Champion Rules

Chapter 247, Section 243: Better than you in every way

Chapter 247, Section 243: Better than you in every way (Seeking monthly votes!)
Six months ago, Ron Artest was still looking for his next destination.

He wants to win a championship.

But for a 30-year-old player whose physical functions are beginning to decline across the board, he has passed the age of achieving his goals on his own.

Ron Artest would never have considered joining a team that already had another superstar.

He would never willingly submit to another superstar and become his subordinate.

His arrogant pride only accepts one outcome—to defeat them and climb to the top by standing on their shoulders.

But at 30, Ron Artest, who was subjected to domestic violence by his wife, had no choice but to back down.

His former teammate Reggie Miller's lifelong dedication to Indiana without a championship earned him both respect and fear.

He doesn't want to go his entire career without ever wearing a ring.

The days of chasing the Larry O'Brien Trophy alone are gone; he can only choose to rely on others.

It turns out that Ron Artest, who only needs a mid-level contract, is very popular in the market.

It's like if LeBron James in 2025 didn't want a $5000 million annual salary, but only a mid-level contract, he would definitely be in high demand—even if he was the only player on the All-NBA team with a negative plus-minus rating.

During the 08-09 season, both teams that battled it out in the Finals extended offers to Ron Artest.

Ultimately, Ron Artest chose New York.

Not because it was his hometown team, but because of what Sam Presti said when he recruited him.

He still vividly remembers the chilling warning in the last sentence: "Never make an enemy of Lynch."

He was persuaded.

After agreeing to Sam Presti's offer, he had to call Kobe Bryant and decline.

The proud Kobe Bryant was thinking at the time, "I'm going to make this bastard regret it."

The core of his rage was not Ron Artest's rejection itself.

Rather, it was because Ron Artest rejected him in Lynch's name!

This was nothing short of a resounding slap in the face to Kobe Bryant's pride and dignity.

The last time they met, Ron Artest was just a substitute.

Kobe's thirst for revenge had nowhere to go but to burn silently.

Ron Artest is now an important starting member for the Knicks.

The opportunity finally arrived.

The raging fire that had been building up in Kobe's chest for so long finally found its outlet.

Madison Square Garden, March 3.

Four hours before the game started, fans waiting in line to enter the stadium had already completely surrounded Basketball Mecca.

So far this season, the Knicks have lost five games, but New York fans have never been disappointed at home.

Every time, every night, all the New York fans who bought tickets could leave satisfied and happy with the joy of victory.

Tonight, they are also looking forward to victory.

We look forward to the undefeated legend continuing.

Ron Artest attracted a lot of camera attention before the game, after all, Kobe had specifically asked him to be tough last night.

Ron Artest was not afraid of this.

Facing the reporters' cameras, Ron Artest rubbed his elbows together.

"Oh, I'll beat him with basketball."

Reporters:
You don't even have the ball in your hand!
Kobe Bryant certainly knew what kind of person Ron Artest was, but he didn't care at all.

This guy is one of the few players in the NBA who gets more excited and likes you more the more you treat him roughly.

This type of guy is often referred to as an M-man in the art film industry.

The tougher you are, the harder he becomes.

Before the game started, the two teams had just gathered at the center circle when Kobe Bryant deliberately walked up to Ron Artest and pressed his face against his.

"Ron, I'm glad you're a starter here. The only thing that bothered me last time we played was that I fucking never got a chance to take you down!"

Artest smiled and said, "You'll miss the last game very soon."

The referee blew his whistle frantically, forcibly inserting himself between the two and separating them.

Even before the game started, the air in Madison Square Garden was thick with tension.

Seeing Kevin Garnett come up and push Artest away, Lynch also stepped in to separate him.

Although they have a good personal relationship, they keep to themselves and separate their personal lives from the competition.

"Don't make any rash moves, KG."

“Lynch, I’m not some spineless coward like Johnny Flynn who gets all trembling at the mere smell of you.” KG’s words were as tough as ever.

Kobe seized the opportunity to add fuel to the fire, his gaze sweeping across the packed arena before landing on Lynch's face, his words laced with sarcasm:

"Lynch, the winning streak at Madison Square Garden is long enough. I know you're under a lot of pressure, so much so that you're afraid to even date. Tonight I'll help you release that pressure, so thank me."

Lynch retorted without holding back: "Damn it, do you think this place is like the Staples Center bus, where even LeBron James can just hop on whenever he wants?"

