Champion Rules

Chapter 248, Section 244: Dynasties are not "decided"
When it comes to who is the MJ of the 21st century, Kobe Bryant and Lynch are always two names that cannot be ignored.

One whose playing style is more similar to MJ's, and who proved in 08 that he could win a championship without Shaq, undoubtedly narrowed the gap between himself and MJ.

The other, however, casts an even brighter glow under the dome of dominance and personal honor, seemingly becoming the chosen master of this era.

The basketball world generally believes that the ultimate winner of the battle between Lynch and Kobe will be the strongest contender for the GOAT title in the future.

Michael Jordan's status as the GOAT is not secure. Many people criticize LeBron James for not being able to play for one team, but little do they know that Michael Jordan couldn't even achieve the most basic one-man-one-ball play.

Therefore, his GOAT status is easily shaken, and everyone has a chance to challenge it.

Tonight, Lynch and Kobe, with the thud of their muscles colliding, the sweat-soaked floor, and every desperate offensive and defensive play, showed the world just how brutal and gruesome the bloody journey to the GOAT throne truly was.

Kobe no longer has the mind to trash talk; he just wants to focus on the game.

Seeing that Ron Artest started to use pressure and double-teaming against him, Kobe immediately decided to switch to playing off-ball.

In this round, he seemed to have run four or five laps around the halfway point, constantly running in opposite directions, using cover, and frequently changing speed, trying his best to tear space in the crowd.

His tireless efforts finally paid off, and he successfully shook off Raja Bell and received a timely pass from Jason Kidd.

Artest immediately switched defenses upon seeing this, rushing towards Kobe, while Raja Bell switched to face Tayshaun Prince.

What's amazing is that even after such high-intensity, wide-ranging running, Kobe's breathing remained steady and his power was still extremely strong when he shot.

His jump shot seemed completely unaffected by physical limitations.

Or rather, his extensive running just now did not cause any fluctuation in his physical fitness.

The basketball swished through the net, and Kobe responded forcefully with a flick of Ron Artest's fingertips!

But just one round later, the Knicks pulled the score back to the original level.

Lynch also used off-ball movement to tear apart the defense, eventually cutting out to receive the ball on the right side of the free-throw line and taking a jump shot.

Both Lynch and Kobe tried to use off-ball offense to avoid the opponent's strong double-teaming from the frontcourt.

In the following rounds, both players displayed exceptional off-the-ball skills.

Although they didn't score every time, they still managed to score through gaps in the tight defense.

At the end of the second quarter, Lynch had 14 points and Kobe had 13 points.

The New York Knicks went into the second half with a 6-point lead.

Phil Jackson was well aware of how outstanding Kobe's off-ball movement was, and in recent years his offensive style had become increasingly similar to that of MJ during his second three-peat.

They all simplify things, their offensive methods are extremely concise, their dribbling time is very short, or they simply don't hold the ball at all.

Kobe, who will soon turn 32, has finally begun to dominate the game in a more mature way.

This isn't too late, because even Michael Jordan only reached the level of simplifying complexity around the age of 30.

However, to Phil Jackson's surprise, Lynch, who was only 24 years old, was already familiar with this technique.

He always plays the right way.

In this thrilling duel between star players, Lynch did not hogging possession of the ball out of eagerness to win.

He demonstrated the same patience and precise off-ball movement as Kobe, and was even on par with him in terms of stamina and consistency in catch-and-shoot.

Not everyone can make a shot immediately after a long run.

This means that in a purely individual contest, Kobe did not have the advantage.

This was a rare occurrence for Phil Jackson. When the game became a matter of star players taking the lead, few in the league could keep up with Kobe's scoring pace, and even fewer could outperform him in half-court offense.

Dragging the game into a defensive battle and then relying on Kobe's superior ability to break through defenses to win has become Phil Jackson's winning formula this season.

Tayshaun Prince's eight-game winning streak after joining the Lakers was achieved in this way.

But tonight, Lin Qi not only kept up, but even seemed to have the upper hand.

At halftime, Phil Jackson had to change his defensive strategy, asking Tayshaun Prince and Jason Kidd to be more aggressive in their help defense and cut off passing lanes to Lynch.

The biggest drawback of off-the-ball offense is that it adds the step of "getting the star player to receive the ball".

If passing lanes are blocked, even a star player with a hot hand will find it difficult to produce high output.

