Chapter 1058: Chapter 340: 25 Minutes Is Enough

“Roger, if you win the championship this season and have your own statue in the future, are you really going to leave the words Michael said on the statue’s base?”

“Why not? A bet’s a bet.”

“Do you think Michael can make it into the playoffs this season?”

“I can only say it’s difficult. He can only try his best to fight for it.”

On the other side, reporters asked Jordan almost the same questions.

“Michael, if Roger wins the eighth title, will you really attend his future statue unveiling ceremony?”

“Of course, I will keep my word, but don’t talk as if the Warriors are destined to win the championship.”

“This loss has put the Hawks two games behind the Knights and one game behind the Philadelphia 76ers. Do you feel the pressure?”

“Pressure? You mean I would feel pressure because of AI and LeBron? I don’t want to answer such a stupid question.”

At the press conference, reporters were all inquiring about the bet between Roger and Jordan.

This bet has brought these two closely connected once again.

And the answer that the fans are eagerly waiting for is getting closer to being revealed.

In April, the Warriors maintained a decent winning percentage, with both wins and losses, but they firmly held the top spot in the West.

Currently, the only concern on Roger’s mind is the Los Angeles Lakers.

In the original timeline, the failure of the Lakers’ Fab Four was undoubtedly one of the most shocking failures in NBA history.

So much so that fans instinctively believed that Gary Payton and Karl Malone were no longer of any use this season.

But the fact is otherwise. Gary Payton’s poor performance was because he was incompatible with the Triangle Offense, leading to a fallout with the Zen Master.

As for Karl Malone, he performed excellently this season, but an injury in the finals significantly lowered his competitive state, and he happened to be a very important part of the Triangle Offense.

Added with internal conflicts, by the time the Lakers’ Fab Four reached the finals, they had little determination left to fight for the championship.

But the current Lakers are different. The team’s main controller is Steve Nash, who can play in any system.

Yes, his defense is practically nonexistent, but his offense is sharp. And the Lakers’ roster this season is capable of somewhat masking his defensive issues through the strength of the system.

Also, since Shaq left early, the Lakers’ atmosphere is not as suffocating.

And up until now, Roger has not heard any media outlet reporting on Karl Malone saying that infamous “I’m targeting young Mexican girls.”

Roger doesn’t know if the world’s dumbest line will make a comeback, but as of now, everything in the Los Angeles Lakers is fine except for Kobe needing to stand trial and possibly facing imprisonment.

Therefore, the Lakers are extremely formidable, and facts have proven that the Lakers’ management’s summer maneuvers were correct.

Even if the Warriors win against the Lakers in their last regular season encounter, the head-to-head record between the Warriors and Lakers would still be tied at 2-2.

So, the Lakers are much more troublesome than Roger imagined.

However, just as the playoffs are about to begin, Roger needs to make a major decision outside the NBA.

When representatives from the Basketball Association personally came to San Francisco to meet Roger, he knew the matter was serious.

Indeed, they want Roger to wear Team China’s uniform in 2004!

Because the Basketball Association is relatively conservative, Roger’s appearance in FIBA has been stalled.

But now, as Roger’s status in the world continues to rise, the cliché promises between him and the Basketball Association of “next time for sure” can no longer pacify the fans’ emotions.

Why can Roger appear at the Super Bowl, in the NBA, and in any major event, but not wear Team China’s jersey at the Olympics?

They can no longer tolerate the best basketball player in China not being able to participate in the Olympics.

And with the 2004 Olympics approaching, such voices have reached their peak.

Under pressure, the Basketball Association came with sincerity this time.

They agreed to all of Roger’s conditions—only play in the Olympics, freely decide when to join the team, bring his own training team, no midnight meetings, and so on.

And an additional new demand: to let Wang Zhizhi rejoin the team.

Why did the Basketball Association suddenly relent? The pressure from fans is just secondary; the real reason is that Team China is no longer the same as before.

Everyone knows that the 2004 Chinese men’s basketball team is strong, with the already excellent Yao Ming, Bateer in the NBA. If you add the world-class Roger and Wang Zhizhi also in the NBA, no one knows what this team can achieve, perhaps creating results beyond anyone’s expectations.

The only certainty is that if Roger participates, everyone’s career prospects will be bright.

In the face of such bright prospects, some conditions are not even considered conditions!

So this time, after consideration, the Basketball Association decided to let go and agreed to all of Roger’s conditions, granting him certain rights.

Roger has never rejected playing in FIBA, he has always disliked the constraints.

Now that those constraints are lifted, he has no reason to refuse.

Thus, a piece of news that shocked the sports world was born under Reebok’s publicity.

In early April, Reebok, as the sponsor for the men’s basketball team’s equipment, released a short ad of just a few dozen seconds that stirred up fans worldwide.