Although the physical confrontation between the two sides was forcibly suppressed, the verbal attacks became increasingly frequent and vicious.

It took the referee some time for both teams to calm down and prepare for the jump ball.

However, the powder keg at Madison Square Garden has been completely ignited, and everyone knows that the fire of anger they have jointly set off will not be easily extinguished until one of these two arch-rivals truly falls.

The match finally began, and just ten seconds into the game, the piercing whistle tore through the air once again.

Kobe and Artest grappled together like intertwined beasts, and the players from both sides regrouped.

The big screen showed a replay of what had just happened: Ron Artest ran up the court, and Kobe roughly wrapped his arms around him.

Furious, Artest roughly shook off Kobe's hand, but Kobe quickly grabbed Artest's jersey tightly again.

In the very first round of the match, the two engaged in a fierce and straightforward confrontation reminiscent of the European and American styles, with no probing and no back-to-back attacks.

The referee gave both sides a technical foul, assigning each side equal responsibility.

This ruling was indeed very harsh, and the intention was clearly to use strong measures to bring the game back on track.

He certainly didn't want this highly anticipated match to erupt into conflict.

However, this did not have the desired effect and failed to extinguish the fighting spirit of both sides.

This is more like the prelude to the whole bloody struggle.

In the following rounds, every attack and defense by both sides was filled with rough physical contact.

This rough physical contact wasn't just between Kobe and Artest, but spread to all players on both teams.

Madison Square Garden seems to have been dragged back to that era of muscle-bound, spark-filled "Dark Defense".

Kobe broke through Raja Bell and pulled up for a mid-range shot, but Bell's rough pull caused Kobe to miss the shot.

On the offensive transition, Ron Artest, like an enraged bull, slammed his shoulders down and brute forcefully pushed past the slender Tayshaun Prince, forcing his way into the paint and jumping for a layup.

But Kobe Bryant, like a shadow of revenge, arrived from the side and rear, delivering a powerful block that sent the basketball flying.

Artest also lost his balance in the air and was slammed out of bounds by the force, hitting the ground with a thud.

Every time Kobe turned and jumped to shoot, Raja Bell's arms wrapped around his waist like iron chains.

Lynch attempted to post up, but KG's elbows and knees followed closely, each contact accompanied by a sickening sound of muscles colliding.

Even when Steve Nash tried to dribble and organize the offense, Jason Kidd would constantly pull and shove him, forcing the "Son of the Wind" to stumble forward.

Even veteran comrades are not going to be spared!
The players on both sides were quickly covered with additional marks beyond the creases of their jerseys: red shoulder blades, scratched arms, and bruises that could not be hidden even when soaked in sweat.

Both coaches, Flip Sanders and Phil Jackson, were yelling at the referee, spitting as they spoke.

The fans on the sidelines were so shocked by this raw and powerful confrontation that they sometimes gasped and sometimes held their breath.

The air was thick with the smells of sweat, blood, and bursting hormones.

Mike Breen bluntly stated, "This isn't the regular season; it's a preview of the 2010 NBA Finals!"

Scoring becomes incredibly difficult under such intense competition, as everyone's touch is quickly worn down in the fierce battle.

Every goal is like picking fruit through a thicket of thorns, requiring the price of sweat and blood.

But the viewership ratings remained high, and the cheers from the audience never stopped.

Because nobody cares about the flow of the game, the audience is focused on waiting for the next fierce tackle, the next physical defense, and the next goal that comes from a fight through the crowd.

At the end of the first quarter, the score was 17-15, with the New York Knicks leading by 2 points.

This pitifully low score is the best description of this cold, bloody battle.

The Knicks fans at the stadium were both excited and nervous.

Excitingly, this high-intensity match fulfilled all their expectations for this ultimate showdown.

The tension lies in the fact that this upgraded and aggressive Los Angeles Lakers team truly possesses the ability to break Madison Square Garden's undefeated record. Of course, the refereeing standards are also questionable.

They simply didn't want a direct physical confrontation between the two sides.

But as long as there's a ball, conflicts can happen at will, and the officiating standards are extremely high!
From a certain perspective, it's normal that the referees didn't call many fouls tonight.

Because none of the actions on the field were fouls, they were all illegal!
For New York fans, mixed with excitement and tension was a touch of relief.

New York fans were secretly pleased, thankfully LeBron James wasn't in this game.

Otherwise, given his acting talent, Ron Artest might have picked up six fouls before halftime.

