527: 193: Shaq is Jerry’s biggest mistake since 1981 (asking for monthly tickets!) 527: 193: Shaq is Jerry’s biggest mistake since 1981 (asking for monthly tickets!) Scottie Pippen would never have imagined that just under three minutes into the ga, he would receive an assist from Roger.
Can you believe that during the entire 93-94 season he worked alongside Roger, nothing of the sort had ever happened!
Stevie Smith didn’t expect that Roger could see him either; he thought for sure Roger would choose to go directly for the basket amidst the pursuit of Lakers players.
Everyone on the team was highly satisfied with Roger’s performance at the start of the ga; he didn’t rest on his laurels as a superstar to slack off on defense, nor did he insist on having the ball to shoot whenever he wanted because he was a superstar.
He defended strenuously and passed the ball actively, giving everyone a chance to shine.
Even Pippen and Stevie Smith, the two biggest “anti-truths” on the team, had to admit that Roger’s influence in the ga was quite significant.
When he’s on your team, scoring becos easier, and victory feels closer within reach.
Fans also didn’t expect Roger’s start to the season to be like this.
Three assists and one steal, without even attempting a shot.
Four years ago, in 1993, what was Roger criticized for?
Not passing the ball, playing poor defense.
Now, he was precisely using passing and defense to help the team make a perfect start.
And Shaq?
Not long after the start, he was tantruming like a child, yelling loudly at referees and teammates.
The gap between the two n’s performance was already evident.
The sa gap was also reflected between the Hawks and the Lakers.
The Hawks looked like a well-trained strong team, whereas the Lakers?
They were so panicked they couldn’t even get the ball to their star player.
Even at the beginning of the ga, there was a situation where the star player wanted the ball, but his teammates wouldn’t pass it to him!
At the start of the preseason camp, reporters would occasionally reveal so details about the Hawks’s training camp.
Like how Roger put pressure on his teammates, and how he tore them to shreds with his criticism.
It even led to Stevie Smith requesting a trade after the preseason camp.
It seed as if Roger simply couldn’t lead a team on his own.
On the other hand, Shaq was hyped to the skies by the Los Angeles dia during the preseason camp.
Coupled with Van Exel and Eddie Jones saying he was “the greatest leader ever,” Los Angeles dia and fans fantasized about O’Neal leading the team to a dominant position in the league.
So what was the result?
Roger and his teammates operated in perfect harmony, united as one.
Shaq neither motivated the whole team nor brought out any compelling personal performance.
Just from the feel of these first few plays, it seed Shaquille O’Neal’s ability to lead a team on his own was nowhere close to Roger’s!
The feud between Shaquille O’Neal and Roger was considered one of the biggest highlights of the NBA season.
They might not win the championship, but they absolutely could not lose to each other.
So these first few plays of the ga were a total disgrace for Shaq.
O’Neal didn’t understand; he still thought he was no less than Roger, it’s just that he wasn’t getting the ball.
Passing to the center position is such a simple task, so why couldn’t anyone on the Lakers accomplish that?
If it were Roger, he could pass the ball with his eyes closed!
Thinking this, O’Neal gave himself a hard slap on the face.
How could I acknowledge Roger’s excellence?
Then Shaq kept reminding himself, “Kobe is the best, Kobe is the best, Kobe is the best…”
The teammates you choose, you must stick with them even through tears.
O’Neal had high hopes for Kobe, stating more than once in the dia, “Kobe Bryant is ten tis better than Roger!”
He told himself to be patient with the rookie.
So, O’Neal adjusted his attitude and calmly told Kobe, “Buddy, you need to start passing the ball!”
“Hmm,” Kobe replied with a cold tone.
O’Neal was annoyed because ever since Kobe joined the team, he had been shattering O’Neal’s fantasy about the cute little brother figure.
In O’Neal’s fantasy, a high school kid like Kobe would see him—a great three-ti championship center—and it wouldn’t be out of line for him to bow down in respect.
But in reality, Kobe did no such thing, not even showing a hint of the adoration O’Neal expected.
On the first day of the new season training camp for the Lakers, O’Neal led a self-introduction in the locker room, and then everyone else followed suit to introduce themselves, as a way to bring the team closer together.
“Eddie Jones, hotown Florida, graduated from Temple University.”
“My na is Rick Fox, played in Boston last season, dreaming of becoming an action movie star.”
“Elden Campbell, yeah Shaq, the very one you blew up last season.”
Everyone’s introduction was quite standard, but when it ca to Kobe, his self-introduction silenced the entire locker room:
“My na is Kobe Bryant, from Pennsylvania, graduated from Lower rion High School, where I controlled everything.
I want you to know sothing, Shaq, no one is going to bully .
I won’t allow anyone in the NBA to bully , so let’s get the ugly part out of the way first.”
That was the first encounter between O’Neal and Kobe, and Kobe’s prickliness from the start made him seem rather difficult to deal with.
Hearing Kobe talk like that, O’Neal cracked a joke, “Relax, kid, Jerry brought here to support you.”
The whole locker room laughed then, except Kobe.
Because he believed that was the truth.
In Kobe’s mind, O’Neal was nothing but a second-in-command.
Three consecutive finals, and you can’t even win a single FMVP; if that isn’t second-in-command, what is?
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