Champion Creed-Chapter 916 - 302: Hey, lift your head (asking for monthly tickets!)_3
Chapter 916: 302: Hey, lift your head (asking for monthly tickets!)_3
To be honest, Tracy McGrady hasn’t made the Magic too bad, at least the Magic is now a playoff team.
But compared to the glory created by Roger, McGrady’s achievements are hardly worth mentioning.
Orlando fans don’t dislike T-Mac, but they want Roger back more.
If Roger can return to Orlando, the glory will continue.
To leave a good impression on Roger, the Amway Center even erupted with MVP chants as Roger entered.
A visiting player receiving MVP chants from home fans is definitely a rare spectacle in history.
Orlandans are trying to make Roger feel that playing for the fans here again would certainly be fun.
Tracy McGrady, who was warming up, lifted his head and looked at the three championship banners hanging from the rafters, raised by Roger himself, and smiled bitterly.
Listen to the cheers from the crowd, what’s the point of trying so hard?
This place has long been marked by Roger, surpassed by no one in a lifetime.
In this game, Bruce Bowen’s shooting from long range was on fire, making 4 out of 5 three-pointers and scoring 21 points.
But that wasn’t enough for the Hawks to win, because the team is filled with too many incompetent mercenaries, so the Hawks basically play without any system on both offense and defense.
Blindly fighting without a system stands no chance against a bona fide playoff team like the Magic.
Tracy McGrady scored 36 points, leading his team to a 17-point win.
Yet afterward, he couldn’t smile, telling reporters: "People here love Roger, it’s never changed."
T-Mac had something on his mind, he felt that staying in this city, he’d always be a subsidiary of Roger, always under Roger’s shadow.
T-Mac was right, because after the game, those asking for Roger’s autograph were probably several times more than those asking for T-Mac’s.
Roger has been away from Orlando for five years, yet his influence here remains unmatched.
And as a quality idol with a polished manner, Roger always tries to meet the requests of the fans.
He patiently signed autographs for many children, some even wearing Roger’s jerseys from his Magic days.
Just as Roger was about to return to the player tunnel, a man’s shout caught his attention.
"Hey, Roger, can you sign for my younger brother who’s in high school? I saved money working at an auto repair shop for a long time to bring him to your game. We have always been Orlando Magic fans! No, we’ve always been your fans, no matter where you are, we support you!"
Roger stopped, unsure why he did, maybe the man’s words reminded him of his old uncle who worked at an auto repair shop to put him through school.
"Where is your brother?" Roger responded to the man.
The man gestured excitedly: "Amare! You idiot, come over here!"
Soon, the man pulled out from the crowd a timid boy seated in the stands.
But when the boy stood up, Roger’s expression probably resembled the one from "Kung Fu" when Stephen Chow faced a dwarf for a duel.
Roger looked up at the tall boy, then back at the man: "I have no respect for dishonest people, this damn kid a high schooler?"
Upon closer inspection, Roger realized this really was a high schooler, one he even recognized.
Amar’e Stoudemire, having switched schools across two states six times in high school, only played two complete seasons, hence not yet famous.
But with the upcoming complete season in his senior year, he will, like Roger, make waves across America in a year.
Speaking of which, as far as Roger knows, Amar’e Stoudemire is indeed an Orlandan, with his hometown in a place called Welsh Lake, just an hour’s drive from Orlando.
So it’s very likely he really grew up watching Roger play.
Magical, too magical.
A name like Amar’e Stoudemire, ancient in Roger’s memory, now stands before him as a child.
However, different from the passionate image of the Little Dominator on the court, the Amar’e Stoudemire standing before Roger now seems shy.
Despite his towering height and strong physique, he appears somewhat insecure, constantly looking down, even avoiding any eye contact with Roger.
"Amar’e, you worthless guy, what are you doing!? Quickly get your jersey out! Roger, sorry, he’s probably a bit nervous. Damn it, get your jersey out now!" Amar’e’s brother urged his exceptionally tall brother impatiently.
Pushed by his brother, Stoudemeyer pulled out a crumpled Magic jersey with the number 14, indicating its age.
"Don’t mind, Roger, this jersey was the last gift from our father before he passed. Although it’s aged, it’s definitely authentic." The brother explained.
Roger didn’t say much, signed his name on the crumpled jersey, and handed it back to Stademeyer.
Seeing Stademeyer still with his head down, Roger patted his arm: "Hey, Amar’e."
"Ah?" The young man from the lakeside town was clearly surprised by Roger speaking to him.
"Raise your head."
Stademeyer froze, what did he just say to me?
"Raise your head, be confident, I believe you can make it in the NBA, but you must improve your defense. Scoring alone can’t make you a great player, keep pushing, you’ll succeed."
