Champion Rules

Chapter 192, Section 188: The Reverse Lynch (Seeking Monthly Tickets!)

The New York team unleashed an unstoppable force against the San Antonio Spurs, extending their winning streak to a glorious seventeen games.

Reebok's PR machine has been running at full power since the start of the season and is practically smoking now, yet Lynch still hasn't stopped the winning streak.

Lynch is making history in every game.

Reebok hypes Lynch up in every game.

Lynch is enjoying the media benefits that rightfully belong to LeBron James, with the entire league hailing him as the top star.

Ben Gordon's return further amplified Lynch's winning streak.

He filled the Knicks' final strategic gap, managing the team's offense effectively during transition periods.

In this way, the New York Knicks were completely removed from trade rumors, and Lynch no longer had to worry about the impact of a mid-term trade on the team.

The media is discussing how Lynch managed to turn Ben Gordon, a volatile guy who would force his teammates to shut down at the drop of a hat, into a tactical machine that obediently executes strategies.

ESPN captured a moment during the game: when Bruce Bowen fouled Ben Gordon, Gordon's gaze immediately turned fierce, but after glancing at Lynch, his emotions gradually calmed down.

“Lynch is like a magician,” Stephen A. Smith said on television. “He’s like a sorcerer in a fantasy novel who can control your behavior with just one look. Of course, there’s no magic in the real world. God knows what Lynch did to Ben, maybe a long night of conversation, maybe just a platinum VIP card at a high-end massage parlor.”

In this winter when Lynch completely dominated the media, LeBron James suddenly burst into the public eye in a peculiar way.

Just as the Knicks crushed the San Antonio Spurs, the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the powerful Miami Heat on the road.

Michael Jordan happened to be in Miami that night and was there to watch the game.

After the game, he greeted LBJ warmly.

God knows what triggered LBJ during this meeting, causing him to suddenly open up at the post-game press conference:
"Michael's contributions to the sport must be recognized in some way as soon as possible. Without Michael Jordan, there would be no Kobe Bryant, no Dwyane Wade, no Carmelo Anthony, and no me."

I'm going to start a petition, and I need everyone in the NBA to sign it. I believe the league should retire the number 23 jersey, and I'll lead by example. Starting next season, I'll wear a different number, and other players must stop using that sacred number.

Perhaps LeBron James simply wants to portray himself as a good person who knows how to respect legends.

But what he did was absolutely brainless.

Unlike Nike's meticulously planned marketing events, this clearly stemmed from LeBron's sudden inspiration, because Nike would never be that foolish.

This behavior is similar to morally coercing everyone to donate money; he gets all the limelight, but others have to foot the bill.

He used the right to choose the numbers of all the players as a stepping stone to build his persona.

If you don't agree, you're likely to be labeled as having "low emotional intelligence".

Essentially, this was a very selfish act by LBJ.

LeBron James has once again become the focus of the media, and when a reporter asked Lynch for his opinion on the matter, Lynch didn't hold back any face for his arch-rival:

"If LeBron took that petition to New York, I would shred it on the spot. As a player with no influence in the league, what gives him the right to lead this? He can take off his number 23 to pay tribute to a legend, but what right does he have to make others do the same?"

I don't mean to disrespect MJ. LeBron is right about one thing: without MJ, there would be no us, no league.

Because we are bathed in the glory created by MJ, we should pay tribute to him in a way that transcends rather than confines him.

The way I can pay tribute to him is to get as close to him as possible, and even try to surpass him. On the platform he built, I want to take this sport and this league to the next level.

True inheritance and respect lie in building a higher beacon on the shoulders of giants. It means turning No. 23 into a measuring stick for future generations, rather than a specimen locked in a museum.

Do you know what's most ironic? LeBron tries to appear as a respectful and kind person. But his decisions precisely demonstrate that he has no respect for anyone else in the league.

He used the word 'must' many times in the interview to express his determination to make this happen.

But I have to tell LeBron that this is a free country, a free league, and everyone has the right to choose their own number. You can't make anyone 'have to' do anything.

Lynch tore this moral performance apart with his ruthless and sharp remarks.

He really couldn't stand it, especially when he thought about how his nemesis would later use all sorts of inexplicable ways to provoke MJ, yet now he was hypocritically talking about respect. He felt that his mortal enemy was being rather unkind.

Since no big-name player in the original story stood up to refute LeBron James, Lynch did it himself.

He is not afraid of being labeled as having "low emotional intelligence" because he knows that Nike's current media doesn't have that capability.

Reebok has long been a dominant force in public opinion.

