Champion Creed-Chapter 529 - 193: Shaq is Jerry’s biggest mistake since 1981 (Begging for monthly tickets!)_3

Chapter 529: 193: Shaq is Jerry’s biggest mistake since 1981 (Begging for monthly tickets!)_3

O’Neal pointed his finger to the sky, meaning to ignore the short guy and just lob the ball!

Eddie Jones did just that, lobbing the ball in while Big Ben was trying to front him.

Eddie Jones’s pass wasn’t top-notch, but it wasn’t bad either; the angle of the lob didn’t pose much of a problem.

Just as O’Neal thought he could easily catch the ball and finish with a slam dunk, this short guy in front of him suddenly barged into him, then shot up into the air at an incredible speed like a top-tier wide receiver and caught an unbelievable high pass.

Steve Jones exclaimed, "Where the hell did the Hawks find these monsters!"

Big Ben intercepted the ball, and O’Neal simply couldn’t believe that this little guy had actually stopped the Lakers’ offense.

After the Hawks advanced, Roger shook off Eddie Jones with back-to-back dribbles to create space, then hit a mid-range jumper with ease.

After that basket, the Lakers were now down by 11 points.

When someone like Kurt Thomas can score 8 points in a single quarter, it’s not strange for the Lakers to be 11 points behind.

Roger looked at Shaq and made a gesture most hated by Koreans, "Right now, just like those pitiful girls you hang out with, I can hardly feel your presence. Shaq, your impact on the game is almost non-existent."

To be honest, attacking someone with genitalia-related comments is quite tasteless.

But don’t forget, it was Shaq who first attacked Roger with genitalia-related comments.

He was the one who insulted Roger with genitalia-related lyrics at a nightclub.

Roger doesn’t like being in someone’s debt, so he paid it all back!

O’Neal completely lost his temper, hardly believing that Roger would insult him repeatedly with the same matter.

Just as he was about to grab Roger by the collar, Big Ben rushed out and pushed Shaq away with both hands, actually moving the massive figure several meters away.

Roger stood behind Big Ben with a smile, "You’ve been protected too well by me all this time, Shaq. Look, this is the harsh reality—you’re too weak!"

Roger was deliberately provoking Shaq, wanting the whole world to see just how flawed he was.

Poor free throws and defense aren’t his only flaws.

Lakers fans must also taste Shaq’s baby-like temper.

Seeing O’Neal lose control, Del Harris immediately called for a timeout and subbed Shaq out.

For the rest of the first quarter, O’Neal didn’t return to the court.

He had scored 8 points, grabbed 4 rebounds, and blocked a shot in the first quarter, but the fans only remembered his still lousy free throws, defense worse than during his Magic days, and his baby-like character and mentality.

In contrast, Roger achieved 12 points, 4 assists, and 2 steals; he was calm, clear-headed, knew what to do and when, and could drive the entire team.

The huge disparity in individual performance between the two was also reflected in the score, with the Hawks leading by 13 points entering the second quarter.

The commentator, Steve Jones, was already praising Roger, "From 1993 to 1997, we can clearly see Roger’s growth. But what about Shaq? He seems no different from when he first entered the league in 1992. He likes to play, he’s emotional, and his free throws are still a disaster. I think this is why Roger has MVP and FMVP awards, while Shaq does not."

Roger’s goal had been achieved, but he wasn’t done yet.

How could his ’love’ for Shaq be limited to just that?

Next, he planned to embarrass Shaq more directly!

In the second quarter, Roger was only subbed in at the six-minute mark.

Lenny Wilkens wasn’t the type of coach who liked to exhaust his main players; he was very aware of how important it was to maintain player health during the long regular season.

Moreover, the Hawks had an excellent bench depth this season, and there was no need to overwork the starters.

During the time Roger was out, the Lakers had regained some points, but not many. When Roger returned, the team was still leading by 5 points.

This was thanks to the team’s outstanding defense; the defensive level between the starting lineup and the bench wasn’t much different.

When Roger or Pippen were off, Bruce Bowen and Eric Snow could take turns defending the one, two, or three spots.

Not to mention, the team also had Clifford Robinson, who excelled as a sixth man.

The Lakers managed to catch up in the score thanks to O’Neal’s earnest defense.

He wouldn’t just squat in the paint anymore; when Kurt Thomas pulled up to mid-range, he would immediately follow out.

But that was exactly what Roger wanted.

As soon as he got on court, Roger kept calling for Kurt Thomas to come out and set a screen for him.

The pick-and-roll was very effective this time; Eddie Jones was firmly blocked, and Roger seized the opportunity to break inside immediately.

This forced O’Neal to switch onto Roger, with Eddie Jones having to mark Kurt Thomas.

Seeing the switch, Roger immediately pulled up, but he didn’t take the jump shot; instead, he retreated beyond the three-point line.

O’Neal was forced to come out and guard Roger, setting up a one-on-one situation.

This was exactly what Roger wanted, as there was nothing more humiliating than scoring over someone’s head!

After pulling out, Roger passed the ball to Pippen, who quickly passed it back.

Roger’s intention was to make a triple-threat move.

O’Neal defended cautiously, giving Roger a two-step cushion, using his height and reach to cover Roger.

Roger took a quick step to the left, but swiftly retracted it and immediately lowered his center of gravity.