Champions Creed

Chapter 362 Chapter 361: The most arrogant and domineering interview scene in history (asking for monthly tickets!)

Bill Russell and Roger made a joke while presenting the award.

He held up three fingers: "I didn't expect someone would be only three fingers behind me."

You can understand it as the humble, low-key and team-oriented Bill Russell during his playing days falling in love with showing off when he got older.

Of course, you can also understand this as Bill Russell's heartfelt emotion and praise.

After all, in the modern basketball environment, no player can win eight championships - not even lucky role players can win eight championships.

Among those players who won eight championships, Tom Saunders retired in 1973, and KC Jones ended his coaching career in 92.

Tom Heinsohn ended his playing career in 65 and his coaching career in 78. The ultimate winner, John Havlicek, was the closest to modern basketball among all the players with eight championships, but he also retired in 78.

As for those who have more championships, Sam Jones has 10 and Bill Russell has 11, and they both reached their peak in the 60s.

All of the above-mentioned people, whether they are stars or role players, can be regarded as players of that ancient era.

And they have one thing in common: they are all Celtics.

Their astonishing number of championships basically all have something to do with Bill Russell, and are all related to the immortal eight consecutive championships with a strong green mark.

They created the Bill Russell dynasty and also reaped the benefits of the Bill Russell dynasty.

Roger is the only player who can win eight championships alone in the more competitive modern basketball environment and has nothing to do with the Celtics dynasty!

And he has one more thing than those mentioned above, that is FMVP.

In the era of Bill Russell, the league did not have the Finals MVP award. Roger won eight championships and eight Finals MVPs, which means that all the championship seasons in his career were officially recognized as the best player on the championship team!

For ordinary players, winning the championship means everything.

But for a superstar, it also means a lot to know who is the best player on a championship team.

Roger's achievements are already quite terrifying. He has created miracles that people can't imagine in the modern basketball environment.

In the NBA, there are many things that are considered unrepeatable.

No one can replicate Dominic Wilkens' dunks that are both powerful and beautiful, no one can replicate Vince Carter's graceful flight. No one can replicate Michael Jordan's extreme pull-up shots, no one can replicate Kobe Bryant's powerful shots. If you force imitation, it is likely to end up being abstract.

Bill Russell's 11 championships were once considered an unrepeatable miracle, a product of a specific era.

But now, some people are getting infinitely close to this number.

The reason why the discussion about GAOT is controversial is that there are no hard and fast standards.

If championships are the only consideration, then even Michael Jordan, who won six championships in the original timeline, would not be ranked in the top five, let alone a player who won four championships.

If the only consideration is scoring, then how do we rank the 10-time scoring champion and the all-time scoring champion?
Comparing MVPs? Kareem Abdul-Jabbar can beat Jordan.

No matter who you say is the GOAT, there are always points about that person that can be refuted.

And Roger is ending this controversy, because if this momentum continues, Roger will become a perfect best in history.

No matter from which angle you compare him, Roger will be the best one.

So, Bill Russell's words sounded more like a compliment.

In 1995, when he presented Roger with the FMVP trophy for the first time, he could never have imagined that it would be his first contact with the true God.

After the award ceremony, Roger and all the Warriors players waved goodbye to the fans in the stands.

Tonight really is the Warriors' swan song at the Oakland Arena. Starting next season, the Warriors will end their 33-year history in Oakland.

This is the inevitable path for the team to become great. Small Oakland is destined to be unable to bear the ambitions of Roger and Mikhail Prokhorov.

San Francisco, a metropolis, more exposure and sponsorship, and even driving the development of the entire Mission Bay, this is what the Warriors need today.

So, Oakland fans will just have to accept this.

In fact, now they have fewer complaints in their hearts, only blessings.

All Oaklanders received a gift from the basketball gods tonight. Roger did not leave his territory empty-handed, which is enough for Oakland fans.

Walking into the player tunnel, Roger saw a nervous John Cage.

After the game, John Cage was told that he had received an invitation from a certain player and wanted to talk to him in the player tunnel.

At this moment, he was looking at everything in the player's tunnel curiously like a child, smiling and nodding at every staff member who passed by.

