282: Chapter 122: The Possibility of Completely Surpassing Michael (Seeking Monthly Votes!)_2 282: Chapter 122: The Possibility of Completely Surpassing Michael (Seeking Monthly Votes!)_2 “So let’s talk about your role today, your double-teaming on Michael was very timely.
How can you always arrive by Michael’s side at the first opportunity?
How do you anticipate his moves?”
Roger laughed, “It has nothing to do with anticipation; it’s all about trust.
Because I’ve been teammates with Scott, I trust him implicitly, without a hint of hesitation.
I can trust him completely, throw him into an open spot, and then go double-team Michael.
That’s the secret to why I’m always able to trap him.
Other teams trying to limit Michael could also try trusting Scott, he won’t let you down.”
The reporters burst into laughter, only God knows how Roger managed to naturally shift the topic to Pippen and roast him without using a single curse word.
“Slam” magazine intern reporter Ben Osborne was attending his first NBA post-game press conference today.
He wrote in his first interview piece: “Scottie Pippen will always live in Roger’s shadow, and this was just one of those times.”
The future “Slam” magazine editor-in-chief, had made an early prediction.
This game’s victory was extraordinary for Roger, as he proved that even without Shaq by his side and facing a competitive Bulls roster, he still had the strength to beat Michael Jordan.
And, without a doubt, this game was a big blow to Jordan.
It was also a big blow to Nike.
In this game, Nike even arranged for Jordan to wear Penny’s signature shoes, which was the first time Jordan wore someone else’s shoes in a game.
Nike wanted to use this as a gimmick, hoping that if Jordan won this highly anticipated match, it would help save the sales of the Penny line of sneakers.
Traffic, live streaming, product pitching, this kind of business model was already mature in the ’90s.
Nike did this because they thought the game was a no-brainer.
After the game, “Sports Illustrated” even mocked: “Michael played the game last night in the shoes of a loser, so his defeat was predetermined.”
In other words, Jordan’s product pitching backfired!
He didn’t take Penny’s sneakers to new heights; instead, he dragged them down.
Not only did he fail to make Hardaway’s sneakers hot, but his own influence also took a massive hit.
Watching Reebok’s sales get better and better under the leadership of the O’Neal series and the Truth III, Nike was beyond frustrated.
Because Nike had the chance to sign Roger and just think, if Roger and Jordan were both with Nike, the power of Nike Basketball would have been terrifyingly strong.
Nike could have dominated the basketball world early on, but all that was ruined by one foolish contract.
This was clearly a mistake, and by now, someone inside Nike would have to account for it.
The morning after the Magic and Bulls’ second match, in Oregon, less than 40 minutes’ drive from Portland, in Beaverton.
A reporter interviewed Larry Miller, Vice President of Nike’s basketball division who was on his way to the headquarters: “How do you see the waning influence of Michael Jordan?
Will Roger truly become or even surpass Michael?”
In his heart, Larry Miller admitted that what the reporter said was true.
Michael Jordan was still the most influential player in the world, but there was no doubt that his influence was fading.
But as a Nike basketball division executive, Larry Miller obviously couldn’t admit this fact.
Besides, he was one of the candidates for the presidency of Jordan’s independent brand.
He was going to work very closely with Jordan in the future, so he had to praise Jordan to the skies, even if it meant holding his nose while doing so.
“Michael Jordan’s posters, second only to the “Star Wars” posters, are a common presence in both African American and white kids’ rooms across America.
That’s the power of Michael’s influence.
His influence won’t fade even in a hundred years,” Larry Miller answered .
Finally, he added one more line: “Roger will never reach the heights of Michael, never!”
Having said that, he confidently entered Nike’s headquarters to attend today’s meeting.
Three hours later, Nike announced to the public that Larry Miller had been relieved of his duties.
Someone had to take responsibility for losing Roger.
Larry Miller was like the director Lou Ye, wanting to hit off a flattering remark, but slapped straight onto a painful hemorrhoid instead.
The next day, Roger learned from his agent Fleisher that Reebok wanted to hold a development meeting for the Truth IV series soon and hoped that Roger could attend.
Roger was somewhat surprised.
After all, the Truth III had just been released not long ago, and it hadn’t encountered a Waterloo in sales.
Why was there such a rush to convene a meeting for the development of the fourth series?
Though it felt abnormal, Roger still agreed to attend.
Sneakers are one of the most important ancillaries for a basketball star, and shoe contracts are often the biggest commercial deals a star can get, so Roger had always cared deeply about this.
Two days later, Roger took a private plane arranged by Reebok to Canton, Massachusetts.
This was the location of Reebok’s headquarters.
Todd Krinsky, president of Reebok’s basketball division, was there to receive Roger: “Thank you for taking the time to attend this meeting; come, let me show you our new office building under construction.
It’s named after you, called Roger Tower!”