Champions Creed

Chapter 345 Chapter 344: Roger first, Michael second, and then the others (ask for monthly tickets!)
In a dance that combined grace and violence, Michael Jordan's last dance ended.

When he averaged 1993 points per game and defeated the Flying Pigs to win the championship in 41, Michael Jordan did not celebrate wildly or feel heartbroken.

He just hid in the physical therapy room, where only ESPN reporters were, and then lit a cigar alone.

At the golden age of 30, when he completed the miracle of three consecutive championships and became the best basketball player in the world, he was extremely calm.

At that time, Michael Jordan, who was standing at the top, would never have thought that 11 years later, he would cry for the qualification for the playoffs.

To be precise, the Atlanta Hawks have not yet fully qualified for the playoffs. Whether they can make it depends on the results of the last game day.

Only if the Cavaliers lost on the last day could Michael Jordan safely secure the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference.

But Jordan believed that the Cleveland Cavaliers had no chance of winning on the final game day, after all, their opponent was the defending champion Pistons.

That's right, the Pistons have started resting their players in the last three games, and the playing time of the regular starters has been strictly limited by Rick Carlisle.

But the defending champions' hard power is there, and even if the starting lineup's playing time is limited, they are not easy to deal with.

Didn’t the Warriors destroy the Cavaliers while resting their players last time?

Some people would say that the Cavaliers lost the game because Roger tried his best to defend James.

Does anyone really think that the stubborn Ron Artest won't do his best to defend James?

Therefore, the probability that the Hawks will eventually get a playoff spot is very high.

In any case, Michael Jordan did not let his playoff qualification be ruined by himself. He beat that damn shameless bastard and pushed the Cavaliers, who originally only needed to win one of the last three games to enter the playoffs, to the edge of the cliff.

He had burned himself out completely and had nothing to regret.

Jordan sat in front of his locker and calmed down for a long time. Pippen was next to him, but he didn't say a word.

The two old guys just sat there, seeming to sort out their long and messy memories.

The other members of the Eagles team did not disturb them. Everyone knew that after such an intense and soul-stirring game, the two old men really needed some sage time to relax.

Ten minutes later, Pippen broke the silence between the two.

"I got three rings in Chicago, four more in Atlanta. A lot of people forget that I already have more rings than Larry Bird, more than Magic Johnson, more than Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. And here I am with seven rings and I'm just happy to have a chance to make the playoffs. Can you believe it, Michael? This is unreal."

"At least it's decent Scott," Jordan's expression was very calm, repeating what he said before the game, "At least it's decent."

After saying this, Michael Jordan smiled.

He was relieved, thinking he had made LeBron James pay a heavy price for his backstabbing.

The cost of not making the playoffs?

No, no, no, it's much more than that.

If the Cavaliers lose to the Pistons again, if James has a good situation in which he can enter the playoffs by winning one of three games but messes everything up, the overwhelming criticism from the public will surely let James know what the price is!
By then, the people at Nike and LeBron James will no longer have any excuses.

Michael Jordan was actually very glad that he was traded by the Cavaliers. Otherwise, if the Cavaliers failed to make the playoffs, he would have to bear the blame.

Nike is now clearly committed to supporting James, even if it means using its former top player Jordan as a stepping stone. So if Jordan is on the Cavaliers and the Cavaliers don't make the playoffs, the final public opinion will definitely be like this: "LeBron tried his best, it's all Michael's fault for dragging his feet."

Now, the whole world knows that the Cavaliers can't make the playoffs entirely because of LeBron James' own incompetence.

After all, he himself made it to the playoffs after Michael Jordan left.

Thinking of this, Michael Jordan felt that the last season of his career didn't seem so bad.

As the strongest second player in the 90s, he might not be able to deal with Roger, but wouldn't it be easy for him to suppress LeBron James?

On the other side, at the Cavaliers' press conference, LeBron James' emotions were all written on his face.

