109: 068: Goodbye Tony, my friend forever_4 109: 068: Goodbye Tony, my friend forever_4 Reebok had a finger in the pie here; they’d contacted O’Neal, dreaming of pairing him with Roger.
Imagine, the two biggest Reebok endorsers playing together—and very likely, achieving results.
How wonderful that would be!
For the Magic, losing the team’s biggest cash cow was not an option.
Since the Magic joined the league in ’89, they had been a forgotten corner-of-the-trash-bin team until O’Neal arrived.
In the two years since O’Neal’s arrival, though the team’s best result was only the first round of the playoffs, at least they started to make money and claim a spot in the league.
Last season, the team ranked ninth in attendance league-wide, which was an excellent achievement considering Orlando’s market size.
So they couldn’t afford to lose O’Neal, unless they had someone to replace him.
Under O’Neal’s pressure, Pat Williams had no choice but to make that offer.
But Krause was still hesitating.
No one knew what kind of threat Roger paired with O’Neal would pose.
If the Magic were a Western team, it might have been okay, but they were an Eastern team.
And right now, among the teams where Roger was willing to go, no offer was more generous than that of the Magic.
As Krause lay awake at night, David Falk called him: “Michael has no intention of interfering with your decision, but he’d like to kindly remind you that if you dither any longer, we’ll end up picking from the scraps in the free agent market.”
Krause didn’t like Falk, but he still voiced his concerns.
Half an hour later, Krause received another call.
This time, it was Jordan himself.
Jordan was very satisfied with the offer.
Nick Anderson would be an extremely important addition to the backcourt; a combo guard perfectly suited for the triangle offense.
As for Webber, Jordan felt that the talented power forward had merely been delayed.
Webber could pass, was athletic, had an all-around skillset— certainly better than that damn leaker Grant, right?
If he personally coached him, Webber was sure to perform even better; he had absolute faith in his own judgment.
Given it was the richest offer of the limited choices, why not accept it?
As for Krause’s concerns, the arrogant, insufferable, supremely self-confident Michael Jordan responded:
“Are you thinking that I would lose to a fatso and a loser of the Finals?
Do you think I would be afraid?
Do you think Roger can make a first-round exit team threaten my standing?
If you ask me, let Roger stay in the East, so I can take better care of him.”
The next day, following Jordan’s “I’m back” announcement, the Chicago Bulls stirred up another significant news story.
The ’94 first overall pick Chris Webber was shamefully traded to Chicago.
O’Neal got the teammate he most wanted and bid farewell to the two teammates he least appreciated, much to his delight.
In fact, he was so happy he nearly jumped.
When O’Neal got the trade news, he was at the national team’s training camp preparing for the ’94 World Championship.
When a reporter informed him, he was thrilled like a 300-pound kid, running around the court with his arms raised high after jumping up:
“I’m going to win the championship, I’m going to win the championship!”
Roger was much calmer than O’Neal when he heard the news of the trade.
He was also at the practice court when Fleisher briskly walked over to Roger and relayed the news.
The first thought in Roger’s mind was: he’d have to bring 200% fight the next time he returned to Chicago!
Then, Roger smirked and said, “Eric, could you help me buy a villa in Orlando, please.”
“Any particular requirements?”
“Pleasant environment, secure, spacious, luxurious, and most importantly—”
“Don’t worry about the price, I’m not looking for cost-effectiveness.”
This summer, Roger would sign a slew of endorsement deals, so he indeed had the confidence to say that.
After practice, as he returned to the locker room, Roger’s phone wouldn’t stop ringing.
Picking up the call, he heard Kukoc’s voice: “Buddy, I can’t believe it’s true!
They were foolish enough to actually trade you, it’s the most absurd trade in NBA history!”
Chris Webber would surely be heartbroken if he heard this; as the first pick, he was traded for a Roger, using so many valuable chips, yet Kukoc still found the deal ludicrous.
I’m worth less than Penny, huh?
“Don’t be so surprised, Toni.
We all know what kind of person Michael is.
From the day he announced his return, this end was already decided.”
“Damn, why didn’t they package and trade me away too?
Scott and Michael don’t like me either.
Anyway, I’m glad you’re out of this dump.
Go to a new city, with new teammates, and make these damn jerks regret it.
“Ignore what Scott and Michael say about you, you’re the best!
Thank you, goodbye Toni, my friend forever.”