Champion Rules

Chapter 212, Part 208: The Number One Loser (Seeking Monthly Tickets!)

Jerry West is a man who truly turns his hobby into a profession.

Despite being the inspiration for the league's logo, his playing career was far from smooth.

He entered the league in 1960 and his long wait for a championship finally ended in 1972 when he defeated the New York Knicks in the Finals.

However, the championship trophy failed to soothe his accumulated frustration and disappointment, offering only a numb sense of comfort.

As a player, Jerry West's achievements never satisfied his extremely competitive spirit.

Although some people may later use the argument that "Jerry West played in 9 Finals and only won once, but he still became the league logo" to excuse their own behavior of "competing for GOAT despite having fewer championships".

However, Jerry West himself was clearly not satisfied with the honors he had received.

However, as his physical condition declined, Jerry West did not want to continue working odd jobs, so he chose to retire and continue to fight in other positions, winning honors.

He worked as a coach for three years, and then as a scout.

Finally, in 1982, Jerry West became the general manager of the Los Angeles Lakers.

In this position, he found true belonging.

This space allowed him to draw spiritual satisfaction from victory without having to deal with the endless mental and physical torment of playing on the court himself.

So even at the age of 71, Jerry West remains immersed in his beloved team-building endeavors.

This is both his job and his hobby.

Two years ago, he came to the Oklahoma City Thunder, determined to build a championship team around superstar Kevin Durant.

Although the 2009 NBA draft is generally considered a weak year for talent, Logo Jerry West disagrees.

On the contrary, he sees it as the starting point for the rise of the new Thunder team.

At that moment, he had just hung up a phone call.

The caller was Stephen Curry's father, Dell Curry, who firmly told Jerry West:
“My son will not play anywhere outside of New York. Even if you select my son, we will not sign him. If any team outside of New York selects Stephen, we would rather let him play in overseas leagues for a few years first!”

Jerry West wasn't angry about this because he knew that Dell Curry's tough stance wasn't directed at the Thunder.

In fact, all the teams in the league with the top five picks received similar warning calls.

Stephen Curry's sole desire to join New York is an open secret in this year's draft – he and his family value New York's huge market, and he himself has no qualms about becoming a sidekick to a legendary star like Lynch.

Dell Curry's warning has deterred many potential suitors, who fear the baby-faced Davidson academy graduate might actually go to play in an overseas league—Stephen Curry himself would certainly suffer as a result, but no team wants to see a lose-lose situation. Ultimately, they could very well waste a draft pick as a result.

It's not uncommon for rookie players to try and take control during the draft.

In 2007, Yi Jianlian and his team also threatened not to sign with the Milwaukee Bucks.

Finally, it was Bucks owner Herb Cole who personally met with Yi Jianlian and included a clause in the contract guaranteeing Yi Jianlian a starting position and playing time, which ultimately led to Yi Jianlian signing the contract.

Yi Jianlian is therefore known as "the first Chinese in history to make foreigners sign an unequal treaty".

Therefore, the experienced Logo is no longer surprised by such rookie-turned-coaching tactics.

He knew how to handle it.

However, young head coach Scott Brooks is clearly worried about this.

He stared intently at Jerry West, asking anxiously, "What should we do? Give up on Stephen? But hey, James Harden is also an excellent option, and a safe one, if we..."

Jerry West waved his hand, interrupting Scott Brooks.

“Don’t worry about Scott,” he said calmly, picking up his coffee with a confident tone. “This (Curry’s problem) is not something we need to solve right now. Right now, we need to prioritize something else.”

Scott Brooks didn't speak, but waited silently for an answer.

Then, he heard something from Jerry West that shocked him.

"Our top priority right now is to trade Russell Westbrook."

Scott Brooks' eyes widened in disbelief. Russell Westbrook was a very promising young man with unparalleled athleticism.

Although his touch is a bit stiff and he's not quite calm enough on the court, considering his age, he's still a very promising young player.

This is a high-quality asset that most teams would never trade.

But Jerry West...
Scott Brooks had no idea what Logo was up to or what his plans were. Whenever he pressed for details, Logo would always reply, "I have my own plans."

