Champion Rules

Chapter 143, Page 139: Lin Qi is evolving into a player unlike any other before (Seeking monthly votes!)

That blood-soaked night will forever be etched in LeBron James' memory.

Even after the outcome was no longer in doubt, Lin Qi continued to tear apart the Knights' defenses like a cold-blooded executioner.

After the game, Lynch told reporters without hesitation, "Yes, I deliberately attacked his self-esteem, just to shut that bastard up. He said he was no different from me, and that he hadn't achieved anything because of the roster issues. This is disrespectful to his teammates and to me as well. This is the last time he will disrespect me."

This statement, broadcast live nationwide by ESPN, utterly shattered James's dignity.

LBJ could only temporarily preserve his dignity by saying harsh words like "I'm his sworn enemy."

From then on, Lynch would always "casually" mention LeBron James' name in interviews; LBJ also shed his feigned politeness, and every time he mentioned Lynch, his eyes would be filled with vengeful lava.

Tonight, LeBron James arrived at Madison Square Garden in a fit of rage, determined to extend the Cleveland Cavaliers' winning streak in New York.

This season's Cavaliers are a standard LBJ-style team.

When the winning streak began, the whole city was cheering for the Cavaliers' championship, and people were already discussing whether Jermaine O'Neal or LBJ would be the Finals MVP.

When everyone is extremely excited, the team will inevitably start a losing streak.

Fans criticize coaches and then players, while the media always writes that LeBron did his best and there's nothing wrong with that.

The plot remains the same, but the players come and go. Every team LeBron James plays for, every season, is playing out the same cycle.

Currently, the Cavaliers have once again entered a winning streak.

Before coming to New York, the Cavaliers had won seven straight games, which was related to the key moves they made before the trade deadline.

Before the trade deadline, the Cavaliers sent Eric Snow and a 08 first-round pick to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Anthony Parker, Lynch's opponent in Europe, who had been out of the league for six years.

Larry Brown had previously experimented with different shooting guards, finding that Damon Jones was too slow to handle fast guards and that Daniel Gibson lacked physicality and often became a weak point for opponents.

With Larry Brown pushing LBJ to the point guard position, the veteran coach, known for his iron-willed defense, desperately needed a defensive specialist at the shooting guard position who could combine size and mobility, allowing LBJ to be completely freed from the defensive end and devote all his energy to the offensive end.

Ultimately, the 198cm tall Parker, with his ability to switch on all three positions and his rich experience accumulated over many years of professional basketball, became the Cavaliers' ultimate answer to their roster improvement plan.

This precise reinforcement has immediately revitalized the team's offensive and defensive systems. The combination of Anthony Parker and Tayshaun Prince has become the most terrifying perimeter defensive duo in the entire league, allowing LBJ to avoid expending too much energy on the defensive end.

The team has won seven straight games and now has a record of 35 wins and 10 losses, just three games behind the Knicks.

The Cavaliers' frequent roster improvements are not only for the sake of winning a championship, but also to keep LeBron James' heart.

His 2+1 contract was like a time bomb, leaving the Cavaliers wondering when the ship would sink.

Cavaliers owner Daniel Gilbert has pessimistically told everyone in public more than once: "We will regret this contract one day."

To ensure the bomb wouldn't explode, the Cavaliers could only prove to their "chosen ones" with repeated roster upgrades: this weathered industrial ruin was determined to forge a champion team capable of reaching the top, and all you had to do was carry the torch and lead the charge.

They yearn for LeBron James to lead this cursed city against the world, for LeBron James to raise the torch of resurgence. But the Cavaliers certainly don't expect James to do it alone, so the Cavaliers are willing to provide LBJ with the foundation for success.

In this way, he would have no reason to leave.

Unless he doesn't want to take on this responsibility, unless he doesn't want to carry the torch, unless he wants to pursue the championship in an easier way.

The moment LeBron James stepped into Madison Square Garden, a tsunami of boos, carrying with it a sense of destiny, swept over him.

This arena once used the same decibels to forge Michael Jordan into a god. As time goes by, LBJ feels as if the ghost wearing the red number 23 jersey is staring at him through the spotlight of the dome.

LBJ closed his eyes, opened his arms, and let the sound waves penetrate his eardrums. He could feel the aura, the power with which MJ had turned this place into ruins.

He felt he was about to resonate with MJ. He had fantasized countless times about being as great as number 23, and he felt that tonight was that kind of night.