Roger walked up to him and waved, "All that's missing from this perfect night is your dancing, John."

When John Cage saw Roger, it was like seeing God himself. The admiration and awe in his eyes were like water overflowing from a washbasin.

"You specifically came to see me, and you even remembered my name?"

"Of course, I know I'm going to be 29 soon, and I can no longer use my youth to label myself. But please, 29 is not the age for Alzheimer's disease." Roger saw John Cage's close-up several times on the big screen today, so he knew he was there.

Don't ask why the live camera always gives a close-up of an ordinary fan from time to time, because you never know whether John Cage will suddenly give you a surprise.

It’s a pity that John Cage didn’t take off his clothes or dance today.

But Roger still wanted to talk to this passionate fan.

"Oh, God!"

"There's no need to call me that."

"No, I mean okay, you're God! But I mean, damn." John was so excited that he was incoherent and could hardly control his emotions.

Roger patted his shoulder and said, "I really like your dancing. It gives me joy and faith. I hope that after we move to San Francisco, you can come to watch the competition often."

"I try my best, but you know, as an ordinary person who needs to work, it is really difficult to make time to travel through two adjacent cities on game day."

"I'll have the team give you season tickets."

"No, no, no, I can't accept your gift without a reason. Or rather, you have given us enough gifts. If I have time, I will go to Oracle Arena with my unborn baby!"

"Hahaha, I look forward to seeing your dance in San Francisco. Good night John, enjoy the night." After that, Roger gave John Cage a signed jersey, "Here, consider it a gift from me to your children."

After doing all this, Roger continued to walk towards the locker room, where the sweet taste of champagne was waiting for him.

But just after taking two steps out, John Cage, holding the jersey in his hands and with a blank mind, seemed to remember something and shouted, "Roger, there is something!"

"Huh?" Roger stopped and turned his head.

"Even if the team moves to San Francisco, all of us will still support you. Maybe you are a taxi driver, maybe you are an office worker, maybe you are a high school kid, maybe you are an ordinary sanitation worker. Every time the Warriors play, we will cheer for you, and everyone in Oakland will continue to support you!
You are the only king here!"

Roger smiled and nodded, then continued walking towards the locker room.

He had received such support in Atlanta.

To be honest, Roger loves this feeling, it's as sweet as winning the championship.

At the end of the day, if the fans recognize you, you are the real GOAT.

The fans call you the King, and you are the real king.

Honors, data, records. What’s the use of them no matter how beautifully they are customized?
In every city where Roger is, the fans there will follow him wholeheartedly, which is what separates great players from ordinary players.

After returning to the locker room, Roger was ambushed as expected.

Almost everyone on the Warriors team was holding champagne and spraying Roger crazily.

But Roger did not avoid it. The last time he celebrated was two years ago, and he was already thirsty.

He wore goggles, opened his arms and mouth as wide as he could, greedily sucking in the nectar of victory.

After the crazy celebration, Roger's work day was not over yet.

He changed his clothes and attended the press conference with Spoelstra.

The press conference after the finals is the most tiring time for reporters and players. After all, it is often already early in the morning when the game and celebration are over.

But because it is the last press conference of the season, everyone will be very excited no matter how late it is.

After Roger walked into the press conference wearing sunglasses, he took a bottle of champagne and placed it on the table, then snapped his fingers. Then, a group of staff members outside the door held trophies and placed them in front of Roger.

Soon, the table was filled with the championship trophy, MVP trophy, DPOY trophy, FMVP trophy and a very special, oval-shaped Pete Rozelle trophy, which is used to honor the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player.

There is no doubt that as soon as Roger placed these trophies on the table, he attracted the flashes of cameras in the hands of all the reporters in the audience.

Reporters also asked questions.

"Roger, have you and Tom exchanged the trophy yet?"

"Yes, you know, for a man like me who is almost 30 years old, it is very important to keep fresh. Don't get me wrong, I just think my closet needs some different decorations.

But I still have other FMVP trophies to bring, and I believe I am the first person who can bring so many trophies to the press conference. "Show off, naked show off.

