Champions Creed

Chapter 392 Chapter 391: Let’s end with the Hall of Fame (ask for monthly tickets!)
While the Warriors and Lakers were in full swing in the Western Conference Finals, the New York Knicks had already eliminated the Detroit Pistons, who had previously dominated the entire Eastern Conference, with a total score of 4-2.

Facing this team known as the "best Knicks in history", the Detroit Pistons' defense seemed stretched.

仅仅二年级的德维恩.韦德在活塞头上打出了职业生涯代表作，场均27.8分4.2个篮板4.3次助攻1.7次抢断1.0次封盖。

Don't be surprised, after all, he is a player who reached the division semifinals as a core player in his first year.

Compared with other players of the 03 generation, Chris Bosh did not make it to the second round until 2011, and LeBron James had to wait until his junior year to break through the second round.

In the original timeline, Wade, who was in his third year, had already won the championship.

Dwyane Wade's breakthrough was described by Pistons coach Rick Carlisle as "something that neither Roger nor Michael possessed."

Larry Brown, who froze Wade in the Olympics last summer, also admitted: "I underestimated these young people. Dwyane is hard to defend. His speed is like AI, but his finishing rate at the basket is even better."

Of course, Ron Artest has a different opinion. He thinks Wade's strength is not that terrible, and it is the new rules that limit his defensive ability: "If it were last year, the New York No. 3 couldn't even get 20 points!"

It can be seen that Artest is really anxious. He may be one of the individuals most affected by the new rules. Just a year ago, he was still third in the DPOY rankings, but this year he allowed Wade to play two god-level performances in the playoffs.

The first game was Game 2 of the series, where Wade scored 20 points in the fourth quarter and ended up with 40 points.

The second game was Game 6 of the series that decided the Pistons' life and death. Wade scored 14 points in the fourth quarter to end the suspense.

In the game, you will often see Ron Artest or Richard Hamilton clearly gave Wade two steps but was still passed.

Or maybe Wade just made a simple counter-run, and then he left his opponent behind as if he had teleported and appeared in the paint, completing an alley-oop dunk.

Wade's playing style was extremely classic. In six games, he only took four three-point shots and did not score a single one.

He would break into the restricted area almost every time he attacked, and even if he wanted to shoot a jump shot, it was always from mid-range. But relying on this only trick, he played with extremely high efficiency.

Dwyane Wade's first two years of his career were so brilliant, but his popularity and reputation were tepid. Wade actually did only one thing wrong, which was to sign with Converse, which was already dying.

As a player who had suffered a serious injury in college, mainstream basketball brands did not dare to bet on Wade in the summer of 2003. Even Converse only offered Wade a low contract of $40 a year. You know, LeBron James, who has never even played in the playoffs, has a shoe contract worth tens of millions a year.

The glory of Converse is just like the history of NBA in the 1970s and 1980s, forever remaining in the past and never coming back.

As a brand that has no influence in the field of basketball, Converse's voice is almost negligible.

Therefore, the publicity for Dwyane Wade has always been pitifully small.

But now, people can no longer ignore his strength.

As the title of Eastern Conference overlord began to change, Wade's attention also came.

ESPN writer Howard Cooper commented: "We have been looking for someone close to Roger. At first we thought it was Kobe Bryant, and later we thought it was LeBron James. But in fact, this person has quietly made it to the finals. Dwyane is also in his second year, also working with a great center, and also leading the team to the championship. Will he eventually become 'Roger who is five centimeters shorter'?"

"Five centimeters shorter Roger" is a high compliment, just like a player being called Jordan's successor in the 90s.

Dwyane Wade has become a hotly debated player, and that's what Roger was talking about when he met up with his old friend Toni Kukoc at a new high-end restaurant in Mission Bay.

"It's been so short, I can't believe people are already looking for Roger's successor. I remember us being rookies," Toni Kukoc recalled as he cut into a steak. "It seems like it was just yesterday when Scott looked shocked when he peed next to you."

"I say, can't you recall some good things? But it really happened in the blink of an eye. When we first met, we were two rookies, but now we are old bones. By the way, Tony, have you found your next team for next season? The Warriors' roster is already full, otherwise I would be very happy to fight alongside you again."

