Champion Rules

Chapter 231, Section 227: Rulers are all terrifying

Chapter 231, Section 227: Rulers are all terrifying (Seeking monthly votes!)
"It won't be as long as LBJ waited for his chance to participate in the Slam Dunk Contest."

Kevin Durant's rather discontented response after the loss drew a warning from Nike executives.

They didn't understand why KD, who was also a Nike ambassador, would mock LeBron James.

There was no animosity between them; they had even filmed several commercials together.

Furthermore, the TV station concluded from lip movements that when Kevin Durant hugged Lynch, he said, "Do you think I play like LeBron James?"

Nobody knows exactly what KD was unhappy about with LBJ.

In fact, there is no conflict between Kevin Durant and LeBron James.

But as a tech enthusiast, Kevin Durant often blurts out popular internet memes.

"You play like LeBron" and "I will definitely participate in the dunk contest next time" were both popular internet memes during this period.

Even on Chinese online forums across the ocean, the abbreviation YPLL for "You play like LeBron" has become a viral sensation.

Of course, it was interpreted in another way: they're about to run away.

"Le Paopao" has replaced "Little Emperor" as the most frequently used nickname for LBJ in China.

LeBron James' influence is so immense that even Michael Jordan would have to admit defeat.

But LeBron James could never steal Lynch's thunder.

The Knicks' victory over the Thunder showed the world the gap between them.

This young guard may have great potential, and Kevin Durant may already be one of the best scorers in the entire league.

But at present, they have absolutely no chance of challenging the Knicks and Lynch.

Lynch solidified his position with yet another 40+ game.

This was only the beginning of his continuation of dominance.

The next day, New York, Greenburg Training Center.

Steve Nash, as always, was impeccably dressed, with slicked-back hair, a tie, and a suit, when he appeared here.

This man seems to be a perfect NBA player template that stepped directly out of David Stern's ideal blueprint.

He has a gentle personality and never causes trouble.

Even without dress codes, he would still appear in front of the camera appropriately.

David Stern very much hopes that Steve Nash will become a coach after retiring.

The president firmly believes that this white guard will be one of the very few exceptions in the league's history who can transform the coaching bench into a "zero-conflict haven."
It's really hard to imagine someone like Steve Nash yelling "F" at the referee with a ferocious expression.

If Nash becomes a coach, he will completely change the atmosphere of the league.

Although the media can only enter the training center after the afternoon training session.

But at this moment, outside the training hall, countless media outlets had already set up their cameras and microphones.

But when Steve Nash's car drove by, only a handful of reporters pressed the shutter, and the few clicks were so few that they sounded almost desolate.

All the cold gun barrels in the cameras are waiting for that Porsche, Rolls-Royce, or Ferrari that symbolizes the royalty of New York.

Lin Qi awaits, ready to devour all light.

He scored 40+ points in two consecutive games at the start of the season.

This is a rather strong declaration of defending the title.

Lynch's star power, fueled by the New York market and Reebok media hype, overshadowed everyone else on the Knicks.

Under the skies of New York, there is only one king who reigns supreme over all.

Even Steve Nash, the legendary point guard with two MVP awards, could only pale in comparison to Lynch's crown-like aura.

In fact, Steve Nash performed quite well in both games.

In the opening game, Steve Nash had 14 points and 11 assists.

He had 16 points and 13 assists in the last game.

His basic stats remain excellent, and his advanced stats show no signs of decline compared to before.

He remains Lynch's best helper.

Many people are unaware of how terrifying this matter is.

Looking back at Lynch's previous two championship runs, the Knicks' journey to their second title was already fraught with difficulty.

The decline of Stephon Marbury and Grant Hill not only made defending their title a difficult task, but also foreshadowed the collapse of their third championship.

But at this time, Lynch led his team to a 74-win season and won the championship in the playoffs with only 3 losses.

The Knicks' strength has not declined significantly this season.

Steve Nash is still at the tail end of his prime, and the growth of Wilson Chandler and the addition of Ron Artest and others have offset the negative impact of the departure of Trevor Ariza and Ben Gordon.

ESPN writer and data expert John Hollinger published an article titled "Signs of a Dynasty" after studying Steve Nash's advanced statistics this season.

He believes:
"His impact on the game remains at the top level in the league, making the Knicks one of the few teams in history that can stand alongside the '97 Bulls and the '01 Lakers."

The most striking characteristic of those two teams is that they both had a dominant season the previous year, and that dominance didn't diminish at all the following year.

As you know, most championship teams in NBA history have encountered various problems.

The aging of key players, personnel losses due to exorbitant salaries, rampant selfishness in the locker room, and fatigue after winning the championship amidst a difficult journey.
Clearly, the 97 Bulls and the 01 Lakers did not have similar problems.

Therefore, they are the only two teams in modern basketball to achieve a three-peat, becoming an immortal epic.

