Champion Rules

Chapter 157-153: The Palace of the King of New York (Seeking monthly votes!)
DeShawn Stevenson's warning resulted in him receiving a $5000 fine.

This man, who had just spent $500 to buy a wisp of air not long ago, hadn't even come to his senses before inexplicably spending another $5000.

At that moment, he finally understood why people always say, "America is a country where money is practically everywhere."

The league fined him for "harming the spirit of competition".

Although everyone knows that there are some dirty tricks in the league, it's not appropriate to talk about it openly.

His blatant and public intimidation of his opponents runs counter to the alliance's development strategy.

But Lynch once again paid DeShawn Stevenson's fine because his comments were intended to protect the team.

When a reporter questioned whether this move condoned violence, the Knicks' star looked directly at the camera and said, "When the law of the jungle becomes the way to survive, we must at least teach our opponents what respect is."

The Spurs were naturally furious about Stevenson's comments, especially Gregg Popovich.

"Professional players should let their basketball skills speak for themselves! If a player is aiming to injure his opponent before the game even starts, he shouldn't be on the court at all. How can my players play with peace of mind if their safety isn't guaranteed?"

Bruce Bowen continued his "innocent" persona, even deliberately softening his tone when facing the ESPN cameras:
“This is outrageous. I’ve been in the league for quite some time, and I’ve never seen this kind of pre-game threat against an opponent. I really feel sorry for DeShawn; perhaps he hasn’t learned the bottom line that professional players should follow.”

In his three years in the league, Lynch has heard far too many shameless remarks. If he were to rate them, only Gregg Popovich and Bruce Bowen could rival David McMenamin in terms of shamelessness.

However, all of this is not without meaning.

The collective voice of the New York media has completely changed public opinion. From now on, the Spurs and Bruce Bowen will be playing under a microscope, and every slightly excessive move will be fiercely criticized.

Under pressure from public opinion, the referees will definitely keep a close eye on that villain who always pretends to be innocent. Lynch believes that Bruce Bowen will be more likely to be called for fouls than anyone else in the Finals.

This is the power of New York.

Moreover, besides these factors, DeShawn Stevenson's threat is real. A villain like him doesn't just intimidate the Spurs.

Under the dual pressure of threats and public opinion, Lin Qi believed that nothing unexpected would happen in this round of the finals, and that the two sides would have a pure contest of strength.

With the finals just two days away, fans of both sides have already started a war of words online.

Lin Qi got a new chance to refresh the store tonight.

The second and third phase objectives of the MVP series missions (achieving first place in the division, rewarding 100 talent points) have been completed.

In addition, after the Eastern Conference Finals, Lynch had just accumulated 100 talent points. So at this moment, Lynch now has an unprecedented 400 talent points.

This time he can unlock two talents at once, provided that the shop can refresh to offer two worthwhile talents to choose from.

But things didn't go as planned. After the mall was refreshed, Lin Qi only had one talent he wanted to exchange for.

[Raises jumping ability to Aaron Gordon's level. Price: 200 Talent Points.]

[Increases initial burst speed to the level of TJ Ford. Price: 200 Talent Points. (Final speed is affected by a combination of factors including height and weight.)]

[Raises low-post footwork to the level of Luis Scala. Price: 200 Talent Points.]

Lynch no longer needs to jump high, and even though Gordon at his peak might have had a better jump, that slight improvement would have been of little help to Lynch.

Luis Scola's footwork in the low post is outstanding; all those average big men should study his game tapes 100 times a day.

But Lynch already possesses "agile footwork that never travels," and for the same reason as not choosing Gordon's jumping ability, even if Luis Scola's footwork talent could bring Lynch improvement, the improvement would be negligible and not worth 200 talent points at all.

Therefore, Lynch chose TJ Ford's first explosive power.

According to the system prompts, Lynch is limited by his height and weight, and is destined not to be able to break through the laws of physics to replicate the absolute speed of TJ Ford, but he will definitely be able to have a top-notch first step for his size.

