Champion Rules

Chapter 262, Section 258: I Didn't Mean It (Seeking Monthly Tickets!)

LeBron James's pupils reflected the faces of those mocking him in the stands of Madison Square Garden.

The vicious yet comical collective chant of "You play like LeBron" kept echoing in my ears.

This is the first time someone has felt ashamed to hear a fan say that they play like them.

Because LBJ also knew that it was an insult.

A molten lava of humiliation, burning like a furnace, boiled uncontrollably, churned, and surged rapidly within his chest!
Carmelo Anthony keenly sensed LeBron James's almost tangible frenzy, and he rushed forward, pressing down on LBJ's shoulder with all his might:

"Bro, calm down, we still have a chance, this is far from the end of the world!"

The instant that shout was uttered, Lin Qi's icy words exploded in Melon's mind like a ghost:
"Don't place your hopes on a hypocrite, or you'll lose everything."

Carmelo Anthony shook his head violently, as if trying to banish an ominous phantom.

No, LBJ isn't that kind of person.

In the past three bloody battles, he has performed steadily as the Pistons expected, and there is no reason for him to suddenly collapse in a life-or-death ordeal.

He was probably just too nervous.

In the past, LeBron James would respond to his own shouts, even if it was just a simple nod.

So at this moment, Carmelo Anthony is looking forward to it.

Even the simplest eye contact or the slightest nod from LBJ could briefly dispel the unease that shrouded his heart.

However, LeBron James at this moment seemed to be trapped in a glass dome that blocked out all sound, completely deaf.

His desperate shouts to Carmelo Anthony, filled with expectation and anxiety, received no response whatsoever.

From the moment the opening whistle blew to this moment on the battlefield where fate is burning fiercely, LBJ is like a kite with its string cut, completely out of control in the vortex of the storm.

Before LBJ could respond, the game had already resumed.

LeBron James was still standing outside the three-point line distributing cards, without making any movement.

His feet seemed welded to the spot, showing no intention of igniting the engine for breakthrough.

He obviously couldn't hear Carmelo Anthony's shouts because he deliberately didn't want to listen.

Just like Ray Allen publicly announced his desire to join the Knicks, LBJ's actions were also retaliatory and purposeful.

He knew that if the Pistons continued to play the same way they had in the first three games, they still had a chance to win.

However, there is also the possibility of failure.

If his sacrifice doesn't guarantee 100% success, then what's the point of his sacrifice?
What's the point of winning if he's destined to win in the role of Scottie Pippen?
Who the hell would willingly be the one pushing from behind, watching others revel in their success?
If this team really builds around him, he believes their winning percentage will be even higher!

LBJ liked the Game 3 victory in Detroit, but he didn't like himself in that game.

He loathed being an ordinary cog in a giant engine, and he despised his own blurred face in that victory!
He believes he can do more and deserves more power and a higher status within the team.

But in this super Pistons team, the biggest prize always belongs to someone else.

Since you so earnestly hope that I will forever remain in the role of the dealer, then I will grant your wish!
Until you truly realize how crucial it is to place LeBron James, this peerless weapon, in a life-or-death situation!

LBJ's complete passivity on offense shut down all of the Pistons' off-ball movement, leaving Deron Williams with no choice but to rely on individual skills for isolation plays.

He first used a crossover to shake off Raja Bell, and then, facing Tyson Chandler's help defense, Deron used an incredible, almost non-slowing second crossover to instantly leave the giant behind and easily score a layup!

This was a fantastic superstar round, with Deron Williams proving why he's made the All-NBA team year after year.

But how long can such superstar rivalries last?
Soon after, LeBron James committed another foul.

His actions were too rough when he was fighting with Lynch for the position.

This was the second pointless and almost self-destructive foul he had committed in a short period of time on the stage of life and death.

Lionel Hollins clutched his head. He never could have predicted that the biggest trouble in this damn do-or-die game would come from LeBron James!
What on earth does he want to do?
On the offensive end, he was like a reef sunk into the deep sea, completely still.

On the defensive end, however, he was like a powder keg that had been lit, every move of his igniting the fuse of a foul.

He felt that when LBJ was substituted off the court, the number 6 would suddenly shout like Mitsui Hisashi:
"Coach, I want to play as a player!"

In fact, David McMenamin, LBJ's most loyal mouthpiece, is somewhat right: LBJ is a very efficient person.

He felt that Nike could make his career more promising, so he rejected Reebok's lucrative contract.

He felt he had a better chance of success leaving Cleveland, so he resolutely turned and left despite the criticism he received.

He wanted Lynch dead tonight, and he wanted that damn team to know where he belonged.

So he was hurting the team, he was hurting Lynch.

