Champion Rules

Chapter 136, Section 132: He's not even fit to sit at the table yet (Seeking monthly votes!)

January 11, Staples Center.

Kevin Lucas had goosebumps all over. He was sitting in the most famous arena in the entire basketball world. Lakers die-hard fan Jack Nicholson was sitting next to him, and he could even see his own silhouette reflected in Nicholson's sunglasses.

It was all unbelievable. Kevin Lucas knew that Kobe had gotten front-row tickets for his family, but he never expected them to be this far ahead.

Jack Nicholson learned about Kevin Lucas from Kobe, so he greeted him warmly: "Welcome to Los Angeles, kid. I might lose control and use some vulgar language with your idol later. Don't mind me, I don't really hate him, I just love the Lakers."

Immediately afterwards, the players began to warm up on the field.

Kobe greeted him, and all the Knicks players greeted him.

Sitting in this position, he felt as if he were completely integrated into the game.

Kobe's second daughter, Gianna, was another highly anticipated guest.

This was her first public appearance at just eight months old.

Last season in the playoffs, after Kobe made the game-winning shot against the Suns in Game 4, his wife gave birth to their second child.

Phil Jackson told Kobe, "You should name this child Victoria, because she brought you victory."

But Kobe didn't heed Phil Jackson's advice; he named his daughter Gianna. Victoria was too common; he wanted each of his children to be an irreplaceable star.

Lynch played with Gianna for a while, saying she would definitely love basketball as much as her father, because the little one didn't cry or fuss in the noisy basketball court.

Kobe couldn't stop smiling.

But all this warmth vanished when the two sides approached the center circle. As the referee carried the ball to the center of the field, the aura of the two men suddenly changed.

Kobe and Lynch completely changed their expressions, staring at each other intently.

Reggie Miller likes the rivalry between the two: "They're two real war machines, ladies and gentlemen."

As the game began, the whole world knew that Lynch wouldn't let the Lakers off the hook.

The last time Kobe played at Madison Square Garden, he was on fire. After that game, Kobe's jerseys sold out immediately; he practically used Lynch as a stepping stone.

Lynch had no chance to get revenge in front of New York fans, since the two sides would only meet twice a season.

Therefore, he must also turn Kobe's home court upside down to give New York fans and himself an explanation.

If someone slaps you and you don't fight back, can you still be called the King of New York?
Lynch easily took the basketball from Andrew Bynum, while the Lakers' second star, another New York prodigy, Lamar Odom, was responsible for guarding Lynch.

This hardworking Los Angeles star, who spends his days drinking and partying, is very serious because of his personal relationship with Kobe Bryant. He hopes to win over Lynch for Kobe.

He even trash-talked Lynch: "Damn Lynch, feel the anger of Staples Center."

As a result, Lynch's first words broke him down: "Don't pretend to be a defensive warrior, because you can't even pretend properly, Mr. Evergreen."

Odom's lips twitched; he knew Lynch was insulting him about cheating on the SAT.

When he took the college entrance exam, Odom took a risk and chose to cheat because of his poor grades.

However, his cheating methods were quite clumsy. He usually struggled to even pass, but his score on that exam was high enough for him to choose any Ivy League school.

UNLV, who originally hoped Odom would play basketball, felt their intelligence was greatly insulted when they saw his scores, which were high enough to get into Harvard.

Even if there were an NBA player in the world who could attend Harvard, that person would most likely be Asian or white, and would definitely not be a low-income Black person.

So they launched an investigation into Odom—a matter that didn't require any investigation, it was just a formality.

In addition, Odom was caught in a sting operation while soliciting prostitutes during that period, which completely deprived him of the opportunity to report to UNLV.

This foolish cheating method became a source of ridicule that Lamar Odom could never shake off for the rest of his life.

Odom's facial muscles twitched uncontrollably, but he retorted sharply, "Stop talking! Last time at Madison Square Garden, we literally trampled you to victory!"

"Really? Even the cigarettes you pulled out were fake, so what else could be real?"

This is another anecdote about Lamar Odom. When he participated in the Athens Olympics in 2004, Odom was worried that he would not pass the drug test. After discussing with his team, he bought a fake urine sample online and prepared other people's urine to inject into the fake urine sample in advance.

