Chapter 1041 - 335: Lessons from the King, Betrayal from the Chosen One

Words : 962 Updated : Sep 27th, 2025

Since that game, Penny was completely overshadowed by Roger, and no one would compare him to Roger anymore. And tonight, it felt like 1995 again for the Nike executives. Because Roger once again scored 40 points in the first half! In the second quarter, Roger exploded with 19 points, abandoning his usual style, barely passing the ball, and repeatedly scoring over James and Jordan, showing the world how unsurpassable the gap was between them and the braggart. At halftime, the Warriors were leading by 21 points, but in the locker room, he told Hubie Brown: "In the third quarter, it’s the same; if LeBron and Michael come on, I come on." In the third quarter, Jordan was already exhausted. Today, he took on too much responsibility, which led to him hitting a physical wall in the third quarter. And James only occasionally took shots, spending more time passing. With 1 minute and 02 seconds left in the third quarter, when Jordan was covered by Stephen Jackson and had no strength left to break through, he passed the ball to James in the last 10 seconds. Facing Roger, James started dribbling between his legs. Roger defended seriously, not relaxing despite the team’s large lead. Just when everyone thought James would take on the challenge and go head-to-head with Roger, he passed the ball back to Jordan in the last 4 seconds! Michael Jordan received the ball in an instant, his mind went blank. If you’re a warrior, you directly go one-on-one with Roger. If you’re a coward, you pass to someone else immediately after getting the ball. But who, indeed, dribbles for a few seconds and then passes to a teammate at the last moment? Michael Jordan increasingly couldn’t understand LeBron James. In the last 4 seconds, Jordan tried to shake off Stephen Jackson, but his 40-year-old legs wouldn’t allow it. He could only jump and take a shot without shaking off the defense, resulting in an airball. Troy Murphy caught the ball and passed it to Roger. Michael Jordan went madly to entangle with Roger, this was his last struggle for dignity. Because by this point, Roger had already scored 58 points in three quarters! Scoring 60 points in three quarters is considered a miracle for today’s NBA fans because the last time this happened was when Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points in a game! People said Roger would surpass Chamberlain, only they didn’t expect he would surpass not the number 20,000. Jordan didn’t want to see this happen. Although letting Roger score 58 points in three quarters was already shameful, 60 points were on a completely different level. Michael Jordan tried hard, but if Roger couldn’t even beat a 40-year-old player, how could he be called a King? He skillfully protected the ball in his hands, making Michael Jordan’s steals miss repeatedly. Jordan tried to stabilize his balance, not letting himself fall before Roger a second time. Roger dribbled beyond the three-point line, and Eric Snow immediately doubled him. Seeing this, Roger, who initially wanted to toy with Jordan, had to make a swift move. He quickly changed hands and burst past the sluggish Jordan with speed. At this point, James had a chance to help defend on the right at a 45° angle, but his trance-like state seemed unending. Number 23 just dumbfoundedly watched Roger pass through, seemingly having completely forgotten what he was there to do, and nobody knew what he was thinking, leaving it an eternal mystery. Roger made a sudden stop and jumped shot, with Jordan desperately trying to block, almost getting to the ball. But Roger retracted the ball mid-air, dodging slightly. After Jordan flew past him, he calmly raised the ball again and took the shot steadily. It was a pull-up jump shot, a high-difficulty move Michael Jordan had completed innumerable times. But now, he could only look up to the master of this move, high above and out of reach. The basketball went through the net, and due to inertia, Jordan fell when he landed, while James remained standing, the immense pressure causing him to be in a daze, and Roger shook his head: "You’re just an ordinary player now, Michael, so don’t say ’if Roger can, then so can I’. No, you can’t." Having said that, Roger turned and left with his three-quarter 60-point record. Roger, Jordan, and James. One didn’t look back, one didn’t shout, and one had no expression. This scene made all the slaughters in NBA history pale in comparison. The Cavaliers called for a timeout, trailing by 32 points. After Roger stepped off the court, Hubie Brown asked him: "Three quarters, 60 points, is that enough?" "The point isn’t three quarters, 60 points, Hubie; the point is that Michael and LeBron combined don’t even have half of Roger alone. The point is that the two people who clamored to replace me, to do better than me, are now being despised like trash. It’s enough, it’s enough, I want to rest now." Of course, it’s enough; 60 points in three quarters are enough to make this game an eternal classic. It also means that the complete record of the slaughter of James and Jordan will also become a classic and be constantly recalled. In 2011, Dwayne Wade, although not understanding LeBron James’s actions, chose to forgive. But in the winter of 2003, 40-year-old Michael Jordan didn’t have as good a temper as Wade. He angrily pounded the floor, got up in a rage, and pushed James hard with both hands: "LeBron, you idiot, what are you doing!?" The crowd erupted in exclamations; all along, James and Jordan were referred to as little brother and good big brother, their relationship as close as father and son promoted by Nike.

Chapter 1041 - 335: Lessons from the King, Betrayal from the Chosen One

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