Champions Creed

Chapter 397 Chapter 396: Transfer, hype, customization? March, fight, conquer! (Seeking monthly tickets!)

Just as Lenny Wilkens thought, Kevin Garnett couldn't inspire the team the same way a third time.

As the Knicks once again fell into a crisis of self-doubt, they seemed to be really backed into a dead end.

This time, even if KG smashed the entire New York, let alone smashing the chairs, it would be impossible for him to give everyone a thrilling experience.

No matter how delicious the chicken soup is, drinking it too often will make you feel greasy.

KG himself knew that his chicken soup was no longer nutritious, so he said nothing after losing Game 5.

The Knicks' young players are now on their own.

At the same time, another young man who has reached the end of his rope is LeBron James.

The latest news says that the Cleveland Cavaliers are no longer close to Andrei Kirilenko. This is undoubtedly a bolt from the blue for the little emperor. All of Rich Paul's predictions are coming true.

He told LeBron James that Cleveland could not attract stars and the Cavaliers' reinforcement plan would never succeed.

LeBron didn't believe it, because the new owner Daniel Gilbert looked like a smart guy and a man willing to take action. He had only been here for a year and had already invested tens of millions of dollars in the team.

Even though LeBron James only wanted to renew a 1+1 contract, Daniel Gilbert chose to agree a few days ago.

As for AK47, the rumors about him and the Cavaliers have been intentionally spread by the teams of both teams since the middle of the season, and it seems that it is a foregone conclusion that the Emperor will get AK.

But when the offseason finally came and other teams began to contact the Russian all-around striker, everything changed.

Andrei Kirilenko was linked to nearly every team with cap space and was eyeing Cleveland as a last-minute pick.

No wonder his wife allows him to cheat once a year, because he really accepts anyone who comes.

What's worse is that the team closest to AK47 is the Denver Nuggets - Carmelo Anthony has led the team to the playoffs for two consecutive years, and the media has already said that "Maybe Carmelo is more worth looking forward to than LeBron." If the Nuggets get Andrei Kirilenko, if Carmelo Anthony plays better next season, then this voice will no longer be suppressed.

The competition between Carmelo Anthony and the Little Emperor started in high school. As the two most popular high school talents at that time, they were the first players after Roger to have their high school games broadcast live across the United States. But after entering the NBA, the two's situations became very different. Nike almost pinned all its hopes on the Little Emperor, who had a greater chance of success, and never invested too much resources in promoting Carmelo Anthony.

After all, Carmelo Anthony has a shady background and is not so perfect in front of the media, so he is not suitable to be built as a national idol.

But now, the little emperor who occupied all the resources was facing the embarrassing situation of falling behind in the competition with his peers.

If a chosen one cannot even surpass his classmate Carmelo Anthony, it will become the biggest joke in NBA history.

Therefore, the whereabouts of Andrei Kirilenko was a concern of the little emperor.

The current outcome also hit him hard.

Is he really unattractive? LBJ would feel better if Andrei Kirilenko chose to flirt with a big city team.

But the Russians would rather go to the cold Denver Plateau than come to Cleveland, which made the little emperor sad. He felt humiliated as if he had seen his girlfriend cheating on him with a short and dirty Indian man.

If Andrei Kirilenko does not appear in the Cavaliers' lineup next season, LeBron James will be very confused.

On the night of Game 6 of the Finals, LBJ and several members of his core circle gathered together to watch the game.

Before the game, Rich Paul talked about the signing of AK47 again: "I have said it before, Daniel just wants to make money with you, and has no intention of making Cleveland great. If they try their best to recruit, the Russians will never choose Denver."

"It's still a mystery, man."

"It has come to this point, are you still going to deceive yourself? Admit it, transfer, hype, customization, repeat the above steps, we can build our own kingdom in this era. Loyalty and one person, one city are things of the last era. You see, Karl Malone didn't understand this truth until he was 41 years old and went to Los Angeles, but it was too late."

LeBron James didn't answer and just stared at the TV.

Maybe he himself didn't even notice that he always used escape to solve problems.

G6, Madison Square Garden, New York fans were like prisoners being sent to the gallows.

They are struggling internally. On the one hand, the Knicks still have a chance to win.

But on the other hand, the probability of them being killed tonight is also very high.

Yao Ming, KG and Wade were silent on the court, lacking the excitement they had in Game 1 of the Finals.

All defensive strategies have become ineffective against Roger. Whether he can win the game depends entirely on his personal condition.

Personal status, this is the biggest suspense today.

