Champion Rules

Chapter 180, Section 176: The Broom in the Champion's Hands (Seeking Monthly Tickets!)
When Lynch pushed open the ward door, Raja Bell was fully awake and was leaning against the headboard talking to Steve Nash.

After examination, he was found to be unharmed, except that he had lost his memory of the period between being beaten and being sent to the hospital.

If he can pass the league's concussion test, he will be able to resume training soon.

Raja Bell is now more curious about Ben Gordon's situation than about herself.

"Lynch, I heard from Steve that you guys also took that bastard to the hospital? Tell me quickly, what's wrong with that fake Englishman?"

This isn't the first time Raja Bell has angered his opponents and teammates. A few years ago, when he first joined the Suns, he even verbally abused Steve Nash.

His personality has always been eccentric.

But this is the NBA, where trash talk is as common and frequent as sleeping with women.

Moreover, conflicts in the NBA are generally gradual.

If you're unhappy after being criticized, you can always retaliate with even dirtier language.

If the friction increases further, at most it will just be pushing and shoving each other, or some minor scuffles.

Only in very rare cases will trash talk escalate into physical fights.

But Ben Gordon doesn't play by the rules at all. He's taciturn and doesn't talk back when he's being criticized. Instead, he goes straight to taking action.

Although Raja Bell had lost some of his memories, he vividly remembered the look in Ben Gordon's eyes before he attacked him.

That wasn't ordinary anger; he was certain that the guy had something wrong with his head.

“Bipolar disorder, just like Ron Artest.” Lynch shrugged, his guess unfortunately coming true. “He can’t control his emotions, and you never know which word will trigger his emotions.”

“Damn it,” Raja Bell shook his head, a slight whistling sound coming from his gap-toothed back teeth, “I remember everyone gets a medical after a transfer, right? Didn’t that bastard do one?”

“Normally, NBA physicals do not include psychological evaluations, Raja.”

After Lin Qi finished speaking, he glanced at the report in his hand again.

He only just learned that Ben Gordon's bipolar disorder had been with him since his college years.

At that time, the usually taciturn man slapped a female classmate without warning.

His unstable personality should have been a disadvantage when he participated in the draft, and he should have been known to the public much earlier, like Ron Artest.

But Ben Gordon is far too easily overlooked.

He was the highest-drafted guard in the 2004 NBA draft, but that year the world's attention was focused on Lynch, who had come from Europe with accolades.

He was the first player in NBA history to win the Sixth Man of the Year award in his rookie season, and the whole world is praising the new king of New York who was selected to the All-NBA First Team twice in his rookie season.

He was always overlooked; after all, who would pay attention to a shadow that was always huddled in a hood?

So nobody understands him, and nobody knows what happened to him during his university years.

During his time with the Bulls, Ben Gordon also skillfully concealed his demonic side and never stirred up any trouble.

Therefore, no one knew about his condition.

Until this summer, when the pressure of contract renewal weighed heavily on him, making it hard to breathe, the demon in his heart broke free of its chains.

Raja Bell knew roughly what the illness was like, and could only accept his bad luck: "Damn it, I will never talk to that lunatic again."

No sooner had he finished speaking than ESPN suddenly inserted an breaking news segment.

Steve Nash, watching the footage on television, uncharacteristically swore, "What the hell is going on? How did they get the recording?"

At this very moment, surveillance footage from the Greenburg Training Center is being broadcast nationwide on ESPN's breaking news.

The bulging veins on Ben Gordon's arms, the angle at which Raja Bell fell backward, and the beads of sweat splattering on the floor are all clearly visible.

In this era where social media has begun to rise, this video will be spread all over the world in less than half an hour.

The Knicks' public relations department was initially trying to confuse the issue, but now that the surveillance footage has been released, all explanations seem weak.

Steve Nash glanced at Lynch, and he certainly understood what it meant if an internal conflict within a team became public.

That would be a more formidable enemy than the Los Angeles Big Three.

Lynch's pupils contracted slightly in the cold light of the screen; he could imagine the chaos that was about to unfold.
But he just patted Nash on the shoulder and said, "We'll handle it."