When the drug inspectors arrived, he carefully removed his fake organ and repeatedly squeezed the prepared urine sample into the container, thus getting away with it.

Lynch didn't know why Lamar Odom was so outstanding; he was practically the East Coast's idea king. You could say Lamar Odom wasn't good at studying, but you could never question his intelligence.

Odom gritted his teeth, and the rhythm of the basketball hitting the floor suddenly increased. Lynch dribbled and drove hard past Lamar Odom, whose mentality had been affected.

But just as he got past Odom, a large can of iced tea suddenly appeared in front of him, and Los Angeles' number 24 timely closed in to complete the double attack.

Lynch immediately passed the ball to Eddie Jones, knowing full well how strong Kobe's ability to steal the ball was, and that if he dribbled any further, it would most likely be stolen.

But Kobe also rushed back to contest the pass the moment Lynch made it, and Jones missed the three-pointer.

After completing his defensive play, Kobe's face was grim, his pupils gleaming with a burning competitive spirit. "It's not that simple. I'm a two-time All-NBA First Team player, just like you, man."

Last season, there were only two All-NBA First Team selections in the league: Lynch and Kobe.

Bynum grabbed the rebound, and the Los Angeles Lakers played a slow, half-court offense.

The more energetic Michael Pietrus was tasked with guarding Kobe, and he treated the Black Mamba with the most brutal methods. Number 24 shrugged, not to complain to the referee, but because he had elbowed the Frenchman in the lips as he started his run.

Kobe Bryant never touted himself as a clean player, and he never shied away from his violent side.

Michael Pietrus raised his arms in less than five seconds: "Offensive foul!"

Just as the French felt ashamed after the Indians' gusts were knocked down, it wasn't the New York fans who felt ashamed when Knicks player Michael Pietrus raised his arms.

Kobe easily broke through Pietrus, Lynch came up to help defend, and number 24 pulled up and faded back.

In the last game at Madison Square Garden, Kobe made a lot of mid-range shots after Lynch came to help on defense, which was the key to his victory and what made him stand out the most.

But in his first attempt tonight, his lean back failed to clear Lynch's hand, which was wrapped in a rubber wristband.

“Yes, Kobe,” Lynch shouted, “You just need to remember that I was also a two-time All-NBA First Team player.”

"A beautiful block! Lynch's help defense was incredibly quick. He's unlikely to let Kobe score any more points tonight!" Reggie Miller knew Lynch's temperament, and he also knew Kobe's temperament.

Both of them are the kind of people who hold grudges and seek revenge.

This Pacers legend is increasingly looking forward to this dogfight.

Marbury got the ball and launched another attack. This time, Lynch didn't hold the ball but instead set a screen for Stephon Marbury.

Although age has eroded the Lone Wolf's explosiveness, significantly reducing his threat in pick-and-roll situations this season, the New York point guard still handles Smush Parker with ease, because Smush Parker is undoubtedly the weakest starting player in the entire league, bar none.

His greatest achievement in his life was combining with Kobe to score 95 points.

He is one of the few players in NBA history who did not experience major injuries or begin to age, yet was eliminated from the NBA just one season after starting.

Kobe had to keep cleaning up the mess, but he was used to it.

The Lakers' offense ranks 7th in the league this season, but their defense is only 24th, on par with lottery teams—even the Suns, who are criticized for their poor defense, rank 18th.

Before the season started, Kobe claimed that he would win Defensive Player of the Year, trying to motivate the team, but it turned out to be useless.

Kobe was still selected for the All-Defensive Team despite such a poor overall defense, which shows how much he put in on the defensive end. He was practically working himself to the bone.

Facing a double team, Marbury bounced the ball to Lynch, who was cutting down the court.

Lynch made a sudden stop under the basket and faked a shot, and Odom and Bynum jumped up like puppets.

While the two seven-foot-tall men were still flailing about in the air, number 20 had already slipped through the crowd and scored with a graceful underhand layup.

Lynch took the lead 2-0.

After scoring, he pointed to Kevin Lucas on the sidelines: "It's 2-0 now. I'm going to start kicking Kobe's ass from now on and keep track of the score."