After the last game, Roger showed unprecedented fatigue in his 12-year professional career.

His ribs were broken and his fingers were in pain from the previous round.

No one knows how long he can hold on. Perhaps at some unpredictable moment, Roger will completely collapse.

That's all the New York Knicks can hope for.

But when Roger came on the court, he told the three Knicks stars as if nothing had happened: "Be serious, this is the last lesson."

The three people's hearts felt trembling to varying degrees. They finally saw what kind of monster Roger was in the finals.

The game was not one-sided; the New York Knicks were mentally much stronger than people imagined.

But Roger's willpower is also stronger than people think.

He is not afraid of confrontation or shooting. He is as smart as Tim Duncan, knowing when to let his teammates get involved and when to take over the ball.

Toni Kukoc never won a championship in his life, but he played in the finals with Roger as a teammate. You can say that the defeat in the 1994 finals was due to Roger's immaturity. But in that series, Roger never bowed his head to Hakeem Olajuwon.

Trying to make Roger collapse is an impossible task in itself.

The two sides took turns leading, and the game became more and more fierce. The No Hand Check rule has long been in name only, and the league's penalty scale this season seems to follow the laws of nature, from strict to loose as the season progresses.

By the finals, basically no one would be fouled for using their hands to stop the opponent from breaking through.

Firstly, it is because the league found that Roger would be stronger if the No HandCheck rule was fully implemented. Secondly, it is because people of this era still believe that basketball is something that requires fierce confrontation.

In the fourth quarter of the game, the live camera was turned to Eric Spoelstra. Mike Breen saw his expression and said, "Eric has kept this expression all night. It can be seen that this life-and-death battle has put pressure on everyone."

Mike Brown was only half right. Spoelstra was under a lot of pressure, but it didn't come from winning or losing. He had confidence in Roger. As long as Roger could maintain this state, the Warriors would never lose.

But he was worried that Roger would be injured again.

If the fractured part of Roger's bone was hit hard, it could have turned into a more serious fracture.

Roger was lucky not to encounter anything similar in the past few games.

But every minute on the court, the risk of Roger's injury becoming more serious still exists.

The fierce competition in today's game has increased Spoelstra's worries.

A minute later, the accident happened.

But it wasn't Roger, it was Dwyane Wade.

He once again made a reckless breakthrough, threw himself into the penalty area, and risked his life to cause damage.

Marcus Camby did not tolerate the No. 3 player and flipped him over in the air.

The referee blew the whistle and Wade struggled on the court, covering his right eye.

The slow-motion replay on the big screen showed that Camby accidentally poked Wade's eye with his finger while defending Wade's breakthrough.

After the shocking replay, Wade climbed up, the white of his right eye had turned completely red, but he just stood on the free throw line and let the referee kick off.

After making two free throws, Wade, with one eye red, clapped his hands and said, "Keep the championship in New York!"

"I'm behind you!" Yao Ming replied.

Kevin Garnett is very pleased that these little kids have grown up.

They no longer need anyone to motivate them, they can motivate themselves.

The Knicks took the lead after the free throws. The two sides took turns leading for the 19th time and the Warriors called a timeout.

Lenny Wilkens called the team doctor and prepared to replace Wade.

But Wade waved his hand: "Don't joke."

"You're going to go fucking blind Dwayne!"

"Shut up Lanny, I can see it clearly!"

On the other side, Roger slumped on the bench, revealing a painful expression with every gasp.

Eric Spoelstra reminded: "Don't force it, pay attention to protecting your injured area. We bandaged you and put on an elastic vest, but it is not a bulletproof vest after all."

"Yeah." Roger answered simply.

The timeout ended and Roger and Wade walked on the court.

Both sides truly demonstrated what hand-to-hand combat and close combat meant.

After the timeout, Roger assisted Stoudemire with a dunk to overtake the score, and Wade, with one eye red, made a three-pointer.

If there are any Naruto fans here, they will definitely be excited about Dwyane Wade's condition.

The two sides still kept leading each other. In the last 1:06, Wade dribbled past Tayshaun Prince and went inside. Camby was blocked by Yao Ming, and Stoudemire was pulled to the mid-range. Wade got a fleeting chance to attack the basket.

But when he jumped up, Roger arrived from the bottom corner.

Wade wanted to pass the ball to Battier, who was temporarily left open by Roger, but Battier's long-range shooting was not good today, and he only made 4 of 1 shots. So he finally decided to solve the problem himself. Wade collided with Roger in the air and then threw the ball into the basket.

