Champion Rules

Chapter 199, Section 195: Get up quickly, I'm here, Lebaby (Seeking monthly votes!)
Lynch's record-breaking 50-point triple-double extended his head-to-head record against LeBron James to an astonishing 22-0.

The Cavaliers' hopes of defeating the Knicks after acquiring Jamison were completely dashed.

Lynch didn't get tired of beating LeBron James 22 times in a row. For him, lashing out at someone who had once arrogantly mocked and criticized him was something he would never tire of.

It feels like a 35-year-old woman's longing for love; even if she was satisfied the night before, she will still get up and eat at the buffet herself the next morning.

But LeBron James is genuinely tired of it.

For the past three seasons, he has been struggling in a vicious cycle of "wanting to give up - rekindling hope - despairing again".

Whenever he had the urge to leave, the Cleveland Cavaliers would always be able to inject him with new confidence through trades or signings, making him believe that he could still be a true fighter, overcome hardships and finally reach the top.

However, the cruel reality is that he was always the one who fell in the end.

No one is born a coward, not even LBJ.

But the series of failures made him want to give up again.

Now that Antoine Jamison's attempt to join the team has also failed, LeBron James has fallen into a deep abyss of despair.

He was filled with weariness, or rather, fear, at losing to Lynch again.

He was alone at home, deep in thought, still undecided about what to do about the upcoming summer.

The news of Lynch's 50-point triple-double was playing on the TV screen, and anxiety and unease weighed heavily on me.

Just then, his cell phone rang.

Once the call connected, a brief self-introduction came from the other end: "Hello LeBron, I hope I didn't disturb you. I'm John Paxson, John Paxson of the Chicago Bulls."

LBJ was startled; this call shouldn't have been made to his cell phone, but rather to his agent, Leon Rose.

He instantly realized the extraordinary significance of this call: it was the first time in his career that he had been directly recruited by another team.

LBJ steadied himself, trying his best to keep his voice from trembling: "Hi John, how did you get this number?"

"Oh, that's not difficult for me. How are you, LeBron? Last night's loss..."

“I’m fine,” LBJ interrupted firmly, his fingertips sinking into the sofa. “I won’t let one game get me down. The whole world knows I’m a fighter, not a coward.”

When you're out in the world, your status is something you make up; three parts are determined by fate, and seven parts by bragging.

John Paxson continued, "Of course I believe you are, and how can that loss be considered your fault? We all know how outstanding you are; you just lack a good environment to showcase your talent. Do you agree, LeBron?"

Silence fell on the other end of the phone.

LeBron James did not answer immediately, but the silence allowed John Paxson on the other end of the phone to sense LBJ's inner turmoil.

For John Paxson, that was the answer.

John Paxson seized the opportunity and extended the most crucial invitation.

"LeBron, are you interested in playing with Derrick Rose, Luol Deng, and Joakim Noah this summer? We have a bunch of great players, but you know, you can never have too many stars. You don't have to give me an answer right away; we can stay in touch."

But I want you to know that only Chicago can build the roster that will make you successful. And we won't treat you as an outsider. Our posters won't just feature Derrick, Luol, and Joakim; we'll never exclude you. The Bulls will always have a place for you.

You can absolutely consider Chicago your hometown.

LeBron, we really hope you can come.

John Paxson frankly stated his purpose.

The reason he risked bypassing the agent and calling LeBron James directly was to completely shake the star's resolve.

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, the call ended.

LeBron James slumped back on the sofa, beginning another round of contemplation.

The Chicago Bulls were indeed quite attractive to him.

Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah are both too young, inexperienced, and lack sufficient influence.

Lorre Deng is not a big name and is far from being a superstar.

If LeBron were to join, he could become the star player of any team that were to be brought in from elsewhere.

But if it's Detroit, then there's a question: does this team belong to Carmelo Anthony or LeBron James?
This is a crucial question that will directly determine whether he plays the role of MJ or Pippen.

Nike spent hundreds of millions of dollars to develop him, not to make him a role model for Scottie Pippen, nor was that LeBron James' goal.

LeBron James's inner struggle is far from over; it will undoubtedly be a long and arduous journey.

However, one thing is clear: he has psychologically abandoned Cleveland—the hometown he once vowed to bring glory to.
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After defeating the Cavaliers, the Knicks' record has improved to 41 wins and 4 losses, and they had a 15-game winning streak in January.

