Champions Creed

Chapter 335 334: Get up, I allow you and LeBron to be my knights (ask for monthly tickets!)
All of Michael Jordan's efforts to ease his fear were in vain the moment Roger greeted him.

He did not step back intentionally, but did so unintentionally because he felt threatened.

He had never feared a game in his life, ever.

Even this season, even though he is 40 years old, he is not afraid of any of his previous opponents.

But would he be afraid? Of course he would, after all, Michael Jordan is not a real god. He chose to retire because he was afraid that he would not be able to defeat Roger and his career would decline further.

That's not about letting go of everything and laughing it off, it's about accepting the reality of failure helplessly.

In the bloody years of the 90s, Michael Jordan, at the peak of his career, formed one competitive lineup after another, but he still failed to beat Roger even once.

This was enough to cause permanent damage to Michael Jordan's heart.

You know, even after losing to the Pistons year after year, Jordan could still tell himself that "the future is promising."

But there is really no excuse for losing to Roger.

Michael Jordan has never been as worried about a specific game as he is today.

But as we all know, Roger is not even a human being.

He is vindictive and doesn't like anyone disrespecting him. Marcus Camby must have known this very well. On the day when he and Roger had a big fight in the locker room, Camby actually admitted his fault in the end, but he still got punched by Roger because he had grabbed Roger's collar before.

In Roger's opinion, it's no use just admitting your mistake. You have to pay something before the matter can be over and considered even.

And on the Cavaliers, there were not one but two people who disrespected Roger.

This past summer, Nike made a big splash about LeBron James' refusal to meet Roger.

Their promotional slogan for signing James was "Don't surrender to greatness, surpass greatness."

What this means is that James will not be inferior to Roger at Reebok, but will create his own legend at Nike.

He wasn't there to make friends, he was there to replace Roger.

But this was not a very decent thing for Roger.

Roger didn't care whether James signed with Reebok or not, but as a superstar, a rookie actually didn't buy into his account. What's more, this matter was widely publicized, making Roger a traffic springboard for LeBron James and Nike.

No one would feel decent about this.

So Jordan was certain that Roger would not let James and himself down tonight.

No one knows what he will do, but he will never just let it go.

Of course, there is another very important reason why he is afraid - he feels that he has seen clearly what kind of person LeBron James is.

Jordan expects James to be like himself, averaging 28+6+6 in his rookie year.

Or like Roger, even if he is not so versatile in his first year, his top scoring ability upon debut is enough to lead the team to the finals.

Before that, Jordan thought James could do it because of all the publicity, his dominance in high school and his terrifying talent. And Roger was also a high school rookie back then, if he could do it, why couldn't the Chosen One do it?
Partnering with such a strong rookie, plus Big Z, Boozer and himself, Michael Jordan really felt that the playoffs were the minimum and it was not impossible to get past the first round.

But reality slapped him hard in the face, and he would not be the first person to be slapped by LeBron James.

Michael Jordan is now very clear that No. 23, his most trusted partner and the source of all his self-confidence, is actually unreliable!

LeBron James cannot be compared with Jordan, who was already in his twenties in his rookie season, nor can he be compared with Roger, who entered the league at the age of 18.

In fact, as far as his rookie season is concerned, LeBron has no advantage even compared to his peers Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade.

It's bad enough that they can't be compared in terms of ability, but James doesn't even have the aura of a king.

What was Roger like in his rookie season? When Scott Pippen wanted to take advantage of him, he beat him up. When Michael Jordan wanted to teach him a lesson as a senior, Roger almost blew his eye out. Pat Riley was dismissive of the Bulls and Roger, so he and the Knicks experienced the worst death in the playoffs.

But what about LeBron?
He is very friendly to everyone. He is very happy when he wins, but losing is not a disaster for him.

This mentality prevents him from giving his all in some games.

And this gap in mentality is sometimes more fatal than the gap in technology.

If James has this kind of spirit, he will definitely perform exceptionally well in today's game.

It's a pity that LeBron James lacks that thing.

So, you are now facing a powerful opponent, but your partner is someone whose ability does not meet expectations and may retreat at any time. Wouldn’t you feel uneasy at this time?
Jordan realized that he was retreating in a very embarrassing way, something that even Reggie Miller had never done before, so he quickly took a step forward and said, "Roger, how are you?"

