Champions Creed

Chapter 177 Chapter 176: Title Page (ask for monthly ticket!)

Roger was amazed at the magician's speed. As a well-known superstar with his own traffic, God knows how he ruined his own show so quickly.

Considering that Feizhu and Kenny Smith's shows filled with vulgar topics such as shit, piss and fart could remain popular for so long, Roger really felt sorry for the magician.

Instead of having a cheerleading squad to dance, Magic should have put some mustard on his donkey's ass and made a bet: "If Michael wins the series, I'll eat that mustard! I promise!"

As soon as the news of the show's suspension came out, all the fans breathed a sigh of relief.

Some of them finally don't have to watch their idols embarrass themselves on TV, while others finally don't have to watch such boring programs during prime time.

This is the power of Magic, he always satisfies all the fans.

This hosting experience was a huge humiliation, but fortunately no one cared about the magician's embarrassment for the time being.

When the Magic got the match point, everyone was only concerned about whether the Magic could win the series in Game 6, or whether the Knicks could drag the series into a seventh game at home.

Perhaps the most difficult thing for New York fans to accept about today's game was that it was neither Shark nor Roger who killed the game.

But a substitute.

He is also a substitute who has announced that he will retire next season.

Saroo did not brag at the press conference after the game. Instead, the reporters joked: "What does it feel like to be a teammate with Roger? He played with me, threatened me, and beat me. I suffered a lot in the process! So, I knew I'd better make that shot, otherwise Roger would whip me with a small whip all night!"

Well, American journalists have always been puzzled by Saroo’s Eastern European humor.

Regardless, Saru is the hero for today.

He was fearless, accepted the task in times of crisis, and protected the authority of his king.

Perhaps many years later, people will comment that this was a three-pointer that "saved the dynasty."

But no one expects Sarrou to perform like this in the next game. After all, he is a very poor defensive player, and the Magic will never increase his playing time and expose their defensive weaknesses to the Knicks.

Besides, you can't expect Sarou to make the shot every time it's a crucial shot, right?
He was indeed an excellent knight, but then again, what real king needed to be rescued every other day?
If Roger wants to win the game, he has to rely on himself.

The day before Game 6, Jordan returned to New York and was very tired.

The Magic's defense made three extremely difficult games for him.

At this time, Jordan was under tremendous pressure.

Because he knows that if he loses the next game, it will most likely be the last game of his career. His comeback will become the most failed and ridiculous comeback in NBA history.

Jordan, who was in a bad mood, decided to go for a drive.

In the busy night of New York, the metropolis, Jordan billboards are everywhere in the city.

The AJ brand's "Jumpman" logo is everywhere in the streets.

The streets were full of people wearing Knicks No. 23 jerseys, and every AJ store was packed with customers.
This was a dream scene, and it really gave Jordan a feeling: I am the king of New York!
He is not only the king of New York, he is also the king of the entire NBA and the most important tool for NBA marketing.

But now, those bastards are telling him that if he loses the next game, he should retire?
This is ridiculous.

But the truth is just so ridiculous.

In New York, on the surface, everything seems to be going well.

But what about other places? Many people no longer regard Michael Jordan as a god, and his status is already precarious.

This year, the Knicks have only two more nationally televised games than the Magic, a pretty poor result considering the disparity in market size between New York and Orlando.

AJ's sales volume is still leading, but that is based on the accumulated brand value in the past, which will be consumed sooner or later.

The market demand for Michael Jordan is declining at a visible rate.

This is nothing for other stars, everyone goes through such lows.

In Isaiah Thomas' last season at the Palace of Auburn Hills, the Pistons' home game attendance was less than 70%, and his charm as a superstar completely disappeared.

But Jordan cannot go through something like this. Nike and David Falk must never let the "Flying Man lose his charm" happen.

He must be a banner that never fades, and must be the name that people will think of when they mention basketball.

Yes, most stars will lose everything in their old age, but Michael Jordan can't be like this. He can't be eliminated by losing to Roger for three consecutive years.