Although their winning streak was broken by the Detroit Pistons on January 31, the Knicks' 41-5 record still puts them at the top of the league.

In February, the New York Knicks went on a six-game winning streak.

New York fans have come to regard winning streaks as a habit, and The New York Times didn't even specifically mention the winning streaks in its report.

For New York fans who have already experienced a 23-game winning streak and a 15-game winning streak this season, a six-game winning streak is simply not enough to satisfy them.

With an impressive record of 47 wins and 5 losses, Lynch embarked on his 2009 All-Star Weekend journey.

This year's All-Star Weekend is exciting for the Cavaliers.

Thanks to the efforts of LeBron James and the entire Cavaliers team, Mo Williams was ultimately handpicked by David Stern to replace the injured Chris Bosh in the All-Star reserve roster.

This is undoubtedly a huge boost to LBJ's personal reputation - he successfully propelled a teammate into the All-Star ranks through his influence.

However, when LeBron James set foot on Phoenix soil, he was greeted with a reality that instantly sobered him up: his influence paled in comparison to Lynch's.

The stark contrast was already evident on the first day of the weekend's fan carnival.

The league scheduled Lynch's appearance for the very end of the event, signifying his absolute headlining role. This arrangement inevitably turned all the appearances of the previous star-studded stars into a warm-up for Lynch.

Lynch's influence extends beyond fans and playing order; it also extends to star players.

Kobe Bryant laughed and high-fived Lynch, and KG and Lynch hugged.

Dwight Howard and Lynch were joking around, and Dwyane Wade also chatted happily with Lynch and invited him to the poker game that night.

LBJ had heard that Wade was going to organize a poker game, and he thought that Wade would invite him to join.

Obviously, Lynch's presence at the party meant that James would not be there.

The genuine enthusiasm and affection shown by many top stars towards Lynch contrasts sharply with what LeBron experienced.

People were friendly to LBJ, but it was a distant kind of friendliness.

Lynch's powerful appeal did not come from nowhere. His courage in standing up for the league in retiring his number 23 jersey earned him widespread respect and support from the entire player community.

A person who dares to speak out for their peers despite the huge risk of controversy can naturally and quickly close the distance with all the players.

A person who uses their own selfish interests to morally blackmail other players will naturally be ostracized.

The grand spectacle of All-Star Weekend is a direct reflection and resounding echo of the impact of Lynch's courageous act.

Carmelo Anthony looked at Lynch, who had become the center of attention, and shook his head inwardly:

"LeBron, look at all this. This has become a league for international players. He shouldn't be the face of this league because he's not American."

You, me, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Kevin Garnett—these names should represent the league. Ultimately, the NBA is an American basketball league. Damn it, we have to take back control.

LBJ shrugged: "At least during the All-Star Game, this league still belongs to Americans."

Carmelo Anthony smiled, recalling Lynch's annual passive-aggressive behavior during All-Star Weekend: "I just don't understand why people love a guy who doesn't care about performing for the fans."

What Carmelo Anthony couldn't understand continued into the next day.

Wherever Lynch went, he was adored.

This has something to do with Steve Nash. Although Steve Nash has moved to New York, Phoenix is ​​still considered his home turf, where he enjoys unparalleled popularity.

Lynch is always inseparable from Nash, and now that he is Nash's teammate, he naturally enjoys the goodwill and attention of Phoenix fans.

On the second day of All-Star Weekend, Lynch, as usual, watched the Three-Point Contest and the Slam Dunk Contest.

Even commentator Stephen A. Smith couldn't help but joke, "Lincia appears on camera more often than any player in the Slam Dunk Contest. Clearly, fans are far more interested in him than in Dwight Howard's Superman cape."

The following day, the Arizona Republic even described his overwhelming popularity as "King Lynch".

"Of all the players who participated in All-Star Weekend, only one person called himself the 'King.' But I think Lynch is more like the King in every way."

This assessment infuriated LeBron James, who felt like he had become Patrick Ewing—not only stripped of his honors and dignity, but also having his signature nickname taken away by someone else.

Carmelo Anthony decided to show his support for his good friend at the All-Star Game media event: "There's no reason why people disrespect LeBron. Every year at this time, he always gives his all and puts on a show for his fans. You know, some stars would never bother to waste their energy on All-Star Weekend. I really don't know why those people still idolize him."

