Champion Rules

Chapter 223, page 219: Is there a plan to treat people like they're not even human? (Seeking monthly votes!)
Carmelo Anthony put down the magazine he was holding; this issue of Sports Illustrated surprised him.

Because the cover of this issue of the magazine wasn't featuring the Super Pistons, but rather Lynch.

The headline proclaimed the media's viewpoint: "The Lynch Era."

Despite Detroit having just assembled a super team that has shaken the league, Sports Illustrated remains unchanged in its stance.

With Lynch winning the championship this year, he has now won three titles in five seasons in the league, which is indeed a remarkable achievement.

According to the relatively lenient standards of the NBA, winning three championships in five seasons can already be considered a dynasty.

This immediately set Lin Qi apart from the others in terms of status.

Once upon a time, Carmelo Anthony, who won two consecutive championships and was named Finals MVP in his first year in the league, was on par with Lynch in terms of fame and status.

However, at this moment, the once radiant Carmelo Anthony seems to have been forgotten in the dust of time.

He certainly didn't want a career that started strong but ended weakly, which is why he actively recruited Deron Williams and his good friend LBJ.

Is this a shortcut?

Without a doubt, yes.

But at least, it did bring him a little closer to victory.

However, Carmelo Anthony knew perfectly well that even with the Pistons assembling such a star-studded roster, victory was by no means guaranteed.

He personally witnessed the Detroit Pistons' rise from a two-peat to a decline as their roster crumbled.

This experience shaped him, making him a Carmelo Anthony who understands the "secret"—he knows that the key to true victory often lies outside of basketball itself.

So today, he privately met with Deron Williams and LeBron James, intending to have an in-depth discussion with them about this matter.

When Deron Williams arrived, he had already dyed his hair blue to match the Pistons' primary color scheme.

Leaving the Utah Jazz and escaping Jerry Sloan's shadow, Deron Williams is just like a teenager who has finally broken free from his parents' control after finishing the college entrance exam.

He greeted Carmelo Anthony warmly, clearly excited about his upcoming career in Detroit.

“Melo, I have an idea,” Deron Williams suggested enthusiastically, “Let’s get the word ‘Dynasty’ tattooed on our left arms. It would be the coolest souvenir ever!”

Although it seems a bit rash to talk about a "dynasty" before even playing a single game in the new season, compared to LBJ's classic idiotic quotes, Deron's little bit of arrogance can even be considered low-key and pragmatic.

LeBron James also arrived on time, but he was clearly not as lively as Deron Williams.

Carmelo Anthony can understand LBJ's feelings. The poor reputation of "The Decision" and Nike's indifferent attitude have put enormous pressure on this chosen one, making him feel like he is walking on thin ice.

After ordering, the three wealthy Black basketball stars each lit a cigar.

Deron Williams talked at length about the upcoming season, his eyes brimming with anticipation.

LeBron James, however, was unusually quiet, as if a heavy worry was weighing on his mind.

Before the food arrived, Carmelo Anthony cut to the chase: "Listen, guys, if we don't win the Larry O'Brien Trophy next season, the three of us will become the laughingstock of the entire league. This has to be done flawlessly, we all have to give it our all, and—" he emphasized, "we all have to sacrifice."

Cameron Anthony's gaze swept over the two men, whose expressions did not change when they heard the word "sacrifice."

This gave Anthony the confidence to continue:

"I know that many media outlets have said that the Detroit Pistons are my team, and you guys are just here to play for me."

No, that's not true. The Detroit Pistons are not my team, they are our team.

From today onward, I hope that the Detroit Pistons will only have "us," not "me." Individual victories are insignificant; team victories are the ultimate goal.

Our primary goal must be the team's victory; we must put personal honor aside.

Imagine this scenario, gentlemen: the NBA Finals, the Larry O'Brien Trophy within reach, but one player must give it their all on defense, potentially costing them the Finals MVP award. We must be prepared for this. Prepared to sacrifice something for ultimate victory!

We need to make sure we can reach an agreement on this; that's the key to victory!

