Champion Creed
Chapter 106 - 106 068 Goodbye Tony my friend forever

106: 068: Goodbye Tony, my friend forever 106: 068: Goodbye Tony, my friend forever Reinsdorf was cornered, Falk was forcing him into a make-or-break decision.

Since the negotiations began, Michael Jordan had remained impassive, not saying a word, letting David Falk speak on his behalf the entire time.

This indifference was also a means of applying pressure, with Jordan using the stark distance to remind Reinsdorf constantly, “We are not partners until you agree to all the terms.”

“No, Michael, I don’t think you and Roger have reached that point.

There seems to be some misunderstanding between you, but that won’t prevent you from joining forces to win the championship,” Reinsdorf tried to convince Jordan.

But Jordan still did not speak, and Falk continued to act as his mouthpiece:

“Of course it’s a hindrance.

Locker room issues are more terrifying than any opponent, and I believe everyone present understands that.

How can Michael possibly coexist peacefully with a player who has publicly stated within the team, ‘We don’t need MJ’?

Moreover, Roger isn’t the kind of person who understands teamwork.

Can you imagine a scenario where Michael doesn’t get the ball for twenty minutes on the court?

Mister, you’re a smart man.

We all know Roger is great, he led the Bulls to the finals, but…

he’s not the champion, right?

Only Michael can bring the championship trophy back to Chicago.”

Reinsdorf knew that Jordan was not going to compromise this time; his stance was firm.

The Bulls’ owner didn’t respond immediately; he was thinking.

Roger was not like Pippen, who could be readily decisive.

Falk also gave him time to think.

He and Jordan stood up, straightened their suits: “Sir, we won’t pressure you to give an immediate answer.

You can think about it for a few days, and we’ll be in touch by phone.

However, the sooner you make a decision, the better, as we’ll have time to build a team for the championship,” Falk said.

Afterwards, he shook hands with Reinsdorf and Chris somewhat insincerely and then led Jordan out of the office.

No sooner had they gone far than Reinsdorf angrily punched the table.

He cursed David Falk, that bastard; he hated the man’s arrogant attitude towards him just now.

But he could not give up on Michael Jordan.

Reinsdorf was helpless; of course, he knew Roger was an untamable beast, and he knew Jordan would never compromise.

But he had assumed that such a dilemma of choice would only arise after they had worked together for two or three years and won a few championships for the Bulls.

Yet, not a speck of dust could fit in Jordan’s eye.

The world, the entire Bulls team, had to revolve around him.

Krause looked at Reinsdorf; he truly wanted Roger to stay.

The kid was rebellious, but at least till now, he had never defied him.

But even Krause himself couldn’t persuade Reinsdorf to give up on Jordan.

Roger indeed represented a promising future, but Michael Jordan’s present was just too dazzling.

It was indeed a tough choice.

While Reinsdorf was still considering, David Falk had already begun to collaborate with Nike to hype up Jordan’s comeback.

Multiple media outlets suddenly claimed that Jordan might go to the Berto Center to train for the upcoming season.

Consequently, countless fans and media packed the Berto Center, waiting for Jordan to appear.

More outrageous was that hotels near the Berto Center were all fully booked, even with prices tripled, they were still fully reserved.

Fervent fans didn’t hesitate to pay for hotel rooms, just in hopes of getting a glimpse of Jordan.

Every day, there were TV helicopters circling the Berto Center.

The spectacle was simply more exaggerated than the finals.

And all this craziness arose merely because the media got wind of Jordan’s potential comeback.

It was a perfect show, a proud display.

Falk used this behavior to tell Reinsdorf that Jordan still had an unparalleled pulling power.

You have nothing to consider.

As all this happened, Roger had already started his summer training with his team.

The season had just ended, but Roger’s vacation time was extremely tight.

Starting from mid-July, Reebok had arranged a variety of commercial activities for him, requiring him to travel all over the world.

It would be difficult to ensure high-quality systematic training.

Therefore, Roger had no time to waste.

There was still much potential in him to be unearthed.

During this period, the media was almost on a 24-hour cycle, reporting the possibility of Jordan’s comeback and capturing his every move.

On July 8, all media were reporting a piece of news—Michael Jordan had indeed appeared at the Berto Center and had trained there for three hours.

His comeback seemed to be a certainty!

Journalists who liked to curry favor with Jordan were touting his love for basketball, praising him for getting over the shadow of his father’s death with a strong will, virtually portraying him as a noble deity.

Krause thought it was ridiculous when remembering the vampiric faces of Jordan and Falk and then seeing the media’s portrayal of an active, positive, almost saintly Jordan.

Don’t think image crafting is the exclusive talent of the GOAT; the lesser GOAT Jordan naturally has his image needs too.

In the 1993 playoffs, Knicks guard John Starks had pulled off a splendid slam dunk over Grant and Jordan, undoubtedly a highlight of his career.