The reporters weren't stupid; they could already smell the gunpowder in the air.

"Melo, are you referring to Lynch when you say 'certain stars'?" a Sports Illustrated reporter asked, raising his hand.

Carmelo Anthony remained unfazed: "Obviously, I'm referring to players who never respect All-Star Weekend."

Ten minutes later, Lynch learned of Carmelo Anthony's statement.

This was definitely the third most outrageous statement he had ever heard in NBA history.

The second outrageous statement came from current Knicks center coach Patrick Ewing: "Yes, we do earn a lot, but we also spend a lot."

The most outrageous statement came from SGA's father in 2025: "I can pair up with any woman to develop a great NBA player. Have your girlfriend pair up with me, and I can give you an MVP son."

Carmelo Anthony's statement pales in comparison to these two, but its "outrageous" nature should not be underestimated.

Because Lynch wasn't selected based on his attention-grabbing performance at the All-Star Game, but rather on his performances in the regular season and playoffs.

Night after night of fierce battles in the regular season and playoffs; giving his all on every game day, all to deliver victory to the fans who support him.

This is the foundation of his popularity.

Lynch didn't want to refute this completely untenable view. He simply told the media, "I don't know who Melo is talking about; that's his business. As I understand it, all the players who make it to the All-Star Game are outstanding, beloved by fans, and earned their place through countless hard-fought battles."

That evening, Lynch walked into the Eastern All-Star team's locker room pushing a small cart.

Above is a bunch of Beat headphones; Lynch gave each of his All-Star teammates headphones printed with their jersey numbers.

Since 2008, Beat headphones have become one of the most popular headphone brands. Lynch owns countless custom-made headphones, which, like his Reebok gear, have become part of his personal brand.

Driven by his powerful influence, the popularity of Beat headphones far exceeded expectations, and many NBA stars have publicly worn them.

As a result, the price of custom headphones skyrocketed, with each pair costing a considerable sum.

Therefore, the gifts Lynch gave to his All-Star teammates were quite valuable.

Almost everyone accepted the gift, except for LBJ and Carmelo Anthony.

James spread his hands: "I also have an endorsement deal with Lynch for an earphone brand. I can't be a free advertisement for your business."

After saying that, he glanced at Mo Williams, whom he had helped bring into the All-Star game.

Just moments ago, Xiao Mo was excited, but now, like a child who had made a mistake, her smile vanished instantly, and she carefully placed the headphones aside.

Cameron Anthony was even more blunt: "Save your breath, Lynch, let's not pretend to be all friendly here."

Lynch wasn't angry. He still placed the headphones on their lockers: "I won't discriminate against anyone. Take them or leave them." Then, Lynch clapped his hands: "Guys, nobody's going to be a loser tonight. Let's have a great weekend."

Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James could no longer tolerate Lynch's self-proclaimed leadership.

Who does he think he is? The leader of this locker room?
He thought a broken pair of headphones would make everyone listen to him?
However, to their surprise, most of the people in the locker room—including Dwight Howard, Dwyane Wade, Rashard Lewis, Daniel Granger, and others—loudly echoed Lynch: "No one will be a loser!"

When Lynch spoke out for other people's right to choose their numbers.

When Lynch said that every player who makes the All-Star team is exceptional.

When Lynch sincerely gave everyone a gift.

The player wearing the number 20 jersey had already far surpassed Real Madrid and Guardiola in influence and prestige among the players, exceeding their expectations.

Tonight's All-Star Game will see Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James aiming for the All-Star MVP award.

They didn't want to go home empty-handed this night.

In the Western Conference, Kobe and KG also plan to make a run for the All-Star MVP award.

But people were surprised to find that Lynch, who has never been particularly enthusiastic in the All-Star game, showed an unusually strong desire to win tonight.

He actively moved around, proactively asked for the ball, and made decisive and frequent passes.

Lynch hadn't forgotten what Reebok wanted him to do. Sonny Vaccaro was right: there are things you can do without, but you can't live without.

Furthermore, Lynch also received an All-Star related assignment this year.

[Goal: At 36, you'll still be an All-Star starter. Don't let the fans down; become the oldest All-Star MVP!]

[Reward: All-Star team role player talent.]

The concept of "All-Star role players" is quite unique.

