Capítulo 1390: Chapter 436: Close? There’s Still Four Michael Jordans Between Him and !
The Golden State Warriors started the season with twelve consecutive wins, and Roger declared that he wanted to be the MVP this season and achieve at least 70 wins.
If soone else who was in their last professional season said sothing like this, they would probably be ridiculed.
In NBA history, no one has retired with 70 wins, an MVP, and a championship.
After all, if he still had such dominance, why wouldn’t he continue playing?
But it was Roger who spoke, which made the statent extrely intimidating.
As Bill Simmons said: Roger’s goal is not to win the championship with the Warriors, he enjoys conquest. He will never be satisfied with an ordinary championship, he wants to completely conquer the league, to conquer everyone, he wants to prove one thing — if I hadn’t retired, you wouldn’t have even a little chance. I’m not leaving because I can’t do it anymore, but because I’m fucking bored.
Bill Simmons accurately analyzed Roger’s inner thoughts, after all, he is one of the few people who knows for sure that this is Roger’s final season, and one of the few who knows what Roger is really thinking.
Through his efforts and years of support, Bill Simmons earned the opportunity to ghostwrite Roger’s autobiography.
On the first day they t, Roger told him: “You’re lucky, Bill. With the heat of my retirent, this book is bound to sell well.”
So, Bill Simmons understands Roger’s plan and also understands Roger’s thoughts.
Roger’s confidence also put Phil Jackson under a lot of pressure.
He temporarily settled the relationship between Kobe and Jas, he temporarily won over Jas’ heart, like a woman in a crotchless bodysuit arousing Jas’ deepest desires.
But how could he deal with this Warriors team that shows no signs of decline?
Roger is not soone who likes to exaggerate, if he can say such things, he will definitely move in that direction.
Moreover, the twelve consecutive wins at the start of the season already speak to the Warriors’ strength this season.
To defeat this powerful Warriors team, harmony within the Lakers is just the basic threshold. Failing to achieve it, you’ll definitely lose, but achieving it won’t guarantee a win.
Phil Jackson comnted conservatively on this matter: “When we talk about the MVP, the first person we think of is Roger. Like Kareem, he’s holding six MVP trophies, he and Kareem are the spokespersons of the MVP award. But you know, after all, he hasn’t won MVP for three consecutive years. If he could take it whenever he wanted, he wouldn’t have missed it three years in a row. I an, there are many excellent players, but there’s only one MVP, and the award’s ownership is sothing that players can’t entirely control.”
Kobe Bryant’s response was much stronger: “Let’s see who can’t achieve what they promised.”
Kobe is quite confident about winning DPOY, as the Lakers are one of the best defensive teams this season, and as long as he continues to play in his current form, expanding his defensive influence in the ga, being the best defender in the best defensive team, he feels he has a high probability of achieving it.
Advanced data can prove Kobe is not just boasting, his defensive efficiency is infinitely close to his best in 2002.
But for Roger to get the MVP?
Over the years, the competition for regular-season records has always been intense. This is an era of great competition, an era of talented individuals.
In last season’s league, there were as many as five teams with 60 wins or better, and the leaders of these five teams all had remarkable personal stats.
In such a competitive environnt, to win the MVP steadily? The best way is 70 wins.
But even for Roger, 70 wins is very difficult.
He once achieved 70 wins in his career, that was in Atlanta when he tied the 72-win record set by Michael Jordan in New York with the Hawks.
But that’s all there was to it.
For many years, Roger has never touched that record again, no one has touched that record again.
70 wins is rare, uncommon.
It’s not as simple as winning a few more regular-season gas, but maintaining focus and consistent performance in every ga. It imposes trendous tests on players’ stamina, health, and focus.
It’s the difference between sprinting for ten minutes, resting, and sprinting for another ten minutes and continuously sprinting for twenty minutes without stopping.
And for a team that has won continuously for four years to maintain this level of focus is simply a pipe dream.
Of course, Roger doesn’t see this as an issue. Especially after getting a deeper understanding of Roy, he is very confident in Roy’s stability.
But in Kobe’s view, Roger can’t be MVP. At least, the probability of Roger winning MVP is lower than his own probability of winning DPOY.
But no matter what, Roger’s imnse influence is once again evident.
When he said he wanted to win MVP this season, the dia and fans’ attention to the MVP race was incredibly heated from the start of the season.
Thus, when Chris Paul said, “I think I deserve the MVP more than Roger or Kobe,” his fa reached unprecedented heights.
As Roger’s direct competitor, he garnered attention from dia worldwide.
In the 07-08 season, third-year Chris Paul had already reached the peak of his career. At the beginning of the season, he led the Hornets to a 10-2 record. Although it didn’t match the Warriors’ twelve-ga winning streak, the performance was still impressive.
Chris Paul’s start to the season with the Hornets was a dream, and of course, this had sothing to do with Ray Allen joining, but Paul’s personal ability cannot be overlooked either.
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