123: 073: This is Shaq at this very moment 123: 073: This is Shaq at this very moment Roger’s performance at the press conference completely stripped Jordan of any respect, and his teammates all praised him for it.
Before this, they had always been on the receiving end of Jordan’s tirades.
But this time, someone finally stood up to vent their anger at Jordan on behalf of the team.
They had never experienced anything so exhilarating before.
Roger realized that he had arrived at what could be called an “Anti-Mike League.”
When they won against the defending champions, everyone was just a bit joyful, but taking a dig at Jordan sent everyone into overdrive.
In other words, Roger had found the locker room’s sweet spot; he knew how to get these guys pumped up.
At the same time, Roger had also hit a sore spot for Jordan.
Why did he come back?
Because he desperately wanted to win, and he couldn’t bear the thought of someone else taking his place—someone who showed him no respect, no less.
But after his comeback, he lost even more miserably than on the baseball field!
After losing to the New York Knicks, he was even labeled “not as good as Roger.”
This was a humiliation of epic proportions.
SportsCenter said it well, “I wouldn’t say Michael has been dethroned, but his reign does seem to be a bit shaky.”
In fact, it wasn’t just his dominance on the court that was beginning to waver.
The sovereignty of his sneakers was also being shaken.
In Florida, Reebok’s newly launched Answer II had already surpassed the sales of Nike’s competing product, the AJ 9.
Although the surpassing only took place in Florida, before this, AJ’s sales were an absolute domination across America.
So this was still a historic moment.
Sports Illustrated wrote about the Answer II: “The Answer II utilizes Reebok’s exclusive PUMP technology, featuring quick-inflating air cushions and a unique design…
okay, I know these are not the main points; the point is, they are Roger’s signature shoes.”
Exactly, that’s the point.
Roger’s fame made Reebok’s sneakers very popular.
Reebok was thrilled; they finally had a sneaker series that could anchor the market.
Shaq was great, but the sales of Shaq’s sneakers were nothing compared to AJ’s, let alone surpassing them.
No way around it, center’s shoes are just too clunky; they wouldn’t even prompt you to reach for them on the shelf.
Roger’s sneakers broke AJ’s domination and gave Reebok a glimpse of hope.
Yes, AJ’s sales were still N times that of Reebok’s.
Jordan’s commercial value was still immeasurably high.
But for the first time in many years, there was someone who could budge that rock known as Michael Jordan
And everyone knew he still had plenty of strength left to exert.
Indeed, after the season opener, Roger and Shaq continued to harvest victories.
As the season went on, after beating the defending champions, the Magic immediately flew to Charlotte to challenge the Hornets.
And then people realized that Roger saying “61 points is nothing” was not just bragging.
Because today, Roger and Shaq combined for 72 points!
O’Neal with 42 points, Roger with 30 points, the Magic crushed the Charlotte Hornets 130 to 122!
The Hornets’ performance couldn’t have been more perfect, Mourning got 26 points, Grandmama Larry Johnson had a double-double with 25 points and 11 rebounds, and Dale Curry, the father of the Slam Dunk King, scored 20 points without even using his slam dunk skills.
Besides, the Hornets made 11 out of 22 three-pointers in the game.
In an era where the Rockets can be known as “the team with the most average three-pointers per game” by hitting 7 per game, it is clear how strong the Hornets’ three-pointers were today.
For the Hornets, this was an extraordinary performance.
Roger and Shaq crushed the Hornets with their absolute strength.
Mourning simply couldn’t stand against Shaq; his pregame claim to embarrass Shaq only got him into trouble.
Mourning had a strong heart, but even courage can’t change one’s height.
A Shaq on a rampage, combined with Roger’s perimeter firepower, made the Hornets’ extraordinary performance futile.
So after the game, Hornets’ coach Allan Bristow was downcast, “I’ve never encountered such an outrageous team in my career!”
In the third game against the Philadelphia 76ers, it was another easy victory.
O’Neal was very excited before the game because the 76ers had Shawn Bradley.
Well, to be honest, poor Enormous Mormon didn’t provoke Shaq at all; it was the Philadelphia media that spouted stuff like “Bradley can flip O’Neal,” and “Shaq won’t score 20 points tonight.”
But just like Jordan forced the team to trade Roger, and in the end, Krause had to carry the pot, Enormous Mormon became the scapegoat for the Philadelphia media’s idle talk.
O’Neal scored 32 points today, he completely demolished Bradley.
During the game, Roger was actually worried for Bradley; he was afraid the guy would suddenly break in half while playing.
Thanks to O’Neal, Roger scored only 19 points in this game.
For one, Shaq took too many shot attempts; secondly, the game entered garbage time after three quarters.
Pad his stats in garbage time and then let the media hype it as “fighting strong till the last moment”?
Forget it, Reebok didn’t have such strong media influence.
After the game, O’Neal was happy: “Shawn, really looking forward to our next matchup.
The way you acted nonchalant after getting posterized was an excellent performance; I love watching that.”
But he did not forget Roger: “This man sacrificed his shooting right for me tonight, so I really don’t understand why some people say he’s selfish.
Wait a second, you guys aren’t seriously considering not using Roger and having him pass the ball to Scottie Pippen, are you?
Thankfully, Phil Jackson is not that kind of idiot.”