124: 073: This is Shaq at this very moment_2 124: 073: This is Shaq at this very moment_2 Facing Shaq’s gratitude, Roger just smiled.
He hadn’t intended to defer to O’Neal today, but playing in the post was just too easy, which habituated the team to always feed the ball inside.
However, scoring less than Shaq in two consecutive games, Roger undoubtedly gave some people a chance to seize.
When the Magic Team was winning consecutively, the Chicago Bulls were also on a winning streak.
That’s because Michael Jordan started to dominate.
Roger’s victories and taunts made Jordan angry, and an angry Jordan was the most terrifying presence in the basketball world.
After losing to the Knicks, in the second game against the Washington Bullets, Jordan hit a game-winning fadeaway jumper with 5.9 seconds left.
Three days later, facing the Indiana Pacers, Jordan scored a post-comeback high of 45 points in a single game!
You have to admit, with a full preparation period, Michael Jordan was indeed in great form.
Despite the team’s less than satisfactory integration, Jordan single-handedly delivered two victories with his individual capabilities.
Of course, Jordan had only two assists in the 45-point night.
You can imagine what Pippen would have said if Roger had produced such a match last season.
Selfish, autocratic, unreasonable, not team-oriented, just off the top of my head, a whole bunch of words could be used to criticize Roger.
But when Jordan pulled off something , Pippen had this to say, “Everyone around Michael believes they are unbeatable, such is his power!”
Even those professional teachers in Japan might not suck up as well as Pippen.
He would intentionally lose to Jordan in every pre-game little gamble.
He would constantly find new ways to praise Jordan.
Most importantly, he never had the ability to threaten Jordan’s status.
With Pippen around, how could Jordan not be spoiled?
After the game, Jordan also quipped, “At least I don’t hug a big guy’s legs to win a game.
If scoring 19 points per game would win it, then who couldn’t win?
Heck, I even drag a big guy who can’t make free throws to win.”
This was mocking Roger for scoring less than Shaq in two consecutive games.
This was also mocking Chris Webber’s incompetence.
Webber’s fantasies about Jordan, his aspirations for Chicago, had completely shattered after three games.
He realized he had merely moved from one cage to another.
Shaq is annoying, but…
at least he doesn’t deny you water!
Roger was really eager to play against the Bulls soon, but their first encounter had to wait until early December.
The long wait was somewhat dampening Roger’s spirits.
Shaq’s mood was obviously much better than Roger’s; the day after beating the 76ers, he pulled a big stunt for the team.
Seeing Roger’s Ferrari always being the focal point this season, O’Neal secretly bought two, chopped the head and tail off one, cut another in half, and then welded these two cars into an “extended executive Ferrari.”
The next day, he towed this extended Ferrari to the parking lot, enjoying his teammates’ gazes: “Look, I told you mine is cooler than Roger’s!
Shaq is the coolest, wealthiest guy on the team!”
O’Neal loved the spotlight so much that even in such trivial matters, he had to compete with Roger to be the center of attention for the entire team.
To beat Roger in this respect, he instantly spent more money than most people could earn in a lifetime.
Logically speaking, that was a dangerous sign.
O’Neil wanted to surpass Roger.
But even after this incident, Roger was still very happy.
It was all because of the “stretched executive Ferrari” fiasco that occurred that afternoon.
After practice that afternoon, O’Neal could only watch Roger pitifully, “Can you give me a ride home?
Damn, nobody told me that the stretched Ferrari couldn’t actually be driven on the road!”
After saying that, he struggled to fold his legs and squeezed himself into Roger’s regular Ferrari.
He even invaded Roger’s driver’s space, forcing Roger to drive with his body twisted and his head turned all the way!
“Damn, this is why I need a stretched Ferrari!”
“Shut up, Shaq, don’t move around, I can’t see the rear-view mirror!”
Then, in that cramped and extremely uncomfortable environment, Shaq asked Roger a question:
“Michael scored 45 points last night, you must be upset, right?”
“It’s okay, in December, when we play against the Bulls, I will make him unhappy too,” Roger replied coldly.
“I knew you were upset, hey man, I have a suggestion.”
“You want to get out and push the car?
That would be great, you’ve almost flattened my leather seat!”
“No, I’m serious, buddy.
Look, last game you let me happily beat the crap out of Shawn Bradley, and the game before last you let me beat Alonzo Mourning.
Next time, how about I let you happily beat Michael Jordan?
In December, when we face the Bulls, if you’re feeling good that day, I’ll set screens for you, as many as you want, and I’m also willing to shoot less and pass more to you that day.
Don’t worry, even if I don’t shoot much, the Bulls will still double-team me, and I can still create one-on-one space for you.
Michael is talking crap, you don’t need to hang onto my coattails to win.
Just give Michael a hard time, shut that old man up for good.
I know you’ve been waiting for that moment for a long time.”
Roger didn’t know why O’Neal chose such a ridiculous moment to say something so serious.
Maybe he really was just a big kid, and his desire to outdo Roger with the Ferrari might have been just for fun.
Because as far as he could see, he didn’t really want to surpass Roger on the basketball court as well.
People are indeed complex and changeable.
Shaq once played wearing Kobe’s jersey just to stand up for his suspended little brother.
At that time, who could have imagined the OK duo would fall apart?
You can’t equate the O’Neal of now with the O’Neal of the future.
The current O’Neal, seeing Roger reducing his shooting, wished to do something for Roger in return.
You can call it childish, or you can call it loyalty.
Either way, that was Shaq at that moment.
Roger braked the car to a stop and stared seriously into Shaq’s eyes.
This sudden moment of intense eye contact made even the shameless O’Neal feel shy, “Damn, why did you stop the car?
Don’t stare at me like that, you don’t need to make the atmosphere so sentimental.”
“No, Shaq,” Roger covered his forehead, “I think our tire might be flat!”