623: Great Nomadic Dynasty?
(Seeking monthly passes!)_4 623: Great Nomadic Dynasty?
(Seeking monthly passes!)_4 Roger didn’t look as excited as he had the first three times; he simply sat calmly, puffing away on his Cohiba cigar in the treatment room, enveloped in a haze of smoke.
Yes, from the age of 19 to 23, Roger had indeed become different.
The exclusive interview began, and Andrew Sharp had known Roger for many years, so he understood what made for a comfortable interview pace for Roger.
To start, he would ask some simple questions.
“Your fourth personal championship—a precedent.
Can you share your feelings right now?”
You know, Andrew, when I first arrived in Atlanta last summer, the city immediately held a massive welcome parade for me.
At that time, I thought, ‘Damn, how many people will be disappointed if I fail?
How big of a joke would that be?’ That pressure started piling up on me, getting deeper and heavier.
I almost crumbled under the pressure until I met Andy.
At that moment, I suddenly felt that I was not just winning basketball games; I was doing something truly great.
And compared to Andy’s situation, what kind of pressure could I possibly have just playing a game?
So, I held on and got this championship.
I’m fearless now, Andrew.
I’m not afraid to fail, nor am I afraid of any opponent.”
After the simple questions, it was time to move on to the kind of questions Roger liked.
What kind of questions did Roger like?
Of course, those that embarrassed his opponents.
“Even though you didn’t meet directly in the playoffs, do you feel like you’ve beaten Shaq?”
“Just look at what that guy did after leaving me—clashing with Kobe Bryant, getting swept in the playoffs, and not even ranking as high as Karl Malone and Gary Payton, those two old men, on the MVP leaderboard.
Do I consider that I won?
No, he’s not even in a position to be compared with me!
When we split up, many people felt regretful, believing that if we hadn’t had our conflict, we could have won at least four championships.
They were wrong; conflict or no, I could still win four championships!”
“Final question, without a doubt, you’ve achieved fame and success.
Four consecutive championships have propelled you into the ranks of history’s greatest and solidified your status as the undisputed number one active player.
Moving forward, do you believe you still have the motivation and goals to continue advancing?”
In the face of this question, Roger took a deep drag of his cigar, as if contemplating something.
Man, nobody gets four championships and then thinks they’re already so great that they can claim to be the first in history.
In terms of the number of championships, I still trail behind many others.
Let’s not talk about Bill; I can’t surpass Kareem and Magic either, and…”
Roger paused, exhaled a plume of smoke, and squinted slightly.
“And, I want to leave a dynasty in Atlanta!
I don’t want to be just passing through; I want my arrival to make a city great.
A king doesn’t easily leave his realm unless he has created splendor there.
So you know, this year’s finals are over, but it’s not all over yet.
I don’t feel like I’ve lost all the challenges in the NBA.
After all, I can only be counted as one of the great players, but not yet the greatest.
I don’t want to be the best active player; I hope, ten years after I retire, people will say, ‘Roger was the number one,’ and that person must be me!
So no matter who comes next, I will take them all down.
But if I could choose my finals opponent…
hey, damn fat pig Shaq, when will you come and play a finals series with me?
Well, that is if you’re capable of making it to the finals.
However, before that, I think I really do need a break, some time away from basketball.
For now, let me bask in the joy of my triumph.”
Roger finished, a smug puff on his cigar.
Andrew realized then, what Roger wanted wasn’t just any championship.
He was aiming to be the greatest player in history, not just one of the greatest!
Therefore, he needed to do something his predecessors never achieved—establish a dynasty in different places.
Amid the swirling smoke, Andrew Sharp suddenly thought of a very good title for Roger’s article:
“The king does not ask how many enemies there are, only where they are.
The great nomadic dynasty, officially underway!”