Meanwhile, Sam Presti's leather shoes were crunching over the shards of tile as he stormed into the security chief's office.

"Manager Jia Siming!"

Security supervisor Jasmine Mahon, who was drinking coffee, waved to the general manager with a grin: "Hey Sam, how did you know we bought an extra cup of coffee?"

An angry Sam Presti didn't answer, but instead asked him, "Where's the TV remote?"

"what?"

"Where the damn TV remote?!" he suddenly yelled, startling the security supervisor and the others in his office.

Everyone immediately put their coffee on the table, and one of them handed the TV remote to Sam Presti.

Even after the television was turned on, ESPN was still reporting on the Knicks' altercation.

Upon seeing the leaked surveillance footage, Jasmine Mahon immediately understood the seriousness of the situation.

The surveillance footage at the Greenburg training center has always been managed by the security department. Therefore, the person who leaked the footage must also be someone from the security department.

Before he could recover, Sam Presti yelled rudely again, "Do you know we're keeping a ghost in the house?"

Seeing the security supervisor speechless, he angrily swept all the coffee on the table onto the floor with his arm: "You didn't even know you were raising a ghost!"

Coffee stains were dripping down the edge of the table, but the veteran remained silent, letting Sam Presti vent his anger.

Presti ripped off his coffee-stained tie: "Two hours! Find that traitorous scum! Mr. James doesn't want that guy on the Knicks' roster anymore, or you'll be the one to disappear from the list."

The sound of the door slamming echoed down the hallway. Sam Presti knew it was pointless, but he still slammed the door shut and left.

As night fell, the locker room violence incident had turned into a global spectacle.

Unaware of the truth, fans and media outlets have been weaving all sorts of conspiracy theories.

Some speculated that Raja Bell and Ben Gordon's fight was over a starting position. Others even speculated it was due to a sex scandal similar to the Dallas Mavericks' trio.

Whatever the truth is, the fight is a sign of disunity within the Knicks.

Isaiah Thomas, who appeared on a TV program, commented with a hint of schadenfreude: "A team with resentment in the locker room is like a sports car that's leaking oil. When someone on a team complains about not getting enough playing time or about their role, that team is definitely not going to go far."

The Smiling Assassin was eager for things to continue to escalate so he could prove that the Knicks' chaos under his leadership wasn't due to his incompetence, but rather that the New York team was inherently prone to chaos, regardless of who was in charge.

Chaos is the norm for the New York Knicks; their stability over the past few years is actually abnormal.

Given the current situation of the Knicks, unless a tough guy like Ron Artest suddenly becomes the Knicks' head coach and can immediately connect with the players and subdue them, it's unlikely they'll be able to win them over.

Otherwise, this chaos will certainly continue.

The Smiling Assassin believed this was the moment to vindicate himself.

The following day's press conference was bathed in the blinding flashes of light, and Raja Bell and Ben Gordon, the two parties involved, spoke publicly for the first time.

Ben Gordon kept his head down, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing the microphone, and apologized to Raja Bell and his family in a dry voice: "I never thought of solving problems with my fists. Bipolar disorder is like an invisible hand, always grabbing my throat at crucial moments."

When reporters pressed for details about his condition, his Adam's apple bobbed violently, and he finally managed to squeeze out a broken "I'm sorry" before hastily leaving the room.

Raja Bell, on the other hand, demonstrated his excellent professional attitude.

Although he always talks trash without restraint on the field, he keeps his mouth shut when it comes to this kind of thing.

He didn't complain or grumble, but simply told reporters, "There's no personal animosity between Benny and me. The most important thing now is to get the team back on track. The biggest impact this has had on me? When I'm drinking juice, I need Steve to hold a cup under my chin to catch it."

Of course, things won't be so easily resolved, and the superficial reconciliation can't hide the cracks in the locker room.

Gordon, who was already taciturn, was completely ostracized from the locker room after this incident.

Nobody wanted to talk to him, nobody spoke to him.

