficult for Jordan to get a chance to catch the ball. The No. 3 played much tougher than Jordan expected.

Wade doesn't hate Jordan, and he doesn't defend so aggressively to embarrass Jordan on purpose.

There was only one voice in his head: "If you can beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first game, you are qualified to play against me."

Seeing that Jordan was unable to catch the ball, Eric Snow passed the ball to the Chosen One No. 23.

Shandon Anderson is good at defense, but when James started to sprint, Anderson was still surprised by the strong body of this high school student.

High school rookies all have a common problem, which is that their bodies have to adapt to confrontation with adults.

Whether it's Tracy McGrady, Kevin Garnett or Kobe, they all have this process.

Roger actually went through the same process, but his offensive skills were already excellent when he entered the league, which made up for his physical shortcomings and allowed him to have a brilliant rookie season.

And LeBron James may be the only high school player who can compete with NBA players in his rookie season without losing!
James pushed Shandon Anderson away and then went straight to the basket.

The first point of Cleveland's Chosen One's career was about to be scored.

But as soon as James shot the ball, he felt a huge shadow engulfing the entire restricted area.

Yao Ming's hand was suspended in the air, and he slapped the ball hard from the side and back, pressing the ball onto the backboard!

For James, the worst-case scenario is having a giant tower protecting the rim in the paint.

His playing style relies heavily on finishing at the basket, while Yao Ming's team's strongest defense is rim protection.

The fans were all very confused. Everyone knows not to challenge the basket guarded by Yao Ming easily. They thought that James, the chosen one who had been praised for so long, would have some response plan, but he just went in and got shot?

Roger's voice immediately appeared: "Damn it, I don't know why LeBron wants to attack the basket. Doesn't he have a full set of skills? Isn't he a combination of Michael and Magic? Why did he choose the most difficult offensive method? What about the 03 No. 02 pick destroying the No. pick?"

In front of the TV, Cavaliers fans found that things did not seem as good as they had imagined.

Soon, their worries became a reality as the Knicks scored easily again.

Because of the space created by Tim Thomas, a jump-shooting power forward, Yao Ming easily received the basketball in the low post and challenged Big Z.

In the original timeline of the Rockets period, Jeff Van Gundy and Yao Ming actually knew that gaining weight would increase the risk of injury, and they were not fools.

But Jeff Van Gundy told Yao Ming at the time: "Would you rather have a 10-year legendary career or 15 years of mediocrity?"

This made Yao Ming choose the former.

In this timeline, the New York Knicks did not require Yao Ming to gain weight crazily, which allowed Yao Ming to retain his flexibility.

So facing a slow opponent like Big Z, Yao Ming first turned his back to break through, then faked, turned, and shot a fadeaway jumper. This move was similar to Olajuwon's trick on David Robinson, allowing Yao Ming to easily defeat Big Z.

Compared with last season, Yao Ming is more confident and his skills are more mature. His low-post singles are the Knicks' most stable offensive tactic.

4-0, the Cavaliers' inside line was like paper, unable to stop Wade and helpless against Yao Ming.

Roger yelled in frustration: "Where is LeBron? Where is Michael? They have to stand up!"

Jordan decided to step forward, but was intercepted by Wade as soon as he received the ball.

Furious, Jordan wanted to grab Wade's jersey immediately, but when he turned around, Wade had already run several steps away.

This speed represents an insurmountable gap.

Wade counterattacked and scored a dunk, and the Knicks led 6-0!

Michael Jordan and LeBron James looked at each other in confusion.

They had imagined the scenes that might appear tonight and the beauty of victory tonight, but this situation was far from their fantasies.

The two people who were in perfect tacit understanding probably had a voice in their heads at the same time: "Brother, I feel something is not right!"

Before this, all mainstream media believed that the Cavaliers could easily deal with the Knicks.

Yao Ming? A young man who still hasn't figured out how to play in the NBA.

Dwyane Wade? A product of a blind Knicks draft.

As for the Cavaliers, with Michael Jordan, who should not be underestimated, and LeBron, the chosen one, they can't lose no matter how you look at it.

But after several rounds of fighting, the Cavaliers didn't even have the slightest advantage.

Roger was secretly delighted, but he still had to put on a serious expression with great effort:

"Michael said that his results will not be worse than mine and Amare's. That means the Cleveland Cavaliers are at least a team at the Eastern Conference semifinal level. So they can't lose tonight. The Knicks are just leading temporarily. I believe that Michael and LeBron are not the kind of idiots who are untrustworthy, arrogant and incompetent."

The more Roger said this, the more confident the fans became in James and Jordan.

The higher the expectations, the greater the disappointment. Therefore, Roger does not mind raising people's expectations for Michael Jordan and LeBron James.

For the sake of his beloved Michael Jordan and LeBron James, Roger is willing to be slapped in the face once.

Anyway, it’s not me who is in pain.

Just consider this as punishment for not respecting the GOAT enough.

(End of this chapter)