Champion Rules

Chapter 147, Section 143: The Collapse of Jason Kidd's Authority (Seeking monthly votes!)

When discussing the best point guards of the early 21st century, Jason Kidd and Steve Nash are two names that cannot be ignored.

They represent the pinnacle of two styles, and the highest level of traditional point guards.

Although both players are labeled as "perfect teammates" because of their selfless playing style, their personality traits hidden beneath their gentle appearances are worlds apart.

Jason Kidd was not as refined as Steve Nash in his treatment of teammates and coaches; instead, he was a court tyrant with an almost obsessive desire for control and an extremely proud heart.

He once had a major falling out with Byron Scott, the head coach who led the team to the Finals, because Byron Scott's aura was too dazzling at the time.

Byron Scott, who is coaching the Brooklyn Nets, is the first rookie in NBA history since Phil Jackson to win 25 playoff games in his first three seasons as a coach.

However, Kidd was very dissatisfied with Byron Scott's coaching level, and even said insulting things to the media, such as "Byron's coaching level is not as good as my child's."

In Byron Scott's last season as coach, Kidd had completely lost control, never listening to Scott's instructions during games and even deliberately doing the opposite.

After Byron Scott was ousted by Kidd, his assistant coach Lawrence Frank took over.

Lawrence Frank learned a great deal from his predecessor's mistakes and was adept at survival. He maintained Kidd's absolute authority with an almost obsequious attitude, and the two have been cooperating happily ever since.

Frank's coaching ability is not necessarily much better than Byron Scott's, which makes Kidd's doubts about Byron Scott's coaching ability baseless.

Both Kidd and Byron Scott were not top-tier coaches, so why could Kidd get along with Lawrence Frank but not with Byron Scott? Probably because Lawrence Frank was more comfortable with flattery than Byron Scott.

Of course, the camaraderie between Lawrence Frank and Jason Kidd did not last forever.

After Jason Kidd became the Nets' head coach in 2013, his first act was to lobby the management to sign Lawrence Frank as his lead assistant coach. However, just one month into the regular season, Frank and Kidd had a disagreement during a loss to the Magic.

The team was behind and needed to devise a defensive strategy. Frank picked up the whiteboard and started drawing up the strategy, which angered Kidd, who felt that Frank was overstepping his bounds and trying to control the team.

Kidd, disregarding the live broadcast across the United States, used vulgar and offensive language to berate Frank. This public humiliation directly led to Frank's resignation, and the two became estranged from then on.

That's Jason Kidd; he's used to people obeying him.

If you go along with him, you will get along very well.

If you disobey him, no matter how good your relationship was before, he will instantly break off all ties with you.

He enjoys this feeling of being high above others; he revels in the sense of accomplishment that absolute authority brings—this may be related to his wife, who is prone to domestic violence. The status he cannot obtain at home can only be compensated for on the basketball court.

He was, after all, a normal man, not the kind of guy like Doug Christie who liked being led around the streets on a chain by his wife.

But Jason Kidd knows better than anyone that the absolute authority he relies on never came from nowhere—it is the capital accumulated over more than a decade at the peak, the steel throne forged with triple-doubles every night.

But in the early summer of 2007, this stadium tyrant smelled the bloody scent of collapsing power.

If he cannot break through the Knicks' defense in the playoffs, and if the management really uses him as a bargaining chip to send him to the City of Angels, his superstar career will be completely over.

Whether he plays under Kobe's wing or moves to other teams, he will have to learn to bow his head.

This thought sent shivers down Kidd's spine.

He could not tolerate the end of his rule this summer, nor could he bear the younger generation challenging his authority so brazenly.

As the flashlights of Madison Square Garden stung his retinas, he stared intently at the figure in the number 20 jersey, spitting out a venomous curse through clenched teeth: "The arrogance in this bastard's bones is utterly disgusting."

“I don’t like that bastard, he’s arrogant and conceited,” Kidd said to Carter beside him.

Beside Kidd, Vince Carter followed his gaze and saw Lynch chatting and laughing easily with his teammates, showing no sign of the urgency that the Eastern Conference semifinals were about to begin.

UFO and Lynch had no personal grudges, but their burning competitive spirit had already ignited within them.

"The whole world thinks we should rest on our laurels and retire, just like they thought we couldn't get past the Heat. Tear those prejudices apart, bro, and fucking stun the world again!"

This bold statement was by no means empty boasting. At the age of 34, Kidd had just delivered a triple-double average in the first round, becoming the third player after Magic Johnson and Wilt Chamberlain to average a triple-double in more than two rounds of series.

Carter, in the last round, once again displayed his demigod-like prowess with an average of 28 points per game.

This season, they also replicated the epic achievement of Jordan and Pippen sharing a triple-double in 1989.