This is good news for Lynch, who lacks offensive options with the ball.

Sometimes, speed can change a lot of things.

Perhaps a simple acceleration, without too much complicated technique, is enough to leave most opponents behind.

Players with the fastest first step have an easier time breaking through than ordinary players.

Players who are "already under your basket while you're still retreating on defense" can only leave defenders helpless, and TJ Ford and LeBron James are such examples.

While this talent may not be redeemed in the finals, it's a choice that won't go wrong if you consider your entire career.

After exchanging, Lin Qi still had 200 talent points left, but the shop wouldn't refresh for another three months.

These 200 points can only be used next time.

Lin Qi closed the system interface, and steam rose from the bathtub. He closed his eyes, ready to take a good bath and relax.

Lynch is already very tired after playing so many games this season. Although he unexpectedly got two breather games in the Eastern Conference Finals, it was not enough to sweep away the fatigue left over from the whole season.

The intensity of the finals will be no less than that of the Eastern Conference finals.

Last year's sweep of the Mavericks in the Finals seems like yesterday, but the San Antonio Silver and Black are already at the gates amidst the controversy surrounding the Western Conference Finals.

This iron-blooded army, sharing the same lone star as the cowboys yet entirely different, is destined to use its venomous claws to splatter sparks across the wooden floors of Madison Square Garden.

The Knicks' title defense is destined to be a battle of steel, with every rebound battle potentially accompanied by the dull thud of a bone cracking, and every drive to the basket stained with the salty stench of sweat and blood.

But Lynch can guarantee one thing: the gloom of 1971 will be washed away by the champion champagne in the summer of 2007.
-
June 7, 2007, was an extremely crazy day for New York City.

Traffic on Fifth Avenue was already paralyzed before noon, and the subway was packed with enthusiastic fans wearing blue and orange jerseys.

The city hall urgently deployed an additional 3,000 police officers to maintain order, but they could not stop the pilgrims pouring in from the Bronx slums to the wealthy neighborhoods of Long Island.

Wall Street elites ripped off their ties and smeared face paint, Harlem teenagers skateboarded across police lines, and Brooklyn veterans gathered at Madison Square Garden chanting "Death to the Spurs." Extremists began burning Spurs flags, ashes falling onto the caps of mounted police officers on duty.

Fearing that only a small fraction of them would ultimately be able to enter Madison Square Garden to watch the game, they still chose to take to the streets to unleash their enthusiasm.

The city is now bursting with basketball passion.

Win or lose, it's going to be a pretty crazy night.

As Lynch's silver Porsche 911 pulled into the underground parking garage, he heard the news anchor on the radio yelling: "Dozens of naked fans have appeared on Seventh Avenue! They're all wearing only Lynch's number 20! Yes, they're all women!"

Lin Qi smiled and shook his head, tapping a light rhythm on the Porsche steering wheel with his fingertips.

He felt gratified, not because he could watch the games played by enthusiastic female fans, but because the fervor in New York stemmed from trust in the team.

When Stephon Marbury was leading the team alone, New York fans weren't nearly as enthusiastic.

Lynch truly revitalized this basketball market, which had enormous potential but had remained stagnant.

Walking through the players' tunnel into the locker room, most people were already there, doing their own thing—some listening to music, some getting massages, and some meditating.

Lynch stared at the television in the locker room, where the ESPN panel of experts was still analyzing the possible course of the game.

But to be honest, all the predictions were bullshit, because even Lynch didn't know what would happen.

The Knicks had a 1-1 record against the Spurs in the regular season, with the win coming in the opening game, where Lynch relied on his 5x5 stat line to defeat the Spurs.

In the game they lost, Robert Horry had a hot streak from beyond the arc, and the Knicks narrowly lost by 5 points.

The sample size of these two teams' matchups this season is limited, and all of those matches occurred before the Knicks' mid-season trades. Now, after everything that's happened, both teams are certainly different.