He hasn't smiled since he entered the press conference, and his expression looks like he has eaten two mating flies.

The 19-year-old boy had empty eyes, completely lacking the vigor of a young player.

LeBron James in this timeline is unfortunate.

In the original history, LeBron James had the support of Nike, but now Nike's influence in the league can't help him much.

In the original history, LeBron James' biggest rival was Carmelo Anthony. But now, he has to face Michael Jordan and Roger, two generations of basketball gods.

In the original history, even if LeBron James' team record was far worse than Melo's, he still had Nike's publicity machine to cover him.

But now, when LeBron James was beaten by Roger and Michael Jordan in succession, no one can help him cover up the fact of failure.

What happened in the last two games is enough to make any 19-year-old boy depressed for the entire summer.

Of course, under normal circumstances, it is normal for a rookie to lose to two superstars. Even a 41-year-old superstar is not so easy to beat.

But the problem is that Nike has always used the highest-level resources and the most unscrupulous publicity to promote LeBron James. Even Penny was not as valued as James back then.

This unscrupulous publicity has infinitely raised fans' expectations of James, making him more popular than any other rookie.

So accordingly, he has to take risks that other rookies don't have.

Now, he has to face the risk of "the publicity not matching the actual product".

"LeBron, is the Cavs' playoff window still open?"

The reporter finally asked this cruel question, which is what LeBron James had to face.

James didn't want to make any more promises, and didn't want to say that he was 100% sure to beat the Pistons. But he had just announced yesterday that he would surpass Michael Jordan and Roger, and now he can't even make the playoffs, which would make him look stupid.

"Of course it's still open. It's a pity to lose the game tonight, but we still have a chance." James used an ambiguous statement to try to prevaricate.

But the reporter would not give him a chance to escape.

"You mean, you have confidence that you can beat the defending champion Detroit Pistons in the next game?"

Reporters don't care if the person in front of them is a 19-year-old kid, they will just throw the most pointed questions one after another.

Silence, this was the most embarrassing silence LeBron James had ever experienced in his life.

He had no confidence to answer this question at all.

The Pistons' record this season is unlikely to change due to the result of the last game, which is the only good news for LeBron James.

But he still didn't have the confidence.

He bit his fingernails at the press conference and answered hesitantly: "I have confidence."

This is an interview scene that is enough to disappoint all Cleveland fans. The murderous aura of their chosen one lasted just one game and seemed to disappear again because of the defeat.

As expected, Charles Barkley fired at James on the show: "Oh my God, look at him, look at his evasive eyes and panicked demeanor at the press conference, and compare it with Michael and Roger before. I can't believe this is the most watched super genius in the past few years. Admit it, LeBron has no chance of becoming a superstar. The Cavaliers' season is over!"

ESPN writer Bill Simmons even called him "the only person who blinded both Michael and me."

After the training, Roger was also asked about this by reporters. He certainly would not tell the reporter that he and Garnett went to the billiard club yesterday not to play billiards or order private lessons, but to sit in a private room and watch a basketball game all night.

Roger just pretended to be surprised: "I didn't watch the game last night at all. I don't know how the Cavaliers lost. I can't imagine how they lost to a team of old men. But this result is enough to show that LeBron is the most incompetent one among all those who tried to challenge me."

Roger mercilessly mocked Cleveland's No. 23, which reminded James of Jordan's words: "He is my curse and yours."

The curse seemed to have completely enveloped his head.

What was bad was not only the criticism from the media and Roger's ridicule, but also Ron Artest's response.

"That guy first said he wanted to kill Michael, then he said he wanted to kill Roger. Now, he's also talking about killing the defending champion? Does he want to listen to what he's saying? He can come and try. I will cure that kid's paranoia!"

Roger looked at the various news in the media and felt really sorry for James.

But as an old James fan, Roger definitely supports him spiritually.

It's just a little Ron Artest. It shouldn't be too difficult for my emperor to smash his face? Come on!