But Larry Brown's icy words cut short the response.

"You'd better not let us down again, LeBron."

Larry Brown and LeBron James' honeymoon period was shorter than anyone expected.

Since the defeat in New York, when Larry Brown bluntly stated that he was utterly disappointed in James, the relationship between the two has been like a tightly strung musical instrument.

Larry Brown would often give LBJ a hard time and was very strict with him.

James has stated in interviews on more than one occasion: "Larry is always too tense and too strict. This place is practically West Point."

Larry Brown created a high-pressure work environment that left James feeling exhausted.

The same was true tonight; Larry Brown's pre-game comments made James feel like he was being looked down upon by his coach.

He tugged at his headband in frustration: "The game hasn't even started yet, Larry! It's too early to talk about disappointment! Damn it, if you hadn't interrupted, I almost would have echoed you!"

"What does it echo?"

"nothing!"

As the game was about to begin, DeShawn Stevenson, chewing gum, "friendly" greeted LeBron James: "LeBron, I really hope you don't put on a ballet performance tonight. Don't you feel ashamed flopping in front of your arch-rival?"

Upon hearing this, James stopped stretching, a disdainful smile playing on his lips. He turned to Zydrunas Ilgauskas, who was tying his shoelaces, and shrugged. "This guy is kind of funny. He wants me to reply to him, but it's almost like Jay-Z wouldn't respond to Soulja Boy. They're not even on the same level."

Big Z, who doesn't listen to rap, looked completely bewildered, but had no choice but to respond to James, his thick Eastern European accent revealing his sincerity: "You're absolutely right, bro. So, who's Soulja Boy? The Bulls' rookie?"

James:
DeShawn Stevenson laughed so hard he couldn't stand up straight: "You really have a knack for comedy, LeBron. I can't even imagine how boring this league will be after you retire one day."

"Get back to the bench! You can't even make the starting lineup!"

"It doesn't matter. I don't care about starting or coming off the bench. There are only two kinds of people on the basketball court: the beasts who lift up victory and the stray dogs who lick their wounds. I believe I will be the one to win."

James gritted his teeth and glanced at Lynch again. He felt that if Lynch trash-talked him again at this moment, he might just explode.

Who let those two bastards play ball together?!
But Lynch was surprisingly quiet tonight, not saying a word to James, or even greeting Jermaine O'Neal.

He simply stepped into the center circle early, waiting for the referee to start the game, his gaze sharp as if he wanted to bite off something's neck.

The game begins, and the Knicks have possession of the ball.

After acquiring Anthony Parker, the Cavaliers' already excellent defense has been elevated to another level.

This put Stephon Marbury under suffocating pressure as soon as he dribbled the ball across half-court.

Anthony Parker stretched out his arms like a spider to block the angle of penetration, while LeBron James and Prince cut off passing lanes like a moving wall.
They were so tall, with such incredible arm spans, that it seemed every attack would be completely shut down.

Marbury drove to the basket after a screen, and Tayshaun Prince immediately helped defend, forcing Marbury to pass the ball.

The son of New York is no longer saddened by his lack of explosiveness; he has gradually adapted to a life where he can no longer rely on a simple screen to drive straight to the basket.

Marbury quickly passed the ball to Lynch, who had already moved to the right 45-degree three-point line.

"Damn jump shot! Fuck!" Jermaine O'Neal cursed as he lunged forward. He hated Lynch's jump shot and would rather endure the excruciating pain of a muscle collision than be led by the nose by Lynch's accurate shooting any longer.

Tayshaun Prince immediately turned his attention to Lynch, joining Jermaine O'Neal in raising their arms to contest the shot, their long arms forming an iron curtain over the shooting space.

But their interference was a step too slow; for Lynch, who had already fully developed Korver's shooting talent, this interference was completely useless.

"Shh."

As the net surged, Lin Qi silently turned and retreated to defend.

No trash talk, no unnecessary movements. Lynch was like an honest white shooter, shooting and running.

DeShawn Stevenson, sitting on the sidelines, could only watch helplessly like a bachelor watching an art film: "What the hell is that? What is that guy doing? Shoot him! Damn, what a waste of that shot! You don't know how to play, you should let me, the second-best shooting guard in the East, do it!"

DeShawn Stevenson wondered why Lynch was so quiet tonight.

