483: 180: When the Fire Goes Out (Requesting Monthly Tickets!)_3 483: 180: When the Fire Goes Out (Requesting Monthly Tickets!)_3 It’s the sa old saying: he doesn’t want to let Roger go, but if Roger insists on leaving, he can now co to terms with it.
He is full of confidence in Roger’s trade value and believes he can obtain a young core player.
Then, by shedding a large contract, he can spend a few years turning the Magic into a championship-contending team that doesn’t have to pay the luxury tax.
In fact, the Magic Team already had a predetermined target.
Perhaps, Tim Duncan?
All in all, it would be better to keep Roger.
If they can’t keep him, they won’t hang themselves on Roger.
John Gabriel’s interview caused quite a stir because he had made it clear—whether they win the championship or not, the team could undergo a rebuild.
Aside from Roger, everyone might leave.
Don’t think it’s strange for a championship contending team to suddenly rebuild.
This kind of thing has happened to Jordan in history.
The Mavericks experienced it in 2011.
An aging roster, conflicts with core players, and nurous disputes between players and managent…
all these factors indicate that a rebuild is almost inevitable.
The relationship between a team and its players is complex, and it’s not just about winning.
A three-peat is a threshold; for most teams, after a three-peat, it’s inevitable that the team will go through a period of decline.
How to shorten this period as much as possible, and save costs during this ti, is the foremost issue the Magic Team needs to consider now.
Fans in Salt Lake City are boiling over.
They think John Gabriel discussing this matter at this ti is a bad move.
It could shake the players’ determination to compete for the championship.
Indeed, Wilkins, Michael Cage, Saru, and Shaq have confird they will leave, but there are still other players inside the team.
They’re working hard for a three-peat, yet the team is talking about rebuilding?
Harper, McKey, Anthony Bowie…
what would they think?
Roger knew too that even his future with the team was uncertain.
When John Gabriel stated early on that the Magic Team wouldn’t pay the luxury tax, Roger thought his future might not be in Orlando.
He hadn’t discussed in detail with the team.
He was willing to wait for the team to rebuild with a championship in mind, but if the team only wanted to make money and muddle through, he wouldn’t waste his ti here.
Indeed, Roger had reached the peak of his career in Orlando.
But a one-man-one-city story is, after all, sothing rare.
Roger had long understood these things, and his emotions would not be swayed by them.
But Roger couldn’t guarantee that everyone else felt the sa way.
After all, they had given a lot for the team.
So, before training started the next day, in the locker room, Roger called the whole team together:
“Before tomorrow’s training begins, I hope everyone will write a few words about your feelings or mories of playing for this team.
The form doesn’t matter; you can write a poem, you can write a letter, or you can copy a few aningful song lyrics.
There’s no limit on the length or the; anything goes, but rember to bring sothing.
Then, we’ll go to the conference room, and in front of everyone, you’ll read what you’ve written.”
Alright, those willing to share can participate; those who aren’t, it’s fine.”
After Roger finished speaking, Shaq scoffed from the side: “Hahaha, what’s the point of this?
You all think you’re heroes of this city, all believing this is your team.
But what’s the result?
I told you all along, you were just fodder being pecked at by Roger, the vulture.
Wake up, stop playing those childish gas of house, this is fucking professional sports!
No matter what you say, I’m not participating in your boring ga!”
O’Neal was delighted since he was no longer the only one about to be abandoned by the Magic Team.
“I didn’t invite you in the first place, you idiot who’s already out of the team.” Roger retorted coldly.
The next day, in the conference room, only about half of the people brought sothing they’d written.
It’s not that many players didn’t want to participate, but they simply didn’t know what to write when they picked up a pen.
Writing essays is not a professional player’s specialty—it’s a boxer’s.
Saru stood up first, holding a piece of paper: “Can I start?”
“Go ahead, brother,” Roger nodded.
“I only played for the Magic Team for two years, but these two years were the most precious of my career.
I went from being a washed-up nobody to becoming the key that could turn the tide in the finals.
I took back my dignity from that damn George Karl.
In Orlando, I experienced the longing I felt when I first left ho to join the national team, and the incomparable sweetness of victory.
During the two years here, I felt like I was in a warm family sitcom.
Although there were frictions, it’s mostly filled with joyful mories.
But, after all, this is professional basketball, and we can’t completely shut out the storms of money and interests.
However, we’ve got to fight against these.
To hell with John Gabriel, we are going to be part of a dynasty, and nothing can stop that from happening!”
After him, it was Derrick McKey, who had spent three full years with the Magic Team:
“When I found out John wanted to dismantle this team, I was furious.
I had already made Orlando my ho, not because my family is all here, but because I treated this team as my own ho, and you as my family.
I had never imagined all this would end one day.”
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