However, once the second half began, Phil Jackson immediately noticed that the Knicks had adopted the same defensive strategy!
It became increasingly difficult for both sides to receive the ball easily, further increasing the difficulty of their attacks.

Kobe began to use his back-to-the-basket offense more frequently to solve problems.

Whether it was Raja Bell, Ron Artest, or DeMar DeRozan who came off the bench, they all put tremendous pressure on Kobe.

Kobe didn't complain, didn't shrug, and didn't simply disappear. Instead, he used one incredible, difficult turnaround jump shot after another to relentlessly torment the nerves of every defender.

Some star players have to step up in these moments, while others refuse to do so.

Kobe, on the other hand, loved to step up in those moments.

He stood at the center of the storm with a bloodthirsty fervor!

Kobe's baskets amazed Lakers fans because almost no possession of his offense was easy.

With only two healthy fingers left on his right hand, which he couldn't even grip tightly with his brother, he held firmly onto this damned fate.

Kobe's performance in the third quarter was incredibly impressive, but after the third quarter ended...
The Lakers are still down by 5 points!
The roar of Madison Square Garden has long since become a sea of ​​"MVP".

In the third quarter, Lynch responded with the same cold-blooded attitude to almost every point Kobe forced to score!

After three quarters, Kobe had 34 points and Lynch had 37 points.

The Lakers always seemed just a little short of tying or taking the lead, but those tiny gaps were impossible to close.

Kobe Bryant walked off the court with gritted teeth, while the other Lakers players beside him were also panting heavily.

Although they don't have to shoulder too much responsibility on the offensive end, no one has it easy in such a confrontation.

It was like a brutal meat grinder battle; the battlefield was littered with blood and flesh, but the front line hadn't advanced an inch.

Kobe glanced at Lynch on the other half of the court and found that Lynch was also staring at him.

Then, number 20 couldn't help but smile and shouted at him, "Keep going, let's keep going, don't stop!"

After many years in the league, Kobe Bryant finally met someone just like himself.

Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade are not lacking in competitiveness, but they lack his burning passion.

LeBron James... let's not talk about him.

Only in Lin Qi did he see a soul that burned with the same passion for battle, a soul that remained steadfast until death.

Kobe shifted his gaze from Lynch to Phil Jackson: "Don't take me out of the game in the fourth quarter. I'm going to fucking take Madison Square Garden!"

Phil Jackson did not deny it.

He certainly knew that with Kobe's stamina, he could easily play a full quarter in a game of this intensity.

Thus began the most brutal fourth quarter.

Kobe immediately broke through Raja Bell's defense with a pull-up jumper after a drive.

With the score difference reduced to just 3 points, No. 24 immediately cast a shadow of defeat over Madison Square Garden.

All of New York knows that the immense burden of maintaining the arena's undefeated home record is now resting heavily on Lynch's shoulders.

If he relaxes even slightly, that weight will crush the entire Madison Square Garden.

But Lynch quickly responded with a hook shot while caught in the double team.

The moment the ball swished through the net, the roar of the home crowd pounded into Kobe's ears. That damned number 20 was like a ghost he couldn't kill no matter how hard he tried.

These two tough exchanges at the start of the fourth quarter set the tone for the offense and defense of the quarter.

For the next period of time, Lynch and Kobe were playing a turn-based game.

You attack me once, I attack you once.

You strike the iron, and I'll return the favor.

Interspersed throughout are "story animations" depicting conflicts between the two sides.

As the clock relentlessly ticked down to the final three minutes of the fourth quarter, the scoreboard displayed a glaring red number showing the Lakers were still trailing by four points.

Kobe's fighting spirit had reached a boiling point, and he decided to push this war to an even higher level!

After the timeout, when Kevin Garnett walked over to Lynch, Kobe leaned in, pointed behind him with his thumb, and gestured for KG to move aside.

Kevin Garnett was visibly startled: "Dude, don't do anything rash."

Number 24 interrupted decisively: "Kevin, I know what I'm doing! I'll handle him!"

Kobe Bryant is going to face off against Lynch himself!

This is his usual way of solving problems.

Very old-fashioned, simple, direct, even a bit reckless, not very smart.

But this is precisely the basketball creed that has been ingrained in him since he entered the league in 96.

Lynch stared at Kobe and immediately launched into trash talk: "You should learn from LeBron, learn to find some dignity in defeat. If it were him, he'd be guarding Jason right now."