Europa Magic waved his hands: "Come on, Roger. Being on the same team with you is not called fighting side by side, it's called finding a good father. If I can't get playing time, I would rather not have the ring. I no longer have the ability to survive in the NBA, and I know this very well. Don't live in the past, don't rot in dreams, right? In fact, I'm here to tell you this, to say goodbye to you. We won't see each other for the whole next season, and I'm going to play in the CBA."

For years, Roger and Kukoc would meet a few times a year for dinner and tea - proper tea.

They are the kind of old friends who don't contact each other often but never lose contact, and this habit has continued for many years.

Yes, they were actually only teammates for one year.

But that year, the two fledglings were each other's strongest shield.

They were all disliked by the Bulls, and they were all ostracized by Scott Pippen.

Toni Kukoc was the only person in the locker room who fully supported Roger.

Roger is also the only one who doesn't look at Kukoc through tinted glasses.

They both became each other's support during each other's most difficult times.

Therefore, even though they have only been teammates for one year, their relationship is still deep.

And if Toni Kukoc really goes to China to play next season, it means that their connection will be interrupted for the first time in more than a decade.

Roger almost choked when he heard the news. He didn't expect that the "teammates CBA" joke would become a reality.

He felt that Kukoc was playing an international joke on him. The next international joke as outrageous as this would be when Brazilian President Lula said during his visit to China, "I often watch Chinese football matches."

"You're kidding, right? It's not over yet. I know you weren't happy in Milwaukee last season, but our careers have just begun and we still have a lot of opportunities."

"Just beginning? I'm 37 years old and you're 30 years old, Roger. You already have eight rings, and your girlfriends combined are more than the models in an issue of Sequin magazine, and you tell me that we've just begun? Hahahaha. Have you forgotten that we entered the league in 1993, and now it's 2005." Toni Kukoc reminded the world's number one player with a smile.

This sentence made Roger stop cutting the steak. His brain seemed to be electrocuted and completely burned.

30 years old? It's a number I'm not used to.

Roger has always been used to playing the younger role.

For many years, he has challenged the order of the league as a young man. He joined the league at the age of 18 and won the championship at the age of 19. At the age of 21, when many players have just entered the league, he has already established a dynasty.

When he left Orlando, the most common phrase people said was: "Roger's peak has just begun, and he can create more miracles."

Roger is used to being treated as a young man, and he always subconsciously associates himself with the word youth.

Of course he knew his age, but when Toni Kukoc said, "Even you are 30 years old," Roger was still a little dazed.

It turns out that he is no longer a young player.

And Toni Kukoc, who entered the league with Roger, is already 37 years old.

Last season, he averaged only 20 minutes per game for the Bucks, scoring 5 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists.

His stories have long been covered with thick dust, and his legends and glory have long been forgotten by fans.

In fact, many fans don’t even know that Toni Kukoc is still playing in the NBA.

In fact, there are more players like Toni Kukoc in NBA history, and no one cares even when they leave. Whether they are there or not, it will not have any impact on the NBA.

Toni Kukoc didn't want to waste his time in the NBA, so he was looking for opportunities to play in other leagues.

Because Kukoc and Roger were teammates and they had a good relationship, he has a good fan base in China, so many CBA teams have extended olive branches to Kukoc. Most importantly, Kukoc can get a lot of commercial endorsements in China, and Peak has decided to sign him as a spokesperson.

Everything went smoothly, but Roger ignored the speed of time.

Many professional players actually ignore this and continue to try to take over the game the same way they did when they were younger.

Last season, it was Roger who reminded Michael Jordan that he was no longer 40 but 41.

Roger shook his head. "Tony, you really shouldn't be talking to me about this. It makes me feel like I don't have much time left. So it seems like it's time for Kobe and Dwyane to take over the banner."

"Come on, unless you retire, who can take the crown from you?"

"By the way, are you interested in tomorrow night's game? I still have tickets."

"Of course," Toni Kukoc nodded. "I haven't seen you perform in person for a long time. I'm curious about how you play at the age of 30. In fact, I want to watch you play the entire playoffs."

