Champion Creed-Chapter 531 - 193: Shaq is Jerry’s biggest mistake since 1981 (Begging for monthly tickets!)_5
Chapter 531: 193: Shaq is Jerry’s biggest mistake since 1981 (Begging for monthly tickets!)_5
Kobe gritted his teeth. He had clearly made a lot of progress this summer, but playing against Roger was still extremely tough.
After missing a shot, Kobe didn’t speak, but Roger was the first to open his mouth, "Trash, you say every year that you’re going to beat me, but every year you come with the same script."
"Say whatever you want, you don’t affect me."
After he spoke, Kobe also took the initiative to defend Roger in this round.
"Rookie, go back to your spot!" O’Neal roared.
Although Eddie Jones couldn’t stop Roger either, he at least had some experience.
Kobe was just too green in front of Roger.
But Kobe still wasn’t phased; he didn’t respect O’Neal in his bones and couldn’t possibly listen to him.
What disappointed O’Neal the most wasn’t Kobe ignoring him, it was coach Del Harris ignoring Kobe’s behavior.
When he made mistakes, the old man would yell and scream.
But what about when Kobe was stubborn?
They liked him.
Del Harris and Jerry Buss, they both liked Kobe.
When Kobe made mistakes, Del Harris always said, "He’s still young."
Kobe, that kid, was completely spoiled!
To hell with it, is being young an excuse? When Roger was his age, he had already...
Fuck, why am I constantly thinking about Roger!
Shaq was right in his judgment; Kobe was still too green. In this defense, he was faked by Roger with a "Buddha’s blessing," completely losing his position. Roger easily broke through him, then cut inside, facing Shaq and successfully scoring with a scoop shot.
The difference widened to 9 points and was just one point shy of a double-digit difference.
O’Neal was utterly disappointed in Kobe; he didn’t understand why the media, fans, and Logo thought so highly of him.
Was he even comparable to Roger?
Not in the slightest!
At that moment, Shaq had forgotten that he was the biggest Kobe fan. After all, only he could say something like "Kobe is ten times better than Roger."
Well, in terms of ramping up the offense, Kobe was indeed ten times better than Roger.
The Lakers were on offense, and Shaq, amidst the double team, passed the ball to Rick Fox, but the latter missed a three-pointer.
Last season, Rick Fox played for the Celtics and posted quite impressive stats: an average of 15.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 2.2 steals per game, truly an outstanding all-around forward.
But today, he turned into a non-performing forward.
Compared to Alan Henderson, who didn’t achieve much in his first two seasons with the Hawks, Rick Fox’s athletic ability wasn’t as strong, his defense wasn’t as fierce; his only advantage might just be his shooting.
But this sole advantage, under Henderson’s quick positioning, was also difficult to utilize.
O’Neal was fed up; he felt like his teammates were like a McDonald’s advert, ’image for reference only, actual product might vary.’"
Lakers fans felt the same; Eddie Jones had already been an All-Star last season, Van Exel was always nimble, Kobe was the star of hope, and Rick Fox’s performance last season was outstanding.
The combination with O’Neal was supposed to be absolutely promising.
But now, this group of players looked like they couldn’t play at all.
Even O’Neal seemed to have weakened quite a bit.
The Hawks, on the other hand, were completely the opposite; those previously unknown guys put on the Hawks jerseys and seemed to have undergone a transformation.
Many Lakers fans before today didn’t even know who Alan Henderson was. But now? He was like a ghost all over the defensive half, making the Lakers’ offense miserable.
Why is this happening?
Then remembered the experience during the Magic period.
Ron Harper, who had already fallen from grace due to a severe injury, had become a dynasty point guard after joining the Magic.
Michael Cage, ready to retire due to old age, found his former glory after coming to the Magic.
Marciulionis, who had almost faded out of the league, became a championship-level key player after joining the Magic.
Wilkins, who had already gone to Europe to play, came to the Magic and played the most serious defense of his career.
Now, Alan Henderson, Kurt Thomas, Bruce Bowen, Eric Snow, and even Ben Wallace, who was a guard-level tall playing as a center, all performed well after joining the Hawks.
How come wherever Roger goes, the environment there improves?
That’s natural; the scolding they took and the sweat they shed in training camp weren’t in vain.
Fortunately, after the Hawks counterattacked this round, Stevie Smith’s three-pointer also didn’t hit, so the score difference remained in the single digits.
It was a long rebound, seized by Kobe, who then immediately pushed forward quickly.
But just past midcourt, Kobe was stopped by the physically stronger Roger.
Yet, Kobe didn’t pass; he started showing off his continuous dribbles between his legs.
"Pass the ball quickly! Don’t embarrass yourself!" O’Neal yelled.
Kobe turned a deaf ear.
What a lovely junior.
"You better listen to him, pass the ball, don’t embarrass yourself," Roger provoked Kobe.
"Shut up, I don’t need you to teach me what to do!"
Seeing Kobe so insistent, Roger retracted his arms, placing them behind his back.
"I’m too embarrassed to bully you."
The corners of Lakers fans’ mouths twitched; this was definitely one of the most disdainful defenses in NBA history!
The fans in Los Angeles were furious; today Roger had already done too many humiliating things to the Lakers.
Who the hell could teach this bastard a lesson?
Kobe wanted to be the hero of Los Angeles; he switched hands between his legs and burst to Roger’s left side.
But just as Kobe dribbled, people only saw Roger, his hands behind his back, casually flick Kobe’s ball away. Kobe couldn’t even break past Roger when he had his hands behind his back!
