Champions Creed

Chapter 408 Chapter 407: No victory is won in happiness (ask for monthly ticket!)

After the reporters left, LeBron James sat in front of his locker without saying a word.

To him, that slap from Roger was more humiliating than anything he had ever encountered before.

Slapping is totally different from fighting.

A fight usually occurs between two people of equal status. Regardless of who wins or loses, it is an equal competition between men.

People always laugh at Shaq and Kobe's fighting skills, but no one calls them wimps or sissies because they lost in normal fights.

Slapping often occurs between people of higher status and people of lower status. In addition to physical harm, there is also serious mental humiliation.

This is why some art films with masochistic tendencies have a lot of slapping scenes instead of ordinary punching and kicking.

In the NBA, Shaquille O'Neal is the person who likes to slap his teammates the most, because he knows how humiliating a slap can be to a man.

He once slapped Chris Webber in the locker room, which became the trigger for the Magic to trade Webber for Roger. More people believe that this is the root cause of Chris Webber's lack of confidence in critical moments throughout his career, because he was psychologically "suppressed" by the shark, who was in a higher position. After that, in the playoffs, he always felt unconfident when meeting other stars, and subconsciously felt inferior to them.

After that, the Shaq slapped Kobe Bryant on the basketball court when he tried to challenge his position for the first time.

These two slaps by the shark actually declared the same thing: Remember, I am the boss!

If the shark had simply punched them in the face, it probably wouldn't have achieved the same effect as asserting their status.

Roger did the same thing, but not to his teammates, but to Pat Riley.

Careful people can see that the grudges between Roger and Pat Riley basically ended after that game. Since then, the disputes between Roger and Pat Riley have become less. That slap blew away Pat Riley's dignity and officially established the status of the two.

And now, Roger humiliated LeBron James in this strong way.

This is Roger's declaration of his status and also a suppression of No. 23.

Many people say that Roger has changed. He is no longer the young man who beat up Scott Pippen in the first week of joining the team and broke Michael Jordan's eye socket bone in his rookie season.

But Roger has never changed in some ways. He is still the guy who is inviolable and will never talk to you unless he takes action.

Roger will not complain to the referee, will not grumble in front of the media, and will not sit down and reason with you.

If you touch his bottom line, he will respond to you in the most direct way.

James couldn't help but clench his fists when he thought of being slapped in public. He wasn't the first, but what was more shameful than Pat Riley was that Roger at least disguised his slap on Pat Riley as an accidental touch when saving the ball. But when he slapped James, Roger didn't hide it, and was even more straightforward than Will Smith many years later.

What's worse is that even if he is slapped, public opinion will not stand on LeBron James' side.

In the Nike era, they could confiscate videos that were unfavorable to LBJ, or give the cold shoulder to things that were unfavorable to him.

But in this timeline, Nike's influence was extremely limited.

They no longer had enough power to cover up LBJ's crimes.

Coupled with Reebok's powerful publicity machine, LeBron James's behavior of pushing Roger will be condemned by the whole world.

Fans love to watch competition, which is the essence of most competitive sports.

Most sports with high enough commercial value are highly confrontational.

But no matter what kind of sports it is, fans almost unanimously hate the kind of confrontation where the goal is to intentionally injure the opponent.

You can hit your opponent as much as you want in mixed martial arts, but deliberately poking your opponent in the eye is despicable.

Those who fight fiercely enough in basketball games will be loved by fans, but those who use dirty tricks to hurt others will be despised.

Not only was LeBron James slapped in the face, he also became a villain who received no sympathy from anyone.

And this time, even some Cleveland media no longer support him. When James was just interviewed, he was questioned by several Cleveland local media with some very sharp questions.

After all, he failed to deliver on his promise. He once again lost to Roger's Warriors, a Warriors team without Amar'e Stoudemire.

Thinking of these bad things, LeBron James felt extremely painful. He fell into darkness in an instant from the glory of 9 wins and 1 loss.

He was helpless and his career looked hopeless.

He had a perfect excuse for the past two seasons — the Cleveland Cavaliers' roster was too mediocre.

This is an objective fact, the Cavaliers' talent has never been good.

But this season, using the lineup as an excuse obviously doesn't make sense.

The Cavaliers' roster is definitely more talented than most teams, and their defense is a nightmare for the entire league.

What James was most worried about happened. In the summer, when the team introduced AK47 and Larry Hughes, he thought of one thing: If I still fail even though I have excellent teammates, how can I explain it?