He was literally on the brink of destruction.

He had always treated the previous games as his last, but he didn't expect that in the blink of an eye, the last game would really come.

Jordan gripped the steering wheel unwillingly. He still wanted to win a fourth championship and even establish another dynasty.

He didn't want the prosperous scene before his eyes to become history and turn into a bubble.

Jordan continued to drive aimlessly on the street, and the radio program was talking about possible transfers this summer.

Where the sharks have gone is the most discussed topic among radio hosts.

This is a hundred times more popular than George joining the 76ers, Paul joining the Spurs and Klay joining the Mavericks combined.

Soon the program entered the fan connection segment, and many New York fans expressed their concerns about the next game.

"If Michael loses, can he still be considered the most successful basketball player? He dominated half of the 90s, but was finally driven off the throne in such an embarrassing way. How should we define his historical status? The best player besides Roger? No matter how you look at it, this is more like praising Roger."

"No one has ever been able to match Michael's offensive firepower. But now there is, and Roger is the only player I've seen who can compete with Michael in the playoffs. I'm pessimistic about this round because Roger has been a nightmare for New York, and Michael can't seem to stop it."

"It was as if God created Roger to subvert the order of the 90s. From the first day he joined the Bulls, he was destroying Michael's dynasty."

"Admit it, Roger's era has come. This is a replica of MJ taking over the scepter of the era from MJ (Magic is also MJ), the difference is that this time the change of eras is several times more bloody than the one in 1991."

"If Michael and Patrick can't win the game as a team, what excuse does he have?"

All these statements seemed to predict his destruction.

Jordan gritted his teeth and stepped on the accelerator deeper and deeper.

New York fans have no confidence in him at all. This is Jordan's current situation - in the basketball world, his name is no longer a label of strength.

The street scenes flashed past Jordan on both sides quickly, the speed paralyzing his body and venting his emotions.

But when I got home, everything became boring.

All those things that can give people quick pleasure will only bring you greater emptiness in the end.

In the end, he still has to face the life-and-death match tomorrow.

After getting out of the car, Jordan found the book that Phil Jackson had given him was still on the floor on the passenger side of the car.

Sometimes people do things that make them wonder, "I don't know what I was thinking at that time."

Just like now, Michael Jordan picked up the book as if possessed by a ghost and wiped the dust off the book with his big hands.

"Siddhartha" is still a book that Jordan is too lazy to open just by seeing the title.

But when he opened it, he saw a preface on the first page: There is no word for eternity, everything is just scenery.

Jordan was furious. It turned out that Phil Jackson had been thinking about comforting him for a long time!

Go to hell!

When do I need comfort?
All I want is victory, blood, wine and honor!

After reading the title page, Jordan angrily threw the book to the ground and vowed never to open it again.

Yes, basketball players only like to read the title page when reading books.

At this moment, Jordan's cell phone rang.

The call was from Ewing. The veteran center who had been in New York for more than a decade was also under tremendous pressure.

As a good friend of Jordan, he also knew that Jordan would retire if he failed to win the championship this season.

Unlike the Zen Master who accepted this early on, Ewing still doesn't quite believe it's true.

So, the day before the game, he wanted to hear Jordan confirm it again: "Michael, you are kidding, right? Tell me this is not true. If we lose tomorrow, you will really retire?"

Jordan looked at the starry sky, his eyes bloodshot because of anger: "This is true, man. But, this will never happen!"

After saying that, Jordan stepped on the book and walked into the house.

It's hard to say whether Phil Jackson gave this book to Jordan to help him feel better or to make him angry.

You can never figure out that mysterious man.

But one thing is certain - whether it is relief or anger, it will bring about a terrible Michael Jordan.

Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals will be held as scheduled at Madison Square Garden.

As soon as the game started today, Jordan showed a strong desire to attack.

He broke through Wilkins and made a quick stop and shot.

The three-pointer shook Wilkins' center of gravity and he made a pull-up three-pointer.