After the first quarter, Flip Saunders knew that in this brutal battlefield, following the rules and executing tactics was futile, because many tactics and runs simply could not be executed.

He needs to reduce the number of shots taken by role players and place all the scoring burden on the only person who can possibly carve a path through this impenetrable steel maze.

Only Lynch could consistently put the ball into the basket under such suffocating physical contact and defense.

On the other hand, Phil Jackson thought the same thing.

He had already experienced this kind of primal strangulation scene countless times in the purgatory of the 90s, and the cruelty of that time was even greater than today.

The only key to solving the problem back then was to give the ball to that damn Michael Jordan.

Then, Phil Jackson whispered to the menacing figure beside him, his tone calm yet containing a resolute power:
"Tonight you can fire as much as you want, unleash all your bullets. Everyone else, maintain the current defensive intensity until the final whistle."

The old Zen master was absolutely confident in this.

Yes, Lynch is extremely powerful.

However, if we're talking about sheer ability to forcefully develop a shot and score, he believes Kobe Bryant is in a league of his own.

Both coaches issued the cruelest orders, and Madison Square Garden was about to become an arena for the two kings to fight.

The game restarted, and the moment Raja Bell received a bounce pass from Jason Kidd beyond the three-point line, his iron elbow was already pressed against his lower back.

That power was enough to suffocate an ordinary person, but Kobe seemed oblivious. Before Lynch could double-team him, he forced his way through, stopped abruptly, and pushed off the ground with a powerful slam, perfectly executing his signature fadeaway jumper.

Kobe's movements were so simple that there was no wasted effort. The instant his feet touched the ground and the ball left his fingertips, Lynch's giant hand was already blocking his path.

This was an extremely difficult move.

But the basketball, spinning, pierced the net amidst a collective gasp!

"Shh!"

Kobe Bryant grinned, clenched his fist, and roared.

This is pure killing skill, a precise release of honed muscle memory under extreme pressure.

Kobe Bryant still managed to score despite intense defense, giving the Los Angeles Lakers the lead.

With the ball in rotation, the Knicks' tactical intentions were clear and resolute—Lynch was deep in the low post, ready to take on KG one-on-one!

Kevin Garnett's thick arms were like a noose around Lynch, but he showed no fear and wasted no time. He lowered his stance, his back muscles taut like steel bars under the pressure, and slammed heavily into KG behind him.

Lynch knew, of course, that once Tyshaun Prince joined the attack, he would have no chance at all.

Aside from himself and Ron Artest, KG and Tayshaun Prince were probably the most fearsome defensive duo on the wing in the league. Even Lynch would never want to be double-teamed by them.

Once, twice. The heavy and solid blows were like battering rams, forcefully chiseling gaps into KG's impenetrable walls.

With just one second remaining before Tayshaun Prince double-teamed him for a layup, Lynch swiftly turned and delivered an incredibly smooth hook shot.

The basketball spun past KG and Tayshaun Prince's fingertips and landed precisely in the net!
This time, not even the net made a clear scraping sound, only a slight thud as it hit the net.

There are no fancy moves, only pure power aesthetics and the ultimate instinct forged in the struggle!
"Lynch has put the Knicks ahead again!" Mike Breen's hair stood on end. Lynch and Kobe had already taken over as superstars in the second quarter.

It is foreseeable that this will be a visual feast for the fans!
In the following rounds, the two seemed to treat this bloody grinder as a stage to showcase their individual skills.

Kobe received the ball in the left elbow area of the free throw line. Facing Raja Bell's sticky and tenacious defense, he used a series of sharp and quick feints to attack, with unpredictable changes in rhythm.

The instant Raja Bell's center of gravity shifted, Kobe Bryant took a half-step forward with his right foot, using it as a pivot to rapidly twist his body to the right!
This turn created a precious, narrow opening for him to shoot, and he landed a difficult turnaround fadeaway, swishing the ball cleanly. Artest, who was closing in, barely had time to touch his arm guard.

Another difficult goal; no one in the entire league can handle tough attacks better than number 24.

He first shook his head at Ron Artest, who had tried to double-team him but failed: "Did you join New York on purpose to lose to me?"

Then he beckoned to Lin Qi with his finger: "Kang Mang, let's see how you're going to secure a home victory tonight!"

Instead of responding verbally to Kobe, Lynch quickly received the ball outside the three-point line, faked a shot to shift KG's weight, and then drove to the basket.

