168: 088: Silent Roger, is the Most Terrifying Existence (Two in One!) 168: 088: Silent Roger, is the Most Terrifying Existence (Two in One!) “Michael, on the Brink of Breakdown.”
The latest issue of “Sports Illustrated” featured Andrew Sharp’s article that thrust Michael Jordan into the eye of the storm.
Because the piece revealed Jordan’s act of isolating Roger during the All-Star game, a dark chapter in the glittering All-Star tale was laid bare for all to see.
Andrew Sharp’s sources were “several Eastern Conference All-Stars who wished to remain anonymous,” and although Jordan remained tight-lipped about it in interviews, Sharp argued, “If he didn’t do it, what was he avoiding?”
And the most ridiculous aspect of this affair was that Jordan’s attempt to isolate someone ended up making Roger the AMVP, leaving himself with a mere 9 points for the game.
“This is just a sign of the severe decline in Michael’s dominance,” the article concluded.
Jordan, reading the piece, was so angry his hands trembled.
Everything’s turned upside down!
If it were just some obscure tabloids saying this, it would be one thing, but this is “Sports Illustrated”!
This is a globally renowned sports magazine with over 3 million subscribers and more than 23 million readers every week—a true powerhouse in the sports world.
And you can bet their influence doesn’t come just from that enticing and distinctive swimsuit issue.
Exposing Jordan’s dark side in such a magazine was akin to a public execution.
“Tell those bastards I’m never giving them an interview again, never!” Jordan bellowed into the phone at David Falk.
When Jordan was playing baseball, “Sports Illustrated” had taken more than a few snide shots at him, but considering the magazine’s clout, he had bitten his tongue.
After all, Jordan knew his baseball career was a mess, so it made sense for him to be criticized.
But now, “Sports Illustrated” was going too far!
We could dig up his dirt too; we could use our media machine to strike back!” David Falk was also anxious, as Jordan’s public image had been undermined more than once this season.
All of these crises and defeats were visibly eroding his commercial value.
With the decisive summer of ’96 approaching, Falk did not want these issues to affect Jordan’s century-defining contract.
“How the fuck should I know who it was?
Shouldn’t you be telling me!?” Jordan fumed.
Jordan had his suspicions; he thought it was either Roger himself or definitely Reggie Miller.
The two of them were cut from the same cloth!
Roger, too, was curious, so he called Miller to ask, “Reggie, did you tell the reporters about that?”
To which Miller replied, astonished, “I thought you were the one who blabbed.”
It didn’t matter whether it was Roger or Reggie Miller; the culprit could have been any of the Eastern Conference All-Stars.
They might have mentioned it casually or just thought it was funny.
Some things don’t need complex reasons.
It was undoubtedly an ugly incident, and isolating a newcomer at the All-Star game to put them down was a contemptible action.
It was even worse than the Western Conference All-Stars ganging up on O’Neal that year.
At least going after O’Neal was a legitimate defensive tactic, but intentionally refusing to pass to a teammate was crossing the line.
Soon, almost all TV stations were replaying the ’95 All-Star game.
People also noticed that during the match, indeed, Jordan, Pippen, and Ewing did not pass the ball to Roger or Shaq even once.
The theory of Jordan’s isolation grew more and more credible.
In response, David Falk wanted Jordan to hold a press conference to explain the situation.
But Jordan refused, “No need, as long as I can keep winning games.
Victory is the best way to solve all problems.”
Jordan was well aware that all these troubles stemmed from the fact that he hadn’t beaten the Magic this season.
As for the incident with Isaiah Thomas missing out on the Dream Team, Jordan never gave a specific explanation, either.
But that didn’t matter, as in the end, people still cared about how many championships he had won.
This time, Jordan intended to do the same.
The season went on, and the Orlando Magic and the Chicago Bulls were the two teams currently under the spotlight.
In the meantime, the Magic had lost to the Jazz once again.
And they were defeated in the second match against the Rockets.
This was not the outcome Magic fans wanted to see, as it seemed the team still struggled against the strong teams from the West.
However, the Magic soon swept away all the unpleasantness by defeating the Bulls for the fourth time this season.
The Bulls were thoroughly outplayed this time, with O’Neal and Roger combining for 67 points, leaving the Chicago team helpless.
Jordan didn’t have a great shooting night either, managing only 23 points with a 36% field goal percentage.
4-0, the Magic swept the Bulls in the regular season.
But the Bulls had their excuses, as Nick Anderson and Scottie Pippen were absent due to injuries—it wasn’t a complete Bulls team.
After the game, Jordan had only one thing to say, “See you in the playoffs.”
The playoffs, Jordan pinned all his hopes on the playoffs.
He was no longer talking about regular season competition since the Bulls were now six games behind the Magic, making it very difficult to catch up.
His regular season was over; he could only enter the playoffs with a second or third-place finish in the East.