And a pull-up shot in the penalty area with three people blocking him.

The third goal was a signature goal of Michael Jordan. He used incredible moves to tear through the opponent's defense despite being blocked by multiple players.

If you suddenly throw a fan from the Jordan era into the 21st century, he will be very confused about one thing: Why is spacing so important? Why are there stars who can't play without spacing?

Jordan scored 6 points in a row at the start, which was his attitude tonight. Wilkins and Harper were exhausted, which led to their defense being far less outstanding than in the previous games.

On the Magic side, Roger basically passed the ball when facing double-teaming. In the end, most of these balls would be given to Shark in the interior.

This is the Magic's strategy today, playing more inside during regular time.

In the last two minutes of the previous few games, Roger was exhausted and the Sharks were constantly fouled, making it difficult for the Magic to score efficiently at critical moments.

In order to change this situation, Brian Hill decided to let Roger be reserved in the first three quarters and not exhaust his energy too early.

So in the first three quarters, the core of the offense was the Shark.

This was the most refreshing Eastern Conference Finals game for O'Neal, and he experienced the feeling of being the core of the team.

All of the team's tactics serve one purpose - to make it easier for O'Neal to receive the ball and play one-on-one!
O'Neal was also happy to do this. He wanted to prove that he could control the game without Roger taking a shot in the fourth quarter.

In the first quarter, O'Neal scored a brutal 13 points.

Marvin Albert, the resident commentator in New York, couldn't bear to watch it anymore: "Patrick is going through everything David went through in 1995!"

But New York fans were still cheering because the Knicks still had a 3-point lead after the Sharks had nearly destroyed the paint. Michael Jordan was in control.

Of course, this wasn't because Jordan became five years younger overnight, nor was it simply because Jordan was completely furious.

There is another very important reason - Dominique Wilkins and Harper's endurance is seriously insufficient, and the fatigue brought by the long season is slowly dragging them down.

Their defensive vigour lasted only a few minutes before it faltered.

The Magic's originally indestructible "wall" began to show cracks under Jordan's fierce impact.

As more and more cracks appear, the wall will collapse completely.

Roger only scored 6 points in the first quarter, but it was the easiest first quarter he has ever had in the series.

Because he didn't try to force the attack, he didn't have to fight with the Knicks players, which saved him a lot of energy.

He knows his mission. It doesn't matter if he is a little behind now, as long as he can keep the score close.

In the second quarter, Jordan and Ewing's pick-and-roll was back on line. Roger went to defend himself, and every time he tried to bypass Ewing, who was as steady as a mountain, and didn't give Jordan too much space to shoot.

But facing Roger's blockade, Jordan only needed to lean back slightly to create some angle when shooting to successfully hit the target!
The feel of the hand is a mysterious thing, but there are traces to follow.

Michael Jordan's devilish training day after day, his jump shots again and again in the empty gym, and his fearless heart at all times, made Michael Jordan's chances of having a hot hand higher than others.

Role players occasionally have moments of explosive touch and score high points. Brandon Jennings scored 55 points in just the seventh game of his career.

The difference is that an average player may only have that one great night in his entire career, and then it disappears like a burning meteor.

Great players can create greatness at a higher frequency. They are not meteors that flash across the night sky, but stars that hang forever in the sky.

In the second quarter, Jordan scored 12 points and 25 points in the first half, leading the Knicks to a 6-point lead at halftime.

The Shark scored 10 points in the quarter and 23 points in the first half, but couldn't withstand Jordan's outburst.

Considering the pattern of the previous few games, Jordan and Roger always exploded at different times. This time, it seemed that it was Michael Jordan's turn to play again.

At halftime, Magic coach Brian Hill was interviewed by reporters on the sidelines.

But during the interview, the audience in front of the TV could only hear two voices.

The first sound was that the entire Madison Square Garden was shouting "Dog Brian", which was a mockery of Brian Hill, who had two rings, being a "dog-tying coach".

The second voice, Knicks diehard fan Spike Lee ran behind the camera and shouted: "As long as Michael is here, we can't lose!"

