One Year Left to Play

Chapter 552 - 168: Anyone in a Suit Is No Good! (3)

O’Neal was unhappy!

He immediately shouted at the referee: "He flopped!"

O’Neal was called for a foul, even Magic players had no complaints. Hearing O’Neal say that, Magic players felt a bit embarrassed...

Over on the Lakers side, even though they got the whistle, they were still somewhat unappeased. O’Neal actually bumped into Zhang Hao when he jumped, but at least they got the foul. Zhang Hao was helped up and seemed okay, just about to cool down when Van Exel flared up... just about to step forward, Van Exel was held back by Zhang Hao.

The starting point guard is too small, not very tough.

Watching Campbell closely following behind, a sense of security instantly came.

Zhang Hao walked towards the free-throw line, glancing at O’Neal as he passed by, saying nothing.

Look! Look! That’s what it means to be a gentleman! Unwilling to argue with such people.

The referee looked at O’Neal with disdain. He completely didn’t believe what O’Neal said.

With Zhang Hao’s character that dares to elbow against Malone, would he flop?

Couldn’t really see that O’Neal, this 130-kilogram giant, would be such a person.

Campbell arrived at the right side of the three-second zone, prepared to grab the free-throw rebound, coincidentally lining up with O’Neal, the main official sensed the referee’s gaze. He felt the disdain the referee had towards O’Neal... However! Though he also thought Zhang Hao was truly knocked flying, he somehow felt Zhang Hao was deliberately provoking O’Neal...

No matter what the situation truly was, O’Neal was pathetic, Campbell looked at O’Neal beside him with a sympathetic gaze.

O’Neal’s argument was ignored, feeling his teammates’ avoiding gazes, sensed the referee’s disdain, and turned his head to see Campbell again using a "looking at the weak" gaze towards him...

"He really blocked me, he really flopped, why does no one believe me?"

O’Neal felt so aggrieved... a belly full of fire, a belly full of resentment, a belly full of grievances with no place to vent!

Zhang Hao’s first free throw hit the neck of the basket, bounced once, and sprang out of the frame.

First free throw doesn’t require a rebound, seeing Zhang Hao couldn’t make it, O’Neal and Horace Grant closest to the basket immediately got active, ready to grab the rebound.

Falling to the ground earlier, still affected, carrying the pressure of missing two free throws equaling a turnover, plus the fall needing recovery, Zhang Hao unusually missed both free throws!

O’Neal boxed out Campbell, he preferred boxing out than grabbing rebounds, so it basically had nothing to do with the Rebound King.

Horace Grant on the other side of the three-second zone sprang forward, snatching the defensive rebound in O’Neal’s direction.

Zhang Hao was about to retreat in frustration, seeing O’Neal... retreating slowly, Zhang Hao paced with O’Neal.

"Can’t even grab rebounds, relying on Grant’s help, no wonder Magic offered him $14 million while you only get $8 million a year..."

Finished speaking, Zhang Hao ran directly, lest the opponent enraged rashly punch him.

This, really hit the mark!

Zhang Hao said $8 million a year just casually guessed.

But the offer O’Neal received happened to be an $8 million starting salary, $80 million for 7 years! Among them, the highest salary year being the last year with $13.22 million US Dollar, by then at 31, his salary couldn’t match Horace Grant at the same age!

This time, O’Neal was really broken!

...

Anfernee Hardaway’s thinking couldn’t keep up with O’Neal’s mindset, didn’t feel anything different now compared to usual, his defensive feature is mostly below-par at most times, occasionally not lagging behind, Magic retained Horace Grant for him at the sky-high price of $29 million over two years, this middle-distance help-defense expert, primarily handling perimeter pressing, with O’Neal under the basket, if he couldn’t defend, there were these two to fill in.

In Anfernee Hardaway’s view, O’Neal just lazily started, lazy then lazy, just spray a few words, the opponent also never minded, he got used to it, very clearly knowing O’Neal on the court just needs some urging, during regular season O’Neal lazy, Anfernee Hardaway only wanted to show his desire to contend for leadership, putting actions into it, but really didn’t care.

And off the court, Anfernee Hardaway aside from competing with O’Neal on flaunting wealth, never spoke about O’Neal not loving training, petty... such issues, that wasn’t important, in his view, O’Neal is a genius player.

He valued the "genius" title greatly because he considered himself a genius.

Geniuses, always have something special, like O’Neal during regular season preferring laziness, easily getting small tempers, petty... such issues, Anfernee Hardaway considered normal.

So O’Neal spacing out in first several rounds, deliberately trying to show himself... etc., Anfernee Hardaway didn’t think anything was wrong.

Tonight, what he cared about was whether the Lakers, this team possessing "Hack-A-Shaq" inventor Zhang Hao, would use this tactic and he was particularly concerned about this, paying less attention to any anomalies in O’Neal.

O’Neal insisted on posting up in the beginning, Anfernee Hardaway didn’t particularly care, apart from not passing the first attack then getting blocked, afterward O’Neal as expected dunked, passed...

And this, not only Anfernee Hardaway didn’t feel anything was wrong, only assuming O’Neal seeing Zhang Hao playing impulsively, Magic’s other players likewise.

But as the game went on, Magic’s side began feeling something amiss... their scoring efficiency was continuously declining!

Magic’s starting lineup’s strategy always had one of the dual cores playing solo and distributing the ball, a very simple routine, also very strong and indomitable strategy, but as the game went on, Magic’s players suddenly realized, their Magic tonight only had Shark constantly playing solo, and Penny turned into a catch-and-shoot option!

This wasn’t even the most crucial point, the most crucial was O’Neal already started balancing dunking, missing shots, turnovers! From the start as long as not getting blocked then scoring or assisting, turned into scoring and missing evenly, turnover rate also increasing!