Facts have proved that Nike's marketing was successful. On the last game day of the regular season, LeBron James became the protagonist of the entire league.

His attention is comparable to that of a superstar. Even Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony, who have already confirmed their entry into the playoffs, are not as popular as James combined.

However, this enthusiasm was a bit off the mark, because fans across the United States were all watching the Cavaliers vs. Pistons game with a mentality of watching a joke.

They want to see how Nike and James shot themselves in the foot.

As soon as James entered the Palace of Auburn Hills, he was booed violently by the Pistons fans.

Although James hesitated at the press conference, he finally said that sentence, saying that he could beat the Detroit Pistons.

No fans of the defending champion team or players of the championship team can tolerate the provocation of a rookie, even if it is a timid provocation.

On the battlefield, whether you have the courage to raise your gun or not, as long as you hold a gun, the enemy will regard you as a threat and shoot you.

Ron Artest couldn't wait to "kill" LeBron James after he came on the court. He went straight to James who was warming up, butted his head against James's, and then poked his chest with his finger: "Boy, I don't like the tone you use when talking to the defending champion. Hasn't anyone taught you? You have to have the most basic respect for the champion!"

"Get away from Ron, stay away from him!" Michael Reed pushed Artest away. After all, he couldn't bear to see his teammate being bullied.

Artest completely ignored Reed and continued to be aggressive: "Don't touch me, you have nothing to do here, ugly shooter. If you want to join in, I will take care of you too."

"Who can you deal with with your face that was smashed by Roger? I'm afraid your eyeballs will fall out this time!"

"You fucking said that again!?"

Pushing and shoving were inevitable after the quarrel, and the scene immediately became restless as the two sides were about to break out in conflict before the game even started.

It looked like the fight was about to get out of control, until the man's voice appeared on the field, "Ron!"

Ben Wallace and Ron Artest's official medication for mania.

The problem was solved, Artest let go of Michael Reed's collar and pushed him out.

"Stay away from them. I don't want you to be sent off before you even start this game. Go back to your own half and warm up!" Big Ben walked up and scolded Artest, then glanced at Zhongde and nodded.

Although the Eagles of the dynasty have changed, the friendship between Michael Redd and Ben Wallace remains. Their personal relationship is not very good, but they will give each other face when they meet.

We are all Roger's friends, so it's not worth it.

Artest looked at Big Ben unhappily, but there was nothing he could do. He really couldn't beat that damn afro, so he could only obey and quietly retreat to his own half.

But before returning to his own half, Artest still did not forget to intimidate James: "As you know, our Mr. Afro is a good guy who likes to play remote control cars with children. But I am definitely not the kind of good guy who coaxes children. You will know after the game starts."

Back in his own half, Artest warmed up seriously, and then told everyone: "You don't have to do anything today, because the young leader of the Cavaliers will get 0 points."

Then, Artest was beaten up by James.

At the beginning of the game, James made a mid-range jump shot under Artest's defense.

The whole world knows that mid-range is not James's sweet spot, but he scored there. What can you do?
Well, just one round, just luck.

As a result, in the second round, James pulled back from his hips and made another mid-range shot!

Apart from the fact that his movements were a little stiff and his legs were a little too far apart, which made him not very attractive to watch, he was simply like Michael Jordan and Roger possessed!
"Ron, what are you doing!?" Seeing James easily score two goals, Big Ben began to roar in dissatisfaction.

Although the team is resting, as a team that emphasizes defensive discipline, Big Ben will never allow anyone to enter the playoffs with such a defensive state.

"Damn it, stop yelling at that afro! There's no way he can score from mid-range in the next round!"

Artest was not lying. LeBron James did not score any more mid-range goals in the next round. Artest used his relatively good lateral speed to perfectly block all of Cleveland No. 23's breakthrough routes.