Almost the instant Carmelo Anthony finished speaking, Deron Williams nodded in agreement: "I'm fine with it, I'm here to win the championship."

LeBron James smiled and answered decisively: "Of course, I completely agree, I have no objection to that. Oh, you know, I'm not the kind of person who's after stats and individual accolades. As everyone knows, I've always been an excellent team player."

After saying that, LeBron James felt a surge of panic.

really?
Is this really what I want?

How can a senior role player win a championship?

Am I really going to have to be like Scottie Pippen from now on?
LBJ didn't have the answer in his heart, or rather, he didn't have the courage to face the answer.

He could only take it one step at a time; things had come to this point, and there was no turning back.

Upon hearing their responses, Carmelo Anthony instinctively clenched his fists. A strong sense of control welled up within him, as if he had the slender neck of the goddess of victory firmly in his grasp, at her beck and call.

If this luxurious warship can truly unite as one and work together as a cohesive force, no one in the entire alliance will be able to withstand its might.

In his view, the outcome of next season's championship is almost a foregone conclusion—unless someone within the team changes their mind midway and goes against the current consensus.

In this regard, Carmelo Anthony tends to trust Deron Williams and LeBron James's character.

Although Deron Williams is seen as a jerk by Salt Lake City fans, Carmelo Anthony understands that it's simply a legitimate struggle for a playing style that suits him better. Having played under the legendary Larry Brown, Anthony deeply understands this mentality.

Essentially, Deron Williams is a reliable guy.

As for his good friend LBJ, although his departure from Cleveland affected his credibility, after all, he had promised more than once that he would not leave Cleveland, but in the end he broke his promise.

However, as a good friend, Carmelo Anthony believes that LeBron James wouldn't lie to him at this crucial juncture.

His character may not be perfect, but it's not so bad as to be that bad.

At this point, the waiter gently pours the decanted wine into the glass.

The crimson liquid filled the glasses, and Cameron Anthony raised his glass first: "To victory, gentlemen!"

The crisp sound of glasses clinking rang out, like the tolling of a bell announcing a new era.

At this moment, Cameron Anthony solemnly believed that Lynch's era had come to an end.
-
Compared to the worried LeBron James, Lynch was clearly much more relaxed.

He is currently in Serbia, enjoying his vacation.

Last summer, due to his rushed schedule in preparation for the Olympics, he regrettably missed his annual trip to Belgrade.

For Lynch, Serbia always brings him the purest and most pleasant moments.

Without the omnipresent spotlight or the relentless cameras, he can stroll freely through the streets of Belgrade like an ordinary person, and shop in convenience stores.

When Lynch encountered local residents, they mostly just nodded in greeting from afar and rarely came up to disturb him, which made him cherish this tranquility all the more.

Tonight, Lynch met with old friends at a small bar, where FMP club head coach Bosko Jokic and general manager Vlad Durovic were among his guests.

The three chatted in a very relaxed manner, but as the owner of FMP Club, Lin Qi casually asked a basketball-related question: "Does the club have any promising young players lately?"

The team's general manager and head coach exchanged a glance, and then a meaningful smile appeared on their lips.

"I don't know if you remember many years ago, in the Vrsach youth team, there was a guy named Nemanja. He was Darko Milicic's best teammate at the time, and you two had some arguments on the field."

"I remember." Lin Qi nodded. Although it was six or seven years ago, Lin Qi was not that forgetful.

“Nemanja later went to the United States to play college basketball for a while,” Bosko continued, “but failed, and now he has switched to being a professional mixed martial arts athlete.”

Bosko Djokic said, taking a sip of beer from his glass.

Lin Qi spread his hands, somewhat puzzled: "So, what does this have to do with my question?"

Bosko Jokic seemed to be waiting for Lynch to ask a question; he excitedly put down his glass and laughed heartily.

"That's the amazing thing about fate: his younger brother is currently playing in our youth team!"

That kid is nothing like his reckless brother; he's incredibly talented, his basketball IQ is practically innate! I bet 90% of NBA players are complete idiots who don't understand basketball at all in front of him!
I think he can help us dominate the Adriatic League again, and in a few years, he might even have a good chance to play in the NBA! Of course, he also has shortcomings, quite a few.