"You too Michael, how are the kids? How is your wife?"

"God bless you, it's all good. How about you, Roger? Are you not planning to get married yet?"

"There are so many souls in this world that need saving. I can't just save one of them. That would be immoral. You know, with great power comes great responsibility."

After the greetings, Roger still showed his hunter's teeth: "Michael, I'm curious, how are you going to lead the team into the second round."

"Don't worry about that!"

"No, no, no, of course I have to worry about it. After all, this is related to whether the great Michael is a liar who only knows how to brag. Don't worry, this is just a regular season game, it won't be played like a playoff game. I will just try to see if you are qualified to play in the divisional semifinals. If you are qualified, I will feel more relieved."

"Are you threatening me?"

"So what? You and LeBron, get ready."

After saying that, Roger turned around and walked back to his own half.

That was his ultimatum.

LeBron James, who was standing nearby, glanced at Jordan. Jordan clenched his fists, but this time he was not afraid, but determined to fight Roger. Everyone would be afraid, but Jordan also had the courage to face fear.

"LeBron," Jordan's brown eyes turned bloodshot again, "Didn't you hear me? Get ready! It's already happened, so we have to face it!"

Jordan expected to see the same angry expression on LeBron James' face, but he was disappointed.

James just nodded as if nothing happened: "Okay Michael."

The game was about to begin and the scene was extremely lively. Cleveland fans all held up signs with slogans such as "Enter the New Generation" written on them.

Roger didn't know why these people were so obsessed with the new era. What if we entered the new era? I'm still the champion.

The starting players of both teams took their positions. Roger and Eric Snow hugged each other and then retreated to the half court, waiting for the kick-off.

Mutombo got the ball, and although Big Z was still young, the same age as Roger, he looked even older than Mutombo because he had suffered a serious injury early on, and he couldn't jump at all.

The Warriors attacked and LeBron James was responsible for defending Roger.

But Roger did not attack right away, because Stoudemire had already shaken off Carlos Boozer with a counter-run.

Roger passed the ball, Stoudemire shot, Boozer's interference was not tight, but the basketball bounced out of the frame.

Xiao Si raised his hands apologetically: "My bad."

The Cavaliers counterattacked, and Eric Snow immediately passed the ball to Jordan after crossing half court. Jordan faced Prince and chose to face him with his back.

He arched twice, then rolled over and leaned back.

It must be admitted that Michael Jordan's ability is top-notch in the 40-year-old range.

His movements still look smooth, even smoother than a 19-year-old LeBron.

The basketball went into the net. It looked like Michael Jordan was in good shape tonight.

After one round, Roger passed the ball to Alan Houston who had a chance to run, but Michael Jordan unexpectedly accelerated and stole Roger's pass.

He is still experienced, and his physique? Better than in the previous games!

Jordan fought back hard, and Roger quickly chased after him. But when he got to the basket, Jordan passed the ball to James outside the three-point line.

The latter made a steady three-pointer and the Cavaliers started with a 5-0 lead!

"Listen to the sound of Gund Arena!" ESPN all-around commentator Al Michaels shouted, "This is the cry from Cleveland after releasing its repression! LeBron and Michael, they may really be able to clear the darkness!"

It turns out that it's not just the Cavaliers fans who are willing to believe in Jordan and James.

After all, the Cavaliers just won three games in a row, and Jordan and James are getting better and better.

This goal also made Roger realize that he must not take it lightly.

That No. 45 is here to fight.

Yes, he is 40 years old.

But don't expect him to stand with his hands on his hips or look around on defense.

At least tonight, he will burn what little energy he has left to fight for that slight chance of winning!

This is why so many people still like Michael Jordan even though he has a bad record off the court.

Because on the court, he is always pure.

Another bad news is that LeBron James seems to be in good shape today.

All the sports writers love to emphasize that LeBron's shooting is not good enough, which makes fans think that he can't shoot at all.

In fact, when he's in good form, he can knock down some jump shots, even from long range.

After 5-0, Roger's relaxed nerves tensed up.

Okay, okay, I know you guys are great, so let’s stop here.

The Warriors attacked again. Roger approached the three-point line and waved his hand, signaling everyone to move away.

Michael Jordan yelled, "LeBron, stick with him, where's the aggression?"