Jason Kidd:
Kobe curled his lip in disdain: "So what? What did he ultimately achieve? Success on the path of failure?"

"How dare you! How heartless of you, Kobe! Aren't you and he brand ambassadors?"

"Oh, so you must have shown a lot of sympathy for Yao, right? After all, he's a Reebok spokesperson."

KG listened to their conversation and shook his head.

Shut up, both of you! This only proves that you're both animals!

The referee's whistle interrupted their conversation. Lin Qi, leaning against Kobe, firmly held his position at the corner, and the basketball was immediately passed to him.

He lowered his shoulders, gathered his strength, and prepared to launch an attack using his advantage in power and height, completing a turnaround jump shot the instant he created an opening.

However, in the blink of an eye as Lynchball landed and shifted his center of gravity, a hand wrapped around his finger guards, as swift as a venomous snake, suddenly shot out!
A crisp, piercing sound of a ball being sliced ​​rang out. Kobe, in a near-suicidal manner, suddenly half-circled in front of Lynch, ducked down to steal the ball, and precisely caught the one-ten-thousandth-second gap in Lynch's dribbling rhythm change!

He sliced ​​the basketball down hard from below, and it bounced towards the sideline. Number 24 immediately followed up, and before the ball hit the ground, he managed to retrieve it and pass it to his teammate who was catching up at the last second.

He successfully defended against the New York Kings, who struck fear into the entire league!
Fortunately, the Knicks retreated quickly enough on defense, preventing the Lakers from launching a fast break.

The game continued in position, with Jason Kidd passing the ball to Kobe.

Just as Raja Bell was about to stick to him, a tall figure stood in front of him.

"Raga, switch!"

Upon witnessing this scene, the roar of Madison Square Garden froze for a moment, before erupting into even more fervent shouts and tense gasps.

Lynch also has to guard Kobe one-on-one!

He issued the most direct challenge in a silent manner!
Kobe looked directly at Lynch, seemingly unsurprised.

He was about to launch an attack, and the air seemed to be sucked out at that moment.

Kobe's eyes sharpened. He neither passed the ball nor backed down. He made several quick, tentative crossover dribbles, feinted with his shoulders, and took a step forward.

Lynch took a half step back, but Kobe suddenly pulled the ball back and was about to complete his signature fadeaway jump shot!

This apex predator can always seize the minus tenths of a second of opportunity when its opponent makes a mistake!
but!
Lynch's long arms and terrifying speed instantly enveloped Kobe's vision in a giant hand. Kobe leaned back as far as he could in the air, but still couldn't create even the slightest space to shoot.

boom!
With a dull thud, Lin Qi's fingertips, stretched to their limit, precisely grazed the bottom edge of the basketball!

It wasn't a solid block, but it was enough to change the fatal spin and trajectory of the basketball.

The basketball, with an unusual arc, was caught by Tyson Chandler.

Lynch also defended Kobe like this once!
Madison Square Garden went wild! The two games that just ended were the most naked interpretation of the spirit of basketball by these two superstars of their time.

As Lynch ran forward, he arrogantly waved his finger at Kobe, using his privilege: "Don't even think about taking the victory away from here, no matter how strong you are!"

But unlike others, Kobe's mentality did not collapse because of Lynch's dominance.

On the contrary, he confronted Lynch even more aggressively in the next round.

Before Lynch even received the ball, Kobe was already charging at him, elbowing him, and trying to get in front of him, doing everything he could to disrupt his position.

At this moment, Lynch and Kobe can also be kicked out of the GOAT discussion by LBJ fans.

Because they betrayed the principle of one person, one ball.

Are they playing basketball? This looks like they're wrestling on the basketball court!

They are disloyal to basketball!
Kobe's confrontation wasn't the most fatal thing for Lynch, because Kevin Garnett would also try to stop him from getting position.

The real problem is that Lynch doesn't dare to hold the ball for long after receiving it.

Because Kobe's ability to steal the ball is stronger than KG's.

He lowers his center of gravity and strikes with lightning speed, giving him a natural advantage against players like Lynch who have a higher center of gravity.

After finally getting the ball, Lin Qi didn't dare to dribble for long and immediately turned and jumped to shoot.

However, because he couldn't find his rhythm and was too hasty, Lynch's jump shot also bounced off the rim.