Kobe's eyes practically sparked as he turned and glared at Bynum, who had just been easily faked out. The Lakers had spent a fortune bringing back Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to mentor him one-on-one, but even now, Kobe still couldn't figure out what that bastard had actually learned from Kareem.

One is LBJ, the other is Bynum; they are simply the destroyer twin stars of the education world.

The game continued, and Kobe attacked with his back to the basket, but Lynch double-teamed him and passed the ball to Odom near the paint.

The latter took a big step to prepare for a layup, but the ball was ruthlessly rejected by Tyson Chandler. Jack Nicholson's curses and the cheers of the New York bench collided fiercely under the arena dome.

The best way to trouble the Knicks' defense this season is to shut down Lynch's help defense ability.

But only a handful of teams possess this ability. Most of the time, Lynch could confidently leave his back to Chandler and go out and have his fun.

"Beautiful pass!" Lynch clapped deliberately. "Keep passing the ball to these Ivy League high achievers, keep crippling yourselves, keep playing the so-called correct basketball that Phil Jackson talks about. Beautiful pass, Kobe."

"Keep going, Lynch, keep partying. You were just as smug at the start of the last game at Madison Square Garden." Kobe was still trying to ease the awkwardness by referencing the previous game's victory.

Lynch, however, gave Kobe no chance to back down: "That was just scraps God gave you when He was dozing off. If you're so tough, score another 40 points and beat me. You can't do it, and I won't let you. But don't give up so early. It's 2-0 now, and you still have a chance to catch up."

Lynch hasn't forgotten anything, even though some time has passed since the last game against the Lakers, and a lot has happened in that time.

But Lynch has not forgotten the frustration of losing to the Lakers and helping Kobe.

As he said, "I'll remember that, especially the next time I go to Los Angeles for an away game."

Kobe's second shot was blocked again. He ran off the ball to the right side of the three-point line for a jump shot, but Lynch seemed to have figured out Kobe's running route and immediately completed the help defense and blocked the shot.

Lynch intentionally expanded his defensive coverage. He was somewhat wary of Odom in the last game, but today he chose to ignore that talent and hand over the idea to his teammates.

Odom might score some points, but he can't kill the game.

As long as Kobe is shut down, the Lakers can't defeat any team.

The basketball went out of bounds and landed right in Jack Nicholson's arms.

"Damn it!" The Hollywood star jumped up, clutching the still-warm basketball in one hand, and slammed it to the ground as if it were the Lakers' dignity. "You guys played like a pile of shit!"

Kevin Lucas happily told Lynch, "The Knicks are really nice. Before the game he said he might curse you. But from the start of the game until now, he's been cursing the Lakers players."

Lynch smiled and shook his head: "Who says otherwise? Nick is indeed a good person."

The game continued, and the Lakers finally broke their scoring drought in this possession, with Lamar Odom scoring a mid-range jumper while Lynch was out helping on defense.

But soon, Lin Qi leaned against him in the low post and hooked the ball in, responding strongly.

"Kobe, you're up 4-0 now. When are you going to start scoring?"

"It's 4-2, don't get cocky." Kobe pointed to the scoreboard. "No, no, no, 4-0. I don't care about the team's score at all, because we're definitely going to win tonight. I mean, between you and me, 4-0."

"You think I'm some old Dr. J?" Kobe knew perfectly well who Lynch was imitating.

"Prove that you are not."

In the first quarter of the next game, Kobe Bryant tried to prove that he was better than the 34-year-old Dr. J.

But it was unsuccessful.

Lynch provided very tight help defense against Kobe tonight, holding Kobe to just 2-for-8 shooting for 4 points in the entire first quarter.

Lynch scored 11 points with ease.

Every time Lynch scored, he would announce the score to Kevin Lucas on the long side.

Lynch didn't need to listen to know what Phil Jackson would say to Kobe during the break—it would definitely be to tell him to pass the ball more.

At this point, Kobe didn't want to go against Phil Jackson, so he passed the ball in the first possession of the second quarter.

But Kwame Brown miraculously missed the catch, and the Lakers made a mistake right off the bat.

Even Phil Jackson, who likes to wear suits with sandals, couldn't sit still: "I bet your wife wouldn't let you hold the kids!"

Kobe didn't say anything; he was tired.

Just like when Game 6 was announced to be delayed for a year, you were disappointed, but there was nothing you could do.