So James scored from outside the three-point line!
"Three-pointer made! LeBron scored seven points in a row after the opening! The defending champion may already be thinking about the divisional finals opponent. This is definitely the worst defensive game of the Pistons throughout the season!" The live commentator was amazed at James' performance.

James found that he was in great form during warm-up today, so he tried mid-range shots and three-pointers after the start of the game. As everyone saw, his hot form carried over into the official game.

The 19-year-old James felt as refreshed as if his head had been submerged in water for a long time and was finally able to come out to breathe.

He glanced at Artest, who had boasted before the game, and muttered softly, "Oh, defending champion."

This completely angered Artest and caused him to make another mistake in the next round.

This time when the Pistons attacked, Artest took the ball and directly drove past James.

But he is like a totally unskilled director of a sleazy piano film, who only knows how to go straight to the point.

There was no fake move or change of direction in his breakthrough. He just ran straight into James, as roughly as a defensive end catching the fourth position.

Without a doubt, the referee blew the whistle and called an offensive foul on Ron Artest.

If actions like this are not called, there will be no way to play the game.

From the start till now, Artest has been a complete clown.

James was lying on the ground clapping, while Ben was scolding Artest again.

Artest's inner anger meter began to soar again, getting closer and closer to the critical point of explosion.

Throughout the first quarter, James' performance was perfect. He scored 11 points, 3 assists and 3 rebounds in a single quarter. He made Cleveland fans cheer and made the Hawks fans in front of the TV worry whether he was being punished for popping champagne at halftime.

James regained his confidence and vitality, and everyone felt that they were doomed. Roger even said that he was the most incompetent challenger.

Okay, today I will make you all stop laughing!
In the second quarter, James' magical touch remained.

Ron Artest's best strategy of letting his opponent shoot but not drive through completely failed today.

In the seventh minute of the second quarter, when James hit a turnaround jump shot from mid-range, the fans in the Palace of Auburn Hills were already furious to the extreme.

They couldn't believe that the defending champion Pistons were being slaughtered by an incompetent rookie.

"We all know that the Detroit Pistons are resting their players, but if they enter the playoffs in this state, they will definitely encounter a lot of trouble. Will Michael's efforts fall through?" The live commentator was disappointed with the Pistons' performance. Resting is one thing, but you can't even lose the face of the defending champions.

At this time, Rick Carlisle was about to replace Artest, who had rested for half a quarter. Carlisle had no grudge against James, and for him, it didn't matter whether it was Jordan or James who entered the playoffs as the eighth place.

But just like Ben Wallace and the live commentary award, the team cannot play the playoffs with this mentality.

He tapped the playbook and told Artest, "If you can't handle him, how are you going to handle Paul Pierce in Indianapolis? Do you want us to lose the championship?"

"Stop talking Rick, I'll take care of him right away!"

The timeout ended and Ron Artest came on the court cursing.

In the first offense after returning, Artest's three-pointer bounced off the rim just as stiffly as James'.

James gave a mocking smile, then ran forward and fought back.

After receiving the ball, Eric Snow chose to pass it directly to James. Artest, who was angry, jumped up rashly to intercept it, but the basketball brushed past his fingertips and finally fell into James' hands.

Big Ben on the bench clenched his fists: "That idiot is being swayed by his emotions again, bastard!"

This rash jump and steal made Artest miss the best opportunity to stop James. He could only chase him as much as possible after landing, and then directly grabbed James' jersey with both hands when James jumped for a layup.

But James still managed to score the ball even though he was being held back. At the same time, the referee blew the whistle and Artest gave James a chance to shoot a three-pointer!

"Damn it, damn it! Replace him, Rick, I don't want to watch it anymore!" Big Ben roared on the bench.

The Pistons fans booed.

Artest was yelling at the referee.

And LeBron James, the young man who finally felt proud, raised his arms and pointed to his back.

He wasn't referring to the name on the back of his jersey, but the tattoo on his back: Chosen.1!