The contest between the two quickly transformed from a dazzling scoring duel into a high-intensity war of attrition, where they tormented each other.

Watching on television, LeBron James didn't understand this behavior, but he was deeply shocked.

What are these two thinking? Aren't they afraid their accuracy will plummet?

Why do they insist on fighting to the death against the strongest person on the other side?
This is the least efficient and thankless way to play!
After one round, Kobe tried to use his speed to drive past Lynch and attack the basket.

But as expected, the result was a merciless block!

Off the court, Phil Jackson was stunned by the two for the nth time tonight.

He knew, of course, that Kobe Bryant's stamina seemed inexhaustible, so this was the first time he had ever seen a player who could go toe-to-toe with Kobe and still maintain his energy!

No wonder there were rumors that Lynch rejected Megan Fox's invitation to date.

Even Kobe couldn't handle it, Megan Fox would probably die at Lynch's house!

Kobe's speed didn't give him an advantage, and then he once again made Lynch lose his height advantage.

The moment Lynch turned and jumped to shoot, Kobe grabbed the ball and slapped it to the ground.

Jason Kidd picked up the basketball, forcefully pushed past Steve Nash, and then made a fast break layup.

This layup narrowed the gap to just 2 points!
Who would have thought that the person who pressed the cold blade against the Knicks' throat at the last moment would be this veteran known for his "no-attack" mentality!

Kobe gritted his teeth and swung his fist forcefully.

Since he started switching onto Lynch, despite the significant strain on both ends of the court, he has consistently limited his opponent, and his team has been steadily narrowing the gap.

Kobe stared at number 20 and shouted fiercely, "Taking Madison Square Garden won't be difficult, we're just 3 points away!"

Philip Sanders paused the game, giving Lynch a breather.

Ron Artest leaned closer, sweat dripping down his bulging muscles: "Shall I guard Kobe?"

Lin Qi decisively waved his hand: "Keep an eye on KG! Don't worry about the rest!"

Lynch will never run away halfway; he wants to win this game completely, both as a team and as an individual!

The game quickly restarted, and the cheers from the crowd turned into waves of heat, making everyone's sweat burn their skin.

With 1 minute and 12 seconds left in the game, Lynch had to find a way to hold Kobe down while breaking through Kobe's defense to finish the game in the final moments.

When Lynch returned to the court, Kobe did not relax despite the intense competition in the fourth quarter.

Instead, their ferocity intensified due to the successful strangulation they had just committed.

This is one of the few matches where Lynch doesn't have a physical advantage.

But it was precisely this kind of opponent that drove both of them to a frenzied, madman-like state.

The moment the referee blew the whistle, Lynch shook off Kobe's hand and began running without the ball.

Lynch was very fast, but Kobe was a guard after all, so he was not at a disadvantage in terms of speed, sticking to Lynch's side like a shadow.

Meanwhile, KG and Tayshaun Prince were constantly moving, creating obstacles in the passing lane between Nash and Lynch, blocking every opportunity to pass the ball.

But Lynch still seized the opportunity. He suddenly made a sharp change of pace and cut straight into the heart of the paint. Nash, almost following muscle memory, made a precise bounce pass through the crowd of players!

The moment Lynch received the ball, Kobe's slashing motion, like a viper's tongue, was aimed at the basketball.

But Lynch was faster!
He braked abruptly with his left foot, his powerful body instantly unleashing tremendous force. His left arm, like an iron gate, forcefully blocked Kobe's attempt to steal the ball, while his right arm rose high, his wrist flicking slightly—

"Boom!"

"Shh!"

The basketball arced through the net with a precise backboard shot!
The point difference narrowed to 4, and the entire arena erupted in cheers. Knicks fans rose to their feet in a frenzy, their applause a torrent of celebration for the crowning of champions.

Lynch finally broke through Kobe's defense!
Kobe's Adam's apple bobbed, and he let out a suppressed roar.

Lynch stood proudly upright: "Haven't you noticed? The distance between you and victory has never been these few points. It's me! Even if you're only down by one point, as long as I'm still on the court—"

Lynch raised his arm, pointing to the roaring stands of Madison Square Garden, proclaiming an ironclad rule:

"—The distance between you and victory is infinite!"

Mike Breen's palms were sweaty; although the Knicks were leading by 4 points, the crisis was far from over.

