Champion Creed
Chapter 455 - 455 173 Do people plan their own funeral in advance

455: 173: Do people plan their own funeral in advance?

(Requesting monthly passes!) 455: 173: Do people plan their own funeral in advance?

(Requesting monthly passes!) “Winter is coming” cast an oppressive, suffocating air over the entire league.

Michael Jordan felt this deeply.

At that moment, Jordan had just stepped out of a casino in Atlantic City.

After the regular season ended, he decided to give himself a day off, indulging in a night of frenzied gambling at the tables.

A few years back, the same gambling affair had cost Jordan dearly, but he wasn’t planning on making any changes.

His love for gambling had become an addiction.

Whenever he had time, he would uncontrollably indulge like a man who had been single for decades.

For the average person, a small pay raise was enough to bring joy.

But for someone like Michael Jordan, he needed a stronger thrill.

Losing the amount of money in one hand that most people would never earn in a lifetime, and then winning it back in the next, intoxicated Jordan.

He almost always felt an immense sense of pleasure after playing cards all night.

But this time, as he left the casino, his heart was not as carefree as before.

He was weighed down by heavy thoughts.

He still remembered the summer a year ago when he and Patrick Ewing stepped out of the casino and saw the dawn of a new day, his heart full of anticipation for the new season.

But the season had not gone as smoothly as he had imagined.

Once inside the car, his personal assistant, looking haggard from the all-nighter, reminded Jordan of something, “David called again last night to ask if you had made up your mind about that matter.”

“Damn it,” Jordan removed the cigar from his mouth, visibly upset, “do people really plan their own funerals in advance!?”

The “matter” the assistant mentioned was in reference to Jordan’s second retirement.

Nike and Jordan’s team had to be fully prepared for it.

If Jordan won, then all was good.

But if he lost and decided to retire, it wasn’t just a simple matter of saying it.

They had to prepare for public relations and a series of opinion guidance.

Was it because Michael Jordan wanted to spend more time with his family?

Or because Michael Jordan’s legs could no longer bear the burden?

Which way should they announce it?

They certainly couldn’t just hold a press conference and say, “I can’t beat Roger, so I’m retiring.

In the end, it’s just basketball,” right?

But the pushing from Nike and Falk about this matter annoyed Jordan.

I haven’t lost yet!

Jordan, frowning and not speaking, considered his own question: Do people really plan their own funerals in advance?

Indeed they do, and many at that.

Most people who know their end is near plan their own funerals.

And now, Jordan was like a man whose end was near.

He may have defeated the Magic in the last game of the season, but that didn’t represent anything.

If things went badly this year, Michael Jordan was likely to walk away without any personal or team accolades.

In terms of scoring, Jordan had lost to Roger for the second consecutive time.

This season, he averaged 29.6 points per game, still dominant, but Roger’s 32.8 was too dazzling.

As the only player in the league averaging over 30 points per game, Roger’s scoring title felt like a chasm ahead of the others.

Apart from the scoring title, Jordan felt he had also lost the MVP.

Although the MVP didn’t have a unified standard, those damn media could just use “viewer fatigue” to take away your MVP.

Theoretically, Jordan wasn’t out of the race.

But Michael Jordan wasn’t a three-year-old.

Roger had the league’s best record, the scoring title, as well as records for being unbeaten at home and not having any losing streaks.

All these greatly increased Roger’s chances of getting the MVP.

Although Shaq participated in 50 of those games with no losses at home and no losing streaks, the fact that Roger maintained the record in the last 30 games was not easy.

Jordan hadn’t felt so defeated since the ’90s.

Scoring leader, MVP, and championship—these were almost the set of three accolades Jordan was meant to take home every year.

Although the seasons since his comeback weren’t as satisfying, he could at least take home one of these honors.

And now this season, Roger didn’t seem to plan on leaving anything for Jordan!

The scoring title was gone, MVP was gone.

If he didn’t get the championship in the playoffs, that would be the season Roger completely crushed Michael Jordan!

So, it’s not hard to understand why Nike hoped Jordan would retire if he lost.

They had put over a decade of effort into building a superstar basketball icon, who was about to become a stepping-stone for Reebok and Roger.

Even though Roger had already caused irreversible damage to Jordan’s commercial value and deification, at least there was a chance to cut the losses in time.

If Jordan continued to stubbornly compete with Roger, it would only get worse.

After all, Roger was only 21, while Jordan was already 34.

Roger would only get stronger, while Jordan would only weaken.

If 34-year-old Jordan couldn’t beat Roger, could a 35, 36-year-old Jordan do it?

Thinking of these things, Jordan truly felt like a dying man.

This was why he played cards all night and still felt no joy.

Michael Jordan looked out the car window, making no further response.

This summer felt particularly cold to the once basketball deity.

“Winter is coming,” was more than just a phrase.

Michael Jordan felt pained by Roger’s achievements, but Roger himself wasn’t complacent just for having won the scoring title.