Champion Creed
Chapter 387 - 387 154 Roger's must-play items each season Ask for monthly tickets!_3

387: 154: Roger’s must-play items each season (Ask for monthly tickets!)_3 387: 154: Roger’s must-play items each season (Ask for monthly tickets!)_3 “Scottie, I must clarify one thing, I really didn’t do anything with Larsa.”

“Get lost!”

“You could just refuse to play, why go through with it?”

“Fuck, I’m going to kill you!”

There were simply too many stories about Pippen, and Roger could reel off a bunch of trash-talk material without even needing to think.

This was a man made entirely of memes.

However, Roger’s trash talk didn’t fluster Pippen.

In fact, after Jordan left the Bulls, Pippen’s fighting spirit was even more vigorous than before.

He was desperate to prove himself.

Roger attempted a sudden stop for a jump shot after a step forward, but this overly simplistic offense didn’t break through Pippen’s defense.

Pippen didn’t go for the steal when Roger drove; that would’ve been too risky.

He waited for the moment Roger gathered the ball and then suddenly tried to steal it.

This was elite-level defense from Pippen; he definitely wasn’t useless.

But awkwardly, Pippen’s defense ultimately proved unsuccessful.

Just as he deflected the ball and was about to fight for the loose ball, Roger stepped in and bumped Pippen out of the way.

That’s why over the years Roger had insisted on bulking up, because in basketball, physical strength could give you an advantage in any situation.

If you can shoot perfectly, it won’t help when you’re on defense.

If you’re great at stealing the ball, there are only so many opportunities to make a clean steal in a game.

As for speed and explosive power, those are things you’re either born with or you’re not; it’s hard to achieve a qualitative change through training.

Only in physical confrontations can you significantly improve with effort later in life, and, what’s more, it’s always useful on the court.

If Roger still had the same skinny build as when he first entered the league, he definitely wouldn’t have won the physical contest against Pippen and would not have gotten the ball.

But weighing in at 98 kilograms, Roger could push Pippen away, pick up the basketball again, then without any adjustments, turn around and shoot.

Pippen was quick to react, immediately going up to block.

This time Pippen made Roger fumble the ball, then followed up with timely interference; defensively speaking, his performance was worth a full 100 points.

But the most terrifying thing about a superstar scorer is that even a 100-point defense isn’t enough against them.

Swish.

The basketball went through the net despite the tight defense.

Scottie Pippen, having lunged too eagerly, threw off all his weight and as he landed, he stumbled forward and fell to the ground.

The best way to describe his mental state at that moment would probably be — “Fuck, there’s just no way!”

What else could he do to defend?

He made Roger lose his grip, he got in Roger’s face, but Roger still scored his 26th point of the game, widening the lead to 25 points.

After that shot went in, Roger once again turned Pippen into a joke.

But this time, Roger didn’t mock Pippen.

Or rather, he mocked in a more sophisticated way.

He bent down, approached Pippen, and extended his hand, “Seriously Scottie, do you miss the times when we were teammates?

At least back then, you got to play in the finals.”

Roger’s gesture to pull up Pippen, that was an act of pity from a king to a loser, and that in itself was the greatest insult to a loser.

It meant that Roger no longer considered Pippen a rival.

In Roger’s eyes, Pippen was nothing but a pitiful creature.

In the summer of 1993, when Jordan retired, Pippen thought his moment had finally come.

But what happened?

The team chose number 14.

Just as he was about to show who’s boss, he got hit with an iron fist from the East right in the locker room.

In the summer of 1994, number 14 was gone, and Pippen thought he had his revenge, that he could show the young number 14 what’s what along with Jordan, let him learn a lesson about who’s the real boss.

But what happened?

He, along with Jordan, got beaten up not once, but twice!

Looking back now, Scottie Pippen’s attempt to play big brother to Roger was simply clownish.

He had no idea how wide the gap between him and Roger was.

Whether Pippen wanted to admit it or not, Roger certainly had the capital to pity him.

“Smack!” Of course, Pippen wouldn’t take Roger’s hand to get up; he rejected that pity and brushed Roger’s hand away, “You know what, Roger?

I’d rather rot in the soil of Chicago than be your teammate for one more second!”

“Fate is quite fascinating, Scott.”

“Get lost!”

Roger enjoyed the look of desperation on Pippen’s face; playing with Scottie Pippen was almost a mandatory amusement for Roger every season, never growing tired of it.

Roger wouldn’t let any of these Bulls remnants off the hook.

It was just a pity that he couldn’t play with both him and Jordan this season, to experience the joy of the three of them together.

Roger didn’t play for the rest of the game, and after Pippen scored 26 points in the fifth minute of the fourth quarter, he was also subbed out.

The Chicago Bulls suffered a crushing 84 to 107 defeat, ending the season with 3 wins and 3 losses.

At the post-game press conference, Pippen enjoyed the treatment of a star player, as all the reporters were targeting him.

“Scottie, how do you assess your and Roger’s performances today?”

“Our performances were similar; I tied with him because we both scored 26 points.

I’ll repeat what I said before, I have the ability to lead a team.

Anything Roger can do, I can do too, just give me eight teammates who want to win!”

“But you said before that you would limit Roger to under 25 points.”

“Did I say that?”

The reporters almost wanted to clap.

Had Pippen become this shameless?

“Scottie, if you were to choose again, would you choose to be teammates with Roger or with Michael?”

“I wouldn’t be teammates with any of them; they’re both complete assholes!” Pippen initially wanted to say, “I wouldn’t choose between two pieces of shit,” but he decided to phrase it more euphemistically.

“What if you had to choose one?”

Scottie Pippen said something nearly identical to Stevie Smith, “There are no ‘ifs’ in my career.

If anything is certain, it’s that this would never happen!”

To be teammates with Roger?

Indeed, that seemed like a complete impossibility.

During the game, Roger was just teasing Pippen and never seriously considered being teammates with him again.

But no matter how strong Roger’s abilities, he could only control the present.

The future cannot be controlled by anyone.

—————–

Kevin Garnett, who had an outstanding performance this season, is seeking a contract extension worth over a hundred million.

NBA player salaries have multiplied several times over just a few years.

Who would now believe that in the 94-95 season, the highest salary in the league was only 7.3 million?

Will the Timberwolves agree to the extension?

— “The Minneapolis Star-Tribune.”

The league is considering introducing a luxury tax in the next collective bargaining agreement.

What impact will this have on the league?

Regardless, the 1998 labor negotiations are shaping up to be quite tough.

— “Hoop.”

Although it’s early days yet, I really want to know where Scottie Pippen will go after his contract expires in the summer of 1998, because we see no possibility of him and the Bulls continuing their partnership.

He will certainly leave the city he has stood by for more than a decade.

— “Chicago Sun-Times.”

The defending champions rack up six consecutive wins, and the New York Knicks have just secured their sixth victory as well.

So, what would the result be if these two teams faced off?

For many years, fans have probably never looked forward to Christmas this much.

— “Slam.”

Why rule out the possibility of Roger and Scott being teammates again?

As long as Scott wants to win a championship, there is a chance he will be teammates with Roger again.

If Scott and Roger were to be teammates again, there would surely be many interesting stories.

Then, we could find out the answer to an unresolved mystery: did anything happen between Roger and Larsa?

— “Florida Chronicle.”

Many media believe that if Michael Jordan loses this season, it would mark the end of his professional career.

Roger has already forced Jordan out of Chicago; will he completely push this former dominator out of the league?

In Roger’s era, can Michael really not snatch even a single championship?

All the suspense of this season rests on these two teams.

— “USA Today.”