The Los Angeles Lakers still have a chance to end the Knicks' undefeated home record.

Kobe ignored Lynch's trash talk and dribbled the ball across half-court, ready to retaliate.

With only 52 seconds left in the game, Kobe was not in a hurry.

He directed the movement, signaling everyone to spread out, and then lowered their center of gravity.

Kobe knew that step-back jumpers would be difficult to deal with Lynch because Lynch's defensive range was too large.

Driving straight to the basket isn't a good idea either, as Lynch has a clear height advantage.

He felt he should play from mid-range.

Kobe approaches with the ball and turns to back down.

Lynch violently collided with Kobe, disrupting his balance.

The rest of the Knicks team were hesitant to double-team, because at that moment, an open three-pointer could undo all their previous efforts.

As Kobe advanced near the paint, he suddenly turned to the right and raised the basketball.

But this was just a trick of his; he quickly turned to his left and raised the ball again.

Just when everyone thought Kobe was going to shoot, he turned around for the third time in a row, turning back to his right side.

This time, Kobe turned and took a jump shot.

With a series of smooth and fluid feints, Kobe was certain that he had shaken off Lynch's entanglement.

As it turned out, the large hand appeared precisely above the basketball.

Since they were all students of Da Meng, Lin Qi knew how to attack and naturally knew how to defend!
To be honest, Kobe's back-to-the-basket footwork was far less deceptive than Lynch's arch-rival, LeBron James.

Because you never know how many more moves LBJ will make next.

But Kobe?
He has too few tricks up his sleeve.

Lynch wasn't shaken off and delivered Kobe's second block tonight!
Since the two have been matched up, Kobe has yet to score a single point over Lynch!
With only 32 seconds left in the game, Phil Jackson did not resort to fouling tactics.

He wanted to try one more hard defense; if the Knicks missed that shot, even if they ran out of time, the Lakers would still have 8 seconds left.

He has enough time to devise a three-point play, and then it's not too late to use a tactical foul.

Using tactical fouls now is indeed a conventional solution, but obviously, conventional solutions cannot break down New York's undefeated home fortress.

Kobe knew this was his last chance to prolong his life.

His hands almost completely hugged Lynch, and the referee, not wanting to intervene at that moment, tacitly approved of this level of physical contact.

At the same time, Jason Kidd was also putting pressure on Nash, not giving the Canadian a chance to hold the ball comfortably and forcing him to pass it out.

There's a possibility of error no matter who receives the ball.

However, even the most reliable Nash almost made a mistake.

Jason Kidd's physical pressure caused Nash to lose his balance, and when Kidd suddenly tried to steal the ball, Nash was unable to dodge quickly enough.

The basketball was poked away by Kidd's fingertips and rolled towards the midcourt line.

Nash immediately chased back and, the instant he got the basketball, threw it to Lynch, who had already circled out beyond the three-point line.

Lynch received the basketball but didn't pass it; that would have been too dangerous.

He caught the ball directly, used his shoulder to push Kobe, and took a big step forward!
Kobe's eyes widened. Was this guy planning to drive straight to the basket from the three-point line without dribbling?

How can it be! ?
But when Lynch took his second step and entered the paint, Kobe became a little nervous.

Lynch jumped, facing KG's help defense, and lifted the ball in mid-air, leaning his body slightly backward.

Kobe has already missed his chance to steal the ball, and there's still some distance between KG and Lynch.

this means
The Los Angeles Lakers' defense has collapsed.

Their fate now rests entirely in Lynch's hands!

The basketball was gently released, passing Kobe and KG, bouncing high off the back of the rim, and then...
"Shh!"

"Lynch sealed the game with his 51st point tonight! Kobe Bryant's defense was completely torn apart by Lynch in the final possessions!"

Amid cheers, Lynch raised his arms high. In this globally watched showdown, he was not only about to lead his team to victory, but also personally defeated his biggest rival!

At that moment, Mike Brin's tension vanished instantly.

With only 10 seconds left in the game, the Los Angeles Lakers were down by 6 points, a near-certain defeat.

Lynch, with the air of a king, overtook the equally tough Kobe Bryant!

Many excuses flashed through his mind, but in the end, he decided to use this one:
"GOAT is not 'chosen', and dynasties are not 'determined'."

This was Lynch's own doing; he personally earned his ticket to the GOAT throne from his toughest rivals.

(End of this chapter)