Champion Creed
Chapter 980: 320: The Answer I Dare Not Face (Vote for Monthly Ticket!)_2

Chapter 980: 320: The Answer I Dare Not Face (Vote for Monthly Ticket!)_2

Why is this considered just a small flaw? Because Jordan at least held on and finally took down his foes, and after that, he only lost to Shaq. Most people might not even make it to the fourth time before they run away, and the funniest part is they keep losing even after they run.

Roger doesn’t want to leave any flaws; he wants to completely dominate Shaq, believing it’s part of his own dominance.

Throughout his career, he doesn’t want to be defeated by Shaq, not even once.

If one day Roger feels that winning against Shaq no longer matters, it probably means he’s gotten old, at the age where he should retire.

Roger needs to display his dominance, so Shaq must go down!

The game is about to start, and both teams’ starters are gathering together.

Shaq, wearing a blue jersey, is staring at Roger with a complex look in his eyes. They seem to be forcibly tied by fate, and even if they switch teams, they still encounter each other.

O’Neal didn’t speak; from this point on, he wouldn’t trash talk Roger, but Roger instead spoke first: “Shaq, what are you thinking about? You look worried. Don’t worry, everything is normal; your outcome won’t be any different from previous years.”

“I don’t want to banter with you today, you self-proclaimed GOAT.

“All the GOAT labels associated with me come from others; it’s the recognition given to me by the outside world.”

“Alright, let’s focus on the game.”

O’Neal’s strategy succeeded. The moment he refused to exchange trash talk with Roger, Roger suddenly felt it was like a wonderful act missing the other’s moans, making it no longer as wonderful.

Roger pouted, what is this fat guy up to?

The referee starts the game, and Shaq secures possession for the Mavericks.

This is the Shaquille O’Neal of 2003. In the original timeline, he was still playing for the Lakers and was at the tail end of his peak.

So, although quite heavy, Shaq’s athletic ability hadn’t completely declined. Even Stoudemire found it difficult to outmaneuver him for the ball.

Because of Shaq’s presence, the Mavericks naturally couldn’t play fast this season. But the Mavericks’ offense remained aggressive. They were the team with the most three-point attempts this season. Old Nelson utilized Shaq’s interior presence to attract double teams, then let others take crazy shots from the three-point line using Shaq’s effect.

So if the Mavericks collectively had their shooting touch, their opponents would be bombarded relentlessly.

Right after the game started, the Mavericks first looked for Shaq.

He had to establish presence inside before openings outside the three-point line would appear.

After staying up for two nights watching tapes, Amar’e Stoudemire wanted to front to defend Shaq. He saw Ben Wallace doing that in almost every play in the tapes.

But as soon as he tried to front, he realized what it truly meant when “your eyes learn but your body hasn’t.”

O’Neal just extended his arm, as thick as an elephant’s leg, and blocked the fronting Stoudemire firmly behind him.

Big Ben might be short, but Stoudemire’s strength wasn’t in the same league.

That’s a man who can cure himself of mania in a blink of an eye.

He could easily front Shaq, but it doesn’t mean Stoudemire could do it too.

Stoudemire was blocked behind Shaq, and Van Exel didn’t waste the opportunity, lofting the ball lightly into Shaq’s hands.

The moment Shaq caught the ball, Stoudemire’s defense already failed.

The physically powerful O’Neal backed in, and the moment they made contact, Stoudemire was immediately knocked out of position, helplessly watching Shaq jump straight up and slam both hands on the rim!

Shaq unleashed a devastating dunk right at the start!

This move greatly boosted the overly nervous Mavericks’ morale, and Shaq also got excited.

He needed a point to vent his emotions, but he dared not yell at Roger, so he pointed at Stoudemire’s nose: “Get out of here, insect!”

Can’t provoke Roger, but could he not provoke you?

Charles Barkley of TNT commentary was gleeful: “Look, here’s another idiotic defensive moment from Amar’e Stoudemire; he actually tried to back down Shaq without even knowing how to front.”

Indeed, this shows the difference between off-court perspective and on-court perspective.

Stoudemire certainly knew he had to front; he just couldn’t do it.

The game continued, and Roger just crossed half-court when he saw an annoying guy, definitely the most annoying person on the Mavericks besides Shaq — Raja Bell, who, like Duncan, is from the Virgin Islands.

In the original timeline, because the Mavericks had Steve Nash and Michael Finley, Raja Bell was just an overlooked side character until he joined the Utah Jazz in the 2003-04 season and began to shine.

But now, due to changes in the Mavericks’ lineup, Raja Bell got more exposure chances, and became famous earlier.

Nowadays, he’s already a recognized defensive enforcer and also shoots 40% from three-point range, perfectly fitting the Mavericks’ system.

His defense is truly tough — low center of gravity, quick movement, loves contact. He’s also a physically aggressive defender, which includes attitude.

During the regular season, he’d incessantly trash-talk with Roger for the entire game.

As soon as Roger reached the three-point line, Raja Bell approached with intense focus.

But Roger felt something was missing. Was it too quiet on the court?

Why wasn’t Raja Bell saying a word today?

Roger didn’t dwell on it much, waving for Stoudemire to come set a screen. After having success using pick-and-roll to attack Shaq in last season’s playoffs, it became Roger’s go-to move against Shaq.