Because players who can be selected for the All-Star team are, in any case, more talented than ordinary players.

So tonight, Lynch changed his usual style.

People saw through Lynch's intentions, and Lynch gained a lot of support.

As the head coach of the Eastern Conference All-Stars, Flip Saunders is willing to give Lynch more playing time.

Dwyane Wade threw Lynch alley-oops again and again.

Dwight Howard was even willing to run 4-5 pick-and-rolls with Lynch.

Lynch's scoring began to soar, but fans around the world knew that the performance in the first three quarters wouldn't determine anything.

The suspense surrounding the AMVP will only be truly revealed in the final moments of the fourth quarter, when the stars are putting up a real battle.

After five points in the fourth quarter, all the fans could clearly feel that the competition on the court had become more intense and the defensive intensity had increased to a higher level.

Kevin Garnett started yelling on the defensive end, and Kobe Bryant also bared his fangs like a viper.

The former's consecutive successful defense and the latter's consecutive baskets allowed the Western All-Stars to take a seven-point lead.

Throughout the game tonight, the Western All-Stars held a slight advantage.

For the Eastern Conference stars, this moment felt like the rope that had been holding them back had suddenly tightened.

In addition, the storyline presented in this match also excited the fans.

In the final moments, the Eastern Conference All-Stars fielded a lineup of Wade, LBJ, Carmelo Anthony, Lynch, and Dwight Howard.

This is a direct confrontation between the dream team and veteran players like KG and Kobe.

LeBron James wanted to step up, but he quickly made a mistake on the defensive end.

Originally tasked with guarding Kobe, he passed the ball to Paul and set an off-ball screen for Paul, which led to LBJ's defensive turnover.

Wade had clearly switched onto Kobe to defend him and reminded LBJ.

But LBJ was still looking in Kobe's direction, completely missing Chris Paul who had dribbled the ball to the three-point line.

This defensive turnover gave Paul a wide-open three-pointer, which he calmly sank, extending the lead to 10 points. Wade was utterly frustrated; this play was completely avoidable. But what frustrated him even more was that LBJ, who had missed his man, shrugged at him in dissatisfaction: "You need to keep an eye on your man, Dwyane."

Wade: ? ? ?
Why don't you just let me defend against five opponents at once, and then give you the AMVP?

Seeing the risk of internal division within the Eastern Conference All-Stars, Kevin Garnett seized the opportunity to add fuel to the fire: "Get ready to be dominated, you poor young bastards."

Trailing by 10 points is no small difference, especially when the game has really started.

As LBJ tried to deflect blame, Lynch's voice rang out amidst the noise, his tone calm, "Don't rush, guys," he said, pressing Wade's shoulder, "Six minutes is enough for us to change things."

The game continues, with the East attacking.

Lynch set a screen for Wade, who cut through the defense and entered the paint, only to be blocked by KG's help defense.

After Wade jumped up, he passed the ball to Lynch through the gaps in the crowd.

Kevin Garnett couldn't get there in time, so Brandon Roy immediately switched onto him. But his height was no match for Lynch, who easily drained the three-pointer.

When the score difference returned to 7 points, Lynch quickly retreated on defense and shook his head at KG, saying, "I have 34 points. The worst defensive player in history."

In this possession, Kobe tried to create an opportunity using KG's screen, but Lynch switched on defense at the perfect moment and shut Kobe down.

Seeing this, Kobe bounced the ball to KG who was cutting down the court.

KG leaped into the air, intending to dunk, but Dwight Howard descended like a divine warrior, delivering a bloody block that instantly thwarted the attack!
Wade shouted excitedly, "Man, this is our defense!!!"

James awkwardly followed the counterattack, rushing to the front and giving the illusion that his speed was no slower than Wade's.

But Wade didn't pass the ball to LBJ. Instead, he faked a layup and actually tossed the ball behind his head.

The moment the ball left his hand, Wade had already spread his arms to celebrate the goal.

next second.

"boom!"

Reggie Miller cheered: "Another alley-oop by Dwyane and Lynch, this is the All-Star game we want to see! From that perfect defense to this beautiful fast break, they've shown fans what kind of basketball the best players in the world can play together!"

Lynch was somewhat dazed after landing. Wade had actually done an alley-oop with him in front of LBJ, celebrating with his arms outstretched in advance.

This gave Lynch a strange and exciting feeling, like playing a blond guy in an NTR movie.