This is also the source of their terrifying rule.

With an unwavering and overwhelming dominance over several years, they controlled the league and dominated it for more than a season.

This is the fundamental difference between them and some other championship teams.

This is the fundamental difference between a fleeting moment of glory and an everlasting monarchy.

Now, the New York Knicks' course is heading straight for this sea that only legend has ever touched.

They are becoming the third dominant team like this.

While Steve was still in form, Lynch's desire to win was far from being satisfied.

Believe me, this is a sign of a dynasty.

John Hollinger's prediction that the New York Knicks would become a dynasty team has obviously drawn some criticism.

After all, the competitive environment in the league is extremely harsh right now.

From the formation of the Lakers' Big Three to Yao Ming joining the Spurs this summer and the emergence of the Pistons.

In recent seasons, the number of teams with the ability to challenge for the throne has swelled to an unprecedented peak.

In such a perilous situation where wolves surround you, establishing a dynasty is no easy task.

This is why LBJ's bold statement "not 1, not 2" became a laughing stock worldwide.

In today's competitive environment, his confidence is as inexplicable as Jay Chou's confidence when he plays basketball and thinks he's handsome.

Similarly, John Hollinger's unwavering belief in crowning the Knicks as a dynasty also carries a touch of ethereal uncertainty.

But the New York Knicks quickly proved John Hollinger's analysis right with a series of winning streaks.

After defeating the Thunder, the New York Knicks went on to beat the Magic, Nuggets, Raptors, Celtics, and Heat.

The New York Knicks have won all seven of their opening games of the season!
Among them, the Magic and the Heat are both formidable teams in the Eastern Conference.

After their defeat last season, they all made reinforcements to varying degrees.

The Orlando Magic have added depth to their roster by signing former Knicks players Michael Pietrus and Brandon Bass.

Furthermore, unlike in the original story, they did not allow the Turk Siddu Tkoglund to leave and pursue Vince Carter instead.

This allowed the magic to remain competitive.

On the Heat's side, they signed former All-Star forward Jermaine O'Neal, who had been waived by the Suns, providing Pau Gasol with a reliable backup.

In addition, they signed Quentin Richardson to bolster their offensive firepower during rotation time.

Fueled by burning ambition, they marched into the capital once more, determined to sever the Knicks' undefeated streak.

Yet the dynasty's power remained unshaken.

After seven games, the Knicks' challenge is far from over.

Having just emerged from the scorching heat of Miami, a reporter asked Lynch at a press conference: "Do you think this year's Finals will be a rematch against the San Antonio Spurs?"

Clearly, the San Antonio Spurs, currently with a 5-2 record, are considered the Western Conference team, besides the Lakers, with the best chance of challenging the Knicks' reign.

Yao Ming integrated into the Spurs' system much faster than expected, and the Spurs, who are no longer young, maintained incredible health at the beginning of the season. Apart from Manu Ginobili, who had just undergone surgery in the summer for a stress fracture of his right fibula and had not yet regained his form, no one else was affected by injuries.

And these two teams are set to meet tomorrow night—a schedule so bad that the entire Knicks team has to give the schedule designer and all the women in their family a good scolding.

They had just fought a bloody battle in the humid air of the south coast, and before they could catch their breath, they had to drag their heavy bodies across 2226 kilometers to attack the holy city.

They will start another match tomorrow night, playing their third consecutive away game.

Lynch was also dissatisfied with this, and he first talked about the schedule, which was not directly related to the question:

"I'm confused by the NBA schedulers. Although San Antonio is geographically closer to the central United States, our actual flight distance isn't that far."

They can play three consecutive away games, including back-to-back away games.
At this moment, we are still on a winning streak, and even I have to express my deepest awe for this team's dominance.

After venting his anger, Lin Qi began to answer the real questions.

"As for the San Antonio Spurs, you know they've always been an extremely good team. They might make it to the Finals, but we'll definitely lift the championship."

Faced with this towering Western wall, Lynch's confidence mirrored John Hollinger's unwavering prediction of a dynasty.

After the press conference, the entire Knicks team immediately headed to the airport.

On their private plane to San Antonio, Flip Sanders, Mike Malone, and Mike Brown were racking their brains to figure out how to take down the Spurs' Twin Towers.

So far this season, the Spurs are the best team at "lowering the opponent's field goal percentage in the paint".

The twin towers combination of Tim Duncan and Yao Ming made the paint a true no-go zone.

In this era of weak three-point shooting, the offensive lifeline of most teams still rests on the heart of the paint.

The Spurs' terror lies in their precise exploitation of this most fatal weakness.

The Spurs shut down this easiest scoring area, forcing you to shoot from far away from the basket and putting your fate on a elusive shooting touch.

This is why the Argentine team still managed a 5-2 start even when their magic weapon "rusted".

