CHAPTER 1313: CHAPTER 416: THE MOST WRONG DECISION

Gary Payton stared at the ESPN camera before him, feeling somewhat dazed.

He couldn’t recall the last time he was so much in the spotlight during the playoffs.

Was it 1996?

And now?

It’s already 2006.

Gary Payton always felt that his rivalry with Roger had just happened, that he’d only temporarily lost to Roger and still had a chance to come back.

But unwittingly, this "temporarily" had already spanned a decade.

Over the past ten years, Roger transformed from "the most formidable challenger to Michael Jordan" to "the undisputed greatest in basketball history."

In the past decade, the league’s best power forward moved from Karl Malone and Charles Barkley to the San Antonio Stone Buddha.

In the past decade, three-pointers have shifted from a trivial skill to a staple for most star players on the outside.

During these years, Gary Payton transitioned from the "historically best defensive guard" to a "down-and-out Knight wandering around."

Then, he returned here, on the court, becoming the master in front of the cameras.

"Gary, how does this comeback make you feel?"

"Great." Gary Payton answered without a second thought.

Just now, his shout at the Spurs fans was the most exhilarating emotional release he had experienced in a decade.

It was the first time in a decade he genuinely felt one thing: he was a winner.

Since the pinnacle of leading his team to the finals in 1996, Gary Payton’s career had been on a decline, and failure became the main theme of the past decade.

But today, he finally enjoyed being a winner.

Gary Payton was Gary Payton once more.

But the reporter’s last question made Gary Payton realize there was a big difference between himself and the Gloves he once was.

"Gary, why did you hug Roger?"

The Gloves ten years ago—or even the Gloves a year ago—would never have hugged Roger.

This question brought countless answers to Gary Payton’s mind.

But in the end, he chose this answer: "I hugged the wrong person."

"Huh?"

"That’s right, I hugged the wrong person. I intended to hug Monta, but apparently, I was too excited at that moment."

This explanation is as absurd as a husband saying "I was drunk, I don’t remember anything" to defend an affair, knowing full well that truly drunk people can’t perform.

Similarly, the skin colors of a Black and an Asian person are never to be mixed up.

After speaking, Gary Payton turned and left, and the ESPN reporter shrugged at the camera: "Ladies and gentlemen, thank Gary for sincerely brushing us off."

Back in the locker room, Roger was the hero of the team, being drenched in water in celebration.

Scoring 20 points in the fourth quarter alone—nothing is more dominating, and this is why the Warriors’ entire team trusts him, as he never disappoints.

Gary Payton didn’t join in the celebration; he just sat alone in his corner, enjoying the victory moment belonging to a role player.

points and 3 assists were all Gary Payton produced today. For a player who averaged 24+6+9 at his peak, such stats weren’t worth mentioning.

In the final moments of the fourth quarter, he didn’t even take many shots.

But Gary Payton was content. At least tonight, he had done what he could to contribute to the win.

At this moment, Monta Ellis sat next to the Gloves, patting him on the head: "Tonight was amazing, old man."

"Just regular performance."

"Aren’t you going to celebrate with the Boss?"

"What’s there to celebrate, we haven’t won the championship yet."

"But you took down those bastards; I heard what they were saying about you during halftime," Monta Ellis pointed at the San Antonio fans who taunted Payton.

Gary Payton stood up and placed a hand on Monta Ellis’s shoulder: "Remember kid, until we win four games in the playoffs, there’s nothing worth celebrating. Don’t get excited over these trivial victories; stay hungry."

After saying this, Gary Payton headed to the shower.

Once in the shower and seeing no one around, Gary Payton clenched his fists and waved his arms wildly: "Fuck, fuck, fuck!"

When one is doing very private things in a place like a bathroom or shower, the last thing they want to hear is someone suddenly speaking near their ear.

Gary Payton heard a voice that sent chills down his spine.

"Didn’t you say there’s nothing worth celebrating for these trifling victories?"

This unexpected voice startled Payton: "Monta! When did you get in here!"

"Came in with you."

"Damn, I never knew you liked spying on men showering!"

"I’d rather watch women, but there aren’t any here. And I’m not spying; I’m here to shower too," Monta Ellis said as he entered another stall.

Gary Payton said nothing more, awkwardly turning on the faucet.

Then, taking advantage of the cover of the water, he told Monta Ellis: "What just happened, if you utter a single word outside, you’re finished."

"It’s the first time I’ve seen someone hide celebrating a victory."

"Shut up."

"The team has long accepted you, and you’ve long accepted the team; you know it clearly."

"Shut up!"

That inexplicable pride had already been deeply embedded in Gary Payton’s bones.

To Warriors fans, G1 was like a perfect epic, aligning with what all sports media described about the Warriors since the start of this season.