As the two veterans exchanged that unspoken glance, the dignity of aging superstars surged and boiled within their veins.

As the game was about to begin, Lynch approached the center circle, embracing the Nets' starting guards and forwards, and shaking hands with center Jason Collins.

Lynch stood in the center circle, waiting for the tee shot, and asked Kidd a gossipy question: "Jason, is it really possible that you'll be enjoying the California sun this summer?"

Kidd looked displeased, veins bulging on his neck: "Enjoy your mother, don't act like you've got the game all figured out."

Stephon Marbury immediately frowned: "Don't challenge Lynch, watch your tongue, he's just joking with you."

Seeing that Stephon Marbury, who is far inferior to him, also has a ring, Kidd was even more furious: "It's none of your business to put on airs! If you were still leading this Nets team, you wouldn't even have the right to stand here and joke around!"

Jason Kidd was furious; the danger of his absolute authority collapsing made him radiate a violent aura.

However, no one here is willing to let him force them to calm down.

"Looks like you don't want to end your Nets career, Jason." The smile on Lynch's lips vanished abruptly, and the relaxed atmosphere of the first-round sweep of the Magic disappeared in an instant.

The first round of the competition was indeed too easy, so easy that Lin Qi hadn't even entered playoff mode yet.

At this moment, Lin Qi finally remembered that here, in the first decade of the 21st century when the old-fashioned atmosphere had not yet been completely eradicated, the playoffs were a merciless slaughter of each other.

Kidd won't give up the fight, so Lynch will teach him a lesson.

"You won't get your wish, Lynch. We beat you once in the regular season this year. You're not invincible."

“No,” Lynch stared at Kidd’s tense face, “we are invincible.”

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

Mickey Moore, who is responsible for guarding Lynch, is a pleasant surprise for the Nets this season. This tall, thin center with wild dreadlocks entered the league as an undrafted player in 98. He had only started 7 games before, wandered around to multiple teams, and was sent down to the G League several times.

The Nets initially intended for him to be a backup when they brought him in this season, but Nenad Krstic's season-ending injury unexpectedly gave Mickey Moore the starting power forward position.

As a 211cm tall center, Mickey Moore is too thin to play the center position, and his low-post defense and rebounding are very poor.

But when the Nets, who prefer a twin-tower lineup, moved him to the power forward position, his slender build and agility became an advantage, making him a monster in help defense.

His rebounding is still poor, but the Nets have a point guard who is very good at rebounding to make up for it.

Thus, by a twist of fate, Mickey Moore reached his peak at the age of 31.

Mickey Moore was very confident when facing Lynch.

In his view, Lynch's only advantage lies in his misalignment.

Those who are the same height as him cannot keep up with his pace.

Those who can keep up with him cannot match his height.

Mickey Moore could keep up with both the pace and the height, and he felt he was a true Lynch killer.

Furthermore, this year is Mickey Moore's contract year. Having spent his entire career on low salaries, he has the opportunity to secure a mid-level contract worth $500 million a year based on his performance this season, which would ensure his financial security for life.

The playoffs will be his final test, and he will never give up.

Mickey Moore's agile and aggressive defense, with his long arms cutting off passing lanes, made Lynch's off-ball play difficult.

Seeing this, Lin Qi simply sat down and attacked him, turning his back to block the position and raising his hand to ask for the ball.

Stephon Marbury struggled to lob the ball into the paint despite Kidd's persistent entanglement, but the moment Lynch received the ball, Richard Jefferson double-teamed him again.

Lynch passed the ball to Eddie Jones, who took a three-pointer, but Kidd, who had made a timely rotation, changed the trajectory of the basketball with his fingertips.

Jason Kidd's defensive ability is beyond doubt. As Lynch's number one defensive guard in history, he is excellent in one-on-one defense, help defense, and rotation coverage.

Jason Kidd has a number of classic examples of using defense to torment the opponent's star player in the playoffs. The only series where he was overrated was probably the 2011 Finals. People said that LBJ had a hard time dealing with Kidd's defense, but in fact, that was because LBJ had a bad cold and was coughing a lot before the game. Kidd was just taking advantage of his bad cold.

Aside from that one round, Kidd's defensive performance can't be overstated.

Tonight, he also brought out his best defensive performance.

"boom!"

A crisp sound dampened the cheers at Madison Square Garden. Since Kidd took over, defense has been the New Jersey Nets' most powerful weapon.

In this round, their machine-like, precise defensive rotations were on full display.

Mickey Moore, panting, grinned menacingly, the illusion of his $500 million contract year shimmering in his sweat.

No, if he can get Lynch to underperform in the playoffs, an even bigger contract isn't out of the question!

Watching the Knicks miss shots under the Nets' defense, Jason Kidd let out a harsh sneer through gritted teeth: "Invincible? Ha!"