He couldn't explain it.

He could only bear the cost of losing silently.

The devastated No. 23 sat alone in the locker room and did not get up until very late to go home.

But in the player tunnel, he met an uninvited guest, the person he least wanted to see right now, the culprit who had led him to this point.

Opposite James, Roger's face was also full of surprise. He didn't expect to meet the guy he slapped here.

Because what happened tonight was so explosive, the press conference lasted quite a while.

After taking a shower, Roger let the team bus go back to the hotel first, and then he stayed to accept an exclusive interview with Sports Illustrated, so he came out a little late.

Who would have thought that he and James walked out of the locker room at the same time and met when they were about to arrive at the underground parking lot.

That's even less likely than an experienced professional racing driver accidentally hitting a wall when turning out of the pits.

After so much had happened, this encounter was destined not to end in silence.

LeBron James stopped and looked Roger in the eye, as if to accuse him: "That's too much, Roger."

"Why?" Roger stared at No. 23 without avoiding any hesitation. "Why do you have to act like a pitiful victim? It was you who threatened to surpass me, it was you who threatened to beat me this season, and it was you who pushed me in the air. From the beginning to the end, it was you who provoked the incident. Before you entered the league, you and your team kept trying to touch me. Too much? You can just act in front of the media, but don't come to me to act. You are as disgusting as Fredo in The Godfather!"

Roger went all out and didn't give LeBron James any face at all.

But did Roger really say anything insulting? No, he just repeated what LBJ had done, that's all.

"But I didn't slap you in the face," LeBron James said as he tried to make a final struggle. "You know, I won't turn the game into a personal grudge. That's not me. I pushed you down, but I was just trying my best to defend, but the huge inertia made it impossible for me to brake. There are many similar situations in the league. If you watch the video carefully, you will find this. I have never been that kind of player, the kind of player who seeks targeted physical contact. That is not my game, nor is it part of basketball. And you? You hurt me maliciously!"

Roger couldn't help but laugh. What a classic LeBron James statement.

Inertia, not intentional, I'm not that kind of player. It's too classic.

These hypocritical things are indeed engraved in our genes.

Roger walked up and put his nose close to LeBron James: "Michael, Shaq and Kobe, they are all hostile to me. But you know, LeBron, none of them has as many excuses for their hostility as a softie like you, and that's the biggest difference between you and them. You want to challenge me, but you don't even dare to admit it. Listen, before I retire, a softie like you will never be able to beat me, never, I promise you!"

"Asshole, you should apologize to me instead of saying this nonsense!"

"Me? Apologize? What makes you so arrogant? LeBron, who do you think you are?"

Roger was so cold and merciless that young No. 23 bet that if someone cut Roger's body open, there would be no nerves or blood inside, only various instruments and parts.

This cold-blooded bastard has no humanity at all!
"I will let you and the whole world know who I am." LBJ was no longer hypocritical and challenged Roger for the first time in person.

Roger looked James straight in the eye with disdain: "No way in your lifetime, you will never get my script."

If before, there was still a thin layer of window paper that had not been broken in the hostile relationship between LeBron James and Roger.

So tonight, at this moment, their private life was completely shattered, and even the superficial harmony no longer existed.

LeBron James' hatred for Roger reached its peak.

Roger also officially included No. 23 on his top hunting list.

Their relationship at this point is even worse than that between Michael Jordan and Isaiah Thomas.

At this time, the staff of the Quicken Loans Center discovered that James and Roger were having an argument.

They quickly stepped forward to separate the two men to avoid a conflict off the court.

LeBron James knew he had no way out.

He had to beat Roger or his career would be worthless.

The next day, the news that Roger slapped LBJ and James challenged Roger in the player tunnel caused a frenzy among major media.

Countless football fans are following the news, which means that news channels have no shortage of ratings and newspapers have no shortage of sales.

ESPN is also very happy because the December Cavaliers-Warriors matchup will definitely usher in a peak in ratings. From Michael Jordan, Karl Malone, Pat Riley, to Shaquille O'Neal, Tim Duncan, Kobe Bryant, AI, and LeBron James.

Roger is like the protagonist in a superhero comic with enduring sales. He has spanned several eras and faced different opponents, but he has always been the focus of the league.

However, the Warriors will face a very difficult problem next - suspension.

Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson's actions in defending Roger are a reflection of the excellent locker room atmosphere of the Golden State Gang.