From a very small and inaccurate sample, you simply cannot derive any reliable results. When Philip Sanders walked into the locker room carrying his briefcase, everyone paused for a moment, then burst into laughter, shattering the solemn atmosphere in the locker room.

Flip Saunders looked bewildered. His assistant, Mike Malone, patted him on the shoulder: "Didn't your wife tell you you were so nervous you wore two different shoes out the door? Or is this the league's latest dress code?"

The Knicks coach then noticed that his left Oxford shoe had a cool, obsidian sheen, while his right shoe was a brown brogue.

The head coach's ears instantly turned red. He admitted that he was indeed nervous, after all, this was his first time playing in the NBA Finals.

The last time his team competed for the championship was 15 years ago in 1992, with the Lacrosse Cats and Birds of the Continental Basketball Association.

Of course, that Finals is incomparable to the NBA Finals; back then, he faced fewer spectators than there are reporters outside the tunnel now.

"Relax, coach." The star player pulled his jersey over his shoulders. "You have to believe that as long as we're together, no opponent, no game, will make much of a difference."

A few hours later, Philip Sanders showed up on the court wearing two different shoes. He even rolled up his trouser legs by two inches, fully exposing this comical sight to the spotlight.

He found that his shoes always made the tense atmosphere a little easier.

If this little bit of humor can dilute the anxiety that's building up in the locker room, then he'd be more than happy to keep this look.

As a result, Philip Sanders' shoes became the focus of ESPN's cameras.

Mike Brin joked with a laugh, "I can understand, Phil has participated in fewer Finals than I have."

Lynch walked to the front row and embraced his mother, Kevin Lucas, and Willis Reed in turn.

Willis Reed patted Lynch's head: "Kid, you've surpassed me. In the title-defending season, you've gone further than me. I have no right to say anything more to you; every step you take is forging greater history for New York basketball."

Lynch waved his hand: "Let's talk about surpassing when I win three championships for New York. One can never be greater than two."

“I have a greedy request—if there really is a moment to raise the trophy, could I, an old man, also go up on stage and bask in the glory of the new era?” He pointed to the championship banner from 1970 on the dome of the stadium, “Just consider it a make-up party for myself who didn’t have the chance to defend the title back then.”

“Oh, I might have to talk to James Dolan,” Lynch said, trying to sound serious but unable to suppress his laughter. “Just kidding, I’m the boss here. Get your suit ready, Willis, you’ll have to hold the trophy base for me at the awards ceremony, since I need to free my hands to write eulogies for the people of San Antonio.”

Despite the cheers of the fans, the support of family and friends, and Philip Sanders' comical shoes, the atmosphere at the event was relatively relaxed.

But the relaxed atmosphere was eventually broken before the game started. When the players from both sides stood face to face, there was only a tense atmosphere on the field.

Lynch and Duncan faced off in silence at center court. Bruce Bowen's sinister gaze swept over the Knicks players like a viper's forked tongue, and DeShawn Stevenson immediately returned the death stare by tapping his temple with his finger.

"Don't do anything stupid, Bruce, just do it for Tim," DeShawn Stevenson warned, continuing to start in the Finals.

Ben Wallace, who has been having a blast since joining the Spurs this season, scoffed: "A nobody, who do you think you can intimidate?"

"Call me the second-best shooting guard in the East, with the afro."

The referee tosses the ball, Lynch gains possession, and the game begins.

The current Spurs roster is stronger than the team that historically shaved LeBron James' head.

After trading away Brent Barry, Michael Finley, and Fabricio Oberto to acquire Ben Wallace, the Spurs strengthened their center position, but they are severely lacking at shooting guard.

Popovich started Manu Ginobili for half a season, but it didn't work.

So before the trade deadline, they traded Melvin Eli and a second-round pick to the Raptors for Maurice Peterson to fill the vacancy at shooting guard.