Lynch's bold shot voiced the sentiments of most players in the league.

With Lynch taking the lead, many people immediately voiced their opposition.

Jason Richardson, who also wears number 23, commented on social media: "From the league's ecosystem to its competitive philosophy, Lin demonstrates the true vision of a leader. LeBron may win in terms of stats, but he will never win the recognition of the entire league. Listen, we don't need the Cavaliers' captain's approval to wear our numbers."

Kevin Garnett, who has a good personal relationship with Lynch and isn't under pressure from Nike, also expressed his support: "If we're going to have a number worship, why not retire number 6? Doesn't LeBron respect Dr. J? Just so you know, Bill Russell also wore number 6. Does LeBron disrespect Bill?"

Kobe, as one of Nike's top stars and having a good personal relationship with MJ, did not directly support James, but simply said, "Let's focus on whether Lynch can achieve a 23-game winning streak."

Charles Barkley also commented on the show: "LeBron and Lynch are both young. The former always tries to act mature but keeps doing stupid things. The latter never hides his youthful vigor but has a clarity of mind far beyond his age."

The impact of this event was greater than Lynch had anticipated.

At this moment, Lynch represents not only himself, but also the will of the entire league's players.

He said what others dared not say, and he risked being attacked to speak out for others.

His reputation is soaring in the league.

Before this, Lynch was just a very talented young international player, regarded as a "conqueror from a foreign land".

His status as an international player meant that, outside of the Knicks, most of the people who were willing to get to know Lynch were women.

But things are different now, especially after Lynch brought up his rhetoric about the American spirit of freedom. The American players suddenly realized that the cultural gap between them and Lynch wasn't as deep as they had imagined.

Sports Illustrated featured Lynch on its cover with the headline "Guardian of Free Will".

LeBron James looked at the overwhelming criticism and gazed at the Cleveland sky.

How could Lynch be so wicked!

LBJ suddenly realized that the person he should recruit most in his "brotherhood basketball" team was actually Lynch.

If he and Lynch were brothers, his career wouldn't have been so disastrous, and his influence wouldn't have been so low.

Unfortunately, before Lynch even entered the league, LBJ had already arrogantly started attacking him, ruining any possibility of them becoming brothers.

LeBron James is under intense scrutiny, while Lynch's winning streak continues. Ben Gordon is maintaining a good level of performance; although his relationship with the others in the locker room hasn't improved, his competitive form is getting better and better.

After defeating the Spurs, the Knicks faced the challenge of the Milwaukee Bucks.

Michael Red expressed his respect to Lynch during their pre-game handshake: "This league needs people like you to stand up and speak the truth so we can better voice the players' real opinions. Respect, brother, respect."

Lynch could sense that something was changing, and his influence on the league was no longer just about winning or losing.

The Knicks easily crushed the Bucks at home, and the Bucks in the post-Yi Jianlian era can only wait for the unwavering Greek Freak to save them.

Until mid-December, the Knicks had not yet tasted defeat.

This kept Lynch's popularity going and kept the "retiring of the number 23 jersey" incident a hot topic.

When Lynch defeated the Bobcats in Charlotte, extending the Knicks' winning streak to 23 games, he embraced MJ courtside in front of cameras worldwide.

“Mike, this is for you. We are not wasting the basketball legacy you left behind; we are taking this league's influence even further globally.”

MJ chuckled and patted Lynch on the back, saying to be honest that the LBJ thing had made Jordan quite embarrassed. He had no intention of having everyone retire their jerseys in tribute to him, and he knew that LBJ wanted to use him to build his image, but he didn't want to directly refute the younger player's good intentions.

To acquiesce would make one an accomplice, while to oppose would appear narrow-minded. The God of Basketball had never fallen into such a verbal trap.

Lynch completely resolved the matter, which led MJ to pull out a gold-embossed card from his suit pocket after the hug: "Let's play cards sometime."

The following day, USA Today published a huge photo on its front page with only one caption: "When a brilliant 23-game winning streak meets the legend of number 23."

The basketball world at this moment clearly shows the handover between the old and new orders—LeBron, who attempted to shape his image through moral blackmail, is still struggling with a public relations crisis, while Lynch, who speaks with strength and responsibility, has already won recognition in all dimensions.

The Orlando Magic eventually became the team that ended the Knicks' winning streak.

In the second game, the Magic's shooters were all on fire, with Ray Allen hitting three consecutive three-pointers over his college junior Ben Gordon in the fourth quarter.

This resulted in Lynch suffering his first defeat of the 08-09 season.

