Roger didn’t respond to what Gary Payton said because he felt it was beneath him.
He could understand Gary Payton’s physical decline, but couldn’t understand why the guy’s trash-talking skills had also deteriorated.
Next up is the era of Gary Payton, Admiral, and Tim Duncan? Wake up, you and the Admiral’s careers are almost over, what era are you talking about!?
This kind of nonsense, Roger really didn’t have the desire to respond to.
Or rather, he just wanted to answer with a resounding victory.
The joy of defeating the Pacers quickly faded, replaced by a strong desire to crush the Spurs. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ novelFirｅ.net
Honestly, a 38-year-old who’s been around too many times doesn’t really excite Roger; Roger still prefers to play with something fresh like Duncan, who’s in his twenties and never conquered before.
For a moment, all the media in the Bay Area were hyping up the rematch between the Warriors and Spurs.
The TV stations also started airing promotional advertisements for the game days in advance.
The Spurs and Warriors have become the main spectacle of this era.
In the cities of San Francisco and Oakland, countless giant billboards switched to new posters overnight. The posters featured Roger and Duncan staring at each other, with a simple and clear theme slogan.
"The behemoths strike again, this time, defend the Bay Area!"
The tickets for this game were released online with prices even three times higher than the season opener!
Even so, the tickets were instantly sold out.
Seeing the Warriors flourishing, the media in Atlanta began to complain.
"This season, Hawks tickets are priced only half of last season, with only a third of the number of season tickets sold compared to Roger’s time, and the average attendance rate at Philips Arena is still below 60%. Not only that, but hotels in Atlanta have reduced their prices by 20%, yet the occupancy rate continues to decline. The surrounding catering industry is closing at an alarming rate, and tourism is severely hindered...
And then look at the Warriors, look at what Roger has brought to the Bay Area. I think the Hawks’ management team should understand one thing: no one would come from far away to buy tickets to watch Shawn Marion shoot.
Michael, hurry up and sell your team!"
Michael Gillen doesn’t even like going to Atlanta now because if he gets recognized on the street, people will definitely flip him the bird and yell, "You stupid bastard, hope you catch something nasty!"
But no one cares about Atlanta’s current plight anymore; all eyes are on Oakland, on the Warriors and Spurs.
The atmosphere of the big battle now is even denser than the fog surrounding San Francisco, and in such an atmosphere, players train very seriously.
Marcus Camby participates in daily training as usual, but it’s not to defeat the Spurs, he just can’t skip training or a game right now. If such news spreads, no team would dare to take him.
Meanwhile, Bob Bass once again received a call in his office from SuperSonics’ general manager Rick Sund.
"Bob, have you considered the trade?"
He was referring to the trade involving Marcus Camby.
"Are you sure you won’t add another second-round pick?" Bob Bass capitalized on the other party’s urgency to raise the price.
In the NBA, you have to learn to take advantage in trades. The more urgent others are, the more capital you have to increase the price.
"Bob, you know my offer is already the most generous. Other teams are only willing to give you some odds and ends, yet I’m genuinely offering two rotation players, isn’t that enough sincerity? Marcus Camby has only played fifteen minutes since last year, what else do you expect to get from him?"
"Playing just fifteen minutes is a rotation issue, not Marcus’s ability issue. We didn’t expect Dikembe Mutombo to be bought out this summer, nor did we expect to bring in this former Defensive Player of the Year with a mid-level exception contract.
With Dikembe, Marcus’s presence is awkward, and that’s the reason he hasn’t had much playing time this season. But I can vouch for Marcus’s health, it’s as good as during his time with the Knicks.
We’re all in the West, and I know you have Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis, and I know you’re lacking in interior toughness. So, this is a win-win trade for you guys, am I asking too much for an additional second-round pick?"
On the other end of the phone, Rick Sund already wanted to blow Bob Bass’s head off.
That damn, greedy old fox!
Rick Sund knew he was being extorted, but he also had to seriously consider the possibility of this extortion succeeding.
Rick Sund really needed this trade, as the SuperSonics’ offensive power was adequate but lacked strong interior presence, which directly determined whether the Seattle SuperSonics could make it to the playoffs.
Coffee king Howard Schultz didn’t want to see the SuperSonics go through a long rebuild, so Rick Sund had to deliver results for the team quickly.
There’s no other way; this is the disadvantage that the more active party in a trade must face.
He held back his urge to curse Bob Bass, calmly responding: "I can consider it, Bob, but you have to promise me, this is the final offer!"
"This is definitely the final offer."
"Great, I’ll be waiting for your call."
After hanging up the phone, Bob Bass stood by the floor-to-ceiling window in his office and glanced at Marcus Camby on the training ground below.