But it also got them suspended for three games.

Roger slapped LeBron James, but there was a reason so he was only suspended for one game.

Of course, LeBron James was not spared either. He was suspended for four games because of his dirty move that was criticized by thousands of people.

But compared to the humiliation he suffered, that was nothing.

The league's suspension of the Warriors benefited Roger's little fan Carmelo Anthony. The Denver Nuggets easily won the game against the Golden State Warriors who were missing three main players on the 24th. Carmelo Anthony scored 28 points in the game with a shooting percentage of 66%.

Compared to LBJ who fell into the abyss because of disrespecting Roger, this game was more like a reward for Melo who had always respected Roger very much.

During the game, a close-up shot was given to the Warriors bench.

Roger, Matt Barnes, Stephen Jackson and Amar'e Stoudemire all sat on the sidelines in suits and ties due to the dress code.

The on-site commentator joked: "If these four guys in suits team up to play in the NBA, they will definitely subvert the league."

The implication is also very clear: the Warriors were beaten too hard today.

The Nuggets won the game without a fight. After the game, Carmelo Anthony was not excited when he was interviewed: "It would have felt better if we had won against the Warriors with Roger."

Andre Miller shrugged and said, "Shut up, Melo. If it was Roger's Warriors, we wouldn't have any good feelings at all."

Andre Miller was right, because in the back-to-back game on the 25th, the Warriors after Roger's return defeated Jerry Sloan again.

In this game, Jazz first-year guard Deron Williams showed everything he had as the third pick.

He scored 24 points in the game and was able to provide assists in time despite being pressed and double-teamed. His pick-and-roll with Carlos Boozer made people dream back to the Triangle Center in the 90s. Deron Williams was simply a John Stockton with weakened organizational skills but improved personal offensive power by several levels.

But Roger crushed the Jazz with a strong performance of 38 points. Coach Sloan shook his head after the game and made a joke: "The league should suspend Roger indefinitely. I think everyone will support it."

With another victory, the Warriors' record became 7 wins and 6 losses, and they did not have more losses than wins.

But for Eric Spoelstra, the situation is not so optimistic.

In this game, Roger played 42 minutes, Jason Richardson played 38 minutes, and Tayshaun Prince played 39 minutes.

In the end, the Warriors only beat the Jazz by 4 points.

The Warriors had a hard time playing without substitutes.

If this is the playoffs, it doesn't matter, just fight.

But if the Warriors play like this in every regular season game, they will definitely be defeated by injuries.

Because of the defensive strategy, the Warriors this season need to have long rotations of at least 9 players.

If one is missing, the starting lineup will bear tremendous pressure.

The good news is that Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson will be able to return once their suspensions are over.

The bad news is that the team cannot afford serious injuries.

Moreover, Roger's replacement is still unknown.

Monta Ellis is very talented, and he is very passionate and motivated under the influence of the locker room atmosphere. But after a few games, he has proved that he is no different from most high school rookies. As a high school rookie who needs a long time to develop, his current strength makes it difficult for him to play a stable rotation in a championship team.

Maybe he can play a role in some special moments, but he can't be a stable rotation.

Facts have proved that Roger is the only high school rookie in history who can establish superstar status in his rookie season.

At present, Gary Payton is still the most ideal substitute. He has defense, certain shooting ability, control and experience.

But the problem is that he is the only one who is not affected by the Warriors' good atmosphere.

He is like the monk Xuanzang on his journey to obtain Buddhist scriptures, who remained indifferent even after entering the Pansil Cave.

He lost his fighting spirit, and as the only person in the locker room without a fighting spirit, he gradually drifted away from the others.

This feeling of being excluded made Payton even more frustrated, and his condition entered a vicious cycle.

On November 11, the Warriors beat the Seattle SuperSonics with difficulty. Roger scored 27 points, but Ray Allen also scored 42 points. If Rashard Lewis hadn't had a bad touch today, only making 35 of 17 shots, the Warriors' winning rate would probably have been reduced to 4%.

Roger played 43 minutes, Jason Richardson 43 minutes. At the end of the game, Jason Richardson was almost exhausted, which is why Ray Allen performed so well today. Facing tired defenders, Ray will never show mercy.

Gary Payton got five minutes of playing time, but he still couldn't fully adapt to the role of a substitute. He still wanted to prove himself with singles in the transition period, but in the end it proved to be a waste of time.