But this will not affect Lynch's potential. His winning streak will eventually end, and his 23-game winning streak is already quite impressive.

At the end of the game, in the players' tunnel, Ben Gordon kicked a trash can, the splattered water bottle caps drawing a blinding silver arc in the camera's spotlight.

All of this was exposed to the cameras, and he knew it would cause negative public opinion, but he couldn't control his emotions.

He roared at the air, his eyes bloodshot, and even punched the wall in a very dangerous manner.

As Lynch walked into the players' tunnel and saw the chaotic scene, he shouted, "Benny!"

"Fuck, fuck! If I could just stop him once, we could keep our winning streak going tonight! Damn, I really want to tear this place down right now!"

"Alright, Benny, stop acting like a spineless coward and talking about 'what ifs' after losing the game."

We're both in the East, so if you want to beat the Rays, you've got plenty of opportunities. Stop with the "ifs," next time show me your resolve. What kind of skill is it to vent your anger on a trash can? Even Steve's daughter can kick over a trash can that won't fight back.”

Ben Gordon closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Lynch dropped his serious expression and put his hand on Ben Gordon's shoulder: "You're already in the top ten of ESPN's 2009 free agent rankings, you know? Keep it up, you'll get a big contract. From locker room cancer to a multi-million dollar man, how does that sound? Don't let me see you do anything stupid again."

From the end of the passage came the urging voices of staff; they needed Lin Qi to give an interview immediately.

Lynch removed his hand from Ben Gordon's shoulder: "Clean this up and set a good example."

Then, as recorded by the camera, this guy who was just irritable actually picked up the trash on the ground and then helped to lift the trash can.

Lynch's control over the locker room was stronger than anyone expected.

The Knicks' winning streak was ended, while the Cleveland Cavaliers have recently suffered a four-game losing streak.

The reason is that LBJ's shooting touch has been fluctuating a lot lately. With his shooting touch off and the paint crowded, the Cavaliers' offense has entered a period of stagnation.

Although Byron Scott has used a clever rotation strategy to reduce the time LBJ and Shaq are on the court at the same time, alleviating their compatibility issues.

But they can't completely operate independently.

LeBron James was complaining in the locker room. While Lynch was trying his best to avoid the impact of a trade on the team, LeBron James publicly stated for the first time in front of the media that he wanted to change teammates: "If we had a power forward like Antawn Jamison, the offensive spacing would be much better."

This statement hurt Elton Brand deeply. He had given his all for the Cavaliers, but now LBJ wanted to replace him—though he didn't say it directly, he meant to replace the power forward.

No one knows whether the Cavaliers will make a trade, but ESPN writer Marc Stein's column has stirred things up.

"LeBron's teammates have changed like a fashion show. The Cavaliers are like a hardworking parent. Although they can't dress LBJ in designer clothes like Kobe, they can always put together a decent outfit."

However, this 'fashionable gentleman' never stopped criticizing the team, always feeling that the loss was due to others.

He always does things his own way. Whether it's self-promotion of retiring number 23 or his ambiguous relationship with his former team, his self-centered logic of doing things goes against the persona he has created.

After the Cavaliers did all that, he still didn't want to re-sign with them, saying he wasn't a Cleveland native.

I must say, he disappointed everyone.

Let's look at another guy who was chosen by his city as their savior, and when he first joined the team, their roster was terrible.

But he didn't deny anyone's efforts, and he never complained about the roster. He constantly strived to improve himself, trying to lead his team and become a true leader. Ultimately, he deservedly became the city's hero.

That's Lynch for you, and LeBron James is practically the 'reverse Lynch'. Yes, almost everything LBJ does is the opposite of Lynch.

This is why, despite starting from the same high point, the gap between them is now so huge.

Marc Stein's "reverse Lynch" narrative completely destroyed Nike's marketing of LeBron James over the years.

Because Lynch is exactly what people imagine LBJ should be like.

LeBron James himself immediately retorted: "I am who I am, I am LeBron James, I am not anyone's shadow."

But Charles Barkley's comments chilled the hearts of Cleveland residents.

"No matter how LBJ tries to comfort himself, Lynch is about to lift his third championship trophy in New York, at least he has the chance to lift a third trophy. And Cleveland? Poor Cavaliers fans, they might not even see LeBron James' name on the roster next season."

Lynch's rising influence and LBJ's complete defeat put him far ahead of his arch-rival in the competition.

Of course, Lynch didn't care about this lead.

"I don't want to mention him. The number 23 I want to surpass is not him."

(End of this chapter)