Just as Tayshaun Prince was about to come from the side to help defend, Lynch had already taken off into the air. After a brief moment of intense air combat, he carried Kendrick Perkins's fierce charge and slammed the basketball into the basket with a powerful tomahawk dunk that seemed capable of tearing the rim apart!

Lynch responded promptly as always!

Every subsequent point scored by the two was accompanied by louder muscle collisions and heavier breathing.

Every shot they took challenged the limits of mechanics and aesthetics; every successful shot felt like pouring molten lead into the boiling arena.

The floor of Madison Square Garden trembled as the two superstars battled it out, the referee's whistle sometimes piercingly cutting through the air during this breathtaking contest, and sometimes silently fading into the massive clamor.

When Kobe and Lynch were both resting, the rotation players from both sides also performed well.

DeMar DeRozan's two difficult layups amazed everyone.

Shannon Brown's spectacular dunk and Matt Barnes' tough defense ensured that the Lakers remained in the very center of the winning lane even when Kobe was unable to take the helm.

The score remained close.

With four minutes remaining in the first half, both coaches substituted the two star players back into the starting lineup.

At this point, the Lakers were down by 1 point and had possession of the ball.

The game seemed to have entered a rhythm of "Lynch and Kobe taking turns scoring, with the two teams continuing to alternate in the lead."

But the Knicks have quietly changed their defensive strategy; Lynch no longer plays the small forward position and no longer helps defend Kobe.

This task was assigned to Raja Bell and Ron Artest.

This move was intended to reduce Lynch's workload on the defensive end.

Kobe called for a screen from Kendrick Perkins, briefly shook off Raja Bell, and then stopped abruptly and leaned back.

But Ron Artest came up to help defend faster than Kobe had anticipated.

He completely shut down Tayshaun Prince, effectively blocking Kobe's most extreme shooting angles.

Kobe's shot attempt was thwarted, so he changed his shot in mid-air to a pass, making a thrilling long pass to the little prince on the other side of the court—Kobe Bryant was a passing master who didn't like to pass.

Although his style is primarily focused on scoring, his passing ability is actually quite excellent.

Tayshaun Prince took a three-pointer without hesitation, but the basketball was slammed to the ground by Lynch's five fingers, making a dull thud!

Mike Breen pumped his fist excitedly: "Lightning-fast rotations and rotations! Want to score? Kobe Bryant might have to do it himself!"

The offensive and defensive transition occurred instantly, with Lynch personally dribbling the ball forward.

Tayshaun Prince quickly caught up; his physical strength wasn't enough to force Lynch to slow down significantly, but he was confident he could take the ball from Lynch.

Everyone in the league knows that Lynch, like KD, has a type of forward with a certain build whose biggest weakness is dribbling.

After Lynch got a step inside the three-point line, Tayshaun Prince saw a perfect opportunity to steal the ball and stretched out his long arm!

But Lin Qi seemed to keenly sense the danger and closed the ball ahead of time.

However, KG had already caught up by then. If Lynch were to pull up for a jump shot, he would face tight interference from KG and Little Prince's four long arms.

However, after receiving the ball, Lynch didn't pull up for a jump shot. Instead, using his superior stride, he instantly stepped back to the three-point line!
Tayshaun Prince and KG immediately adjusted their center of gravity and lunged forward to disrupt the attack.

But before they could block the basketball with their hands, it had already flown away from Lynch's fingertips.

This was definitely a very difficult move. Although Lin Qi created a little space to make a move by taking a step back, it was really just a tiny gap.

KG and Tayshaun Prince managed to effectively disrupt the shot.

All the fans in New York held their breath, and then, melodious sounds flowed like a clear spring, permeating the entire Madison Square Garden.

"Shh!"

"Lin Qi hit a difficult step-back three-pointer, successfully extending the lead to 4 points!"

Mike Brin's screams ignited a frenzy in New York.

Amid the cheers, Phil Jackson frowned slightly, looking unusually nervous.

He has always believed that Kobe Bryant's ability to forcefully develop his shooting ability is the best in the league.

But tonight, when Kobe was forced to pass the ball, Lynch was still hitting difficult jump shots!
He was uneasy about the final outcome of the match.

On the field, Lynch simply raised three fingers.

Ron Artest took on the task of delivering trash talk.

He ran to Kobe's side, spitting as he spoke:

"That's why I chose Lynch, you bitch!"
Because in every aspect, he is a better player than you!