Chapter 1035 - 334: Rise, I allow you and LeBron to be my knights (Vote for the monthly ticket!)

Words : 870 Updated : Sep 27th, 2025

All of Michael Jordan’s efforts to alleviate his fear became futile the moment Roger greeted him. He didn’t purposely step back; it was an unintended action because he felt threatened. He had never feared a game his whole life, never. Even this season, even at 40 years old, he didn’t fear any opponents from before. But would he be afraid? Of course, because Michael Jordan is not truly a god. He chose to retire back then because he feared being unable to defeat Roger, which would further diminish his career stature. It wasn’t a simple act of letting go, it was a helpless acceptance of the reality of defeat. During the bloody years of the 90s, at the peak of his time, Michael Jordan assembled competitive rosters time and time again, yet never won against Roger, not even once. This was enough to cause permanent damage to Michael Jordan’s inner self. You know, even after losing multiple years to the Pistons, Jordan could still tell himself "The future holds hope." But losing to Roger, truly had no excuses. Michael Jordan had never worried about a specific game as much as today. Yet, it’s well-known, that Roger could not be considered a regular person. He’s vengeful, he doesn’t like anyone disrespecting him. Marcus Camby surely knows this well; the day he had a big argument with Roger in the locker room, Camby eventually admitted his fault, but he still got punched by Roger because he had previously grabbed Roger’s collar. In Roger’s view, just admitting fault was not enough, you must pay something for the matter to be settled, for things to be even. And in the Cavaliers, there isn’t just one person disrespecting Roger, but two. That past summer, Nike made a big deal publicizing LeBron James’ refusal to meet Roger. Their promotional slogan for signing James was "Not to bow to greatness, but to surpass it." Implying that James wouldn’t yield under Reebok to Roger, but would create his own legend with Nike. He wasn’t here to make friends; he’s here to replace Roger. But this matter, for Roger, wasn’t a dignified thing. Roger didn’t care whether James signed with Reebok or not, but as a superstar, a rookie refusing to acknowledge his stature, and this thing getting heavily promoted made Roger a stepping stone for LeBron James and Nike’s popularity. Anyone would find it undignified. So Jordan is sure that tonight, Roger also wouldn’t let James and himself have dignity. No one knows what he would do, but he’d definitely not let it slide. Of course, there’s another crucial reason for his fear—he feels he’s already seen through what kind of character LeBron James is. The James Jordan anticipated, should either be like himself, averaging 28+6+6 in his rookie year. Or like Roger, even if not all-around in the first year, he could still lead a team to the finals with his top-notch scoring ability fresh out of debut. Before this, with all the marketing, domination on high school courts, terrifying talent, it all made Jordan feel that James could do it. And Roger was also a high school rookie back then, he could do it, why couldn’t the Chosen One? With such a strong rookie partner, plus Big Z, Boozer, and himself, Michael Jordan really thought playoffs were the floor, passing the first round wasn’t impossible. But reality harshly slapped him, and he wouldn’t be the first to be slapped by LeBron James. Michael Jordan is now extremely, extremely clear that that number 23, the partner he once trusted the most, the source of all his confidence, is actually unreliable! LeBron James cannot compare with Jordan in his rookie season already in his twenties, nor can he compare with 18-year-old Roger entering the league. In fact, speaking just of their rookie seasons, even compared to young Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade in the same cohort, LeBron has no advantages. Not comparing in ability is one thing, but James lacks even that kingly aura. What was Roger like in his rookie season? Scottie Pippen wanted to use him as a platform, he directly beat Pippen up; Michael Jordan tried to discipline him as a senior figure, and almost got his eye popped by Roger. Pat Riley scoffed at the Bulls and Roger, so he and the Knicks experienced their most tragic downfall in the playoffs. But LeBron? He is friendly to everyone, happy when winning, but losing doesn’t seem like a calamity to him. This mentality prevents him from giving his all in some games, from going all out. Sometimes, this gap in mentality is more fatal than technical differences. If James had this drive, then today’s game he would definitely excel. Sadly, LeBron James lacks that kind of thing. So, now facing a formidable opponent, but your partner is someone whose ability doesn’t meet need and might retreat at any moment, wouldn’t you feel uneasy? Jordan realized he was taking a disgraceful step back, something Reggie Miller never did, so he hurriedly stepped forward: "Roger, long time no see." "You too, Michael, how are the kids? Is your wife doing well?" "God bless, all good. And you, Roger? Still not planning to get married?"

Chapter 1035 - 334: Rise, I allow you and LeBron to be my knights (Vote for the monthly ticket!)

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