Roger did not hide his desire to show off at all. He won the trophy with his own ability. Why should he hide it? How many people in NBA history can win so many trophies in one season?
Just one, Hakeem Olajuwon.

He is the only player in NBA history to have a grand slam season, winning the first team, first defense, MVP, DPOY, championship, and finals MVP in 94. Yes, it was such a dominant guy who defeated Roger in his rookie period, and many people at that time actually concluded that "Roger is a boaster."

To be honest, Roger felt that the world was crazy at that time.

Fortunately, his current achievements have made him not need to make any excuses for the failure of his rookie season.

This is a very brilliant achievement. If the person who did this was named LeBron James, fans would know how valuable this achievement is.

And now Roger has replicated this, and what makes him even more perfect than Dream Team is that Dream Team was third on the scoring list that year, while Roger was also ranked first on the scoring list.

So, Roger didn't think he had anything to be modest about.

He showed off his honors to his heart's content, a small reward for his hard work throughout the season.

After putting away a pile of trophies, Roger leaned back in his chair and put his legs on the table: "Ask."

This is probably the most arrogant interview scene in NBA history.

The camera flash and the reflection of the trophy made Spoelstra unable to open his eyes. He finally understood why Roger wore sunglasses to the press conference.

At this moment, brilliance is no longer just an illusory metaphor for a player, but a real glare.

On the side, the Warriors' female press officer handed Spoelster a pair of sunglasses with a smile: "You might need this, coach."

The next day, the most arrogant championship photo in NBA history appeared on the covers of major sports magazines and newspapers.

The scene of Roger putting his legs on the table with trophies in front of him is destined to become one of the most classic scenes in NBA history.

Crazy, this guy is really crazy.

But when a player wins more trophies in a season than 99% of players win in their entire careers, his arrogance is not offensive to most people.

Of course, there are definitely a few people who are disgusted by what Roger did.

This person is not Pistons coach Rick Carlisle, nor is he a Pistons player.

But it was the Dream Team coach Larry Brown.

The Dream Team training camp will open in half a month. The popularity of the Olympics, World Championships and America's Cup is completely different. Although there is still half a month before the training camp opens, more and more reporters are attending the routine press conference.

Larry Brown can feel this kind of attention. Basketball is a major sport that shows Americans their superiority and pride to the world. Even if there is no suspense every year, it still attracts a lot of attention every year.

What's more, this year is not without suspense.

In 2002, when the Dream Team lost to Argentina, 99% of Americans couldn't even find the country of Argentina on the map. Americans have never experienced such humiliation.

Although the America's Cup has been revenged once, it is not enough.

Only revenge at the Olympics can be considered true revenge.

In addition to Argentina, this year there is also the much-anticipated Chinese team.

Therefore, this Dream Team, which carries the American basketball revival plan, has received far more attention than the two teams in 2000 and 1996, and is infinitely close to that in 1992.

"Larry, has the training camp roster been confirmed?"

"Yes, we are currently confirming the college players who will practice with the team, including Andre Iguodala from the University of Arizona and Devin Harris from the University of Wisconsin. You know, it is getting harder and harder to find players to practice with in college. I don't know when it started, but players have been rejecting college basketball and have joined the NBA after high school. This year's lottery will be made up of half of the players from high school."

"Coach, the guy who started the high school draft wave won the NBA championship last night and became the second player in history to have a Grand Slam season. What do you think of this? By the way, did you see the classic photo of Roger being interviewed?"

"That was a victory for the Warriors, not Roger. Marcus Camby and Amar'e Stoudemire contributed more than 20 rebounds and four or five blocks in every game. Alan Houston pulled the defense, Cuttino Mobley provided firepower in the transition period, and Tayshaun Prince made it difficult for Richard Hamilton to move. These are all part of the game.

The outcome of a game is decided by more than a dozen people. Behind Roger is the strongest interior defensive combination in the league, and Chauncey Billups faces the pressure and help defense of the entire Warriors defense line.

If you understand these, you won't easily shout out simple and brainless slogans like "so and so easily beat so and so". I don't know why Roger did that, piling up all the trophies in front of him. In fact, the championship is not something he can win alone."

