Chapter 1076: 344: Roger First, Michael Second, Then the Rest

Words : 954 Updated : Oct 1st, 2025

Chapter 1076: Chapter 344: Roger First, Michael Second, Then the Rest At this moment, Rick Carlisle is preparing to send in Ron Artest, who has rested for half a quarter. Carlisle has no grudge against James. For him, it doesn’t matter whether it’s Jordan or James who makes it to the playoffs in eighth place. But just like Big Ben and the live commentators said, the team can’t play the playoffs with this mentality. He knocked on the tactical board and told Artest, “If you can’t even handle him, how do you expect to handle Paul Pierce from Indianapolis? Do you want us to lose the championship?” “Enough, Rick, I’ll take care of him right away!” After the timeout ended, Ron Artest took to the court, cursing under his breath. On the first attack after returning, Artest’s awkward three-point shot clanged just like James’s. James flashed a mocking smile, then sprinted forward for a direct counterattack. Eric Snow received the ball and chose to throw a long pass directly to James. Artest, in a rush of emotions, jumped recklessly trying to intercept, but the ball just grazed his fingertips and ended up in James’s hands. Big Ben on the bench clenched his fists: “That idiot is letting his emotions get the best of him again, damn it!” This rash jump attempt made Artest miss the best opportunity to stop James. He could only chase as much as possible after landing and then grabbed James’s jersey with both hands as he jumped for the layup. But James, despite being held back, still stubbornly scored the basket, and at the same time, the referee blew the whistle. Artest gave James a chance for a three-point play! “Damn it, damn it! Take him off, Rick, I don’t want to watch anymore!” Big Ben roared from the bench. Pistons fans booed loudly. Artest roared angrily at the referee. And LeBron James, this young man who finally could hold his head high, raised his arms and pointed to his back. He wasn’t pointing at the name on the back of his jersey; he was pointing at the tattoo on his back: Chosen.1! James looked at Artest, didn’t say anything, but that proud smile was like cursing Artest with the dirtiest language. At this moment, Roger had just finished the last regular-season game against the Warriors, having easily defeated the Utah Jazz. Back in the locker room, Roger saw the Cavaliers and Pistons game playing on the locker room TV. When he saw the Pistons were actually trailing, he found it unbelievable. These damn Detroit blue-collar workers always mess up during the regular season and then dominate the playoffs. Can’t you put a little more thought into the regular season? After that, James hit the free throw, and the Cleveland Cavaliers were leading by 7 points. All of Cleveland was cheering for James. It’s never too late to be a hero. Few people noticed that Ron Artest’s eyes had completely turned beastly. Just as James made his celebratory move, Artest had already decided to show off the basketball skills he learned at Roger’s camp last summer! Pistons’ offense, James spread his arms wide in front of Artest. The energetic young man decided to mimic the adults and say something to drive his opponent crazy. “Ron, thanks for showing me the defending champion’s strength, I’m soaked with sweat.” “Ball, give me the ball, let me teach this bastard a lesson!” Artest shouted angrily at Billups. But Chauncey Billups isn’t the kind of point guard without his own opinion. He waved his hand, signaling Artest to calm down, then called for a pick and roll. In short, he didn’t respond to Artest. This made Artest feel humiliated in front of a rookie. Billups used the screen to break through and headed to the inside, facing the big Z guarding the basket with a high arching layup. As one of the early pioneers of analytics-based basketball, Billups rarely took mid-range shots. Once he broke through, his target was often a direct attack on the basket. Currently, big Z isn’t considered a particularly outstanding defensive player; his mobility is too poor. However, his height is still a significant obstacle. Billups’s bank shot bounced off the rim, giving the Cavaliers another chance to widen the lead. But before big Z could jump for the rebound, he felt himself being roughly pushed aside by someone. Next, that guy jumped up to grab the ball and gently laid it in without waiting to land, successfully scoring on the putback. It was Ron Artest, who had immediately followed up when he saw Billups break through. As expected, Billups did not disappoint him. After making the putback, Artest excitedly raised his arms and swung them hard. This moment was filled with all the pent-up emotions he had throughout the game! However, this celebration move “accidentally” caused his elbow to hit LeBron James right in the chest. I’ll show you what real basketball skills are! “Bang!” A loud noise, and James instantly felt excruciating pain, clutching his chest and squatted down. Artest pretended to walk away nonchalantly, finally having an outlet for the new techniques he learned at Roger’s camp last summer! Seeing this, even Roger was stunned. Wait a minute, could this be the disaster for ribs this time… Or maybe you could say, Ron Artest’s elbow finally landed on James. After the referee’s whistle blew, Artest spread his hands innocently: “What? I was just celebrating.” James got back on his feet, but the chest pain hadn’t subsided. After a brief consultation with the team doctor, they decided to have LeBron James leave the court for a full-body checkup.

Chapter 1076: 344: Roger First, Michael Second, Then the Rest

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