Lynch, as the locker room leader, occasionally tried to break the ice, but the response was always like a stone thrown into a deep pool, barely making a ripple.

Ben Gordon always wore a hood and went about his own business alone, isolating himself from others.

In this kind of work environment, Ben Gordon's condition deteriorated.

Sam Presti considered cutting his losses by trading Ben Gordon.

However, Ben Gordon, who has been exposed to have a mental illness and whose contract is only for one year, has little trade value.

Even if a team wants him, they would rather wait until Gordon's contract expires and sign him directly.

The storm eventually turned into an awkward stalemate – the Knicks were unable to recoup their value from Ben Gordon, nor could they cut off this ticking time bomb.

Fortunately, the overall atmosphere in the Knicks' locker room did not collapse as the media predicted.

There is no inherent conflict of interest between Raja Bell and Ben Gordon, and neither of them are core members of the team, so they are not serious enough to cripple the Knicks.

The Knicks essentially wasted $600 million in salary cap space by signing a player who couldn't deliver. Sam Presti even planned to send Ben Gordon to the G League to get back into form.

Lynch knew that Ben Gordon was a very strong player; he was the guy who won the Sixth Man of the Year award in his rookie season.

But for now, this is the only way to handle it for the time being.

“Hopefully, one day, when we need his help, he will respond to us.” Lynch sat in Sam Presti’s office, lounging on the sofa.

Sam Presti waved his hand: "Oh, hopefully we'll never need him. I don't want to have a time bomb next to me and live in constant fear. Championship teams can't withstand a second bombing, Lynch."

The Knicks spent the new season's training camp amidst a less-than-glorious internal conflict, until the Knicks reignited the orange storm with a 7-1 preseason record, and fans and media gradually forgot about it.

At this moment, the excitement surrounding the opening match overshadowed everything else.

The lighting engineers at Staples Center began testing the lights for the opening game's opening show, and the ESPN broadcast team arrived at the arena three days in advance.

Everyone is holding their breath for this epic showdown: the defending champion Lakers are guarding their home court with the ambition of a consecutive championship, while the Knicks, having completed their roster transformation, are eager to conquer the West Coast, a region they never managed to tame last season.

Fans are counting down the days; the combination of a superstar and a huge market makes this regular season game exceptionally meaningful.

Two days before the opening game, Lynch arrived in Los Angeles with his team.

As soon as the team bus entered the city, a huge poster of the Lakers' Big Three caught Lynch's eye.

Kobe, Kidd, and Kevin Garnett simultaneously raised brooms, with a message written at their feet: "We swept the former champions last season, and we'll do it again this season."

This refers to the Knicks' 0-2 record against the Lakers in the regular season last year.

Raja Bell laughed deliberately: "Lynch, you've finally met your match."

“Shut up, Raja,” Steve Nash said, as usual, controlling his underlings. “You’re part of this team now.”

"Of course, with the two of us on the team, this team definitely won't get swept again. Lynch, thank us."

Lynch turned his head and stared into Raja Bell's eyes.

The last rays of the setting sun slanted in through the car window, gilding his sharply defined profile, but making his gaze toward Raja Bell even more icy and cold.

The air suddenly felt thick, and new signing Goran Dragic unconsciously held his breath.

Although Raja Bell is diligent and conscientious, he never speaks carelessly in front of reporters.

But he always divided the Knicks team into "me, Steve and the others".

He didn't identify with the Knicks; he played for Nash rather than for the team.

This has a strong connotation of forming cliques in the locker room.

Moreover, he would always intentionally or unintentionally challenge Lynch's authority as the core figure.

He's like a cactus transplanted from the heart of the Arizona desert; you can't say he's harmful, but getting pricked occasionally can still be quite annoying.

“Raja,” Lynch looked at him and slowly began, “if you think you can handle Kobe, if you think you can beat the Lakers, I’ll make you the core player. If you can’t, then you can shut the fuck up, okay?”

Raja Bell laughed: "Of course I can handle Kobe. Isn't that why you signed me? Remember what you said, Lynch."

Lynch nodded: "I look forward to your performance, you bastard."

(End of this chapter)