In the end, the Warriors won by 3 points. For Jason Richardson and the Little Prince, the nightmare was over. The return of King Hound and King Wufu would greatly relieve their pressure.

For Roger, things were not resolved.

Bob Bass has been looking for a trade for some time, and he is willing to put Brandon Bass, Gary Payton and some first-round draft picks on the shelf.

But all teams refused to trade with the Warriors.

This kind of targeting is normal, and most of the time dynasty teams will have a hard time in trades.

Because no one wants to give a dynasty team a transfusion.

Now the whole world knows that the Warriors lack a backup point guard, so no one will be stupid enough to help the Warriors strengthen the team.

They would rather see this shortcoming persist.

There is no player in the free agent market that satisfies Bob Bass, and there are only a few number one positions that can be signed in the market.

FIBA powerhouse Sarunas Jasikevicius is very talented on the offensive end, but like his predecessor Marciulionis, he can't solve the defensive problem.

Gerald Fitch, an undrafted player from the prestigious Kentucky University, still does not have the ability to compete at the NBA level after a summer of hard work.

Reggie Miller, who retired from the Pacers, is a good choice. The whole world knows that he can still play, there is still gas in the tank, and he has no ring, but his answer is simple and rude: "Tell Roger to go to hell."

Just after the game ended, Gary Payton formally applied for a buyout from the team.

The NBA does not allow players to buy out their own contracts, but allows players and teams to negotiate a buyout at a lower price.

Gary Payton is willing to give up most of his salary, he doesn't want to stay in this team anymore.

Bob Bass called Roger over, and Roger nodded in agreement without thinking: "Let him go. The Golden State Gang doesn't need cowards."

Gary Payton was not angry. Instead, he smiled and said, "What do superstars like you know? You have never experienced misfortune or such a gap. You have always been happy, so assholes like you don't know anything. It's up to you. Humiliate me and do what you love most. I will only leave you one last word: good luck."

After saying that, Gary Payton stood up and prepared to go to the locker room to collect his things.

"Look, until the end, you were still an arrogant egoist, so proud that you thought you could lecture me. What do you know? You don't understand what we are doing, and you have no courage at all. In 1994, when the Nuggets were about to lose to the eighth in the black, you did not lead the team to turn the tide. Instead, you had an argument with teammate Ricky Pierce, blamed each other, and threatened to kill him with a gun. This is you, a bastard who betrayed the team and teammates at a critical moment. You don't have the courage to be a winner, and it has always been like this."

Gary Payton turned back, walked to Roger, and pounded the table angrily: "Enough! You don't understand my misfortune! You don't understand the feeling of being ignored as a substitute! I have done everything, I accept the status of a substitute, I accept being a role player. But what about you? You don't value me at all! I have never been as happy as you, with teammates and management who give everything for you!"

Roger still sat there calmly, turning his head to stare at Payton: "Happiness is shit, it is the biggest lie of this era. Do you think Picasso is happy? Is Hemingway happy? They are all miserable wretches, but that doesn't stop them from being successful. As a winner, I can also tell you that no victory is won in happiness, and you will never see the misfortune behind the victory."

As he spoke, Roger looked at his fingers that were almost broken and his ribs that were actually severed in last season's playoffs, and thought of his teammates who sacrificed their health, data and status for the championship.

Then Roger stood up and stared down at Payton.

"Have you really accepted being a role player? No, you still want to shoot, you still want to be a star, you still want to tell the world that you are Gary Payton, and you still want to remind the world that you were once rich. You can't accept the fact that even if you come off the bench, you can only do some dirty work. Whether you are in San Antonio, New York, or San Francisco, you are like this.

You always want to have the aura of a superstar, the attention of everyone, the support of teammates, beautiful statistics, you want to have all those comfortable things, and that's why you can only be a poor loser. You don't understand sacrifice, victory, or true happiness. Go away, Gary, take your inexplicable pride and go away, just as if we have never worked together. Just please, don't preach to me self-righteously. "

After saying that, Roger walked out of the office without looking back.

Bob Bass shrugged: "I think Roger never needed luck, he just needed a backup."

Gary Payton didn't say anything. He stood there thinking for a few seconds and then left without saying a word.

Bob Bass sighed and prepared to continue looking for a qualified substitute.

But before that, he has to sign Gary Payton's buyout application.

But when he picked up the pen, he found that the application on the desk had disappeared.

(End of this chapter)