Kwame Brown has been in this situation for two seasons now; forget about catching the ball, that bastard even drops the ball when he's dunking.

But even now, he remains a key rotation player for the Lakers, sharing starting appearances with Bynum.

The Knicks countered, and Lynch mischievously called for a 4-5 pick-and-roll, forcing Kwame Brown, who had just made a mistake, to come and defend him.

Lynch drove to the basket, faked a shot, watched his opponent fly out of bounds, turned and hooked a shot, a smooth combo reminiscent of Rajon Rondo, and Lynch scored his 13th point.

"It's 13 to 4, Kevin!" Lynch continued to interact with the boy.

"That high school number one draft pick is bullshit! Bullshit! The most outrageous thing is that the Lakers actually took on this pile of bullshit! Damn it!" Jack Nicholson continued to curse the Lakers players.

If Kobe could tolerate Kwame Brown's butterfingers earlier, this failed defense was enough to drive him crazy.

He can tolerate Kwame Brown's mistakes, and he can tolerate Kwame Brown being wasted.

But he really couldn't stand that bastard had just made a mistake and then conceded another one on the defensive end.

Kobe entered his most obsessive state, and he began to unleash a barrage of shots.

Of course, Phil Jackson didn't yell for the pass anymore.

To whom should it be sent?

Against the Knicks' defense, only Kobe Bryant could consistently score for this Lakers team.

This Lakers team has only one chance to win: when Kobe scores over 40 points.

Whenever Kobe decides to score big, Lakers fans have to be prepared for two possibilities.

Either you get to witness a thrilling scoring performance.

Or you'll watch as the basket at Staples Center gets smashed and bent out of shape.

But today a third situation has emerged—they are watching Kobe Bryant imitate Tim Duncan.

"Another block! Lynch has now gotten five blocks tonight! Kobe's layup avoided Lynch's first block, but couldn't escape Lynch's second attempt to block after his hand switch! Today, Lynch is simply a Black Mongoose!" Reggie Miller said at the end with an obscure word that many people didn't understand.

"Huh?" Kevin Harlan, who was standing next to him, asked, "What did you just say?"

"The black mongoose is a mammal that hunts venomous snakes. It is not afraid of venom and loves to eat black mambas!"

"Hahaha, Lynch won't like that tongue-twisting nickname. But you're right, Reggie, Lynch practically tore the Black Mamba to pieces tonight."

Lynch's defense only needs to focus on Kobe; Odom's inconsistent jump shots won't maintain the Lakers' needed score. And if he dares to attack the basket, Tyson Chandler will deal with him.

At halftime, the Lakers were down by 16 points. Kobe had 8 points, and Lynch had 23 points.

The most interesting thing about playing against Kobe is that he never gave up.

Most people would have toned down their game after such a humiliating first half, but Kobe did not; he attacked even more relentlessly.

As a result, Lynch went even further with his block attempts.

Kobe sets a screen and then jumps, Lynch quickly switches defense to block the shot.

Kobe drove to the basket and went for a layup, but Lynch caught up with the rebound.

Kobe was knocked to the ground, but Lynch knew he would never learn his lesson, because that bastard actually said, "Well, here comes another one who can fight!"

Honestly, very few people can understand Kobe Bryant's thought process.

He doesn't feel nervous or afraid when a powerful enemy appears; he only feels excited.

If you think Goku from Dragon Ball is abnormal, then Kobe Bryant on the basketball court is probably just like him.

But Lynch won't try to understand Kobe; he'll make Kobe understand his blocks.

Michael Pietrus couldn't stop Kobe at all in the second half; he even became somewhat complacent, but Lynch shut down number 24.

Throughout the second half, Kobe was either missing shots or getting blocked.

Kobe was not invincible; throughout his career, he encountered trouble against tall and fast forwards like Lynch and KG.

In history, the top three players with the most blocks against Kobe Bryant were Shawn Marion, Kevin Garnett, and AK47.

With eight minutes left in the fourth quarter, Lynch attempted a turnaround jump shot over Lamar Odom's head. But Kobe Bryant came to help defend the moment he released the shot.

Lynch was not intimidated and shot the ball despite being guarded by two people.