"Damn it, stop stressing about turning 30, Tony. Ever! So, you really decided to play in China?"

"Yes."

"Very good, I have a suggestion for you."

"What advice?"

"I know you like playing table tennis, but remember, never, ever challenge anyone on a table tennis table in China. I'm afraid you can't handle it."

Toni Kukoc burst into laughter and the atmosphere of the conversation became relaxed again.

After that, the two did not talk about the NBA anymore.

After the dinner, Toni Kukoc returned to the hotel.

His wife and children had just returned from shopping.

He wanted to chat with Roger without being disturbed, so he did not bring his wife and children with him.

His son Marin Kukoc was delighted: "Dad, are we really going to watch all of Uncle Roger's games for the rest of the season?"

"Of course, front row for every show. But promise me, only one Coke a night."

"Yeah!!! That's great!"

"You're going to spoil their Toni," Kukoc's wife, Renata, warned. "They have a lot of homework to do, but now all they want to do is watch the game."

"No, in fact, I want to watch these games. Roger is my best friend in the United States. If it weren't for his words, I would have rolled back to Europe long ago. I want to witness his glory with my own eyes one last time before I leave."

"Don't pay attention to Scott and Michael's slander against you, you are the best," Roger said when he left Chicago, and it accompanied him through the most difficult time.

Now it's his turn to leave, and he hopes he can accompany Roger through the challenges brought by two strong opponents, the Los Angeles Lakers and the New York Knicks.

The next day, Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals was held at Oracle Arena.

Roger scanned the stands, where fans were holding up their mug shots of him, wearing his jerseys, and cheering for him at the top of their lungs.

On the other side, the players of the Los Angeles Lakers are ready to go.

Kobe Bryant's speech in the locker room after Game 5 has made the entire team extremely excited.

Roger jumped twice on the spot. The 30-year-old was about to face another difficult challenge.

In today's game, the Lakers role players played very bravely.

Caron Butler's defense is even crazier, and Steve Nash's jump shot is terrifyingly stable.

Theo Ratliff worked tirelessly to do all the dirty work, and Shawn Marion was in every corner of the half court on defense.

Even role players like Brian Cook and Luke Walton fought very hard when they came on the court.

Their abilities may be limited, but they will not easily let go of any rebound, any fight for the ball, or give up any defense.

Kobe's words "Who the hell wants to be a part of history" are equivalent to the Houston Rockets players' "heart of a champion", which makes everyone overclock.

Of course, the protagonists of the fight are still Kobe and Roger.

The two of them, like in the previous five games, used various difficult goals to attack under the extreme defense. But today, Kobe turned on the Black Mamba mode in advance.

He started defending Roger five minutes before the end of the game, and Roger had to defend Kobe in advance.

This resulted in both Roger and Kobe's shooting percentages becoming very low in the last five minutes of the game.

They have been fighting for six games, making difficult jump shots while defending the opponent's strongest offensive player. This kind of consumption is a severe test even for top athletes.

But role players on both sides carried the offense.

When Kobe was facing double-teaming and legend, Steve Nash and Caron Butler, who has always been inaccurate in three-point shooting, showed no mercy.

When Roger passes the ball to teammates who are temporarily left open, they can also guarantee their hit rate.

In addition, the fierce confrontation also brought physical injuries to the players.

Roger's already injured fingers were suffering from severe pain.

Steve Nash didn't even frown after his nose was broken.

After Matt Barnes was hit in the eyebrow by Kobe's elbow, his first reaction was to complain to the referee.

Kobe himself had some problems with his knees, and people would see him limping whenever the ball was dead. His weight brought him advantages, but it also cost him a price.

The two teams were already bleeding, but they were still tirelessly punching hard, and never stopped even if blood was splattered everywhere.

Because everyone knows that failure, injuries, all of these are paving the way for victory.

With 41 seconds left in the game, the Lakers took the lead as Steve Nash hit another three-pointer.

