Champion Creed

No matter how much you hate your opponent, you can't always dismiss their victory as merely "a stroke of luck."

"Larry, I think the Warriors played well."

"They did," Larry Brown adjusted his glasses, "but it was all due to their incredible three-point shooting accuracy. It's like a gambler who wins a few hands and thinks they're skilled, but they're just lucky. Roy, how many gamblers have you seen with good outcomes?"

Roy Williams instantly understood why Larry Brown thought the Warriors' victory was luck.

Because he's a coach who doesn't trust the three-point shot.

A team with a well-rounded system will always maintain strong defense. The Pistons' defense won't suddenly drop to the bottom of the league on any given night; they can deliver top-notch defensive shifts from the first game of the season to the last.

A suitable tactic can consistently create easy scoring opportunities for the team. With such opportunities, a player cannot fail to capitalize tonight.

But how about the three-point shot?

Even the top shooters might put up a Kobe-level accuracy on a given night.

The three-point shot can betray you at any moment, selling victory to the opponent.

This concept is deeply ingrained in the obstinate mind of Larry Brown and cannot be changed.

Just as you can't easily change a basketball player's steps after picking up the ball, this deep-seated habit makes them reflexively take only two steps after picking it up.

In his view, the Warriors' strategy is ultimately aimed at creating three-point opportunities, which is absurd.

He doesn't believe the Warriors can be that accurate in every game, and once their three-point shooting is off, the Pistons will take care of everything.

Roy Williams wanted to argue with Larry Brown, reminding him it was already 2004, ten years since Roger, the high schooler who changed history, had entered the league. In ten years, the league shortened the three-point line and then reverted it. The league removed illegal defense rules and allowed zone defense; the basketball game had gone through several versions, and the sport isn't unchanging.

If any coach still thinks three-pointers can't change the game, there's only one possible reason: their team's three-point shooting isn't good enough.

Nowadays, players' long-range shooting capabilities have significantly improved compared to the '90s.

In the past, it was normal for superstar players like Michael Jordan not to shoot threes.

But nowadays, is there an All-Star guard whose three-point shooting is particularly bad?

Perhaps soon, even role players will have excellent three-point shots.

The Pistons always reserve their tightest defense, just like putting all soldiers at the largest breach in a battle line. This Warriors team created an abundance of three-point opportunities.

Therefore, the Pistons' defense on Roger and the Warriors' three-point shooting are causally linked, not something explained away by luck.

Rather than saying Roger won with three-pointers, it's better to say the Warriors' three-point opportunities relied on Roger.

From start to finish, Roger was the most crucial key.

Roy Williams didn't really care who would win between the Pistons and Warriors, but he sensed a hint of danger.

"Larry, during the Olympics, will you let players attempt three-pointers?"

Larry Brown answered without hesitation: "Anyone who shoots more than four threes will find themselves on the bench."

Roy Williams swallowed hard; changes in Olympic basketball are even bigger than the NBA.

Can sticking to the old ways really solve everything once and for all?

"I think we shouldn't be so extreme, Larry."

"It's not extreme; it's the rule of victory. When you wear that Olympic gold medal, you'll understand how important it is to be on the right path."

Roy Williams didn't argue further; he didn't want to start a fight with Larry Brown.

The critical decisive battle continued in Detroit, which put Larry Brown in a good mood as the Warriors' three-point shooting touch was worn down by the Pistons' intensified physical contact.

But the Warriors weren't crushed; they responded to the Pistons with ironclad defense.

The two sides engaged in a true defensive showdown.

In the last two minutes of the game, Roger personally defended Billups.

Billups tried to execute a pick-and-roll but was directly intercepted by Roger.

The referee's tolerance for physical contact benefited the Pistons and also Roger.

He completely disrupted Billups' rhythm with a collision, and then reached in to steal the ball. This time, it was Billups experiencing the agony of losing possession at a critical moment.

Roger counter-attacked with a slam dunk, extending the lead to 5 points.

One possession later, Rasheed Wallace made a straight-arm jumper, while Roger, under intense double-teaming, found Allan Houston on the weak side, who calmly hit a mid-range shot, bringing the lead back to 5 points again.

Then the Pistons attacked, Hamilton missed his shot, and Roger controlled the clock, finally scoring under the dual pressure of Artest and Big Ben, sealing the game.

Roger, Roger, Roger, he was everywhere during the crucial moments.

Three-pointers are not the Achilles' heel of the Warriors, as Spoelstra had said before, it is Roger!

This time during the pause, Ben Wallace sat dumbfounded on the bench. Rick Carl was excitedly saying something, but he had no response.

In the end, they still couldn't change the situation. In the final moments, Roger excelled in defense, passing, and individual offense, completely breaking the Pistons' morale.

In a post-game interview, Ben Wallace admitted: "I was really stunned, I didn't know what else we could do."

Billups looked dejected: "I felt like there were many Rogers on the court at the same time, doing everything—scoring, assisting, defending. He was everywhere on the court; even in the locker room when I went to the restroom, I felt like Roger could appear behind me at any moment!"

After he said this, the press conference was totally silent.

The Pistons lost three home games in a row, and Detroit turned into a sea of fire.

This was absolutely an experience of falling from the cloud to the abyss.

Now, the situation has completely reversed.

If the Warriors take one more step forward, everything will be concluded.

Revival, immortality, greatness, brilliance, magic... No matter how the world will judge it, this is what Roger is about to accomplish!

In front of the TV, Roy Williams shrugged: "Look, Larry, today the Warriors won without relying on threes."

Larry Brown's face turned pale, and his mood went from sunny to gloomy: "The ridiculous things happening to the Detroit Pistons will never happen to my team!"

Meaning, even he admitted Roger had already achieved victory in the Finals.

What follows is merely a grand coronation ceremony.

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Unbelievable comeback! The Golden State Warriors have won three straight games and are set to end the series in Oakland!——"Slam".

Roger is averaging 32.6 points and 11.2 assists per game in the Finals so far. If he maintains this, he will be the second player in NBA history to average 30 points and 10 assists in the Finals. We are witnessing history.——"Hoop".

Detroiters are experiencing the most tragic comeback in NBA Finals history. Do they still stand a chance in Oakland?——"ESPN Magazine".

"The change Roger brought to the Warriors is comprehensive. No need to compare with last season, even compared to the start of the season, this Warriors team is very different.

Erik became the head coach, Amar'e became the second figure in a championship team, Marcus became the key role, and Dikembe seemed to have rejuvenated.

These changes didn't happen through some magical spells; it's because there has never been a core player in NBA history who, while dominating a team, could integrate it so tightly.

But Roger did it.

Thus, we saw this team pass through Game 7 in the second round with resilience, saw them fiercely complete revenge in the third round. Now, we see them almost reversing the Pistons. This owes to Amar'e's huge improvement in defense, Marcus finding himself, and everyone being filled with confidence and mutual trust.

In the end, it all credits Roger's leadership. He knows the 'secret' of basketball and utilizes it. You ask me what the 'secret' of basketball is? The 'secret' of basketball lies outside basketball, and Roger skillfully uses the 'secret' in both Atlanta and Oakland, elevating the height of his career.

The Detroit Pistons are a tough team; don't expect them to surrender in Oakland.

But likewise, don't expect them to bring the championship back to Detroit.

Sending the Warriors back to Oakland was like sending a lion back into the jungle.

No one can restrain that lion anymore, no one.

Oh, one more thing, remind Coach Larry Brown.

When you face a real lion in Athens, it's best not to act rashly. This is advice I've given to my son too."

——Bill Simmons column.