Larry Brown was one of the few people who disagreed with Roger at this time. Anyone who was sane would admit that Roger had achieved great success this season. Although Larry Brown did not directly deny Roger, he was also sarcastic.

In fact, Larry Brown is happy about Roger's achievement because he is the only one who can beat the "Immortal Legend" this summer.

Think about it, Larry Brown led this Dream Team, crushed Argentina and the glorious Roger, and completely saved the Dream Team from decline. Then, he will become the greatest coach in the history of the Dream Team, no one else.

For many years, the Dream Team coach was more of a symbol because they didn't even need to call a timeout during the game.

Only Larry Brown is responsible for ensuring the team's victory.

By then, all of Roger's brilliance will become Larry Brown's wedding dress.

This is a crucial summer in his career, he must seize the opportunity!

After answering a few questions from reporters, Larry Brown clapped his hands and said, "Okay, you can leave the other questions to the players."

The reporters were a little surprised, as they didn't know there would be players participating in today's press conference.

After a while, LeBron James and Allen Iverson walked into the press conference wearing national team jerseys.

This is the Dream Team's surprise for the reporters, and it's time for the players to show up.

For a moment, reporters' attention was focused on AI and the Chosen One, just like a photographer seeing a car model at a car show.

Larry Brown was also happy to have no more time to answer stupid questions from stupid reporters.

AI considers itself the leader of this dream team and has been answering questions in a leader's tone.

"I will lead the team out of this difficult situation."

"I will use my experience to help the team. You know, I played internationally when I was in college."

"I have played against Yao and Roger many times. I know them and I know how to beat them."

LeBron James believes that he was invited by Larry Brown to attend the press conference because he was valued by the coach.

He will definitely turn everything around this summer!
"I'm very excited. It has always been my dream to play for my country."

"Of course, our goal is to win the championship. This is the only goal of the Dream Team. I know the order of international basketball has changed dramatically, but our goal remains the same."

"Michael was great. He made NBA players known to the world in Barcelona in 1992. I think we are about to replicate that."

Whether it is AI or LeBron James, it can be seen that they are looking forward to the summer Olympics.

Yes, the Argentines are strong, and the Chinese team also has superstar Roger joining.

But few members of the Dream Team thought they would lose the Olympic championship. Since NBA professional players have participated in the Olympics, this has been the Americans' bag. From Larry Brown to AI to the Chosen One, they all felt that they had the opportunity to step over the heads of the best players in the world.

They all laughed very happily.

After the press conference, Larry Brown was about to return to his office, but LeBron James caught up with him and called out, "Coach!"

Larry Brown turned his head to look at James and adjusted his glasses. His eyes behind the glasses were somewhat cold, completely different from his face at the press conference: "What's up, LeBron?"

"Coach, I just want to tell you that I am ready and ready to contribute to the team!"

Larry Brown thought the kid was sick.

Why was he saying this to himself?
He doesn't really think that this year's Olympics has anything to do with him, does he?

Larry Brown chooses new players to join the team, more because he hopes they can serve as high-level sparring partners.

Larry Brown asked LeBron James to attend today's press conference simply because he has rested for too long - Carmelo Anthony, also a rookie, played in the first round of the playoffs, and Dwyane Wade even made it to the conference semifinals. They also need to rest, and only LeBron James, who was kicked out by Michael Jordan, has the least time.

Play?

Let a kid who was in high school a year ago play in the Olympics?
Unless you are crazy.

Of course, Larry Brown couldn't have said that.

He just nodded: "Good LeBron, I get it."

After saying that, he turned and walked away, like an adult who was just brushing off a child.

James stood there, pumping his fist lightly, dreaming of the glory of summer.

Larry Brown returned to the office and shook his head. This is why he doesn't like to use new people, because children like to fantasize.

A kid dreaming of becoming famous by competing in the Olympics?
No, that honor will only belong to AI, Duncan, Stephen Marbury, Roger's old teammate Shawn Marion, and Jermaine O'Neal.

But in the final analysis, these honors will belong to him, the famous coach of the Dream Team!

This is the difference between him and children. He never fantasizes and always considers things from a practical perspective.

(End of this chapter)