Madison Square Garden, a nightmare for many years, where they have been defeated by Roger many times. But at this time, on this night when Roger performed mediocrely and Jordan was in great form, the New York Knicks seemed to finally pass this fateful hurdle.

In the locker room, Michael Jordan was breathing heavily and drinking Gatorade.

The murderous look in his eyes made no one in the team dare to talk to him.

But he was talking to himself: "Tonight, no one can make me retire! Screw the scenery, what I want is eternal greatness!"

Phil Jackson, a man who is good at playing tricks on people, discovered something. After arranging the tactics, he put down the marker and said, "Michael, before the second half starts, do you have anything to say to everyone?"

Jordan wiped the sweat off his face, put on his No. 23 jersey again, and stood up.

Everyone was staring at him and willing to follow him.

He had so much to say and so much reluctance in his heart.

Finally, he widened his brown eyes that were burning with flames and waved his arms: "Stop them, defeat them, and tear them apart at all costs! No eternity? No, our legend will never die!"

Patrick Ewing was the first to respond. This was the most inspiring sentence for Ewing after Georgetown University coach John Thompson said, "Now, let's go out and fight this fucking thing." He stood up and pounded his chest: "Let's go!"

Then the entire Knicks team stood up, like a group of mad buffaloes, wanting only to rush onto the court and destroy everything in their way.

Phil Jackson was very satisfied with the team's condition, and he could confirm that Jordan had read the book he gave him.

At least, read the title page.

So in the third quarter, the Knicks became even more ferocious.

Their defense was so fierce that it was like a street fight, and O'Neal began to have a hard time in the interior.

He complained to the referee several times that Ewing and Oakley were simply trying to silence him, but the referee just spread his hands and said, "Dead men can't talk, Shaq."

They acquiesced to a stronger confrontation than in the first half.

The Knicks have also maintained this defensive intensity.

Is the old oak tree too tired? OK, Buck Williams, a four-time All-Defensive player nicknamed "The Buck", will join forces with Ewing to fight O'Neal. If that doesn't work, Larry Johnson can also play the fourth position and join hands with the gorilla to form a steel defense.

The Sharks found it difficult to score efficiently in this tough inside line, but Michael Jordan continued to perform. Although his shooting percentage was not as abnormal as in the first half, he still made several difficult jump shots and scored 10 points again in a single quarter.

Roger scored 8 points in this quarter alone, after all, most of the ball was in the hands of the Shark.

Roger's jump shot originally recovered some points, but O'Neal's last foul in the third quarter put the Magic in trouble.

In the last 54 seconds of the third quarter, Jordan chose to force the inside after missing two consecutive shots. He jumped towards the shark and stuck out his tongue in the air, which was a signal for him to start the performance.

But the frustrated Shark used a clothesline to foul Jordan and knocked him down directly, then turned and looked at the referee: "Is this a foul?"

Of course it counts.

This was the Shark's fourth foul of the day, which meant that in the fourth quarter, O'Neal was at risk of graduating early.

In the end, the Knicks entered the fourth quarter with a 7-point advantage.

Roger scored 22 points in three quarters, Shark scored 31 points in three quarters, and Jordan scored 36 points in three quarters.

The red light came on, and Jordan bared his teeth and pumped his fists.

It looked like it would be another great night in Michael Jordan's illustrious career.

At this moment, Jordan thought of the book from yesterday, the words on the title page, and then looked at Phil Jackson proudly.

Nothing lasts forever, huh? Screw you!
If there is a next autobiography, Jordan must write about this game on the title page, so that those who only read the title page can also know the greatness of tonight!

Looking at the omnipotent Michael Jordan, Dominique Wilkins' heart was almost broken.

Over the years, he had heard too many legends about number 23.

1989 5 Month 27 Day.

The Pistons, eager to take revenge on the Lakers in the finals, did not take the Bulls seriously at all. They led by 3 points at the beginning of the fourth quarter of G11 and extended the advantage to 6 points with 12 minutes left.

