252: 113: Brave Knight (Requesting monthly tickets!) 252: 113: Brave Knight (Requesting monthly tickets!) The league swiftly announced the punishment results for the brawl.
Rodman, who took the worst beating, also received the heaviest penalty—he was suspended for 5 games and fined thirty thousand US dollars.
How is it that medical expenses are only thirty thousand?
That money still goes to the league!
If Rodman wants to cover his medical bills, he still has to depend on Reinsdorf, that Jewish guy!
His over-the-shoulder throw of Roger was particularly vicious and was the spark that ignited the conflict; so the league used him as an example for a severe punishment.
Roger and McKey were both suspended for 2 games and fined ten thousand US dollars.
Moreover, all three of them were required by the league to participate in community service.
Pippen was a special case; he was only suspended for 1 game, wasn’t fined, and didn’t have to do community service.
Could Pippen not be special?
For this legendary figure, Rod Thorn, the NBA’s executive vice president in charge of basketball operations, commented, “Play nice!”
Even the NBA’s high-level disciplinary officer was really accommodating.
It’s one thing for McKey, Rodman, and Roger to fight.
What was Scottie Pippen doing joining the fray?
Doesn’t he have any sense of how good he is?
A player who got utterly outplayed by a rookie should stay out of these messes!
At least Rodman managed to throw Roger to the ground.
He’s all about avoiding any punches, just taking them!
This time, the punishment wasn’t really that severe, but it still infuriated Magic coach Brian Hill.
The next day, as expected, he punished everyone by making them run laps and even blasted them on the training court:
“It’s behavior worthy of an idiot pig.
You all just seem to know how to do these boring things.
I’m fed up, can’t you think before you act?
That idiotic Shaq, with his injured hand, keeps taking days off, nowhere to be found.
You hand over victory on the court—I’m sick of it!
Roger, how could you do something so stupid as a team leader!”
Seeing the coach target Roger, McKey tried to deflect the blame, “Brian, Roger saw me being…”
All I know is, we lost an important game because we were too impulsive!
We could have crushed the Chicago Bulls again, but now, it’s all ruined!”
“Damn, shouldn’t we fight back?
Just let others bully us?” McKey retorted, feeling he’d done nothing wrong.
Once again, Brian Hill was contradicted by one of his players.
Roger shook his head; didn’t this idiot coach realize his control over the locker room was slipping away?
Didn’t he notice he was drifting further and further apart from his players?
Last season’s playoffs, all those motivational shouts did nothing for the team—hadn’t he figured out the problem yet?
Brian Hill indeed had not realized these things, because after winning the championship, a person’s mentality changes.
If the pre-championship Brian Hill was relatively low-key and cared about the players’ feelings, then as a championship coach, Brian Hill undoubtedly felt his words should carry more weight and he should have more authority in the locker room.
He began to think everyone should listen to him.
He would still praise players, but when reprimanding, he became less merciful.
Being the champion is an honor, but it can also be a curse, subtly changing a lot of things.
Seeing both sides arguing, Harper quickly stepped in to mediate, “Alright, let’s all say a bit less.
What’s done is done; we just have to face it.”
Eventually, the argument was somewhat quelled.
However, after the practice when interviewed, Brian Hill was still complaining.
“We should be more mature.
We are the defending champions; everything should focus on winning.
They’re too impulsive!”
“I hope Roger and Derek learn from this.
I can’t lead a bunch of immature kids to defend our title!”
“Don’t ask me where Shaq went.
Go ask that moron yourself!
Let me know when you find him!”
Roger didn’t care about the coach’s complaints.
On his way home from the afternoon practice, he was seriously listening to the car radio.
The whole country was focusing on yesterday’s brawl, but some radio stations were also paying attention to the game itself.
For instance, the station Roger was listening to was analyzing the details of the game.
“I must remind everyone that before the brawl broke out, the Magic didn’t find an effective solution against the Bulls’ aggressive defense in the third quarter.
Although the sample size is small, I think the Bulls’ trade has been successful; they have managed to create a lineup that can contain the Magic.
If Orlando can’t solve this issue, the Eastern Conference crown might just change hands.”
Roger didn’t agree with this statement, perhaps because the Magic had such a smooth start that many media outlets had forgotten something—this is a Shaq-less Orlando Magic.
Even as last season’s Finals MVP, he wouldn’t overlook O’Neal’s impact.
The Bulls limited only an Orlando team that was not at full strength in the third quarter.
So whether the Bulls have successfully contained the Magic and whether they can regain control of the East is still too early to determine.
But Roger did admit the Bulls’ defense in the third quarter had put him in a passive position.
Before Shaq comes back, the Bulls and Magic will have another game.
That time, Roger doesn’t want to lose to the Bulls.
He couldn’t just wait for Shaq to return to solve the Bulls problem; he wanted to beat the Bulls once without Shaq.