Mike Breen looked at Nash's statistics and praised him: "This may be the greatest game of Steve's entire career. He scored 57 points with a 35% shooting percentage! Tonight, he is no longer just a passer, he showed his brutal side to the fullest! The Lakers' contract extension with Steve Nash is the greatest decision the Lakers have made in the 21st century!"

Nash, with long flowing hair, burst into a rare emotional outburst. He jumped up and waved his fist vigorously. He knew very well that he had grasped perhaps the most crucial shot in his career!
Eric Spoelstra did not call a timeout, but danced and shouted on the sidelines: "Don't panic, we will follow the established strategy! Move, move!"

Soon, the fans' shouts drowned out Spoelstra's roar.

Roger controlled the ball across half court, trying to use his speed to create a gap.

But Kobe directly pressed the midfield line to lead the defense. Facing this 105-kilogram heavy python, Roger was entangled and couldn't get rid of it at all.

Kobe bought time for Caron Butler, and he quickly encircled Roger, leaving him with no way to break through again.

Roger had no choice but to pass the ball to Matt Barnes. Barnes wanted to pass the ball, but except himself, no one else on the team was in an open position.

Caron Butler's speed in recovering was not very fast, and he was not very aggressive in defending Barnes.

Because he predicted that Barnes would pass the ball back to Roger, and if he jumped too hard, Butler would not have time to get back to Roger.

Seeing that Caron Butler was not so aggressive in his defense, the Kings' hounds made a bold decision.

His shot was unsteady so he decided to take the shot himself!

This is also his battle, he can't hold the team back at the critical moment!
Although it was a crucial shot, Matt Barnes felt extremely calm at the moment.

He remembered everything Jeff Hornacek taught him, from the details of his shooting posture to his shooting rhythm, Matt Barnes did everything to the best of his ability.

Caron Butler rushed forward in panic. He didn't expect Barnes to dare to shoot by himself.

But it was too late. When his fingertips blocked the ball, Matt Barnes had already shot the ball.

The basketball flew over everyone's heads and finally fell into the net!
"A three-pointer was made, and Matt Barnes' jump shot tied the score with 33 seconds left in the game! Oh my God, what kind of game was this? My heart felt two violent vibrations in less than a minute!" Mike Breen finally understood what Phil Jackson said and why there was a brutal KO in this game.

Look at what is happening now. There is no way tonight's game will end in a dull manner.

Matt Barnes turned his head happily to look at Roger, and was about to run up to celebrate with Roger, but the referee suddenly blew the whistle.

Everyone on the court looked confused because neither coach called a timeout.

Several referees gathered near the technical table to watch the replay, and no one knew what they were watching.

But on the big screen, the scene of Matt Barnes' jump shot was being played repeatedly.

Finally, the director pointed the camera at Matt Barnes' toes, and people realized that Barnes' toes stepped on the line when he shot the three-pointer!
The live camera turned to today's referee. Fans all over the world saw him raising two fingers. He judged the ball as 2 points, and the score was changed!

This means that the Warriors failed to equalize the game. They were still one point behind in the final 33 seconds, and the Los Angeles Lakers had the ball next.

Even Mike Breen was a little surprised: "This may be a penalty that changes history, it may be the penalty that ends the Warriors dynasty! And for Matt, this may be the longest two points in the world that he will never forget!"

Matt Barnes covered his head with his hands. He had no excuse in front of the video.

He didn't pay any attention to his feet just now, and just wanted to shoot after catching the ball.

He thought he made the all-important three-pointer, but he blew it.

The situation suddenly became very unfavorable for the Warriors, and some Warriors fans have covered their eyes and dared not watch the next game.

Roger stood up: "Well, at least we got 2 points! Defend this round, defend this round, we still have a chance! Matt! What are you doing!? Keep biting, keep biting! The Lakers are not dead yet! Don't stop until you bite them to death!"

"Good King!"

Matt Barnes temporarily forgot about the previous round. At this time, Eric Spoelstra issued a new instruction: "Don't double-team, one-on-one!"

At this time, the Warriors cannot afford any defensive loss.

Spoening believes in Roger's one-on-one defense ability.

Nash dribbled across half court and quickly passed the ball to Kobe, with the dagger that killed Roger in his hand.