But it was from that moment that the Pistons learned a lesson: Michael could beat them on his own.

In the subsequent game, Jordan defended Isaiah Thomas madly, almost locking him up, and still had enough energy to score 16 of the Bulls' last 12 points. He finally scored 46 points and led the team to a reversal.

1990 3 Month 28 Day.

Doug Collins, TNT analyst and Jordan's coach last season, mentioned before the Bulls-Cavs game how good and smart Cavs guard Craig Ehlo was on defense and said, "Knowing Michael, he's probably going to get a bad rap on Craig."

Then Jordan scored 69 points and 18 rebounds. Yes, a guard almost scored 70+20 in a single game, just because Doug Collins seemed to have angered Jordan before the game.

The 92 Shrugged Game, the 93 points after the gambling scandal in 54, and The Shot in 89. Regarding The Shot, many people only remember the shot that defeated the Cavaliers, but ignored his statistics - 44 points, 6 assists, and 53% shooting.

A truly great player will easily remind you of his great feats, and Jordan is undoubtedly such a great player.

When Michael Jordan was dominant like this, he was unbeatable.

Now, Wilkins is wondering if today's game will become part of that brilliant night on the 23rd?

Because he and Harper really couldn't hold on any longer, and he couldn't see any possibility of holding Jordan down.

Wilkins didn't dare to think about it anymore. He couldn't imagine how cruel it would be to have paid so much and then just become Jordan's background.

It wasn't just Wilkins' confidence that was shaken. Michael Jordan went berserk, Shaq committed four fouls, and the Knicks' impenetrable defense.
All of this began to make the Magic players doubt tonight's game and put them under tremendous pressure.

In fact, the Sharks completed the task very well. Although they were a little embarrassed in the third quarter, they only allowed the Knicks to lead by 7 points.

He successfully helped Roger share a lot of pressure, allowing Roger to still have enough energy to output crazily in the fourth quarter.

But the sense of fear created by Jordan still spread throughout the stadium.

At the end of the third quarter, when Roger walked off the court, he noticed that his teammates were in low spirits, including Shark, who was still depressed despite scoring 31 points in three quarters.

It turns out that he is the core of the team that can't beat the Knicks. Moreover, he now has to worry about the risk of being sent off early.

As a young player, it's easy to feel overwhelmed when faced with this kind of situation.

But Roger, he encountered this situation when he was 18 years old.

In 94, we also faced the Knicks, when Roger was still with the Bulls.

In Game 7, the Knicks had the advantage, the Bulls were dejected, and their inside line was almost penetrated by Ewing.

So, there was the sentence that was eventually leaked and completely angered Jordan: "You don't need MJ now, you only need me."

This is the fact. The Bulls relied on Roger to get past the Knicks.

So for Roger, his teammates' temporary low mood was not a difficult problem.

He could handle it when he was 18.

Everyone sat down, only Roger stood in front of everyone.

He waved his hand and asked "Tie the dog to win the coach" and others to speak first.

Brian Hill once thought that he could be above everyone else after becoming a champion coach, but he quickly realized that he could ignore everyone except Roger. After all, the boss had to listen to him.

So now Brian Hill is very tough with others, but he listens to Roger.

Seeing Roger waving his hand, he stood there obediently holding the tactical board.

"Listen, we played well in the first half, Shaq played well. But we are still one dangerous step away from victory. I only know that someone must want to retreat, can't hold on, and feel scared. Don't think so much. After tonight, I will let all of you wear new rings. You just need to remember this now!"

The opponent in the finals? There was no opponent in the finals. Roger knew that if he stepped over Jordan, he would be the champion.

Roger was full of confidence in the fourth quarter. Although he had to guard Jordan at one point, he still had plenty of energy and his touch was not completely exhausted like in previous games.

Everyone thought today was the key night for Jordan to return to the altar, no, that was just the title page of this story.

Today is a sad night when God is completely buried.

(End of this chapter)