Champions Creed

Chapter 432 431: The biggest advantage is that I don’t have LeBron by my side (ask for monthly tickets!)

LeBron James and the live-action Transformers movie are the real top traffic this summer.

Jerry West created the OK combination, and his successor Mitch Kupchak created an even more terrifying lineup.

But LeBron James and the Lakers are not the last hot spots this year. Now fans have something else to talk about - Roger's last season.

The whole world is discussing whether Woj's revelations are accurate, but Roger and his team just don't respond to anything, as if they can't hear the voice that has already spread around the world.

Now, Roger finally knows why Yi Jianlian has not responded after the TS incident.

For some things, not responding is the most straightforward response.

On the day the news of the "final season" was revealed, Roger received calls from many people.

Scott Pippen, Paul Pierce, Horace Grant, Ron Harper, Toni Kukoc. Almost all teammates or former teammates who had a good personal relationship with Roger called to ask whether the rumors of Roger's retirement were true or not.

Roger responded uniformly: "I am only focused on the championship."

Roger actually wanted to experience the joy of being LBJ for once, and he told everyone shamelessly: "There is a 99.9% chance that I will not retire."

It is really relaxing to be someone who can just ignore what he says. You can make promises at will without any pressure.

But Roger couldn't do it after all. He didn't want to deceive those who believed in him.

So he could only choose to avoid it.

It was already 12 o'clock in the evening when Roger hung up the phone call from Kurt Thomas. He didn't remember how many calls he had received.

But it's so late now, probably no one will call.

Just when Roger was glad that he finally didn't have to answer the same question, his cell phone rang again.

Roger sighed and picked up his phone helplessly. Sometimes, being too popular can also be a nuisance.

But when he picked up the phone, the call surprised Roger.

He didn't expect this person to call him today.

"Shaq, you better have a reason to call me in the middle of the night."

"Is what Woj said true?"

Great, the exact same problem occurred again.

“My goal is to win the championship.”

"So that's true? Damn it, we're at the age where we're talking about retirement?"

"What else? It's 2007 now. The year we worked together, The Lion King was an animated film that was popular all over the world. What about now? Kids are watching the live-action version of Transformers. In 1994, we went out with a black plastic phone, but now? We can communicate directly on the Internet."

Shaquille O'Neal did not answer the next sentence immediately, and Roger could probably guess what he was thinking.

Last season was the first time in Shaquille O'Neal's career, except for his rookie season, that he was not selected to the All-NBA Team.

He didn't even get a third-place finish.

He averaged less than 20 points per game and his rebounds per game were a career low. He became a center with stronger blue-collar attributes, and Avery Johnson hardly arranged any low-post tactics for him. His ability to fly and dodge disappeared, his physical fitness made him more and more tormented on the court, and his knees made his attendance rate worse and worse.

The mark time left on him was far more profound than that on Roger.

He was probably just wondering where the hell the time had gone.

After a long pause, O'Neal smiled: "1994? No, we first met in 1992, in Baton Rouge. At that time, you were still a damn high school student, and I gave you the coolest nickname in basketball history, and I used all my life's talents on it. It's fucking magical. I have known you since you were in high school, and then witnessed your entire NBA career. Well, I decided to give myself a new nickname immediately, the Big Witness."

"If you hadn't told me, I would have forgotten that we met in 1992. Shaq, you know what I admired you so much back then."

"Come on, you bastard don't know how to respect anyone. You only let others admire you, and you will never learn to bow your head, ever!" Shark's tone became excited. Back then, if Roger could have lowered his head a little and been a little submissive, they might not have disbanded, and history might be different now.

But it doesn't matter. Shaq adjusted his mood and his tone became gentle again: "Next season when you play away in Dallas, come to my house for dinner. I don't want to invite you, a bastard, but my father and mother insisted that I invite you over. They think our friendship should not end here, it would be a pity."

"I will definitely go to Shaq," Roger did not expose Shaq's use of his parents as an excuse, "I will definitely go there."

"Don't forget to bring souvenirs, don't fool me with cheap stuff."

"Of course man, I'll get you the most expensive blow-up doll in the world."

"roll!"

"Don't be like that. Can't I bring two real ones? You've never been better at picking up girls than me before. This time, I'll let you experience the feeling of winning for once."

"You bastard."

After hanging up the phone, Roger looked at the photo frames on the wall near the bathroom in his huge bedroom.

People's memories will become blurred over time, but if you add some "notes" to the memory, it will become particularly clear. For example, if you directly say a certain day many years ago, you may not remember what you were doing. But if you open the album on your phone and look at the photos taken on that day, you will probably immediately remember your experience on that day.

Roger put all the memorable scenes into an album and hung it in his bedroom, and marked the date on the photos.

