Champion Creed
Chapter 718 - 718 246 You will always be my favorite second-in-command Seeking monthly votes!_6

718: 246: You will always be my favorite second-in-command (Seeking monthly votes!)_6 718: 246: You will always be my favorite second-in-command (Seeking monthly votes!)_6 Shaq, Mailman, and Flying Pig were unsurprisingly selected, and Shaq was honored to top the list.

Even those burly muscle-bound centers might not dare to stand in the path of an onrushing Shaq.

And Roger was just a guard under 2 meters tall.

Everyone held their breath, this round was truly a bloody Battle of Stalingrad.

“Bang!”

A loud boom silenced the crowd, followed by a visibly horrific collision.

Roger fell out of bounds, sliding on the floor for a while, until he stopped after crashing into the basketball hoop.

After bulldozing past Roger, O’Neal was about to slam dunk, but the referee blew the whistle.

“Offensive foul!

It’s an offensive foul!

Roger has successfully drawn an offensive foul from Shaq!

God, Roger did it!

With no one to protect the rim, he went to protect the rim!

Tonight, there are countless excellent players here, countless talented players are here, everyone claims to be tough.

But the only one who dared to block someone more than twice his size was Roger, and he’s the real tough guy today!”

After Doug Collins finished speaking, Roger had already stood up.

He was no fool, he wouldn’t risk injury just to draw a foul.

Roger knew that while such level of collision was painful, as long as Shaq didn’t throw an elbow, his ribs would be safe.

Additionally, if he didn’t panic and try to break his fall with his hands but instead let himself naturally fall and slide, there would be no risk of injury.

It was truly painful, but indeed not dangerous.

What you needed was tremendous courage.

And that’s something often overlooked on the basketball court.

If Jordan had become disheartened under the elbows of the Detroit Bad Boys, if Jordan worried about being hit every time he attacked the basket, if all Jordan thought about was how to avoid confronting the Detroit Bad Boys, then he would never have beaten the Pistons.

In fact, he might have joined the Pistons.

Many say that Jordan managed to get past the Pistons because he pushed himself hard in the breakfast club.

But many who were stronger than him didn’t have that kind of “I want to overcome all difficulties” courage.

Roger admitted, the moment he saw Shaq charging at him, he tensed up.

But in the end, he succeeded.

He gained possession of the ball, thwarting the Western Conference All-Stars’ most critical attack.

And then, he prepared to send them to their demise!

O’Neal was still arguing with the referee, but the referee insisted that it was an indisputable offensive foul.

Roger walked over to the referee and clapped hard: “Shaq, stop your yapping, this is just the beginning of your fruitless nights.

Over the next season, you will have several more fruitless nights.

So my dear useless Shaq, try to get used to it.”

The Western Conference All-Stars’ loss of possession due to O’Neal’s offensive foul essentially meant the game was sealed.

Roger looked at his teammates, lifted his chin triumphantly: “Told you, I would lead every one of you to victory.

Hey?

Why the shocked faces?”

Indeed, every member of the Eastern Conference All-Stars was staring at Roger with their mouths agape.

Even AI had the same expression.

They all were clueless about what that madman Roger was thinking—after all, that was Shaquille O’Neal!

The legend weighs a full 175 kilograms!

What’s the concept of 175 kilograms?

The future prospects Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren combined only weigh 7 kilograms more than Shaq!

Roger was indeed very strong among guards, but still puny in front of Shaq.

He actually just drew an offensive foul on O’Neal!

Only a real madman would do that!

AI admitted that when it came to leading a team to victory, he really had no place questioning Roger.

Scoring 61 points on his own head wasn’t something done at random.

Although the game had already lost suspense, since it was the All-Star game, the Eastern Conference All-Stars didn’t need to show mercy, and simply continued the show.

Carter shot a super long three-pointer, but the basketball clanked off the rim.

O’Neal, Duncan, and KG had already lost their motivation, they couldn’t believe they were losing this massively advantageous showdown.

So, none of them jumped to grab the rebound, but only reached out their hands.

As a result, Roger burst into the paint, dunking over the heads of the Western Conference All-Stars’ three superstar big men, leaving behind a world-famous painting!

By then, Roger’s stats were 31 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists.

Becoming another player after Michael Jordan who could achieve a triple-double in the All-Star main game!

All debates regarding the AMVP were settled at that moment, as Roger reaped the first personal honor of the century, making the first cut in the harvest of glory.

In this All-Star game full of fierce competition and one of the highest profiles in history, Roger became the king of kings.

A few dozen seconds later, the game ended.

112 to 105, the Eastern Conference All-Stars defeated the Western Conference All-Stars in Oakland.

Looking at the score, one could tell just how outrageous this year’s All-Star game was, the scoring was similar to that of a regular-season game.

But believe it, one day when the score of the All-Star game turns into something like 211 to 186, fans will definitely miss the night of that spring in 2000.

David Stern himself went on stage and handed the AMVP trophy to Roger.

The other All-Star players clapped around the sideline, all except O’Neal, who excused himself to the locker room early citing a “headache.”

Watching Roger hold the trophy, Doug Collins had already matured into the image of a loyal fan.

“If you let an alien watch their first basketball game of their life, knowing nothing of the players’ past achievements.

After the game ends, they would definitely think Roger is the best basketball player on Earth, second to none!”

Bob Costas deliberately fanned the flames on the side, “What about Michael?”

Doug Collins had coached Jordan during the early years of his career and had a decent personal relationship with Jordan.

So, Bob Costas’ question was really inappropriate.

Collins struggled to answer.

But he still said, “Michael is great, he’s the best player I’ve ever coached.

But considering the success Roger has achieved both personally and as a team, and you can’t think of any flaws in him, in my book, Michael can only be second.

Above tens of thousands, below only one.

Unless Shaq can win back in the future, adding some failures to Roger’s career, my view won’t change.”

Tragically, Doug Collins’ thoughts were already the consensus of most fans.

The glories of the old era will gradually be forgotten.

The legends of the new era, however, continue on.

After Doug Collins spoke, Roger picked up the microphone to deliver his acceptance speech.

“Thanks to Shaq, without him, there wouldn’t have been such a wonderful game.

I love you, you’re always my favorite second-in-command!”

O’Neal covered his head in the locker room, now he really had a headache.

(One chapter today, because it’s a combination of ten thousand words into one)