Wade's strong upper body strength allowed him to not lose to Roger in the confrontation. He kept his center of gravity and movements steady and scored the ball!

Roger fell, Wade punched in celebration, the New York Knicks overtook by 1 point, and Madison Square Garden erupted like a volcano!

"Damn it, damn it!" Eric Spoelstra cursed on the sidelines because Wade had just hit Roger's left ribs hard in the air.

He had clearly warned Roger, but Roger had no hesitation in defending. Roger fell to the ground, holding his injured ribs, sweating profusely.

"Are you okay?!" Xiao Si stepped forward and asked.

"Help me up." Roger held out his hand.

With the help of his teammates, Roger stood up again, but his expression could never return to normal again.

What was even more shocking was that Roger's jump shot when he broke through to the left in the next round almost missed the target and just barely hit the front of the basket.

"I think Roger's injury may not be serious. His shots are too short. Has the collision just now caused more serious problems with Roger's right ribs?" Mike Breen stood up nervously. This was very likely to be the turning point of the game.

Toni Kukoc was also very nervous. If Roger's injury really worsened, the result of Game 7 would be hard to predict.

He wondered if the Knicks would give Kobe a ring if they won the championship. If it weren't for Kobe's last-ditch struggle in the Western Conference Finals, the situation wouldn't have been so bad.

With 41 seconds left, the Warriors trailed by one point. If they couldn't turn the score around again, they would have lost their last chance.

Lenny Wilkens paused the game, knowing that this round could kill Roger, because Roger's ribs might have just been broken. If they could win, if the game dragged into Game 7, Roger would not be able to return with the championship.

The next G7 is very likely to be a massacre between the Warriors and the Lakers in last season's Western Conference Finals.

Roger's Atlanta dynasty involved Lenny Wilkens, and now he wants to end it all with his own hands!
On the Warriors side, Spoelstra was also asking about Roger's condition. Rib fractures have a certain chance of puncturing internal organs, and in severe cases, they can even be life-threatening.

But Roger knew that things had not reached that stage yet. If his internal organs were damaged, he would not be able to stand up. So he slapped Spoelstra's tactical board and said, "Just arrange the defense!"

Sibo was stunned for a moment, then yelled, "Dog!"

Matt Barnes stood up: "Bite who?"

The game started again. No Knicks fans were left seated and most of them were cheering loudly.

But Spike Lee kept his lips tightly shut. His experiences in the 90s made him afraid to shout at the critical moment.

Roger walked onto the stage slowly, he was almost burning out.

That’s right, in his 12-year professional career, this was the first time Roger felt like he was about to burn out.

His fingers were numb and the pain in his ribs was hitting his brain violently.

He would also feel fear, and when he thought of himself fighting in the most intense competition with broken bones, he felt a chill.

But one thing about Roger remained constant over the years: He hated losing.

He lost enough in his previous life, and now he hasn’t won enough.

Gary Payton controlled the ball and found that Roger was defending him.

Gloves smiled, "You're almost done."

"Gary, I'm going to pull your tongue out!"

Gary Payton just wanted to talk trash, but he was shocked by Roger's ferocious expression, as if the guy was really risking his life.

Then, something shocking happened. Roger was actually pressing Payton.

He fought the most fiercely with a rib that seemed to be completely broken.

Such pressure made it difficult for Payton to pass the ball. Wade got rid of Barnes several times, but Payton failed to pass the ball.

Finally, in the last 24 seconds of the 11-second offense, Wade received the basketball. Barnes bit Wade madly, attacked his body, and made small moves. The King's loyal dog made a last-ditch effort for the King's honor, just as he promised.

But Wade is Wade after all, he is too fast.

After finding a little space to change direction under pressure, Wade let Barnes pass and prepared to break into the inside.

But Tayshaun Prince let go of Battier who was not in good form today and made up for Wade in time. It was difficult for Wade to change direction again in the small space. He either ran into him and was called for an offensive foul, or made a quick stop jump shot, or passed the ball.

Dwyane Wade chose the last option, which will become the most regrettable choice in his career.

Wade jumped up and passed the ball to Sean Battier. Although his touch was not good today, it was an open spot after all.

However, everything is under control for the Warriors.

Roger predicted Wade's pass target in advance and started running towards Battier one second before passing the ball.

Seeing that Roger had a chance to steal the ball, Battier gave up his shooting position and ran towards the basketball.

Roger and Battier both moved towards the ball at high speed, and then had a shocking head-on collision!

