Chapter 884: 52 Chapters Facing Ah Gan_2
In the first quarter, Johnson-Parkson scored 8 points, and his key performance helped the Bulls lead the Pistons by 6 points.
The Pistons’ intimidating and fear-inducing tactics had completely failed, though Dennis Rodman refused to give up.
Midway through the second quarter, Rodman shoved Pippen forcefully out of bounds. Pippen collided with the spectator area, his chin scraping the floor, leaving a bloody mess.
The Bulls’ bench was in uproar, some rushed toward Rodman, but assistant coach Bach held them back. Meanwhile, Rodman walked away as if nothing had happened.
Pippen didn’t lash out at Rodman but sat on the floor to clear his head. At that moment, he couldn’t quite distinguish north from south.
The team doctor came over to stop the bleeding and briefly treated the wound, which later required six stitches.
Pippen did not take a break but returned to the game, where Grant reminded him, "Don’t fight with him. Let’s play basketball, crush them, and send them home."
Pippen nodded and said, "Tonight will be their last game of the season."
Though he said so, deep down, Pippen thought, if Ah Gan were his teammate, he’d probably have punched Rodman’s head into pieces.
Pippen remembered the finals of 1987 and 1990, when Ah Gan fought the Pistons fiercely—it was thrilling for anyone watching.
Rodman and his hyperactive antics—only Ah Gan could subdue him, completely overpowering him.
Rodman knew Ah Gan would truly hit him if provoked, and the consequences would be severe.
Of course, aside from Ah Gan, Rodman behaved lawlessly with everyone else.
Later in the game, Rodman kept hurling trash talk at Pippen, spewing everything imaginable like a deranged addict on drugs.
"You think this is over? I’ll come at you again and crack your chin open one more time. It’s no big deal to me."
"You’re just a damn gay. Nobody wants gays around here. I’ll make you fall harder, and you can go back to the locker room to mess around there!"
Rodman continuously attacked Pippen verbally, but Pippen merely chuckled, treating him like a patient.
When Rodman went on too much, Pippen countered with just one sentence: "Why don’t you go pick on Ah Gan?"
That infuriated Rodman even more, as he desperately wanted to prove he wasn’t scared of Ah Gan. Yet, unable to come up with anything coherent, he resorted to more vulgar insults in frustration.
The more unhinged Rodman became, the calmer and more composed Pippen grew. That night, Pippen delivered an all-around performance: 23 points, 10 assists, 6 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 blocks.
Phil Jackson praised Pippen, saying he had completely controlled the game tonight. Most importantly, he handled the pressure and treated the Pistons’ violence and trash talk as though it was air.
This marked Pippen’s path to maturity. Though his real test was yet to come, he had at least crossed the haunted barrier posed by the Pistons.
The Bulls won 115-94 in Game Four, decisively beating the Detroit Pistons.
We finally defeated the Bad Boys, and in the most satisfying manner—a sweep.
Yet, on that Monday afternoon at Auburn Hills, what most people remembered wasn’t the game itself but what happened after it ended.
With 7.9 seconds remaining and the outcome decided, the Pistons’ players left the bench one by one, walking past us directly toward the locker room. They didn’t wait for the final buzzer, didn’t shake hands, didn’t compliment us on playing well, and didn’t wish us luck in the finals.
No respect. Nothing.
I understood that Isiah Thomas and Bill Lambier couldn’t accept that we were superior, that the young team they had dominated for years had grown up and knocked them over with ease, and that their reign over the Eastern Conference had ended.
Every hero who once shined eventually reaches this stage. Someday, we will too—but not as disgracefully as they did.
Later, Isiah Thomas claimed that the Pistons’ actions weren’t unusual in the NBA. He said that when they beat the Boston Celtics, the Celtics treated them the same way.
I disagree because when the Pistons defeated the Celtics, the scene was chaotic. Fans were throwing things onto the court, and they had to leave quickly.
Our game was different—Detroit’s fans didn’t act overly aggressive. While they shouted abuse at us during the game, afterwards, they were willing to accept their loss.
When we lost to the Pistons three times before, we always shook hands with their players after the game and wished them luck in the next round.
The Pistons didn’t do the same, violating the spirit of sportsmanship.
But it doesn’t matter. It wasn’t the first time.
To sum up: In my entire career, I never had any contact with Isiah Thomas, nor will I in the future.
A few years ago, I met him at an event in Florida State, but I didn’t say a word to him.
Michael despised him too, which is why Isiah Thomas wasn’t selected for the 1992 Olympic Dream Team, and Stockton was chosen instead—even though Michael doesn’t admit he exerted pressure and influence.
Back to the game itself, Game Four was still a dirty battle, and my chin required six stitches, but I didn’t retaliate.
I simply sat on the floor, steadied my mind, and calmly returned to the court. My teammates did the same—we didn’t stir up trouble.