While taunting him, he crouched low and slithered towards the rebound like a vulture hunting its prey, his eyes already fixed on the frontcourt. As a triple-double machine, Kidd could launch an efficient fast break the instant he grabbed the rebound.

This is more helpful to the team than the kind of fast break that ignores defense and rushes across the halfway line.

But the moment the New York number 20 took to the air, all the Nets' hopes were dashed.

Mickey Moore had absolutely no good habit of positioning himself, allowing Lynch to easily slip away from him.

Jason Kidd's ability to judge rebound positions is almost as good as Lynch's, but he doesn't have Lynch's athleticism, height, or wingspan.

Both players leaped simultaneously. Lynch easily grabbed the offensive rebound with one hand, while Kidd, in the ensuing scramble, tumbled to the floor like a rag doll overturned by a heavy truck. The instant he landed, before the Nets players could react, Lynch took a long stride to the basket and slammed a one-handed dunk over Jason Collins!
"Lynch can use second-chance points as a regular offensive weapon," Mike Breen said with a hearty pump. "That's the confidence that makes him a two-time rebounding champion!"

After completing the dunk, Lynch ran back, looking at Kidd lying on the ground, his shoe almost brushing against Kidd's shiny forehead: "That's right, invincible!"

Kidd, his authority utterly shattered, angrily got up, but could only helplessly spit at Mickey Moore in a fit of rage.

"Fuck you, do you think the backboard is a red-hot iron? That the backboard will burn your palm? Rebound, rebound!"

He was fed up with this bastard who was over 210 centimeters tall but only averaged 5 rebounds per game.

Lynch's rebounds were almost three times that of his!
Stephon Marbury immediately chimed in: "It's not your place to put on airs, Jason. You didn't even get the rebound."

Marbury's retaliatory retort made Jason Kidd grit his teeth. This guy, who was once completely suppressed by him, now dared to flaunt his championship ring.

But when Kidd looked up at the timer again, his furious eyes had hardened with icy rationality.

Kidd isn't the kind of guy who gets swayed by emotions.

Maintaining composure and making the right decisions are among Jason Kidd's defining characteristics in the game.

During the Nets' offense, Kidd pretended to observe Carter's off-ball movement on the left wing, but actually caught Richard Jefferson surgically cutting through Ariza's defense out of the corner of his eye.

When Ariza saw Richard Jefferson get away from him, he desperately spread his long arms to compress the passing space and increase the difficulty of the pass.

But in Kidd's eyes, it was like a sandcastle built by a child, utterly vulnerable.

Even if there's only a tiny gap, he can still get the ball into his teammate's hands.

"boom!"

The sound of the basketball hitting the ground was like a cannon shot; the ball barely grazed Ariza's fingertips before being delivered to Jefferson's hands. The next second, Richard Jefferson would transform into a cannonball and blast the Knicks' basket apart.

This is the scene that Nets fans see most often during the regular season.

"boom!"

The second loud bang arrived as expected, but it was the New York fans and Mike Brin who cheered.

"Linche swatted the basketball into the stands, look at the speed of that help defense! Listen, if Linche can't win both DPOY and MVP this season, it's not that Linche's worth will decrease, but that the worth of both awards will decrease!"

Under the spotlight of Madison Square Garden, Jason Kidd's signature calm mask cracked, revealing an unusual shock in his eyes.

Although he is not good at scoring, Kidd is very good at finding openings to score.

Richard Jefferson's drive was perfectly timed, shaking off Ariza, and Chandler was effectively blocked from protecting the rim.

Logically speaking, that should have been an easy scoring performance.

But Lynch recovered to the basket with incredible speed.

Lynch's athletic ability wasn't the most amazing thing about him; what was truly amazing was that, like Kidd, he spotted the gap and patched it up as soon as possible.

What terrifying game reading ability is this?

Lin Qi shook his hand, which was a little numb from the powerful pass: "Jason, good pass. It would have felt even better if I had blocked it myself."

Kidd, who had been on the verge of attacking the Lord, fell silent and began preparing for the next offensive.

The game continued, and Kidd took the inbound pass—just like Yao Ming, who, as a center, would take technical foul free throws, Kidd was also a rare player who, as a guard, was responsible for taking the inbound pass.

His size, vision, and passing ability make him difficult to contest; when he inbounds the ball, the Nets essentially solve a global problem.

Amidst the complex off-ball movement, Vince Carter unexpectedly cut to the basket, and Kidd delivered a perfectly timed high pass, with them planning to go for an alley-oop!

The two played together effortlessly, and Carter had many alley-oop dunks during sideline plays for the Nets.

Carter weaved through the crowd, leaped into the air, caught the basketball to Tyson Chandler's astonished gaze, and then slammed his arm into the rim with tremendous force.

Vince Carter enjoys this feeling, even though his dunk count and rim-attacking efficiency are far from his peak. He still enjoys every dunk, every hang time, and every surprised expression on his opponents' faces.