It was the first time he shook hands with David Stern, the first time he took his uncle to buy a luxury car, the first time he owned his own private jet. Of course, most of the photos were related to basketball.

His first photo with Andy, his first championship parade in Atlanta, his first championship celebration with the Warriors
As for the Magic, there is a photo of Roger with all the guests at a party at his home before he left.

There was no shark in that photo, however, because Roger had broken with sharks by then, and for many years after that, he had no personal contact with sharks.

In fact, there are no pictures of sharks on the entire wall.

Because of their relationship, Roger didn't want to hang pictures of him with sharks in his room.

But now, in the summer of 2007, after that phone call, Roger had changed his mind.

Regardless, it was part of his career, and a very important part.

He wanted to call, but it was too late, so he sent an email instead to Andrew Sharp, his mouthpiece at Sports Illustrated.

"Are there any pictures of me and Shaq? The kind where you know the exact time they were taken. If you do, send me a few more tomorrow."

Maybe time passed too quickly, or maybe Roger was too nostalgic.

Ahead of his final season as a pro, Roger is missing the old days more than ever.

He entered the league at the age of 18 and beat up Scott Pippen in the locker room in the first week. Roger's passion at that time seemed to be just yesterday.

And in the blink of an eye, the story came to an end.

After the offseason, more and more media began to review Roger's career, and more and more authors came to him to write a final autobiography for him. The NBA Entertainment Department found the Warriors and hoped to follow all the activities and games of the Warriors next season from the pre-season training camp to record materials for Roger's latest documentary.

Even if Roger says nothing in response, the atmosphere about his final season is already thick.

This year, Roger's training camp went on as usual.

In the training camp, Wade, Anthony and others were still asking Roger that question.

And Roger just told them: "Just treat this as the last season, if that gives you any motivation to beat me."

He is still trying to keep everyone's attention on the game, and Brandon Roy is the best at this.

Since their last conversation, he has not participated in the discussion of whether Roger should retire.

He focused on improving himself, and he could beat anyone except Roger in a one-on-one match during training camp, and his healthy weight gain helped him make up for his lack of finishing ability at the basket last season.

He knew exactly what he should do.

On the first day of the Warriors' 07-08 season training camp, Brandon Roy sat down in front of his locker, ready to change into his jersey to attend the media day press conference.

But as soon as he sat down, Jason Richardson, who walked into the locker room, laughed and shouted at him: "Brandon, you little bastard, why are you sitting in my seat? Do you want to clean my locker?"

Brandon Roy thought Jason Richardson was playing a prank on him again. He was played a lot as a rookie last season. Things like putting popcorn in the car, putting condoms in the water cup, and buying hamburgers and Coke with a pink backpack. Roy had experienced all of these.

But he thought again, he is no longer a rookie this season, so he can just tease Ramon Sessions (a rookie selected by the Warriors in the second round this year).

"Jason, come on, go back to your seat. If you're really bored, you can go talk to Ramon about NBA rules."

"I think you really need a pair of glasses, Brandon. Look carefully, your locker is there." Jason Richardson pointed to a locker next to Roger. Roy then realized that the name on the locker that belonged to Jason Richardson last season had been changed to his own.

The locker that originally belonged to him had the name Jason Richardson written on it.

This was Jason Richardson's initiative to apply for the transfer.

Roy was confused. Jason Richardson patted his head and said, "Now you are qualified to use this cabinet. Boy, we don't care if this is Roger's last season, but this is a season that cannot fail. The person in this position is very important. I hope you are ready."

In the Warriors locker room, everyone knows what the locker next to Roger means.

Jason Richardson officially handed over the important task of "Hand of God" to Brandon Roy.

This guy, who was trusted by Roger, became the final hand of God for the savior.

Afterwards, reporters on media day will definitely not let go of questions related to the Los Angeles Lakers.

A New York Times reporter raised his hand and asked Roger: "Kobe has so many outstanding players around him, and they will be extremely strong next season. Roger, do you think the Los Angeles Lakers will be the team that ends your career?"

Before Roger could answer, Brandon Roy approached the microphone.

“Kobe was surrounded by a lot of great players, and Roger was surrounded by me.”

This sentence is not as arrogant as Monta Ellis's "Roger first, me second, Michael third", but it is more powerful.

Roger smiled with relief, which was why he resolutely chose Roy last summer.

This guy doesn't need any deliberate training, he will become mature and willing to take responsibility on his own.

"Yes, I have a lot of great players around me, Brandon is one of them, and I have an advantage that Kobe doesn't have - I don't have LeBron James around me."

Roger swears that the value of this sentence will continue to increase in the upcoming season.

(End of this chapter)