This 2000 NCAA champion and MOP had just achieved a career-best average of 16 points per game in the 05-06 season, but was relegated to the bench by the Raptors the following year. The rebuilding Raptors did not need a veteran like him.

It was impossible for him to renew his contract with the Raptors, so in order to recoup their losses, the Raptors traded him to the Spurs in exchange for a second-round draft pick.

This is a risky move for the Spurs; they may very well trade a second-round pick for only half a season of Morris Peterson's playing time.

But RC Buford had no choice but to do this; he couldn't just stand by and watch the team have weaknesses. Any hesitation could cost the Silver and Blacks the chance to return to the top.

Fortunately, Maurice Peterson played well for the Spurs in his half-season.

He played defense diligently, and as the Raptors' all-time leader in three-pointers, he also maintained his three-point efficiency.

Compared to Michael Finley, who historically started at shooting guard for the Spurs, Maurice Patterson is much less well-known, but his pure ability is stronger than Finley's in his later years—Michael Finley was just a guy who averaged 3 points per game in the Finals with an 8.3% three-point shooting percentage.

That's right, it's 8.3%.

Maurice Peterson maintained a three-point shooting percentage above the acceptable level of 33% in every previous round of games.

This Spurs team, even better than the 2007 team, immediately demonstrated their formidable defensive capabilities. Lynch received the ball with his back to the basket and turned to drive, but Tim Duncan quickly caught up.

With Ben Wallace on the team, Tim Duncan no longer needed to gain weight and pretend to be a power forward while actually playing center.

The seasons in TD's career when he was in top form were basically the seasons when he didn't gain weight.

The reason he was able to experience a second spring in the later stages of his career was largely because he abandoned the strategy of gaining weight.

The current Tim Duncan is simply a Tim Duncan who hasn't gained weight.

His more agile body allowed him to barely bite down on Lin Qi.

Lynch had no chance to score, and Ben Wallace quickly double-teamed him.

Seeing this, Lynch turned half a step to the left. Duncan knew this might be a feint, but Ben Wallace was guarding the right side, so even if Lynch turned back, there wouldn't be a chance. Therefore, he followed Lynch and moved half a step to the left.

Sensing TD's movement, Lynch quickly turned to the left, and Ben Wallace was ready to jump and block Lynch's fadeaway jumper or hook shot.

Gregg Popovich smirked. This was the Spurs' defense, which was almost foolproof. Lynch's fancy footwork was useless against the Spurs' twin towers.

Lynch suddenly erupted, not with a turnaround jumper or hook shot, but with the intention of directly dunking on Ben Wallace from the ground!
Ben quickly jumped up; he was still at the tail end of his peak, but after all, it was the tail end, and his jumping speed was no longer as impressive as it used to be.

The King of New York is currently in his prime.

The moment the two steel-like figures collided in mid-air, Ben Wallace, caught off guard, was completely overwhelmed. Number 20's ball-handling arm swung in a full-moon arc, cleaving the basketball into the hoop like a battle axe!
"Boom!"

Amidst the painful metallic groans of the basketball hoop, Ben Wallace stumbled into the group of photographers on the baseline, unleashing a deluge of camera flashes.

"Lynch shook off Tim and then dunked over Ben Wallace! He welcomed the Spurs to Madison Square Garden in the simplest, most brutal, and most ruthless way! Welcome them to the palace of the Kings of New York!"

Mike Breen cheered along with the New York fans, as did Lynch after his dunk.

He glared fiercely at Ben Wallace and Duncan, then turned and left.

The people of San Antonio immediately understood that this was a demonstration by the King of New York.

Philip Sanders was a little nervous just now, but now he's completely relaxed.

Theoretically, the Spurs' defense is impenetrable, but Lynch just tore that theory apart with his most violent aesthetics.

So, as Lynch said.

As long as they remain together, it seems that no opponent or match will make much of a difference.

This is just a series, a series that the Knicks will ultimately win.

There's nothing to be nervous about.

(End of this chapter)