The first drawback is, well, I'm a little chubby at 160 pounds.

The second drawback is that it consumes too much cola, averaging 4 liters every 40 minutes.

The third drawback is that a significant portion of his talent is focused on eating. He can not only drink a lot, but he can also eat a tremendous amount!
The fourth drawback is that I have to find a way to convince him that playing basketball is much more fun than horse racing!
Of course, if he persists in his wrongdoing, I will contact animal protection organizations and report him for horse abuse. Given his weight, participating in horse racing is indeed an act of animal cruelty. In this civilized world, I simply cannot tolerate such a thing happening.”

After hearing these distinctive descriptions, Lynch frowned: "Nemania's brother? You mean..."

“Nikola, his name is Nikola Jokic,” Boshko said confidently, his eyes shining. “Trust me, Lynch, if your New York Knicks want to draft a European big man in a few years, don’t miss him. I’m swearing on my career that the kid is special. I’m not talking about his weight, I mean... he’s the kind of guy who’s born knowing how to play basketball properly.”

For the first time, Lynch discovered that owning a professional basketball club could actually give him an advantage in his NBA career.

He told Bosko and Durovic, "Don't let any American scouts get close to him. I don't want him to be too famous in America. That way, we can ensure the New York Knicks can secure him."

Lynch learned a lesson from his previous experiences of missing out on Stephen Curry and James Harden—with his unparalleled influence, any close association with a rookie can lead to that player's rise to fame and a surge in draft position.

This is a happy problem, as it means that Lynch has an unusually high level of attention in the basketball world, and he should be proud of himself.

But this could also cause Lynch to miss out on his desired goal.

So this time, he doesn't plan to give Nikola Jokic too much exposure.

Let's make a fortune quietly this time!
Considering Jokic's size, this is truly a "big win".

"What? You've already started a secret draft plan?" Durovich laughed. "That kid won't be eligible for the draft until at least 2014."

Boschko was also surprised by Lynch's decisiveness: "And you haven't even seen that kid play, how can you be sure he's really as good as I say? You don't even know how fat he is or how much he loves soda. Let me put it this way, the best way to motivate him to dunk is to put a Coke on the rim."

“No need to look,” Lin Qi waved his hand. “I trust your judgment. After all, you once trained the highest-paid basketball player in the world.”

Back at the hotel that evening, Lynch chatted with Sam Presti about Nikola Jokic, despite the six-hour time difference.

He hopes that over the years he can send scouts to watch the Adriatic League more often and secretly observe Nikola Jokic's development.

Sam Presti showed little interest in the suddenly appearing European kid, and quickly shifted the conversation to Demar DeRozan's recent situation.

"Did you know what? The Greenburg Training Center is now open every day for one person. Demar DeRozan, his work ethic is beyond imagination. He practices like crazy every day, and I even have to pay the trainers overtime for him."

This kid is definitely not Vince Carter; Vince Carter would never care about his progress like this.

By the way, I heard that this kid chose a semi-annual salary payment schedule (NBA salaries can be paid every two weeks, every six months, or every twelve months), and then used the first payout to pay off his debt to you. Now, all of New York knows your story and his, and he's been deeply influenced by you.

Although his talent isn't as outstanding as some of the others, I believe he will grow rapidly with you by his side.

Before long, he will be your right-hand man.

After hanging up the phone, Lin Qi was momentarily stunned.

He wasn't surprised by DeMar DeRozan's diligence; he already knew the guy's character.

DeMar DeRozan is a typical example of a player who makes up for a lack of natural talent with hard work.

He doesn't have the invincible upper body of LBJ and James Harden, nor the top-notch first step, and he doesn't have the incredible long-range shooting touch of Stephen Curry.

This makes it harder for him to shake off defenders when he drives to the basket, and his three-point shooting is not consistent enough.

Therefore, DeMar DeRozan has only one direction for evolution: to master the full range of mid-range techniques.

Since he couldn't easily get past his defender and couldn't carry the ball from beyond the three-point line, honing his mid-range skills was his only option.

