220: 104: The 19-year-old is already a ruler (Asking for monthly votes!) 220: 104: The 19-year-old is already a ruler (Asking for monthly votes!) Olajuwon and Drexler shook hands and embraced Roger and O’Neal.
Last year on the championship stage, when Dream saw 18-year-old Roger, he thought it was absurd enough.
An 18-year-old rookie led the Bulls past the Knicks into the finals without Michael Jordan.
There couldn’t be anything more absurd in the world.
You’re telling me Roger led his team to the finals, but if Pippen had scored a bit better, the media would have touted it as “Pippen led an 18-year-old rookie into the finals.”
But in reality, it was the 18-year-old rookie who led Pippen to the finals, revealing just how absurd the whole thing was.
This year, Dream personally encountered something even more absurd.
19-year-old Roger took a team that at best had only made it to the first round directly to the championship.
Olajuwon recalled his sophomore year, when he had similarly made it to the finals with a junior year number one draft pick center as a teammate.
Even though he had earned a place on the All-Defensive Second Team in his rookie season and made it into the Second Team All-NBA in his sophomore year, he was still only in the finals to pay his dues.
Dream still remembered a teammate named Mitchell Wiggins who said, if he won the championship, he’d have another child, and if it was a boy, he’d call him Andrew.
Now, he didn’t know if this kid called Andrew Wiggins even existed.
Moreover, Dream was already 23 in his sophomore year.
He was still over two months away from his 20th birthday.
This guy, he was truly absurd.
Although in these two seasons, the league was suddenly flooded with so many of Jordan’s would-be successors.
Look, the ’95 draft was about to bring in another one claiming to have the “true North Carolina Jordan bloodline” – Jerry Stackhouse.
But Dream believed that only the one before him was the real deal!
Only he had the chance to replicate or even surpass Michael Jordan’s achievements!
At the end, Olajuwon said to Roger, “See you next year,” and left the court together with Drexler.
The Houston Rockets’ miracle ended in front of Roger and Shaq.
The magic of Orlando was even more miraculous than Houston’s!
Walking through the players’ tunnel, Dream tried to console his college buddy, “Clyde, don’t be so despondent, your and my glory are the same.”
Drexler looked up at Dream and sighed, “How can they be the same.”
Dream smiled, “Now, we both have two runner-ups.”
“WQNMLGB!” Drexler communicated very affectionately with Dream, as the two had been close since college.
It was only natural to make some benign reference to each other’s family during such talks, right?
By then, the Rockets players had all left the court.
The Compaq Center now completely belonged to the Orlando Magic.
After the initial excitement right after the game, O’Neal suddenly sat down on the bench, buried his face in a towel, and sobbed, mumbling his grandmother’s name repeatedly.
Everyone who often wins championships knows that in moments of extreme joy, one tends to become very sentimental.
Shaq had always hoped to reward his grandmother; he wanted to buy her a big house, give her lots of money.
But she refused it all, her only request to Shaq was, “I just want to see you succeed, that’s enough, Shaquille.”
Now thinking of this line, it undoubtedly struck the softest part of Shaq’s heart, turning all his memories into tears.
In what might be the last chapter of his grandmother’s life, he did it.
In stark contrast to O’Neal was Roger.
He looked bewildered at the end of the game.
But now, having snapped back to reality, he was wildly exuberant.
Roger, just like after winning the Eastern Conference finals, climbed up on the scorer’s table again, wearing his championship cap, and fiercely tugged at his jersey amid the swirling confetti.
It felt awesome, really awesome.
Because Roger knew very well, now a whole bunch of people were furious because of his victory!
He wanted to make those people angry!
Being a high school player, the first three picks in the draft weren’t his share, even Penny dared to give him a haughty look during the draft.
Then, that line during the Nike negotiations, “We don’t want Penny to be upset,” was the first to deeply sting Roger.
Entering the NBA, Scottie Pippen treated him like a clown, with no respect.
Pat Riley treated him like a little kid, a breakthrough point to crush the Bulls.
Michael Jordan, high and mighty, thought he could freely humiliate a fourth pick high schooler.
Finally, when Roger managed to lead the team to the finals, what happened?
His team turned around and traded him away.
And Jordan, who didn’t play a single game, yet all the global media were saying, “Ah, it’s still Jordan who’s awesome, Roger is just trash.”
All along the way, Roger kept enduring all this bullshit.
Look, who the hell is standing on the podium!?
Who the hell is the first place now!?
Can your Penny Hardaway?
Can your Michael Jordan?
Penny was dunked on by me with 40 points in a half, Jordan was swept by me 4-0.
So, all just shut the hell up!
Roger stood on the scorer’s table, freely venting his emotions, Meanwhile, Roger’s uncle cried his eyes out in front of the TV.
The very finals jersey Roger wore, the one deciding the championship, was worth enough for his uncle to work two lifetimes at his old auto repair shop.
How could he not cry!?