Champion Creed
Chapter 398 - 398 158 Detonating the Bomb Vote for me with your monthly ticket!

398: 158: Detonating the Bomb (Vote for me with your monthly ticket!) 398: 158: Detonating the Bomb (Vote for me with your monthly ticket!) Shaquille O’Neal was very displeased because John Gabriel had once again broken the agreement.

This season, under Roger’s mediation, Shaq reached a “non-interference agreement” with the management, just like last season.

Neither the management nor the players could publicly criticize each other during the season; any discussions were to be held after the season ended.

The agreement was made to ensure team stability, and it was the foundation for Magic Team’s championship last season.

Because of the agreement, Shaq no longer obsessed over the renewal and began to fully focus on the championship.

Roger also stopped public displays of allegiance and dedicated himself completely to the game.

This allowed the Magic, with their undivided attention, to unleash a terrifying fighting force in the playoffs.

But this season, after the team returned from Los Angeles, John Gabriel broke the agreement.

He complained to the media like a woeful man whose wife had been stolen:

“I don’t know why Jerry West and Shaquille O’Neal met, we have already involved the league in the investigation!

We didn’t hesitate to meet Shaq’s high contract demands this past summer, why did he do this?

I believe NBA Commissioner David Stern will definitely bring fairness to the league!”

Indeed, Gabriel never really intended to keep Shaq.

After three consecutive championships, Shaq was expected to leave.

But his plan was to try and convince Shaq not to exercise his player option, then trade him after executing the contract, so the team could at least get some draft picks in return.

He wanted Shaq to leave but didn’t want him to leave for nothing.

However, O’Neal’s secret meeting with West made it clear that he was looking to opt out of his contract and join another team as a free agent.

Leave with nothing?

How could that be!

John Gabriel would never allow such a thing to happen; he wanted the league to investigate thoroughly!

Gabriel’s words undeniably enraged Shaq.

You met my high contract demands?

The nerve to say that!

After John Gabriel broke the agreement, O’Neal too threw the agreement out the window and fired back in the media:

“Does anyone remember their first offer to me was 7 years for 69 million?

Why does he act as if they made such great efforts to keep me?

I was the one who made concessions in the end; I’m the only superstar who didn’t sign a hundred-million-dollar contract this summer!”

West was also annoyed by John Gabriel’s accusations:

“If the league really intends to investigate, it’s questioning my integrity, Shaquille’s integrity, Dr.

Jerry Buss’s integrity!

It’s a baseless and dirty accusation!

Would you let the police search you just because of a stranger’s baseless accusations!?

Absurd!

Here in the United States, on this land, we can freely do anything that’s legal!

I have the freedom of speech, the freedom of action, the freedom of dress.

Of course, I also have the freedom to see my own friends!”

David Stern called for restraint from all parties, not wanting the conflict to escalate further.

Exciting, this battle involving three, no, four parties is just too thrilling.

Shaq, the Magic, the Lakers, and the league have all been drawn in.

The season had started less than a month ago, and the fans already had juicy gossip to feast on.

But Roger didn’t find it exciting at all.

After all, no one wants to be the subject of their own gossip.

At this point, only eight regular season games had been played, and the season had just begun 23 days ago.

That means, this season’s non-interference agreement lasted a mere 23 days before it was declared broken.

Last season, the facade of harmony had at least lasted until the end of the season.

The inability to maintain this season’s agreement proved that the contradictions were no longer concealable.

Moreover, this affair affected more than just Shaq and management.

So, after today’s practice, the entire team was asked difficult questions by reporters:

“Saru, do you think Shaq really wants to leave Orlando?

What’s the reason?”

“Ron, what do you know about Shaq’s situation?”

“Michael, do you think the Lakers are guilty of tampering?”

“Dom, what’s your take on this situation?”

Everyone was embarrassed because answering such questions incorrectly could easily lead to a locker room division.

You risk offending either the management or Shaq.

Fortunately, the Magic roster mostly consisted of experienced veterans.

They managed to keep their mouths shut, mostly using “No comment” or “I don’t know” to evade the questions.

The reporters naturally asked Roger as well.

They knew Roger was someone who wasn’t afraid to offend either management or O’Neal.

Roger felt bothered; it had not been easy for the team to recover from the preseason chaos.

Just eight games in, and Shaq and John Gabriel were slinging mud at each other again.

Didn’t they have anything better to do?

Roger didn’t want to stir the waters even more; the best way to handle this was to let it cool down.

With time, who would remember who Shaq met in Los Angeles?

Therefore, Roger didn’t express any opinions in the media.

His response was the same as everyone else’s: “I don’t know anything.”

However, Roger underestimated the fervor of this matter.

Because the league had officially begun an investigation into whether the Lakers committed tampering, there was news related to this almost daily.

There was no possibility of letting the situation cool down.

Fortunately, the Magic Team was still on a winning streak.

On November 25, the Magic took down the Bucks, and an angry Shaq exploded with 44 points and 14 rebounds: “Do you think I’m only worth 80 million?

Alonzo and Juwan can’t produce these numbers and performance!”