Therefore, DeMar DeRozan's future as an elegant mid-range master is both a result of hard work and a kind of unavoidable situation.

His talent limited his attack range, forcing him to hone his mid-range skills to the extreme.

It's no secret that he has always been so diligent.

What truly stunned Lin Qi was that the long-awaited system notification immediately appeared before his eyes as soon as the call ended.

As a veteran, it's also your responsibility to help the younger players on the team grow.

[New goal: To help DeMar DeRozan improve, help him adapt to this league, and help him grow from a boy into a man, just like you did back then. To get DeMar DeRozan into the All-Rookie First Team by the end of the season.]

[Reward: Choose a random talent from one of the All-Rookie First Team players. Example: Stephen Curry's pull-up jump shot talent.]

This is a very generous reward, as this year's All-Rookie First Team is full of talent.

Lynch doesn't remember who it was specifically, but the talent of Stephen Curry and James Harden alone was enough to excite him.

However, achieving this goal presents enormous challenges.

Under the original timeline, DeMar DeRozan wouldn't even have made the All-Rookie Second Team.

Next season with the Knicks, he can't expect to be a starter right away; he might even spend most of the season as a substitute. A rookie's development in a championship-contending team is always limited in many ways.

Limited by playing time and team role, making the All-Rookie First Team is by no means easy.

After all, not all rookies are like LeBron James back in the day, who, despite having a worse record and similar stats, beat Carmelo Anthony to become Rookie of the Year.

Therefore, Lynch could not easily obtain this tempting reward.

He needs to put in some real effort – he must get DeMar DeRozan to put up impressive numbers in his limited playing time.

If successful, Lynch will not only become stronger, but also gain a better helper.

It can be said to kill two birds with one stone.

He was determined to properly train his younger brother.

Lynch thought for a moment and then sent a text message to his arch-rival and good friend, Kobe Bryant.

"I need your training plan, could you share it?"

Kobe quickly replied: "Yes, we have three training plans: a regular version, an enhanced version, and a 'devil' version. Which one do you want? If it's for you, I suggest you get the baby version."

Lin Qi grinned, his fingers flying across his phone screen: "Do you have that ultimate version of 'treating people like they're not human'?"

Lin Qi was not joking.
That's exactly how he intends to "properly" cultivate DeMar DeRozan.
-
American sportswear brand Under Armour wants to enter the basketball market, but so far they haven't found a suitable spokesperson. —The New York Times

I don't like how you (the media) dissect player relationships like this. Listen, we're not Batman and Robin, we're Batman and Superman! On this team, everyone is a star player; there's no hierarchy. We're going to be a team you've never seen before, an ultimate team focused on racking up wins! — Carmelo Anthony in an interview with ESPN about the Pistons.

"Dude, let's show them what they want to see!" — A quote from LeBron James to Carmelo Anthony on a radio show.

"Lynch, welcome back to the free, democratic, just, and safe United States. How was your vacation?"

“It was great, I really enjoyed that time.”

With training camp about to begin for the new season, do you think complacency will be the enemy of the Knicks, who have already established a dynasty?

"When did I establish a dynasty?"

"You've won three championships in five seasons, man. This is a dynasty."

"Bullshit. Only a three-peat makes a dynasty. I don't need to lower the standards to define myself. A few real rings, plus a true dynasty, that's what I need. Our whole team is hungry for it, so we won't slack off."

"Speaking of the real ring, if the Detroit Pistons win the championship next season, who do you think is most deserving of being called the 'real ring': Melo, LBJ, or Deron?"

"This assumption was never valid from the beginning; the Detroit Pistons would never have won the championship."

"But they are clearly the favorites to win the championship next season; their roster is historic."

"If you replaced LeBron with another star, that would indeed be historic. But I'm sorry, no matter where LeBron's team is, they can't beat me. In fact, I'm glad that next season it will be easier to bring together Melo and LBJ."

—An interview with ESPN writer Marc Stein, titled "The Target Dynasty and the Disdain for the Pistons."

(End of this chapter)