He understands Logo's desire for secrecy; he certainly doesn't want his plans to be leaked.

And such leaks often start with people close to you.

As long as you don't tell anyone your plans, your opponents can't extract any information from your head.

But this sense of insecurity about the unknown made Scott Brooks increasingly confused about the future of this young team.
-
Dwyane Wade once again set foot in the brightly lit New York, but the anticipation and excitement he felt during his last visit were gone.

He came here carrying a sense of fearlessness and willingness to die.

After the intense game, Dwyane Wade, who was experiencing knee discomfort, underwent a check-up by the team doctor.

His knees have reached a critical point, and the team doctor advised him to simply give up the season.

Even if he risks injury to fight hard in Game 5, the Miami Heat might not be able to win.

However, Dwyane Wade ignored this. Regardless of the outcome, he was determined to fight to the death tonight.

As he stepped into Madison Square Garden, Dwyane Wade's gaze was sharp and unwavering as he stared at the signs in the stands that read "Ready to be punished."

He knew that the team's morale had already plummeted to rock bottom—even his own fighting spirit had been burned out on that night in Miami.

But as the team's cornerstone, he couldn't show the slightest sign of frustration. He had to force himself to hold his head high and face this do-or-die battle, which was almost certainly a fight with no chance of survival.

Before going on the court, Lynch reminded Wade, "I heard your knee isn't doing well?"

"Stop talking nonsense, that's not something you bastard should be worried about."

"If it were 2-2, I wouldn't say anything. But it's 3-1 now, and you know very well our determination. Dwyane, don't push yourself. Why don't you learn from LeBron? He knows very well how to separate the team's loss from his personal loss. You didn't lose, Dwyane. The whole world saw your performance in this series. You don't need to prove anything anymore."

Dwyane Wade smiled, but his eyes burned with an indomitable spirit: "Don't mention LeBron, that loser. What if it's 3-2 after tonight?"

After warming up, Dwyane Wade sat on the bench, seemingly lost in thought.

He knows his physical condition, and the whole world knows his physical condition.

In the 2003 draft report, his biggest weakness was not his jump shot or height, but his ever-present health problems.

He decided to break free from his destiny, but at this moment, before heading to the battlefield, he chose to face reality and tell his head coach.

"Hey, Eric."

"Dwayne?"

"I don't know what kind of performance I'll be able to deliver later, but listen, if I'm dragging the team down, take me out immediately. But if I can still play, then don't fucking worry about me!" Dwyane Wade is willing to give everything for victory, whether it's his health or his status as the team's core player, he doesn't care.

As long as the Miami Heat can win.

Eric Spoelstra had heard Pat Riley say countless times that “competitive sports are war in the civilized world.”

At first, he thought it was just a slogan.

But the Miami tough guys' repeated decisions truly showed him what it means to be fearless in the face of death.

“I know what to do, Dewayne.”

"Yes!" A resolute glint flashed in Miami's number 3 eyes. "Let's go!"

The game began, and Dwyane Wade took the lead.

He first pulled up for a three-pointer from beyond the arc, and the ball went in smoothly.

Immediately afterwards, he used incredibly fast, elusive footwork to create an opening before the double team could close in, and slammed the ball towards the basket, dunking over Tyson Chandler.

Dwyane Wade opened the game with two powerful punches, hoping to ignite his teammates' fighting spirit. Of course, he also hoped to ignite his own.

However, Lin Qi immediately retaliated, hitting a three-pointer right through the opponent's defense.

Steve Nash followed up with a pick-and-roll and made a jump shot, displaying his composure and experience.

Miami's brief advantage vanished in an instant.

In the following games, the Heat were once again battered and bruised by the Knicks' impenetrable defense.

Every drive to the basket by Dwyane Wade became more difficult than the last, as excruciating pain in his knee clung to him relentlessly.

Midway through the second quarter, as Dwyane Wade was preparing to make a sharp change of direction with the ball, he suddenly fell to the floor.

Steve Nash immediately picked up the basketball and launched a counterattack, the cheers from Madison Square Garden instantly drowning out all other sounds.