Lynch isn't a chatterbox like Gary Payton, but he's definitely not quiet either. After that goal, he should have given LBJ or Jermaine O'Neal a piece of his mind.

So Lin Qi's quietness is too abnormal; it's almost like he's a clone who's been switched by aliens.

The game continued, and LeBron James, playing point guard, called for a screen from Jermaine O'Neal and drove straight to the basket. Trevor Ariza has become much stronger over the years, but he is still relatively thin overall and couldn't withstand James's dominance.

James drove straight into the paint and scored with Zydrunas Ilgauskas helping to box out Chandler.

Number 23 glanced at Lynch and exclaimed excitedly, "Keep going, Lynch! I know you can't penetrate the paint, our defense is making your life miserable. Keep going, keep hiding and using jump shots to escape. The way you tremble outside the three-point line suits you perfectly!"

DeShawn Stevenson, watching LeBron James hurling insults at Lynch, stood up and yelled, "Shut your stinking mouth! What right do you have to talk trash to Lynch? You've never won a single game against Lynch!" James scoffed, "You'll have to get on the court first."

DeShawn Stevenson was nearly driven mad; he couldn't understand why Lynch wouldn't just retaliate.

But soon, his displeasure vanished because Lynch scored again.

Lynch used an off-ball movement and a screen to get to the free-throw line to receive the ball. Jermaine O'Neal was screened, and Anthony Parker had to switch on defense immediately.

But Lynch pulled up and shot right over his head, then made another mid-range jumper.

"Come on, this guy was blown away by Lynch when he was in Europe. Does anyone expect him to be able to stop Lynch, who has become the Finals MVP, in the NBA?" Mark Jackson joked from the commentary booth.

5-2, Lynch still didn't say anything, and immediately turned back to defend after scoring.

Then, in the next round, he responded with an even stronger word—he pinned LBJ's layup to the backboard.

James, as usual, set a screen to drive past Ariza, but Lynch switched defense instantly, and Ariza tacitly stayed next to O'Neal, blocking the passing lane.

Unable to pass back, James leaned on Lynch and drove straight to the basket, attacking the rim with explosive power.

Lynch swung his arm forcefully from behind James, and the basketball was slammed into the backboard with a "bang," as if the backboard would shatter.

This chase-down block wasn't just a physical interception; it was more like an ice pick piercing the Cavaliers' confidence, prompting commentator Mark Jackson to ask the probing question: "How can a driving superstar break through an impenetrable interior defense? Does LeBron think he can easily attack the basket every possession? He needs to think of other ways!"

Lynch had already told LBJ the solution: if he had a consistent jump shot, he could also break through the Knicks' tight defense.

James started shrugging and complaining that Lynch's block was a foul, it's an old story.

Lynch simply passed the ball to Marbury and then ran forward to join the offense.

His off-ball movement was like a knife, cutting the Cavaliers' tight defense to pieces.

The Cavaliers' defensive strategy was completely disrupted by the repeated pick-and-rolls and switches.

When Lynch received the ball near the right corner again, he didn't adjust and immediately did a turnaround fadeaway jumper, leaving LBJ, who was switching on to defend, far behind.

"Shh."

Goal! Turn around! Move away!

Lynch was like a ruthless killing machine; his existence seemed solely for the purpose of destroying the Cavaliers and James, making everything else seem superfluous.

Mark Jackson, watching Lynch hit consecutive shots, was starting to worry for LeBron James.

"Linche's jump shot consistency has been outstanding this season. You can't say he's become soft; he's simply made the jump shot his reliable weapon. He has different ways to deal with different defenses."

The Cavaliers protected the rim very well, so he chose to look for opportunities in the mid-range and beyond the three-point line.

The Knicks also protected the rim very well, but LeBron doesn't have a jump shot of that caliber to break through the defense.

When both teams have perfected their defense, the real competition is between their offense.

When neither team has many good opportunities, the team whose star player provides more offensive answers is more likely to win.

Lynch's opening string of jump shots felt more like a show, a declaration to the world: with equally excellent defense, he could do what LeBron James couldn't!

Indeed, Lynch demonstrated this ruthlessly in the first quarter of the game.

He tormented Larry Brown's nerves with his unstoppable, exquisite jump shot. Jermaine O'Neal was not good at defending a 208cm tall player like Reggie Miller like Lynch. To be precise, if there were future basketball commentators in the audience at this moment, they would definitely find a more suitable model for Lynch: Kevin Durant in his early career.