James looked at Artest and said nothing, but that proud smile seemed like he was cursing Artest in the dirtiest language.

At this time, Roger had already played the Warriors' last regular season game, easily defeating the Utah Jazz.

Back in the locker room, Roger saw the game between the Cavaliers and the Pistons on the TV in the locker room.

He was amazed when he saw the Pistons were actually falling behind.

These damn Detroit blue-collar guys always mess up in the regular season and then wreak havoc in the playoffs.

Can't you guys put more thought into the regular season?

Subsequently, James made the free throw and the Cleveland Cavaliers led by 7 points.

All of Cleveland is cheering for James. It's never too late to be a hero.

Few people noticed that Ron Artest's gaze had completely turned into that of an animal.

At the moment when James made the celebration gesture, Artest had already decided to show off the basketball skills he learned at Roger's training camp last summer!
The Pistons were on offense, and James stood with his arms outstretched in front of Artest. The spirited teenager decided to imitate the adults and say a few words to drive his opponents crazy.

"Ron, thank you so much for showing me the strength of the defending champion. I am sweating profusely."

"The ball, give me the ball, I'll teach this bastard a lesson!" Artest shouted angrily at Billups.

But Chauncey Lupus is not the kind of point guard who has no opinion. He waved his hand, signaling Artest to calm down, and then called a pick-and-roll. In short, he did not respond to Artest.

This made Artest feel that he had lost face in front of the rookies.

Billups broke through with the help of a screen, entered the inside and made a high layup against Big Z guarding the basket.

As one of the originators of the magic ball guard, Billups rarely shoots from mid-range. Once he breaks through, his goal is often to attack the basket directly.

The current Big Z is not a particularly good defensive player, his mobility is too poor.

However, his height has always been an insurmountable obstacle.

Billups' layup bounced out of the rim, and the Cavaliers had another chance to widen the score.

But before Big Z could jump up to grab the rebound, he felt someone roughly push him away. Then, the guy jumped up to grab the basketball, and before he even landed, he gently let go and successfully made a tip-in.

It was Ron Artest, who had followed Billups immediately after seeing him break through. As expected, Billups did not disappoint him.

After making a tip-in, Artest excitedly raised his arms and waved them vigorously.

This time, mixed with all the unhappy emotions he had felt since the beginning of the game!

However, this celebration caused him to "accidentally" hit LeBron James' chest with his elbow.

I'll show you what real basketball skills are!
"boom!"

With a loud bang, James suddenly felt unbearable pain and squatted on the ground, holding his chest.

Artest walked away pretending nothing had happened. The new techniques he learned in Roger's training camp last summer finally had room to be put to use!
Seeing this scene, Roger was stunned.

Wait, this time, the rib disaster won't happen.
Or you can also say that Ron Artest's elbow eventually fell on James.

After the referee blew the whistle, Artest spread his hands innocently: "What? I was just celebrating."

James stood up again, but still felt the pain in his chest had not eased.

After brief questioning by the team doctor, they decided to have LeBron James go off the court for a full body check-up.

Although Artest used his celebration as a cover, he was still called for a technical foul.

But Artest doesn't care. According to NBA rules, technical fouls in the regular season will not be carried into the playoffs. He doesn't have to worry about being suspended from the playoffs due to too many technical fouls in the regular season.

Watching James passing by him, Artest smiled and said, "Remember, kid, don't joke about the defending champion!"

In the subsequent games, LeBron James did not play again, and the Cleveland Cavaliers lost the final playoff spot battle.

At this point, the biggest suspense of the 03-04 regular season was finally revealed.

The Cleveland Cavaliers finished the season in ninth place in the Eastern Conference and missed the playoffs.

Two hours later, a reporter broke the news online that LeBron James had a broken rib and needed to rest for a while.

In the end, the goat's bones were still broken, but it wasn't necessarily which goat it was.