The entire Staples Center crowd rose to their feet, but the result was not what they had hoped for.

"Goal! 48 points! Lynch has made Los Angeles fans feel the pain of New York fans too!" Reggie Miller could have guessed that Lynch would score a high number of points today.

But he didn't expect Kobe to be defended so effectively by Lynch.

After scoring, Lynch yelled at Kevin Lucas on the sidelines, uttering a number that would shame Kobe: "48 to 15!"

To be honest, Kobe's ending was much more dignified than Dr. J's; he at least scored in double digits.

But you can't say that the feeling of taking a small bite of shit is better than the feeling of stuffing a whole pile of shit into your mouth; both options are disgusting.

Kobe only made 7 of 27 shots tonight, missing all his three-point attempts.

He had no right to congratulate himself by saying, "Hey, you see, you can't turn me into Dr. J at all."

But Kobe still didn't give up, even though the Lakers were down by 26 points.

Kobe called for Odom to set a screen, and Odom immediately stepped up.

The moment No. 24 broke through, he saw that Lin Qi had already quickly switched defenses.

Lynch's enthusiasm for Kobe today is ten times stronger than Kobe's enthusiasm for Vanessa back then!
Kobe wasted no time and immediately stopped and leaned back.

But Lynch switched onto the defense faster than Kobe had anticipated, forcing Kobe to keep his back as close to the ground as possible.

He had already released the ball at an exaggeratedly backward angle, but the basketball was still grazed by Lynch's fingertips.

It was only then that Kobe saw the words written on Lynch's wristband.

"Surpass Michael Jordan."

"11th block! The black mongoose swallowed the black mamba whole! Kobe thought he had joined the championship game again, no, he wasn't even good enough to be on the table!"

Kobe lay on the ground, and Lynch walked to the sidelines and bumped fists with Kevin Lucas.

"Are you satisfied with the first step in surpassing MJ?"

Kevin Lucas smiled and nodded, enveloped in immense happiness; this was the happiest day of his life since the accident.

Lynch wove a perfect dream for him.

At least now he knows that on the basketball court he loves, the beautiful fairy tale will continue to unfold for a long time.

Life is not without hope and expectation; he looked forward to the final ending of Lynch's fairy tale.

Perhaps this time, surpassing Michael Jordan will not just be a slogan, but a real voyage.

After this round, Phil Jackson substituted all the starters, and the Los Angeles Lakers surrendered. Kobe Bryant sat at the end of the bench with a displeased look on his face.

Lynch recorded a rare triple-double with 48 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists, and 11 blocks.

Kobe shot 28 for 8.

The number 24 jersey became a bestseller because of Lynch.

Next, the number 24 jersey will again be difficult to sell because of Lynch.

Tonight's brutal massacre gave Kobe a feeling: his days in Los Angeles were officially numbered.
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"I'm glad I let Los Angeles fans experience a little more pain than New York fans." — Lynch joked about his 48 points tonight and Kobe's 47 points in New York last time.

Thanks to Kobe, he contributed 6 of them all. Even Tim never gave me that experience. Thanks again, Kobe. — Lynch talking about his 11 blocks tonight.

I'm afraid of Steve Nash. I'm even afraid to shake hands with him. Don't laugh, who among you would dare to shake hands with a guy whose hands are covered in saliva? — Lynch's answer to the question, "If you're not afraid of Kobe, who can score 81 points in a single game, are there any other players in this league that you're afraid of?"

Yes, this game was for him too. He enjoyed it, and everything I did was worthwhile. If I can be one of the few bright spots in his terrible life, then I'm willing to do everything I can to keep shining. — Lynch's prediction about his relationship with Kevin Lucas.

Oh, that's a terrible nickname. Not only is the word incredibly difficult to pronounce, but even if Lynch were to be called that, he should be called Meerkat. —Stephen Marbury's comment on Reggie Miller's new nickname for Lynch.

"Hey, I've done my job well enough!" — Michael Pietrus shouted angrily when asked, "Without Lynch's help defense, can't you guard anyone?"

Yes, I requested a trade. I can accept that my opponents are strong, but I can't accept that we, from management to players, just sit around and do nothing! — Kobe Bryant dropped a bombshell at his press conference; he was desperate to get on the table.

(End of this chapter)