This is not a series, so the coaching staff doesn't have much time to specifically analyze the Spurs' twin towers.

Just as they were racking their brains, Lin Qi's figure silently approached.

"Gentlemen," the dim blue light of the computer screen reflected on his face, "I suggest that in the next game we double-team Manu Ginobili more often, at least when he's on the court, we should focus our defense on him."

Philip Sanders' tactical thinking gears snapped instantly.

This doesn't seem like a proposal Lynch would make.

Because this suggestion is so stupid.

Manu Ginobili has been in terrible form since his return, playing the worst game of his career: averaging 13 points per game with a shooting percentage of less than 40%.

Since 2004, Manu Ginobili's field goal percentage has never fallen below 45%.

The score has never been lower than 15 points.

People believe that years of injuries have ruined the agile Argentine, and it will be difficult for him to regain his peak form.

Why waste precious defensive resources to hunt down this lost soul?

Given Lynch's basketball IQ, he shouldn't have made such an unconventional suggestion.

Lynch noticed the doubt on Philip Sanders' face, patted him on the shoulder, and handed him a newspaper.

The sports section of the newspaper prominently featured a complaint from Spurs general manager RC Buford.

"Can anyone tell me what Manu can still offer us now?"

After reading it, Philip Sanders nodded in agreement, indicating a pause in what he had previously considered a deviant strategy.

"I understand."
-
The following day at noon, Philip Sanders addressed the entire team during a tactical meeting.

“When Manu Ginobili comes on, we need to focus on him and try to prevent him from even receiving the ball.”

Clearly, he accepted Lynch's seemingly nonsensical suggestion.

Mike Malone was stunned.

I don't care who you are, please get off our head coach and team leader immediately!

With no immediate solution to break down the Spurs' twin towers defense, this became the only special arrangement tonight.

Is this the secret to tonight's victory?

This decision is just as absurd as LBJ's "The Decision"!
After the meeting, Mike Malone asked Philip Sanders why he did that.

Flip Saunders first explained the Spurs' summer spending spree.

The San Antonio Spurs have always been extremely cautious about player contracts.

They are not a wealthy team, and they can never ignore the luxury tax like New York and Los Angeles.

From the very beginning of their team's formation, they were like a meticulous old woman, scrimping and saving every penny.

So this summer, the Spurs faced two problems: a lack of interior defensive players and wing players.

Management can only selectively address one of them.

So they got Yao Ming.

When RC. Buford and his team traded two draft picks, two insignificant players, and Bruce Bowen, who retired immediately after reporting for the team, for Yao Ming, the whole city cheered.

Spurs fans were incredibly excited, and the "Three Musketeers" were transformed into "Four-Wheeled Cars."

The epic showdown between TD and Lynch in the Finals is about to return.

This is undoubtedly a big-money signing for the Spurs, and also a very bold one.

It's like watching someone play cards, carefully, winning and losing.

Finally, he suddenly laid all the stakes on the table and said: "I'll bet on this one."

At first glance, the Spurs seem to have figured it out.

They seem to have finally decided to invest heavily.

In reality, the Spurs' essence has not changed.

They have always been extremely cautious about player contracts.

Therefore, when a reporter asked RC Buford whether he would renew Manu Gino's contract with Belgium, which was about to expire, ahead of schedule.

The general manager, who was recently burdened by Yao Ming's contract and extremely dissatisfied with Ginobili's performance, replied:
"Can anyone tell me what Manu can still offer us now?"

Considering that he rejected the Nuggets' max contract offer in 2004 and signed a 6-year, $5200 million contract with the Spurs instead, RC Buford's answer is undoubtedly disheartening.

Therefore, Lynch saw things clearly. Manu Ginobili's poor form wasn't entirely due to his surgery in the summer.

It was also because his relationship with the Spurs was facing its first crisis.

That's why Lynch needs his team to defend the Argentine more tightly.

because.

If the opposing team has a key player who has already signed a big contract and another key player whose contract is about to expire, then focus your defense on the key player whose contract is about to expire.

Then he would complain all night, "Why can't I get the ball?"

The entire team will fall apart because of this.

Mike Malone was incredulous after hearing Philip Sanders' explanation.

Because only someone whose mind is constantly preoccupied with the thought of victory could think of such a detail.

"That Lynch guy, he's really... terrifying," Mike Malone remarked.

This kind of terror is completely different from the terror on the field.

Lynch's dominance on the field only represents his ability.

His meticulous study and analysis of his opponents off the court is enough to prove just how hungry Lynch is for victory.

He entered the industry in 2004 and already has three rings, but his hunger for success remains at this level.

Will this guy really be satisfied?
At that moment, Mike Malone deeply understood the difference between a victor and a ruler.

Philip Sanders shrugged: "Rulers are all terrible."

"So, the Spurs are finished, right?"