This season, Lynch has had several games where he heavily utilizes off-ball shots. His 60-point performance against the Pistons, for example, saw most of his points come from jump shots. However, that night, people simply attributed it all to "Linch being on fire," failing to grasp the true seriousness of the situation.

There had never been a tall player like this in the NBA before, and Dirk Nowitzki was no exception. He relied more on face-up isolation plays, and his agility didn't allow him to make such off-ball movements and create shooting space using screens.

It's understandable that Jermaine O'Neal wasn't used to this kind of defense; throughout his entire career, he had never seen a 208cm player use off-ball jump shots as his primary scoring method.

This rendered his toughness and aggressive defense ineffective.

Lynch is becoming a player without a template, weaving an unsolvable offensive formula and taking his offensive influence to the next level. Over the past three years, his playing style has been constantly evolving, and his arsenal has been continuously expanding. This is the fundamental reason why he has been able to score 40+ points multiple times this season, and even had a 60+ point game.

In his first and second years, Lynch was a player who was more defensive than offensive, but now you could say he's a true two-way player.

Aside from his ball-handling and attacking, you can't find any fault with him.

The Cavaliers' only chance to defend Lynch was to prevent him from receiving the ball, limiting his shot attempts and output – a common weakness of all off-ball scorers. Tony Allen's later series, where he supposedly contained KD, was essentially about making it extremely difficult for KD to receive the ball through constant, suffocating pressure.

But Lynch isn't afraid of having his production limited because the Cavaliers have even lower production numbers.

LeBron James struggled to break through defenses, managing to seize some opportunities to attack the basket, but overall the Cavaliers' offense was too sluggish.

With ten minutes left in the first quarter, after James was blocked again by Tyson Chandler, he realized that driving to the basket tonight was a very low-value option. Even with his explosive power that sent sparks flying, he could never match Lynch's efficiency.

He was also looking for opportunities on the perimeter. After one possession, LBJ passed the ball to Anthony Parker, then transformed into an off-ball scorer, feigning a drive to the basket while actually cutting to the perimeter to receive the ball and shoot a jump shot.

"Boom!"

The same tactics, but completely different results.

At this moment, LBJ's embarrassed expression was more humiliating than his trash talk.

Lynch has scored 15 points, while LBJ has only 7.

The score difference between the two players was more than double in the first quarter.

Larry Brown gestured from the sidelines, indicating that he had decided to use a zone defense. Whichever zone Lynch received the ball in, the players in that zone would chase after him.

In this offensive play, Lynch ran to the right corner to receive the ball, which was the area LBJ was responsible for.

Upon receiving the ball, LBJ raised his center of gravity to prepare to block Lynch's jump shot.

But Lynch is not a softie. He chose to shoot not because he was soft, but because he was accurate.

Now, when the defender shifts their weight ahead of time, Lynch will resolutely choose to attack the basket.

He lowered his center of gravity and broke past LBJ along the baseline.

LeBron James used his historic physique to shift his center of gravity and immediately moved sideways to close to Lynch.

Inside, Jermaine O'Neal has already moved to help defend the basket.

As Lynch's feet left the ground, Jermaine O'Neal and LeBron James also jumped at the same time.

But this was Lynch's second revolutionary evolution this season. Facing tight rim protection, Lynch used terrifying hang time and a layup that shouldn't be seen on a player like him to avoid being blocked by two people and finally made a layup off the backboard.

Under tight defense, he pulled up for the last second with a layup – a scene that number 23 often performed at Madison Square Garden.

It was only then that LBJ realized that the person echoing MJ was not himself.

DeShawn Stevenson sat stunned on the bench. This was Lynch's most explosive offensive performance since he joined the Knicks.

He simply couldn't believe there were such outrageous players in the world.

He believes that the most outrageous draft template in the future will no longer be Michael Jordan, but Lynch.

Larry Brown had no choice but to call a timeout after Larry made a beautiful layup over LBJ's head.

Lynch still didn't speak to LBJ, but simply sat down on the court with a personal score of 17-7, conserving his energy for the next round of slaughter.

This is how Lynch deals with his mortal enemies.

He will only use his fierce offense and the most ferocious defense to destroy you head-on; everything else is superfluous.

LeBron James suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

He knew this was not the end.

This will never end.

This war, started by LBJ, will never end until they all retire.

(End of this chapter)