Battier felt like he was hit by a car and flew out, and the same thing happened to Roger, the difference was that the ball was in Roger's hands.

Roger, who was lying on the ground, immediately made a timeout gesture. The referee blew the whistle and the Warriors got the ball!
"Perfect steal! Perfect! Will Roger end the game in G6? Will we see it!?" Mike Breen stared at Roger, who was already being helped towards the bench by his teammates.

"Damn it, fuck!" Roger's ribs felt even more painful from the impact, making it almost impossible for him to stand upright.

After sitting down, Spoelstra didn't say anything nonsense. Now even God couldn't let Roger go off the court to rest.

He arranged a double-screen tactic and let Roger break through to the right side - considering that Roger's previous breakthrough shot from the left side almost missed, and his injury is now more serious, going to the right is the best strategy.

Then he laid out Plan B: "Boris, have you had any wine today?"

"A small cup."

"Very good, you replace Matt! If Roger can't find an opportunity with the ball, you will control the ball and find a chance to pass it to him!"

"OK."

But Lenny Wilkens also thought of this: "Defend the shot from the right side, Roger's left side is useless!"

The injury to his left ribs has seriously affected Roger. At the critical moment, he will definitely choose to break through to the right so that there will be no problem in connecting the movements.

The timeout ended, and the 2005 Finals reached its climax.

Spike Lee took off his glasses and turned to look at Toni Kukoc behind him: "Tony, I can't bear to watch anymore. That bastard always likes to do the most irritating things. You teamed up with him to do it once in 94."

"What are you going to do? Leave early?"

"No, I'll close my eyes for a while. If Roger scores, you can tap me on the shoulder. If not, I think the cheers from the Garden will remind me to open my eyes."

"Okay Spike."

"Thank you, Tony."

Roger came on the court, and it seemed that just standing up was a huge pain.

The Frenchman calmly walked to the sideline to serve, and he always had a nonchalant expression on his face.

With his skillful and smart pass, the ball was successfully given to Roger, and the Warriors overcame the first hurdle of the sideline ball.

Roger delayed time and didn't want to give the Knicks a chance to counterattack because Lenny Wilkens still had a timeout.

In the last 10 seconds, the double screen was in place and Roger started to the right according to the strategy.

As a result, the Knicks accurately guessed the direction of Roger's breakthrough. Battier quickly bypassed the screen and KG directly double-teamed him.

The king was hunted.

Roger cursed inwardly and executed plan B, passing the ball to Boris Dio and then running without the ball.

Roger used the off-ball screen to shake off Battier and received the pass at the top of the arc.

But Dwyane Wade quickly caught up, and with 5 seconds left, Roger still didn't get the space to shoot.

He took a step to the right, and Wade reacted quickly, and sure enough, it was the right side again!

Just when Wade thought the mission was accomplished, Roger suddenly changed direction and dribbled the ball to the left with his left hand!
This change of direction completely threw Wade off the ball, and Roger immediately shot.

He fought against his instincts, overcame the severe pain, and forced himself to keep the action intact and throw the ball.

Spike Lee closed his eyes, and the next second, Madison Square Garden burst into cheers.

Just as the black director was about to jump up and cheer, someone patted him on the shoulder.

His heart sank.

When I opened my eyes, the cheering had disappeared.

The basketball just hit the front of the basket, but after bouncing a bit it fell into the net!
"Sorry Spike," Toni Kukoc shrugged. "My friend is like that, you know him."

"The game is over! Roger killed the game! He won his second championship with the Golden State Warriors, and his new kingdom has added an important piece of territory! Marching, fighting, conquering, for Roger, he just repeats the above steps to build his own kingdom!"

Mike Brin's commentary made LeBron James in front of the TV feel ashamed. This was in stark contrast to what Rich Paul had said before about transfers, hype, and customization.

One is the creed of the strong, the other is like an excuse for the weak.

Roger lay on the ground until he was helped up by his teammates. The adrenaline faded, making Roger feel more painful.

When he reached the technical table, Roger stopped and pushed everyone away: "Don't help me!"

Then, he struggled to climb onto the technical platform - in the past, he only needed a light jump.

Afterwards, Roger tried to straighten up, raised his hands with difficulty, and made the same gesture as the statue outside the Oracle Arena.

This is also the action he will perform every time he wins a championship.

He stood on the top, raised his arms, and looked down on everyone.

You don't read great teams or great players when they're winning, you only read them when they're struggling to stay at the top.

At this moment, the Knicks players truly understood the full meaning of this sentence.

(End of this chapter)