Champion Creed
Chapter 988: 322: Anyway, this is not the last time LeBron treats his own words like nonsense (asking for monthly tickets!)

Chapter 988: 322: Anyway, this is not the last time LeBron treats his own words like nonsense (asking for monthly tickets!)

Tim Duncan seems to be the only person who can escape the dominance of the Roger era.

During the lockout-shortened season of 1999, he won the only championship in the Roger era that didn’t belong to Roger.

Four years later, he once again defeated Roger solidly in the playoffs.

This low-key guy rarely becomes part of the disputes surrounding Roger and has never engaged in a media spat with him.

But in the end, people discovered that he is actually the biggest threat to Roger.

After eliminating Roger and advancing, Tim Duncan could hardly contain his excitement: “It’s a great honor to defeat the greatest player of our generation in the playoffs.”

“So, Tim, will you do it again next season? Will you be the one to break Roger’s dominance? No one has ever defeated Roger in the playoffs two years in a row. Will you be the first?”

“Beating Roger once is already great, but doing it twice would definitely feel even better. Wonderful things, you can never have too many.”

Tim Duncan is undoubtedly someone who spent four years in college; if you often listen to him talk, you’ll notice he’s quite articulate. Because he’s always seemingly humble on the surface, but actually showing off.

“The future is yours” and “a nice try” are typical examples of being ostensibly humble but actually showing off.

A reporter asked Roger’s former teammate, Bruce Bowen: “With your understanding of Roger, do you think he can regroup in the Bay Area?”

Bowen is an important part of the Spurs’ roster this year. Bowen only signed a long-term contract with the Hawks last summer, but after Roger left, the Hawks didn’t want to keep an old veteran like Bowen for long, so after the season began, they traded him. The Spurs used Steve Kerr’s expiring contract and two second-round draft picks to acquire Bowen, whom they had long dreamed of, and he became a crucial part of the Spurs’ defense.

Now that Bowen is a member of the Spurs, he should logically speak positively, something like, “Regroup? This is the Spurs’ era now.”

But facing the reporter’s question, Bowen answered: “I don’t know if he can regroup again, but I do know that the Spurs will have to be cautious every time they meet Roger from now on. From what I know about him, he’s not the kind of person to easily let go of grudges.”

Bowen’s response sounded more like a warning to the Spurs.

Judging from past patterns, Roger’s revenge indeed doesn’t “wait overnight.”

In 1994, Olajuwon beat Roger, and then in 1995, Roger immediately got back at him.

In 1999, the Miami Heat touched the crown of the king, and then in 2000, Roger knocked the Heat to disband on the spot.

Now, that kind of fate seems to have befallen the San Antonio Spurs.

But Popovich doesn’t believe he’ll fall into the whirlpool of fate; this year’s Spurs are different from the Rockets and the Heat.

The 1995 Rockets were already at the end of their strength during the regular season and only made it to the finals through a miraculous turnaround.

The 1999 Heat weren’t the strongest team of the season, and it was the Spurs who beat them in the finals.

But now, this Spurs team has Tim Duncan in his prime, with Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili emerging. Popovich can’t see any possibility of the Spurs getting weaker next year.

Well, David Robinson did say he would retire if they won the championship this season, which might have some impact, but not enough for Roger to complete a revenge next year.

Popovich is very confident; after all, the peak of the Spurs is about to arrive!

One big reason Roger could immediately retaliate in 2000 was that Tim Duncan got injured at the end of the season and couldn’t participate in the playoffs. Otherwise, even if Roger could get revenge on the Heat, he might not have won the championship back. This coincidence created a legendary aspect of Roger’s career.

But will Roger be that lucky this time?

It’s impossible now; good luck doesn’t always favor the same person.

After the series ended, Roger started the longest vacation of his professional career.

Having played in the League for nine seasons, it’s the first time Roger is free in May.

Because of this, Reebok assigned Roger a challenging task: “Meet with LeBron James and persuade him to sign with Reebok.”

LeBron James is undoubtedly already a phenomenal high school player. Phil Knight, co-founder of Nike Company, and Todd Krinsky, president of Reebok’s basketball division, have visited Akron to watch his games more than once. Due to the intense excitement, many of St. Vincent St. Mary High School’s games were even moved to the Cleveland Cavaliers’ home arena, the Gund Center.

Tickets for any game involving James sell out instantly. On average, James can attract 19,000 fans to the Gund Center, while the Cavaliers average less than 12,000 spectators per game.

A week ago, when Michael Jordan represented the Cavaliers in the lottery draw and got the No. 1 pick, he immediately pulled out a No. 23 Cavaliers jersey with James’ name on the back, signaling that James had locked in the top pick in advance, meaning that Carmelo Anthony, who won the championship and MOP as a freshman in the NCAA, was completely overlooked.

In an interview, Jordan said: “Carmelo is great, but you know, LeBron is the Chosen One.”

James’ commercial value is already immeasurable, and historically, it’s doubtful any high school player will ever reach his level.

Of course, he also knows his worth, so LeBron James is deliberately toying with these sneaker companies.