Champion Rules

Chapter 22 021: Pusher or Obstacle? (Please read!)
Carmelo Anthony was selected with the second pick, and Melo smiled happily. He had already packed his luggage for Detroit.

The moment the Cleveland Cleveland Cavaliers drew the first pick, the first pick was already secured.

In Melo's view, the second pick has also been determined.

He never thought he would fall out of the top two.

He walked onto the stage and shook hands with David Stern, a confident expression on the young man's face.

He knew he was about to create greatness—the first player in history to win the NCAA championship in his college rookie year and the O'Brien Cup in his NBA rookie year!

The Pistons were swept by the Nets in the Eastern Conference Finals last season, and the whole world knew that team lacked a scoring point. Now, they have it.

All the fans were cheering, thinking that LBJ and Melo would usher in a new era.

Or maybe, it's not just the era of the two of them.

The live camera was turned to Dako Milicic, the handsome blond boy with earrings and sunglasses, who looked unhappy.

Don't get me wrong, he wears sunglasses not to look cool, but to cover up the long scar left by the stitches on his eyebrow.

He had reason to be unhappy, as he had expected to be picked second.

Milicic had numerous individual workouts for the Pistons, and Joe Dumars was not shy about expressing his admiration for him in front of the media, even commenting on camera: "That kid is better than Dirk."

But now, everything has become a bubble.

Almost uncontrollably, Darko Milicic remembered the Chinese man's face.

He blamed all of this on Lynch.

If it weren't for that bastard, he would be the one shaking hands with David Stern right now!

With the third pick, the Denver Nuggets took Georgia Tech freshman star Chris Bosh.

The fourth-placed Raptors took away Chris Kaman, the "last hope for a white American center." Many fans mistakenly believe he's German, but he's actually a native of the United States. In 2008, he became a German citizen, relying on his great-grandfather's German heritage to qualify for the Olympics. He doesn't even speak a word of German.

Pat Riley, who was fifth, took down Dwyane Wade.

Darko Milicic's hands and feet were cold. He never thought that he would fall out of the top five!
It wasn't until the sixth pick that Elgin Baylor's Los Angeles Clippers took him.

When Darko Milicic stood up, his facial muscles seemed to be frozen by the cold current blowing from Siberia, and the smile on his face was stiffer than the one when the princess in the box saw the obscene guest.

ESPN commentator Jeff Van Gundy also mentioned Lynch: "Dakko's expectations were definitely higher than this. He may be the player with the biggest gap right now. Moreover, Darko's decline in the draft wasn't due to the tryout. As far as I know, his tryout performance was perfect. The person who caused his draft decline is now in the distant Iberian Peninsula. Have you heard of Lynch? He's only 17 years old, but he's already playing for a giant like Real Madrid."

Mike Brin, standing nearby, smiled and said, "Some people may not have heard of this name, but by this time next year, he will be a household name."

Darko Milicic's drop to sixth place not only changes his personal history, but also changes the history of the entire NBA.

The question of "what would happen if the Pistons selected Melo with the second pick" became a reality in this timeline.

More than a decade later, almost all members of that championship Pistons team had a consensus - if the Pistons had chosen Melo, we would have been better.

Chauncey Billups' view is: "If we had selected Melo, we might have won three consecutive championships, and LeBron James might not have had the opportunity to establish himself in the league, and he might have left the Cavaliers early."

Richard Hamilton had almost the same view.

"Some people say Melo is a tactical black hole, too sticky with the ball, and can't defend. But I want to say that if he first came to Detroit, we wouldn't let him develop those habits.

You know, when I first came to Detroit from Washington, I wasn't a great defender. But when I got to the Pistons and saw what Ben Wallace did on the court and how invested everyone was on defense, the culture there changed me, and it definitely changed Melo.

Maybe if Melo was there, I wouldn't be starting, or Tayshaun wouldn't be starting. But for that team, we didn't care about that.

So if we had chosen Melo, we would have won at least two championships."

It's hard to say if anyone in the world understands that Pistons team better than Chauncey Billups and Richard Hamilton, so their speculation may be justified.

Darko Milicic's draft pick changed more than just himself.

Maybe it will also change Carmelo Anthony, the Detroit Pistons, Tim Duncan and even LeBron James.

