Champion Creed-Chapter 972 - 317: I didn’t expect him to be an Agent Zero as well (asking for monthly votes!)_3
Chapter 972: 317: I didn’t expect him to be an Agent Zero as well (asking for monthly votes!)_3
As he was driving halfway, Arenas felt it difficult to get close to the basket, so he prepared to stop for a mid-range shot.
But Roger didn’t give him any space, blocking the ball the moment Arenas jumped!
Mike Breen shrugged his shoulders: "Too easy, this possession was without suspense. If Gilbert keeps playing like this, he probably won’t score a single point."
During his peak, Arenas was actually a tank guard. As a 191 cm tall guard, he was heavier than prime Wade.
He used large directional changes and a strong upper body to create space, making it convenient for him to drive or shoot.
But now, as a sophomore, Arenas isn’t as strong, and against Roger, his physical play seems too weak, so his advantages aren’t coming out.
The Warriors launched a fast break, and with Stephen Jackson’s seven-second offense instinct, he was already running as soon as Roger blocked, easily finishing with a slam dunk.
The quickness of this fast break, he has grasped the secret to becoming a great player.
One possession later, Francis missed a three-pointer, resulting in a long rebound.
Arenas actively ran to the rebounding spot ready to fight for it, though only 191 cm, Arenas has great enthusiasm for rebounding.
But as the basketball descended, Arenas was suddenly shoved away by Roger. Roger then quickly jumped to secure the rebound, giving Arenas no chance to contest.
Arenas angrily ran to the defense, guarding near Allan Houston, but his focus was all on Roger.
Seeing Roger break past James Posey, Arenas immediately stepped up to block Roger’s driving line and tried to steal the ball.
Arenas swore he had gotten a fingertip on the ball. But Roger’s hands were like two giant mechanical pincers, gripping the ball firmly, then directly lifting it for a shot!
"Swish!"
"Thanks for coming over and letting me embarrass Gilbert, but get lost, I don’t like your type," Roger, after scoring, began to taunt this guy who’d been barking all summer.
Hubie Brown, sitting courtside, heard Roger’s words loud and clear.
Stories about how ruthless and bloodthirsty Roger and Jordan could be, Hubie Brown had heard many times.
But no legend could compare to witnessing them crush opponents firsthand. You only understand brutality when you see it with your own eyes.
Arenas gritted his teeth, but he had no retort; he only wanted to respond on the offensive end.
But he got stopped again.
This possession, Arenas once again tried to break through Roger, but, unsurprisingly, failed. Backing out beyond the three-point line, Arenas shifted his gaze away from Roger, and the experienced Roger knew this kid was about to pass the ball.
Seeing Steve Francis coming around, Arenas prepared to pass the ball.
But just as he was about to pass, he felt Roger closing in like a huge shadow. The next second, the ball he was about to pass was swiped away by Roger.
At the moment of the intended pass, the still immature Arenas wasn’t fully focused on protecting the ball.
Roger perfectly seized this opportunity, effortlessly stealing the ball.
Basketball can be this cruel; a league’s top perimeter stopper going up against a sophomore rookie usually results in a complete blowout.
Think back on how miserable Kobe Bryant was facing Roger in his early career years, finding it hard to score even 10 points in a game against him.
And for Arenas, who doesn’t match Kobe in height and talent, things would be even tougher.
After the steal, Roger took off on a fast break, slamming the ball down with one hand, 6-0.
Steve Francis looked at the grand scene and sighed.
Is this a Colosseum?
No no no, this is a fucking slaughterhouse broadcasted live across America!
After completing the dunk, Roger returned to defense and spread his arms to the number 0: "Look, why does trash like you think you deserve to stay on the Warriors? Why do you think I need you to win a championship?"
Roger freely spouted trash talk, and Tom Meschery on the sidelines laughed: "The Warriors’ number 14 has followed another madman."
Arenas still didn’t retort; in fact, he was starting to regret it.
Everyone longs to get their hands on the script Roger picked up in the summer of 1994, abandoned by the league’s most prestigious people, then turning around to defeat them and win a championship, becoming a king.
What a perfect script, as perfect as "The Tutor Loves Me," fulfilling every man’s fantasy.
But not everyone can grasp this script.
After a few more possessions, Arenas’s expression grew increasingly helpless as he found himself unable to do anything.
Anything!
He couldn’t score because Roger was glued to him.
He couldn’t assist, as he couldn’t drive, and didn’t dare shift his focus to watch others’ movements. A momentary lapse and Roger would steal his ball.
He couldn’t grab rebounds, as Roger always kept him separated from the basketball.
On the court, Roger only allowed him one thing: the right to make mistakes.
Halfway through the first quarter, Gilbert Arenas’s stat line was still 0.
points, 0 rebounds, 0 assists, 0 steals, 0 blocks, all 0s except for turnovers!
Looking at the dejected Arenas wearing number 0, the scene was simply ridiculous, like a teacher parading a student with a 0-graded paper.
Hubie Brown shook his head; he always thought Roger just wanted to shut out Arenas, but now...
"Damn, he plans to leave Gilbert without any stats at all!"
That’s probably why Roger said "give him a few more zeros" before the game started.
In Hubie Brown’s view, things hadn’t reached that point, though there was friction between Roger and Arenas, but... must Roger be that ruthless? freewёbn૦νeɭ.com
At that moment, Hubie Brown strongly realized he was coaching a monster.
He wasn’t Bernard King, nor was he Patrick Ewing.
He was a unique brutal monster in basketball history.
Coaching such a guy, you don’t need to worry about failure, because he’ll tear through all obstacles ahead!
The Rockets called a timeout, and Arenas, who had been blabbering all summer, was now silent.
This half-quarter, he was like nothing but a toyed-with puppy. Apart from turnovers, he could do nothing.
As Arenas walked off the court passing by Roger, Roger, pointing at the string of 0s on number 0’s stat line, turned to his old teammate Stephen Jackson and, with deliberate praise, said.
"Hey, who would’ve thought he was also an Agent Zero."
