Chapter 961 - 15 A New World_2

"Steve, you don’t seriously think I’m using this injury to get a new contract, do you? I’ll earn a contract with my performance on the court, not through injuries. You know my worth, you should pay me enough. My leg is severely strained, but do you think I’m lying?"

Steve’s face turned grim, and he said in a threatening tone:

"This will make the papers, you know, we’ll go public with this and let public opinion decide."

For others, if they’re injured, they’d wear casual clothes and sit on the bench to watch their teammates play.

The Rockets wouldn’t allow me to do that; they demanded I play in the games.

I won’t risk ruining my career for these people. If I suffer a serious injury on the court, they’d discard me quickly.

I recalled a line Ah Gan once said to me, don’t let loyalty hurt you.

You’re loyal to the team, but the team won’t be loyal to you when you’re in trouble.

I straightforwardly told Steve: "I can’t play with an injury."

I didn’t want to argue with management or the owner anymore; they could think whatever they wanted.

As he threatened, Steve Patterson called the media, accusing me of faking an injury.

He told Houston’s reporters: "We brought in an entire team of doctors to examine him, and they found no issues. He threatened to sit on the bench and not play because he wants a new contract. Putting these two things together, it’s not hard to understand what’s going on."

I was furious when I heard the news. First, I never threatened to sit on the bench.

Secondly, my injury is real, not faked.

"He’s a liar," I told reporters. "He’s questioning my integrity, and that’s an act of poor character. They want to play tricks on me, but it won’t work. No one wants to play more than I do, but when I’m injured, I won’t risk playing. Now the Rockets are trying to force me to play injured for the playoffs. I might have done it when I was younger, but not anymore. I have to consider my career.

My teammates agreed with me; Kenny Smith and Audie Norris knew I wasn’t the type to fake an injury, and that would be against basic professional ethics.

But the Rockets’ doctors didn’t think so; after they examined me, they declared I could play.

But I got a second opinion from a sports physician in Houston who said I had a hamstring injury and advised me not to play.

In the final stage of the season, I refused to play, and the Rockets suspended me.

My work ethic is second to none. I give it my all in every game, yet they suspended me for not playing according to contract terms and deducted my salary.

They tried to turn the media and fans against me, making them believe I was a mercenary, using a fake injury to threaten the team for a new contract.

We lodged an appeal, and the League committee launched an investigation. They will determine if the Rockets’ salary deduction is against the rules, with a hearing scheduled after the season ends.

I’m not afraid to confront them at the hearing; I didn’t fake an injury, and they won’t take a dime from me.

Patterson and Thomas didn’t reveal this to the media; they wanted to appear tough to suppress my contract.

After my suspension, the Rockets lost five games in a row, getting further from the playoffs.

When I recovered from my injury and returned, I told management and the media I wanted to be traded.

"I don’t want to play for the Rockets next season," I said. "It’s obvious. After management talks bad about you, would you want to work for them? I love the city of Houston, but this time it’s not about my teammates or fans, it’s about management. The damage has been done. I’d rather start over somewhere else."

I’ve had enough of Charlie Thomas and Steve Patterson; under their instigation, some people think I’m a liar.

A year ago, I recovered from an eye injury. This year, I’ve been treated for irregular heartbeat, and my body has issues.

If I wanted to take a two-year break and get paid in full, I could easily do it.

If I wanted to use these injuries in contract negotiations, no problem, but that’s not my code of conduct.

They questioned my character and professionalism, which is a huge insult to me.

They tried their best to slander me in front of fans, the people of Houston, and all of America.

I no longer want to have anything to do with them, and the trade rumors spread quickly.

At that time, I had several options, the Heat, Los Angeles Clippers, Knicks, and Orlando Magic were all considering me.

The Rockets lost several critical games towards the end of the regular season, dropped to ninth place, and didn’t make it into the playoffs.

This was deeply disappointing for me. I felt I could no longer waste time in Houston. With the Rockets, I saw no chance of beating the Portland Trail Blazers.

After the season ended, I planned to travel all summer.

As I left, I told management: "Give me a call and tell me where I’ll be playing next year. Trade me out!"

I was very sure I wouldn’t be playing in Houston again.

Then I left America and went on a pilgrimage to Mecca with a few friends and brothers.

After a grueling four-day pilgrimage, we went to Medina, one of the most sacred places on earth, where everyone who knows about it wants to pray.