And the source of all these changes is Lynch.

Lynch has already changed the direction of this timeline before he even entered the league, and his influence is gradually expanding.

Teodosic watched Darko put on the Clippers cap and whistled: "Darko, who was beaten by you, can still be sixth. Ha, he is obviously worthless."

"It seems that you will definitely be the top draft pick next year, Mr. Lin," replied butler Valverde Rojas.

"It's not that simple, Alfu." Lynch nicknamed him Alfu because he looked so much like the butler in the Batman cartoon. "It's undeniable that my market value is very high now, but if I get caught in La Liga, my market value will drop immediately. I don't want to be the next Darko."

Lynch was very sober and never let his guard down.

As the first round of the draft drew to a close, Ah Fu glanced at the electronic clock on the TV cabinet. The red numbers had jumped to 23:44.

He put the teacup away from the table and stood in front of the two teenagers who were far away from home. "It's almost time to go to bed, if you want to go for an early morning run tomorrow. By the way, what would you like for breakfast tomorrow?"

"Same old fashioned, milk toast and avocado. Thank you, Afu."

"You're welcome. Good night, young gentlemen."

"Good night."

Under Afu's careful care, Lynch and Theo had a very smooth offseason.

Lynch continues to gain weight and practice his jump shot every day.

His training volume was so high that it made Real Madrid trainers nervous, but every time he had a physical examination, the team doctor's evaluation of him was the same: "Don't worry about our golden tower."

AC. Green's super talent does give Lynch a lot of convenience. Whether it is gaining weight or increasing training volume, Lynch can do it with ease.

Sometimes Lynch wonders what kind of passionate sparks would be created if AC Green met Tom Thibodeau.

Of course, AC Green is just tough, but not superhuman. If he trains and gains weight too much beyond his limits, he still runs the risk of injury.

Being too radical will easily lead to offline, while being too conservative will have no training effect.

It is the smart choice to push the limits like Lynch.

While Lynch and Theo were training, Real Madrid was also busy recruiting. Julio Lamas spent a huge transfer fee to bring the team's star striker, Antonios Fuzis, from the Greek giants Panathinaikos.

He played briefly in the NBA as a second-round pick in the 01-02 season, and immediately dominated the Greek league upon returning to Europe. Before joining the NBA, he also won the EuroLeague championship with his team.

Panathinaikos initially took a tough stance, with head coach Zeljko Obradovic bluntly stating: "Real Madrid is delusional. They can't always get whatever they want!"

But when Julio Lamas shelled out €450 million, his response became: "Which flight do you want Antonios to take to Madrid?"

A transfer fee of 450 million euros may not be worth mentioning in European football, but it is the most irresistible number in basketball.

This is European basketball, money really can do whatever you want.

The team's second non-EU player also joined a few days later. Julio signed Louis Bullock, a 185 cm combo guard who was selected by the Timberwolves with the 42nd pick in the 1999 NBA Draft.

Although he was selected in 99, he was kicked off the roster after the preseason, so he never played an official game in the NBA.

However, Louis Bullock excelled in Europe. After graduating from university, he played just one season at Verona in Italy before being recruited by Serie A powerhouse AC Milan. In the 01-02 season, he averaged 24.9 points per game for Milan, becoming the Serie A scoring leader.

After switching to La Liga last season, his performance remained strong, becoming the league's three-point king.

So Julio Lamas bought him at a high price as the team's "small foreign aid".

However, Louis Brock has a shortcoming, and almost all his teammates who have worked with him have a consistent evaluation of him: the arrogant American is difficult to get along with.

This is probably why he frequently changes teams despite performing very well.

Therefore, the joining of Louis Bullock has brought Lynch and Theo to another difficult situation - how can they share the ball with someone who is difficult to get along with and needs to have the ball in his hands?
Will Louis Brock be a driving force or an obstacle for Lynch's pursuit of the No. 1 pick?

We will have to wait until the new season starts to find out.

As time passed, Lynch and Theo finally waited for the day when the new season training camp would open.

When the two teenagers arrived at the Raimondo Saporta Training Center on their bicycles, the usually deserted open-air parking lot had turned into a steel jungle.

