722: 247: Bastard, Roger doesn’t need custom data at all!
(Vote for monthly ticket!)_4 722: 247: Bastard, Roger doesn’t need custom data at all!
(Vote for monthly ticket!)_4 The game ended, and Reebok could basically start celebrating.
Because the suspense around the MVP had almost come to an end.
Individual statistics, records, and even the results against O’Neal, all of these brought Roger incredibly close to his third MVP trophy within four years.
But for Roger, this was not the end.
The things that Michael Jordan couldn’t accomplish, Roger wanted to make happen one by one.
In April, with a full roster, the Hawks continued a streak of victories.
In the final game against the Nets, Roger played just 30 minutes and scored 31 points, grabbed 6 rebounds, and dished out 7 assists.
The Nets didn’t put up much of a fight, since they had been ruled out of the playoff race early on.
When Roger walked off the court, all the Hawks’ fans in the arena stood up and chanted “MVP”.
In the luxury suite, Mikhail Prokhorov, holding a glass of red wine, toasted with Ted Turner: “What a great season, MAGA!”
Honestly, it’s hard to imagine a Russian saying those four letters; if this scene were to spread on the internet of 2024, it definitely would go viral.
But in 2000, it wasn’t a problem for Mikhail Prokhorov to say that.
Ted Turner, smiling, nodded: “I’ll build a huge statue of Roger, no, ten!”
Why were both the fans and the two tycoons so excited?
It was just a victory in the final game of the regular season.
Because Roger had played the most brilliant regular season of his career!
This was the Hawks’ 72nd win of the season, and Roger’s stats were locked at 35.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 2.2 steals, and 1.7 blocks; 35+5+5.
Before this, both 35+5+5 and a 70-win season seemed like mythical figures.
Michael Jordan had achieved 35+5+5 and 72 wins, but not in the same season.
Wilt Chamberlain had dazzling stats, but he never reached 70 wins in his lifetime.
Roger did it all, and he could loudly tell everyone, “Achieving both these feats doesn’t seem too hard.”
When the game ended, the lights in Philips Arena dimmed, and only a spotlight shone on Roger.
At this special moment, Roger picked up the microphone, clearly about to give a speech at home.
Originally, Ted Turner had planned to let confetti fall, but Roger didn’t like that plan.
So it was changed to what it was now.
Seeing Roger ready to speak, the cheers from the audience continued for a full ten minutes, gradually subsiding as Roger patiently maintained his smile and gently pressed his hands downward.
Everyone thought Roger would deliver a long speech about how difficult this long season was, about how hard it was for the Hawks to rise again from defeats.
Many fans even prepared tissues, anticipating a tearful moment to come.
But as the arena fell silent, Roger immediately dropped his smile, pointed at the sole championship banner inside Philips Arena, and fiercely shouted, “Let’s go win the championship!”
Then, he placed the microphone sideways against his chest, released it from his fingers, dropped the mic, and walked away.
So crisp, so full of power, that was Roger now.
Seeing this, Magic chuckled to Steve Jones beside him:
“Michael lost in the playoffs during his 72-win season, so the golden quality of his 72 wins was diluted, but Roger…
Oh God, the only way I can think of to stop Roger from winning the championship is to take a shotgun to him!”
Everyone took Magic’s comment as a joke, but he had just made the most accurate prediction about the fate of the teams in the playoffs.
It was Roger who could stop a 72-win team.
But what if the one achieving 72 wins became Roger?
No one had considered that question.