Champion Creed
Chapter 567 - 567 204 Great Plot Fate's Masterpiece Request for Monthly Votes!_2

567: 204: Great Plot, Fate’s Masterpiece (Request for Monthly Votes!)_2 567: 204: Great Plot, Fate’s Masterpiece (Request for Monthly Votes!)_2 “Cough…

cough cough cough!” Roger suddenly choked while drinking water.

“What’s wrong?” Vergara, sitting beside Roger, immediately helped him wipe his mouth.

“It’s nothing, I just drank too fast.”

After dinner, Larsa helped clear the table while Vergara and the kids went to play chess.

Finally, Roger had some alone time with Pippen.

“So, Scott, what did you want to talk about tonight?”

“I think there’s a misunderstanding between us.”

“No, there’s no misunderstanding.

You don’t like me, I don’t like you; we’ve always understood that about each other.”

“You can say whatever you want, but after tonight, I won’t be your problem.

I want to stay in Atlanta and play as much as I can, I think I like living here.

So, my previous plan of playing for one year and then leaving has changed.

Anyway, I’ll try my best to support you from behind.

I want you to know that, so we can work together more easily.”

In just one month, what had changed Pippen?

The main thing, of course, was money.

Pippen wanted to secure a sizable contract with the Hawks and needed Roger’s support.

The whole world had seen before how Roger had backed Shaq in his contract.

Although they eventually fell out, had O’Neal not opted out of his contract himself, he would still be a player earning 20 million a year.

Roger might reduce your shooting authority, might let your status slip.

But he never messed with his teammates’ contracts.

So, Pippen needed to express his thoughts and avoid any misunderstandings.

The second reason was that he realized how much Roger and Jordan were becoming alike.

He believed that Roger could create the same greatness in Atlanta.

So, sticking with Roger was the best option.

Look at how miserable Shaq, eager to prove himself, is now—people understand when they get older, it’s better to cling to good legs than to prove oneself.

Roger got the message; Pippen was here to express his loyalty today.

Hearing “I want to stay in Atlanta and play as much as I can,” Roger more or less knew what Pippen was thinking.

In theory, only if he had Bird rights with the Hawks could he sign the biggest contract.

Previously, Pippen would rather forgo this max contract than play with Roger.

But now, it seemed he could tolerate himself.

Roger accepted Pippen’s gesture of loyalty.

He indeed needed an assistant more stable than Shaq to achieve glory in Atlanta.

Shortly after dinner, both Roger and Vergara were ready to leave.

Before leaving, Vergara arranged an exclusive interview with Pippen.

Of course, she assured Roger that she would absolutely not ask questions related to Larsa.

—————–

The Hawks won all of the remaining five games in November.

As Bob Costas said, the Hawks were now at full strength.

Their form and chemistry were getting better and better.

In December, the Hawks lost a few games, revealing some issues.

Such as insufficient rebound protection.

Such as when facing teams with multiple shooters who happened to be hot that day, the Hawks’ double-teaming defensive strategy could easily be shot through.

However, at the end of 1997, the Hawks still rounded off the year with a three-game winning streak, marking a perfect end to the year.

After completing the December schedule, the Hawks’ record was 22 wins and 7 losses.

Though not as good as the Magic at the same time last season, and not as good as some of the Western teams, it was still number one in the East.

This was a position that the Atlanta Hawks had not reached in many years.

However, at this point in time, the attention of most Atlanta fans was captivated by the Falcons.

Because January is the Super Bowl season.

The Super Bowl, known as America’s “Spring Festival Gala,” shows its popularity and status.

Even though the Super Bowl had not yet started, the Atlanta Falcons had already had their greatest season ever.

The team entered the playoffs with the best regular-season record of 14 wins and 2 losses and as NFC West division champions, and they easily took down the San Francisco 49ers in the first round.

It seemed that what happened to the Warriors would not occur to the more dominant Falcons.

The people of Atlanta were all ready to embrace the year’s first championship trophy.

During the time when the NFL temporarily drew away the spotlight, the Hawks experienced the biggest loss of the season.

On January 6th, the home-standing Hawks were defeated by the Utah Jazz, last season’s Western champions, with a score of 91 to 111.

This was also the second time the Hawks had lost to the Jazz this season.

The Jazz was currently the team with the best record in the entire league and was considered the most likely team from the West to make it to the finals.

In fact, this season’s West was extremely competitive, with likely three teams reaching 60 victories.

But why did Roger subconsciously think no Western team was very strong in the 90s?

The reason is simple: the strong make their opponents look weak, while the weak make their opponents look strong.

In the original history of the 90s, Jordan’s dominance over the championships gave the impression that “Western teams are all trash.”

After all, Jordan played his hardest series in the East.

He never lost a finals, not even going to a game seven.

And in the 21st century, because of the presence of another person, teams like the Spurs, Warriors, and even the Mavericks appeared incredibly strong.

Nowadays, without Jordan’s filter, one realizes just how terrifying the West was.

The Jazz duo was still at their peak, the OK duo was just showing their edge, the Spurs Twin Towers aimed for the championship, and the Seattle SuperSonics were still formidable.

And when the Jazz defeated the Hawks by a 20-point margin, the Atlanta fans couldn’t help but worry.