James followed the order and defended Roger, but he was too young. Roger dribbled past him. Michael Jordan wanted to help, but he was 40 years old after all, so his help was not that quick.

Roger went straight into the restricted area and solved the problem with a lob shot facing the basket guarded by Big Z.

2 to 5, Roger started to exert his strength.

"This is not the defensive Michael of a conference semifinal team. It's far from it."

Jordan did not respond, but immediately led the team to fight back.

Facing the tough Tayshaun Prince again, Jordan passed the ball to No. 23.

James's technique may be questionable, but his physical talent is unquestionable.

With the help of Big Z's screen, James has a very high success rate of breaking through against anyone.

As a result, facing Roger's defense, James actually passed the ball to Carlos Boozer!
The latter used his strong body to turn around and break through the basket, blocking Mutombo.

Jordan was almost mad. Was there anything wrong with LeBron James's choice? Actually, there was no problem.

But when there are no wide-open opportunities, why would you let Boozer take on the responsibility of attacking?

Basketball is not just about being reasonable!

The Warriors counterattacked. Roger dribbled the ball across half court and stopped suddenly. He seemed to hold the ball with both hands, and James jumped immediately.

As expected, Roger walked past him. That was just a complete fake bow.

After passing James, Roger took a mid-range jump shot, but to Roger's surprise, Michael Jordan caught up and slightly interfered with his shot.

God knows how a 40-year-old’s old arms and legs can grow so old so quickly.

All I can say is that his desire to win drained all his energy.

But in the end, the basketball hit the inside of the basket and bounced into the net.

"Michael, you guys can't even make the playoffs like this. Is this what you mean by surpassing me? Don't make me laugh! If that's the case, I'm willing to let my old friend wake up!"

Roger turned around and saw LeBron James, who looked miserable. "Did you enjoy using me as a gimmick in the summer? Did you enjoy being the chosen one? Did you enjoy the dream of replacing me? Now the fairy tale is over, bastard! Aren't you used to me being toyed with? You'll have plenty of time to get used to it later!"

A casual thing.

Eric Snow passed the ball to James again. This time he broke through with the help of a screen, but after taking a few steps, he passed the ball to Jordan.

Jordan made some triple-threat moves, then broke through to the left, created a little space and made a fadeaway jumper.

But Tayshaun Prince showed Jordan his defensive area, and Jordan thought he had opened up space, but in fact he hadn't.

Michael Jordan missed the mid-range shot under tight interference.

To be honest, few professional players can withstand the ravages of time, not even Michael Jordan. If Tayshaun Prince were in Jordan's prime, he would have been driven into autism because of the lack of strong opposition.

But now, he has become an insurmountable obstacle for Jordan.

Mutombo grabbed the rebound and the Warriors attacked again.

Roger didn't pass the ball. He didn't want to pass the ball. In fact, he had fallen in love with the feeling of watching the two summer blowing Liubi kings being defeated by reality.

Roger called for a pick-and-roll, but actually accelerated to the side where there was no cover, and the inexperienced James was completely fooled.

Again, even for a high school rookie, it took Roger many years to build a good defense.

But this time, Jordan suddenly attacked Roger from the side and went straight for the ball.

Michael Jordan still has the instinct of a predator. The timing of this shot was perfect both in terms of the attack and the timing of the shot.

But Roger reacted quickly. After discovering the threat, he almost instinctively changed his hands behind his back to avoid Jordan's steal. However, Jordan missed the steal because his center of gravity was too low, so he slid to his knees on the ground!
After shaking Jordan to his knees, Roger took a jump shot directly from outside the three-point line. James reacted a little too slowly, giving Roger some ineffective interference.

"brush!"

"Michael," Roger looked at Jordan who was kneeling on the ground mercilessly, "Get up. I allow you and LeBron to be my knights. But promise me, you two will never brag again. The king doesn't like it."

Michael Jordan's eyes were full of unwillingness, and LeBron James' eyes were lost.

Some people are 40 years old and appear to be afraid, but they are actually fighting hard.

Some people are only 19 years old. They appear calm on the surface, but are actually very scared.

What an irony.

Roger had thought that the fragile relationship between James and Jordan might be crushed by a certain game.

Now he realized that this might be that "some game."

As the final straw, Roger was very honored.

(End of this chapter)