This time, however, the look of surprise shifted to Carter's face.

Just as he was about to dunk the ball, a large hand came from his side, forcefully swatting the basketball away and ruining the perfect moment.

In his excitement, Mike Breen revealed the truth behind Lynch's ability to stifle the Nets' offense tonight: "Even alley-oops can't escape Lynch's net! Mickey Moore is no offensive threat, which means Lynch can threaten everyone on the Nets!"

Vince Carter and Kidd exchanged glances, while Eddie Jones received the blocked ball and quickly advanced, scoring a layup on the fast break.

With a 4-0 lead and the game just beginning, the New Jersey Nets discovered that the Kings of New York were stifling all their "possibilities" and "unexpected events."

Using a strong power forward or center to force Lynch to divert his defensive attention, weaken his help defense, and create opportunities for others is the "Knicks formula" that has been hotly debated this season.

Although this tactic proved not to be 100% effective, it was indeed the best way to defeat the Knicks.

If your power forwards and center positions pose no threat, and if you allow Lynch to fully focus on help defense.

Then your attack is 100% over.

Lynch will demonstrate what it means to be impenetrable with his ultimate defense.

At this point, the Nets were already experiencing this suffocating feeling of being completely shut down.

Mickey Moore's negligible offense posed no threat to Lynch.

Even a brilliant pass from a legendary point guard like Kidd would encounter a spatial distortion-like interception when trying to traverse Lynch's defensive territory.

Kidd had always known that Lynch's help defense would be a problem, but he just didn't expect that his passing speed couldn't keep up with Lynch's help defense speed.

In the following rounds, this sense of despair continued to amplify, washing over the Nets players like a tidal wave.

Lynch's omnipresent help defense rendered Kidd's brilliant passes worthless.

No matter which opening he found, Lin Qi would seal it off immediately.

Those surgically precise assists all failed in the New York Kings' defensive domain.

It's as if the New York number 20 can appear in every defensive position in the half of the court at the same time.

The Nets' triple-double machine is experiencing the most desperate moment of his career, as the passing art he relies on is melting away under the Madison Square Garden spotlight.

For Kidd, once his passes fail, he loses his greatest value on offense.

The Nets could only rely on the Knicks' relentless defense, but Lynch's terrifying offensive rebounding ability was on full display tonight.

When Mickey Moore couldn't give Lynch any trouble on the boards, Lynch could grab offensive rebounds with ease.

Six minutes into the first quarter, Philip Sanders substituted DeShawn Stevenson for a struggling Eddie Jones.

Carter was assigned to guard DeShawn Stevenson, who was full of confidence: "Stay close to the veteran guard, and don't lose focus in front of the second-best shooting guard in the East. If you're not careful, I'll score."

Carter watched as the arrogant madman in front of him twitched uncontrollably at the corner of his eye. Could this bastard really be taking this seriously?

How dare you call yourself the second-best shooting guard in the East in front of Lao Tzu?

How can you score points in front of me?

DeShawn Stevenson moved around actively, received the ball after setting a screen, and shot without hesitation, as decisive as a superstar.

But when the basketball missed, his three-point shooting, like Kidd's, seemed to have a good accuracy rate at first glance, but it was actually very inconsistent.

But Lynch grabbed the offensive rebound and passed the ball to DeShawn Stevenson, who was still running.

Stevenson received the ball and immediately jumped, then drifted to shoot.

"Boom!"

The basketball missed again. Kidd tried to get closer to the backboard, but Lynch elbowed him away and grabbed the rebound!
Amidst the Nets' double-team, Lynch passed the ball to DeShawn Stevenson again. This time, with a wide-open shot, he didn't waste the opportunity, and the three-pointer swished through the net.

The ball went in, and DeShawn Stevenson struck his signature celebration pose, waving his arms in front of his eyes: "You can't see the taillights of the second-best shooting guard in the East anymore, old dog. I told you, I'd score right in front of you."

Carter:
He desperately wanted to shove that bastard's head into his own dermatitis!

Don't you know how you scored?
Carter really didn't want to admit he was the second-best shooting guard in the East, but he really couldn't stop him, a feeling that drove UFO crazy!

Lynch grabbed the rebound, and the Nets were down by 12 points after that three-pointer, prompting Lawrence Frank to call a timeout.

Every Nets player's breathing became heavy, especially Jason Kidd's.

He glanced at the score and the timer; each second hand on the clock of fate moved forward, meaning the Nets' dream was getting closer to shattering.

His era was crumbling under Lynch's iron heel.

"Hey, Jason!" Lynch suddenly yelled from behind Kidd.

He stopped and looked back.

The King of New York's smile returned to his face.

"Do you have any further objections to being invincible?"

(End of this chapter)