Lynch supported himself on one foot, his eyes sweeping over the rows of Mercedes-Benz S-Class and Audi A8. These precision creations of German industry glowed with a cold metallic luster in the morning light, just like the calm style of their owners on the field.

There is no doubt that these cars belong to their Real Madrid teammates.

Most Real Madrid players drive this kind of traditional German luxury car with a relatively stable appearance, which is in stark contrast to the ostentatious sports cars that everyone drives in the NBA.

As Theo's fingertips touched the chrome door handle of a BMW 7 Series, the air was suddenly torn apart by the roar of the engine.

A fiery red afterimage streaked across the parking lot, its wide tires leaving scorch marks on the asphalt. Like a rock musician entering a symphony hall, this American muscle car stood out among the staid German luxury cars.

"The sweet rice dumpling fell into the pile of salty rice dumplings." Lin Qi whistled jokingly.

Needless to say, the owner of this car is definitely Louis Brock, the legendary American defender who is flamboyant, arrogant and difficult to get along with.

The car parked, the butterfly doors opened, and a cigarette butt was thrown out, then extinguished with the toe of a pair of expensive leather shoes.

Then, the owner of the car finally leaned out.

A small black man wearing diamond-studded sunglasses came out and casually closed the car door.

When he saw Lynch and Theo, he didn't greet them with a smile, but instead put on a sour face that said "keep away from strangers", just like the rapper pretending to be tough in the music video.

As he walked towards Lynch and Theo, the thumb-thick gold chain around his neck swayed with his steps.

Although his height of 185cm does not give him an advantage in front of the other two, his arrogant expression still makes him look very impressive.

To be honest, if this wasn't Madrid, Lynch felt like the guy in front of him would pull out a hard thing and yell, "Borrow some money."

Louis Brock glanced at Theo and Lynch, then looked around.

Because they were in the parking lot and the Ford GT's engine was so loud, many team staff members noticed the three new players and stopped to watch.

Seeing the crowds around, Louis Bullock tilted his head and pointed his nose at the two men. "Yo, let's talk in the training gym. I know you're a big deal, but we'd better establish some rules up front. A team can only have one owner, right?"

"Set rules?" Lynch laughed. Julio Lamas, as the head coach, sets rules for himself, so what are you setting?

If I don't agree to your rules, can you jump up and hit my knee?
It just so happened that Lin Qi also wanted to make it clear that he was not here to assist him.

Next season, Theo needs the ball, Louis Bullock needs the ball, and Lynch needs shooting.

There must be a clear standard for how to divide this cake.

"Okay, let's go to the gym and talk."

Walking into the gym, avoiding the public's sight, Louis Brock locked the door with a "click".

He finally took off his sunglasses and his expression became serious.

"Lynch, right?"

"Hmm, what rules do you want to set? I want to hear them."

"Listen carefully—" Louis Blake approached Lynch.

“Bro, there were so many people outside just now, I beg you!

This season, if you are willing to protect me from behind like you would Theo, and shield me like a calf, I will definitely cooperate with you in passing the ball! It will be more coordinated than the most dazzling trick Lu in the streets of Madrid!

Damn, those damn North American scouts always say I can't play in the NBA because I'm a terrible defender. Is it because I'm a terrible defender? It's obviously because the big guys behind me are so stupid! I missed someone, and they can't make up for it!?

They only saw that I was a little slow on defense, but they didn't see that I was a big step faster on offense! Every time my teammates looked up, I had already run to the front.
In short, only you can help me, Bro. I know how good your defense is, and I know you can cover the entire half court! You are my bulletproof vest, protecting my heart! Whether I can return to the NBA depends on you, please! "

After saying that, Louis Brock took Lynch's hand and kissed the back of it.

At this moment, Lynch, who has the iron body of AC. Green, almost broke his waist. This was the closest he had ever been to injury.

But at least it is certain that Louis Brock will not be a problem.

He will give Lynch a big push on his way to becoming the No. 1 pick in the draft.

(Thanks to book friends 20220416110602124, Qiye Xuelie, iz丶one, Mei Laoban Bu Damei, book friend 20241220232826528, please call me Wolf Master, Tianma Xingkong zxz, sitting alone by the sea watching the sunrise, Cong Rong and other big guys for the rewards, thank you all!)
(End of this chapter)