The point difference was quickly narrowed to 5 points, and Lin Qi was still directing the defense.

Brandon Roy had the ball, and LBJ originally wanted to guard Kobe, but Wade beat him to it: "I'll take it!"

He was rejected.

Carmelo Anthony is in a similar situation, having gone at least three minutes without receiving the ball.

Although the two brothers are reluctant to admit it, the entire team is now operating around Lynch on both offense and defense.

Everyone else became a role player.

Wade's decision to force a switch on Kobe worked. When Brandon Roy passed the ball to Kobe, Wade suddenly accelerated and instantly cut into the passing lane to steal the ball!
The basketball was about to fly out of bounds, but Wade used his incredible speed to leap and retrieve it back onto the court before it went out of bounds.

LeBron James received the ball and got the fast break opportunity he wanted.

At that moment, he was facing only Chris Paul, who is currently the best defensive point guard in the league, but it is generally believed that he was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot in front of LBJ.

Chris Paul quickly moved laterally, suddenly stopped, and blocked LBJ's path when he attacked the basket.

LeBron James didn't have time to change direction and crashed into him.

"Ah!!!" Paul shouted with all his might and did a standing long jump in the opposite direction.

The referee immediately blew his whistle, calling an offensive foul.

LBJ thought he had a good relationship with Paul, but he never expected him to act this way.

He spread his hands, practically kneeling on the ground: "Damn it, that was clearly a defensive foul! How did Chris get knocked so far? Did you guys really think I was an armored vehicle?!"

At this moment, fans who support the Eastern Conference All-Stars are already very dissatisfied.

Just as the team was about to catch up, LBJ made another mistake.

He's a complete burden.

The Eastern Conference supporters in the arena began chanting, "We don't need LeBron! We don't need LeBron! We don't need LeBron!"

Although the noise didn't spread throughout the entire arena, it still created a considerable commotion, causing LBJ to lose face.

Philip Sanders glanced at Lynch: "Should I take LeBron out?"

Lynch smiled and shook his head, then walked to James's side. "Don't look so down. And put your damn hands away. Are you going to stand there and wait for someone to kill you? I told you, no one will be a loser tonight," he said calmly but with an undeniable force. "So, just follow me."

These seemingly comforting words instantly ignited the shame that had been building up inside LeBron James—it was clearly the condescending pity of the strong for the weak!

But because of his recent mistake, he couldn't refute anything.

The game continued, and Wade's foul sent Kobe to the free-throw line. Kobe made one of two free throws, bringing the score difference back to 6 points.

This time, Carmelo Anthony finally got his hands on the ball. Facing Brandon Roy, he used a triple threat followed by a mid-range pull-up jumper, and the ball swished through the net.

Carmelo Anthony threw a powerful punch, proving that this wasn't just Lynch's game.

But he made his good friend LBJ even more embarrassed.

Now, out of the dream team of five, only number 23 looks like a slacker!

The intense sense of humiliation nearly suffocated LeBron, and he desperately needed to escape this agonizing situation.

In this defensive possession, he lunged at Chris and Paul almost frantically, trying to salvage his reputation with suffocating pressure.

Paul was not intimidated by the pressure; he made a graceful turn and passed by LBJ, who was leaning too far forward.

LeBron James was completely shaken off, staggered, and almost fell over in a sorry state!
Amidst gasps from the fans, Paul, having shaken off James, launched a mid-range jump shot.

But just as the basketball left his fingertips, a dark shadow, obscuring the sky, enveloped him.

"Lynch, a timely and powerful block! He refuses to hand over the victory; he's going to keep fighting!" Reggie Miller hadn't been this excited at an All-Star game in a long time.

After making the block, Lynch didn't speak to Chris Paul. Instead, he gave a meaningful look to LeBron James, who had just been easily faked out and was now in a sorry state.

A subtle, enigmatic smile played on Lynch's lips as his voice rang out clearly across the court:
"Get up quickly, I'm here, Lebaby."

These words were like a red-hot branding iron, instantly burning through LeBron James' last shred of self-respect.

The urge to escape the stadium has never been stronger.

The pain at this moment far surpasses the pain of being utterly defeated by Lynch ten times.

But he had nowhere to escape.

Because this is a game dominated by Lynch.

No one can escape.

(End of this chapter)