Most people thought Dwyane Wade had just slipped and fallen accidentally, until the number 3, lying on the ground, began to painfully and uncontrollably pound the floor.

Erik Spoelstra covered his head with his hands, and Lynch walked up to Wade, bending down to ask him what was wrong.

Pau Gasol was visibly flustered: "Damn it, what's wrong with you? What feels like the problem?"

Lynch stared at Wade, who was struggling in pain on the floor, and slowly said, "Maybe it's just a sprained knee. He changed direction too much just now." He paused for a moment, his voice lowering, "His pain right now probably doesn't just stem from the injury, but also from... he understands that he has completely lost his chance to compete."

For someone like Dwyane Wade, missing opportunities is more painful than injuries.

With his teammates' help, Wade left the court dejectedly, his figure disappearing into the depths of the player tunnel.

The suspense of the match effectively ended at that moment.

Without Wade, the two Pauls fought hard, but ultimately could not break through the Knicks' formidable defense.

Pat Riley knew all along that this series would be a bloodbath.

He just didn't expect that the Miami Heat would be the ones bleeding.

The game ended with the New York Knicks sweeping the Miami Heat 4-1, returning to the NBA Finals after a year's absence.

As Lynch walked toward the players' tunnel, he saw Dwyane Wade waiting for him with crutches.

The two embraced, and Wade patted Lynch on the back.

"Congratulations, go win the championship."

"Nonsense, do you think I'd be like you?"

"Ha, you better know that the Los Angeles Lakers and Kobe Bryant are not easy opponents."

"Don't worry, at the end of this season, people will say: The great Dwyane Wade is not a loser, he just lost to this year's championship team."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Wade returned to the player tunnel, while Lynch returned to the court to prepare for the upcoming Eastern Conference championship award ceremony.

Inside the Heat's locker room, Paul Pierce stared blankly at the ceiling.

Wade placed a towel over Pierce's face. Seeing that Pierce still didn't react, Wade teased, "Sorry, wrong one. This is the towel Mario just used to wipe his feet."

Sure enough, Paul Pierce immediately sprang up as if he'd been electrocuted, throwing the towel to the ground.

Dwyane Wade laughed: "You've come to your senses?"

Pierce didn't laugh; he was furious. "Dwayne, I admit I like women's feet, but don't disgust me with men's feet! Damn it! I'm going to get my teeth cleaned tonight; I just licked that towel!"

"Just kidding, it's just a clean towel. Hey, don't be discouraged. We beat them last season, and they beat us back this season. We'll get back at them next season. We're young, we have plenty of opportunities."

Paul Pierce took a deep breath. "That's right, we have to win! That cigar Pat gave you will definitely be lit next year. By the way, what did you write on it?"

Paul Pierce has always been curious about this.

But Dwyane Wade decided to keep it a secret.

"It's no fun if you tell us beforehand."

Although he couldn't predict the exact moment he would light that cigar, Wade firmly believed that one day it would happen.

Meanwhile, Lynch was attending a press conference.

In this series, Lynch has fully demonstrated his dominance. But clearly, he hasn't yet dominated the league.

Because there is another equally dominant team waiting for him.

By defeating the Lakers' Big Three, Lynch finally regained control of the league.

At this point, the Los Angeles Lakers were leading the Dallas Mavericks 3-1. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the league's long-awaited 20 vs. 24 scenario was finally about to become a reality.

Kobe has been mentioning Lynch and saying derogatory things ever since he won the Finals MVP last season.

He wanted to appear more dominant than Lynch to prove his championship was well-deserved.

Now it's Lynch's turn to fight back.

“Dwyane deserves respect; he is by no means a loser. In fact, there was only one loser this year, and that was Kobe Bryant,” Lynch said at the press conference.

"You mean Kobe, who made it to the Finals, was not as good as Dwyane, who fell in the Conference Finals?"

Facing the focused cameras and expectant expressions of the reporters, Lin Qi nodded without hesitation to confirm: "Yes."

Then, he smiled and approached the microphone.

"Because the second place winner is the biggest loser!"

(End of this chapter)