Artest spread his hands at the press conference: "I showed my full set of basketball skills tonight, LeBron? Oh, it was just a sad accident. But I hope he can learn a valuable lesson in Detroit, that is, don't say casually that he can beat the defending champion, don't say casually that he can beat anyone. He is still too weak, he is not qualified at all."
-
Roger really didn't expect that this would be the final outcome for LeBron James.

This was undoubtedly a bad rookie season for Nike and James.

Their overestimation of their own capabilities led to their own downfall.

Michael Jordan made it to the playoffs, and the second place team in the 90s completed their mission.

Next, it’s the turn of the No. 90 from the s to complete the mission.

At the end of the regular season, the top eight teams in the Western Conference were the Warriors, Timberwolves, Spurs, Lakers, Kings, Mavericks, Grizzlies and Denver Nuggets.

This means that Roger's first opponent will be a rookie again, and he will face Carmelo Anthony.

This round of competition will not be a big problem for Roger, but starting from the second round, almost every round will be a tough battle.

The second round opponent is decided between the Lakers and the Kings. Out of absolute trust in Chris Webber, Roger believes that the Lakers are more likely to win.

The Warriors' record against the Lakers this season is 2-2. Karl Malone's support and defense are rare treasures for the Lakers. And he always uses his rich experience and still strong body to make Stoudemire very uncomfortable, limiting the Warriors' second scoring point.

Steve Nash is still excellent. He can unleash all of Kobe's strength in the off-ball stage, and can play powerful pick-and-rolls with Karl Malone, increasing the Lakers' means of breaking through defense.

Of course, the toughest guy on the Lakers is still Kobe.

You can say this was the lowest point in Kobe Bryant's life, but it was definitely the beginning of his true peak in terms of pure strength in his playing career.

He was still a jerk, being spurned by the nation for his strong-arm offense, and choosing to deliberately not take a shot in a certain game to respond to the media because he was criticized for taking too many shots. His relationship with the Zen Master became increasingly worse, to the point where the Zen Master directly confronted the media: "I can't coach Kobe at all, he is not coachable."

But in contrast, Kobe averaged 32.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game. He has lost his youth and skinny body, and he is the most terrifying scoring machine in the league except Roger.

His technique has reached perfection and there are almost no shortcomings.

His defense is as good as ever, and he can always brutally bite his opponents when necessary.

This is Kobe this season, the contradictory Kobe.

Roger doesn't care about Kobe's life off the court, but he is sure of one thing - the guy who once tried so hard to imitate him will not be as easy to deal with as before.

If they get past the second round, the Warriors' opponent will probably be the winner between the Spurs and the Timberwolves.

It will definitely be a tough battle no matter who you meet.

There is no need to say much about the greatness of peak Duncan, not to mention that the 04 Spurs in history also had Payton and the Admiral.

Minnesota's three-headed monster is very strong. The reason they failed to reach the top in the original timeline was largely because Cassell was injured midway through the playoffs.

As for the finals, whether it is the Pierce version of the Pacers or the Artest version of the Pistons that make it out of the East, they are definitely not easy opponents.

As many media said before the start of the season, this is a competitive season. There are too many teams qualified to compete for the championship, and the Warriors are just one of them.

But Roger always enjoys the bloody showdown in the playoffs.

In fact, the more dangerous the game is, the more excited he will be.

In the first round of the playoffs, Roger did not give any face to his little fan Carmelo Anthony.

In the first game, Roger turned on the switch to take over the game, scoring 40 points and making 6 of 5 three-pointers!
The biggest problem for the Nuggets is defense. Andre Miller is an excellent defender, but he is only a point guard after all. Carmelo Anthony is very active in defense against Roger, but his skills are too poor and he is completely a headless fly.

Moreover, when Anthony invests too much on the defensive end, his efficiency on the offensive end, which is extremely dependent on his touch, will decline visibly.

Today, Anthony played too hard on defense, which resulted in him only scoring 35 points with a 15% shooting percentage.

