636: 224: Get Roger neatly sorted out (Request for monthly ticket!)_3 636: 224: Get Roger neatly sorted out (Request for monthly ticket!)_3 To relieve the pressure on his mother, he grew fond of training, worked extrely hard, and transford from a chubby kid into a muscular man.
This habit of rigorous training had persisted until now.
Also, Pierce really enjoyed one-on-one.
Every day before and after training, Pierce would challenge his teammates to one-on-one gas.
So, he grabbed a basketball and walked onto the court, “Hey guys, anyone up for a one-on-one?”
Since Roger arrived in Atlanta, such a thing had never happened on the Hawks’ training ground.
Pippen and Stevie Smith weren’t that juvenile, and the others weren’t players who excelled at one-on-one.
So, generally, no one in the Hawks would engage in these duels.
Pierce’s proposal sparked everyone’s interest montarily.
Bowen stood up grinning, ready to let the kid experience what it ans when the streets are dark and society is complex, but Pippen held him back, “I haven’t played basketball in a long ti, let warm up first.”
Pierce looked at Pippen, incredibly excited.
Great, this was a good opportunity to establish his presence within the team!
Soon, Pippen proved he wasn’t lying, he indeed hadn’t played basketball in a long ti.
On Pierce’s first attack, Pippen tried to reach for the ball, but he couldn’t bend down in ti.
Pippen also realized the danger; he was not a diligent player, but he could usually quickly get into combat mode every year at training camp.
But this ti, he clearly felt his body slow down.
Pierce blew past Pippen’s side, went straight into the paint, and scored with a two-handed slam.
“Yeah!
I’m also a slam dunker!
Don’t forget, I was in the McDonald’s All-Star dunk contest with Vince!
From now on, call Skywalker!”
Pierce shouted, seemingly to defend his athletic abilities.
Roger shook his head, Skywalker?
You’re even more narcissistic than ‘White Chocolate’!
Pierce did indeed participate in the dunk contest with Carter, but if you had seen that showdown, you’d know it was the easiest win of Carter’s life.
Pierce failed more tis at dunking than Kobe missed shots.
Pierce was simply exploiting that it’s hard to find videos from that era, assuming not many had seen it, so he bragged relentlessly.
After all, when you’re out and about, reputation is what you give yourself.
He would beco more modest once YouTube launched in a few years.
After scoring the first basket, Pierce continued to attack.
He made a triple threat move, Pippen cautiously stepped back a little, only for Pierce to suddenly pull up for a three-pointer.
Swish.
Ball goes through the net.
Pierce was completely confident now; after all, he was dealing with Scottie Pippen!
The very Scottie Pippen who had been selected for the all-defensive team for seven consecutive years!
And here he was, dominating him!
Over-excited, Pierce started trash-talking.
“Scottie, what’s going on?
Has the multimillion-dollar salary made you sluggish?”
“Rookie, I don’t like the way you’re talking right now!”
“Oh, then speak with the basketball.”
In the next round, Pippen blocked Pierce’s drive to the basket.
If it were Roger, the mont he got possession of the ball, it ant Pierce had no chance.
But after completing such a beautiful defense, Pippen couldn’t succeed in offense.
He got past Pierce with a change of direction; Pierce’s defense at that ti was, to put it mildly, dismal, even being overtaken by a 34-year-old Pippen.
Taking advantage of the slight gap, Pippen pulled up for a jump shot.
But this almost unchallenged pull-up jumper clanged off the rim, turning over the possession back to Pierce.
The real problem for Pippen in the following years was not his defense, but his offense.
His offensive capabilities were steadily declining.
Pierce, fueled by Pippen’s missed shots, once more took possession and sealed the ga with a three-pointer and a mid-range shot!
“Haha!
Old man, how about that?
One-on-one, I can beat you ten tis over!”
Pierce was fired up, his mouth just wouldn’t stop.
Pippen felt like he was back in 1993, the year that damn…
great Roger taught him a lesson in the training camp.
The difference was, in 1993 there was no Jordan to back Pippen up on the spot.
But in 1999, Pippen had Roger.
Roger did indeed like Pierce, more so than Stevie Smith, and he was more combative.
However, he couldn’t let anyone rise above himself and Pippen.
Although Pippen’s skills had declined, he was still one of the locker room leaders, and his authority couldn’t be threatened.
Perhaps one day Pierce might qualify to take over Pippen’s position, but not now.
If anyone was going to jump the line, Roger was ready to put them in their place.
Roger stood up and walked over to Pierce, “Well played, Paul, I think you’ve earned a chance to play a ga with .”
Everyone stared at the court, ready for the showdown.
Roger putting the cocky rookie in his place was a scene many had been anticipating since the mont Pierce had been drafted.
Pierce, facing the formidable Roger, wasn’t nervous.
It was ti to use his trump card against the tyrant Roger!
The recently defiant Pierce suddenly threw the ball to the ground:
“I can’t beat you, so forget it, I’ll go buy you a drink.”
Roger: “???”
This guy, how cunningly cheeky!
Watching Roger’s astonished expression, Pierce smirked triumphantly.
Told you, I can handle Roger without a hitch!
This incident alone illustrated one thing, Roger’s grip on the locker room was incredibly firm.
Even a well-known rebel like Pierce wouldn’t bother provoking Roger for no reason.
Roger’s authority was enough to keep Pierce in check and prevent him from becoming a Kobe Bryant.
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