He had a chance last year but missed.

This year, he would never waste this moment again.

"The Lakers are pressing the clock. There are 10 seconds left in the shot clock, 9 seconds, 8 seconds. Kobe is moving!"

Kobe started, held off Roger at mid-range, and hit him hard.

Roger felt as if his ribs were about to break in the middle and pierce his internal organs, but he held his breath and continued to stick to it.

Seeing this, Kobe chose to hold the ball with his back to the basket and crush Roger with his weight.

He took two steps back, then shook his shoulders, turned over, raised the ball, and shot.

Roger didn't try to steal the ball because he knew it wouldn't be easy to steal the ball from Kobe.

He just tried his best to interfere with Kobe, forcing Kobe to adjust the arc before he could successfully shoot.

The fateful basketball spun and flew towards the basket, but a crisp sound of the miss made Kobe's heart tremble.

"Damn it!" Kobe cursed. He knew how serious a mistake he had made. He actually left Roger a chance!
"It's too short! Kobe Bryant's stamina has reached the bottom, and he failed to hit this difficult turnaround fadeaway! With 8 seconds left in the game, Amar'e Stoudemire grabbed the rebound and passed the ball to Roger! Eric didn't call a timeout, he didn't intend to give Rudy a chance to set up defense! This decision might be right, because if he called a timeout at this time, he would have to face the difficulty of the sideline ball!"

Roger advanced calmly, and Kobe, as usual, chose to defend Roger near the midfield line.

Roger was completely at a disadvantage in the confrontation. He wanted to use some complicated dribbling moves to get past Kobe, but before he could do so, Caron Butler reappeared as a ghost.

Unlike the Warriors, the Lakers still resolutely adopted double-teaming. Even at the critical moment, Rudy Tomjanovich did not pay attention to Barnes.

With little time left, Roger passed the ball to Barnes who was left open.

But this time, Caron Butler didn't dare to return slowly.

Barnes's goal just now almost made Caron Butler's heart explode.

When the referee reviewed the video, Butler felt his heartbeat was about 200 beats per minute.

Fortunately, he was awarded two points in the end, otherwise he would become a sinner in the Lakers nation.

Seeing Caron Butler running away, Roger, who had originally cut inside, suddenly pushed Kobe and then ran back outside the three-point line.

The back-and-forth gave Roger a fleeting jump shot opportunity. The only question was whether Matt Barnes could pass the ball in time.

If it was Boris Diaw who had the ball, Roger wouldn't have to worry about this problem at all, because the Frenchman always has an eye on all directions.

But Barnes is not a master of organization, can he see himself?

The hound did not disappoint Roger, and his keen sense of smell smelled the scent of victory.

Matt Barnes saw that Caron Butler was very close to him this time, so he immediately passed the ball to Roger.

The combination of the King and the hound has become able to expertly hunt and kill prey.

Roger received the timely pass and shot directly without making any adjustments.

Kobe Bryant reached out his hands in despair. He couldn't believe that he had to go through it again.

This damn bastard!
The red lights flashed, and the fans at Oracle Arena created blue waves in the stands.

Toni Kukoc sat in the first row, sweating all over, with his eyes wide open.

The last time you experienced this? Well, when Roger killed the Knicks in his rookie season.

Kukoc has changed. He has gone from being the talented "Croatian Sensation" to an unknown role player, and then to a 37-year-old old man who is about to go to the CBA to beg for food.

The sweat and blood he shed on the court have long been diluted by time, and the new and old grudges have been buried by the waves and sand of time, as if his battles had never happened.

But some people, no matter they are 18 or 30 years old, are always the creators of the storms themselves.

After being stunned for a long time, Tony Kuko finally remembered to stand up and applaud loudly.

Roger saw Kukoc and pointed at him: "Let's end with the Hall of Fame!"

Kukoc didn't know if he was good enough.

But Roger?
It is not his honor to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

It’s an honor to be in the Hall of Fame.

No, even for the entire basketball world, it was an honor to have Roger.

He's going to the finals again.

And Kukoc believes he will wear another ring, even if New York is extremely powerful.

(End of this chapter)