He doesn't know how to distribute his energy, he doesn't know how to read defense, and he doesn't know how to create value in the playoffs.

After all, he's just a rookie.

But he's a much more likable rookie than LeBron James.

After the game, the baby-faced Anthony hugged his idol with a grin: "Damn, I felt like Pat Riley was forced to fail."

Anthony continued to be restricted in the second game. Although his shooting percentage was higher than the previous game, reaching 45%, he still only scored 15 points.

Roger didn't take too many shots, only 17 times, hitting 11 balls, and scoring 64 points with a hit rate of 31%.

He also had 10 assists and 11 rebounds.

A triple-double in the playoffs was not uncommon for Roger, so few reporters even boasted about it.

G3 was a game where the Nuggets played with great momentum. Anthony scored 20+ for the first time in the playoffs, and Andre Miller stuck out his fat butt and scored 19 points over Alan Houston's head.

But Roger and Stoudemire's combined 56 points made Anthony and Miller's efforts come to naught. The Nuggets only lost by single digits this time, but it was still a loss after all.

The Warriors easily got the match point 3-0. Most of the time, Roger handled the first round in a simple and rough way, and never wasted time if he could sweep the game.

There was no need to play in the fourth game. Melo, who had lost his spirit, was lost in G4. He missed shots crazily in various ways imitating Roger's postures.

Stoudemire beat Brazilian Nene badly, scoring 37 points, 14 rebounds and 4 blocks.

That night, some domestic websites even came up with such a news headline: Roger taught by example, Amare "tears" Nene fiercely!
The Warriors won the first round with overwhelming force, but Carmelo Anthony was not sad, after all, this was only his first year: "I will come to challenge you again!"

Watching Melon leave, Roger felt a little emotional.

One playoff game with 20+ points, one playoff first round average of 15+4+5 (Wade), and no playoff appearance.

So, guess which one is the most popular?
Although Nike's influence is declining now, Wade and Melo have not signed with Reebok, so they still do not have an advantage in publicity.

LeBron James is not as good as the best, but he is more than good enough compared to the worst.

But it doesn’t matter. This is only the first season of the 03 generation and they still have a lot of room to maneuver.

But as long as Roger is there, he guarantees to provide a fair and just environment for everyone.

In a league ruled by Roger, no one can rely on media hype and fraud.

Back in the locker room, Roger took out his cell phone and found an unread text message from Kobe.

This was the first time Kobe had texted Roger this season.

To be exact, it was the first time we had private contact.

He sent only one word.

"Wait."

Roger's response was also simple.

"Wait for you."
-
Cleveland fans took to the streets to demand that the league ban Ron Artest. --The Cleveland Plain Dealer

I repeat, I beat LeBron with pure basketball skills, no one can deny that. So why was I suspended? Because of an unexpected incident that no one could have expected? - Ron Artest on breaking James' ribs with his elbow

My career is over, and I will never play again as a player. Yes, I won't use the word 99.9% this time. You don't want to see a nearly 50-year-old man shooting on the court, do you? Although the action is definitely smoother than some 19-year-olds. - Michael Jordan announced his third retirement after losing to the Pacers in the first round of the playoffs.

You know, Roger and Michael are both great players, and the time spent working with them was wonderful. Well, at least most of the time it was wonderful. If you really have to rank them, Roger is first, Michael is second, and then the others. - Scott Pippen talks about the historical ranking of Roger and Michael Jordan, two old teammates, at a press conference.

Michael Jordan glared at Pippen, but quickly shrugged: "Friends, this is a fact that I don't want to accept but cannot change."

(Today's update is 9400 words. I have something to do in the afternoon, so I will shorten it to 600 words. Don't worry, I won't update every day in the future. Whether it is a two-in-one chapter is based on the continuity of the plot and my time. I won't just pile up long chapters without thinking.)

(End of this chapter)