You could say he's lost his way; his performance since the start of the match has been nothing short of criminal.

But you also can't deny that every move and every action he takes at this moment exudes a sense of clarity.

He always knew what he was doing.

James, who had already committed two fouls early on, was dragged off the court, and Lionel Hollins tried to wake him up:

"LeBron! Remember Game 3! Think about how we tore apart the arrogant New Yorkers!"
You can do even better, and we can celebrate victory together!

LeBron James sat on the bench in a daze, as silent as a sound-absorbing sponge.

There was no eye contact, no physical response.

There was only a heavy, uncommunicative vacuum.

Without LBJ, the Pistons were naturally put under heavy pressure.

This is a team that barely manages to patch up its shaky rotation depth by relying on veteran minimum salaries and rookies, so for the Pistons, any crack in their regular rotation is enough to capsize the ship completely.

Because those cheap veterans and inexperienced rookies can hardly make up for the huge black hole caused by the long absence of star players.

A simple example is that in the past few games, LBJ has been coming in and out of the game with Lynch because he is the only one who can limit Lynch.

But now that LBJ has left the game early, who can you expect from the bench to take on this bloody task of killing the god?
This is why most of the biggest teams in history have been prone to collapse due to injuries.

If a key player is missing, the gap becomes irreplaceable given the insufficient depth of the rotation.

Lin Qi fought with ease; he could even stroll leisurely through this inferno with a calm smile.

Although Carmelo Anthony and Deron Williams were both in top form tonight, they could only prevent the Pistons from losing too quickly.

Although the point difference was never large, the Pistons were always plagued by a sense of helplessness at being unable to truly catch up.

After the first quarter, the Knicks led by 9 points.

Deron Williams scored 9 points, while Carmelo Anthony scored 11 points as if by divine intervention.

He scored more points in this quarter than he did in the entire previous game, and the incredible shots he made over Lynch's head in this quarter were enough to make a highlight reel.

Even so, the Pistons were still down by 9 points.

On the Knicks' side, the role players' offensive performance was also mediocre.

Artest went 1-for-3 in the first quarter, including a fast break dunk.

Raja Bell went 0-for-3, and the continuous bloody battles have caused his ankle to start having problems again.

Tyson Chandler took 0 shots, while Steve Nash, exhausted, went 2-for-5.

DeMar DeRozan went 0-for-2, Goran Dragic went 1-for-2.

But at this moment, they could shamelessly shout:
"We're fucking way stronger than Lynch!"

The absence of LBJ allowed Lynch to run rampant on offense. Unknown players like Jonas Jerebko and Austin Daye were no match for Lynch.

Lynch scored 16 points in a single quarter, dominating this do-or-die game from the very beginning.

During the break, Carmelo Anthony's gaze swept across LBJ's still frozen, absent-minded profile with a sharp, piercing look.

Lin Qi's words, like a curse, began to echo in his ears more and more frequently.

Is number 6 really untrustworthy?
What does he want?
Core location?

Is he protesting his experience of only being a supporting player in the past few games?

But didn't we agree before we formed the team that we would be inseparable and sacrifice for each other?
Didn't he agree?
Lionel Hollins was like a blind man thrown into a thick fog, completely lost on how to control LeBron James.

He didn't know how to use him anymore, nor how to bring him back to his senses.

In fact, even the greatest superstars have moments of dissatisfaction and emotional fluctuations.

Kobe publicly broke with Shaq because he felt that Shaq was not fit to be the leader.

Michael Jordan would tell Jerry Krause without hesitation, "I'll retire if you trade Scottie Pippen."

But they all express their dissatisfaction directly, and this dissatisfaction makes them even more ruthless during matches. What about LBJ?
He didn't say what his grievances were; his hypocritical sense of morality and image-consciousness seemed to prevent him from being the one to "publicly disrupt locker room unity."

So he kept quiet, concealing his true dissatisfaction.

then
He's making you guess why he's unhappy!
Moreover, when he feels emotionally unstable, he won't punish his opponents; he'll just passively tank on the field.

Lionel Hollins couldn't find a solution for the time being, but someone had to deal with Lynch immediately.

He could only bring LBJ back in: "LeBron, listen! Win this damn war, then we'll talk about other things!"

This statement made him a scapegoat for three games. If he won, it was all thanks to Melo; but if he lost, the whole internet mocked him!

He's had enough!

LBJ returned to the court, and the Big Three reunited.

But Deron Williams and Carmelo Anthony realized that the offense had completely turned into a 4-on-5 situation!
LeBron James' passing is inconsistent, his dribbling is poor, and his shooting is inaccurate.

Cleveland LeBron, the giant leech of Motor City!
He practically drained his two good brothers dry on the offensive end!
But he wasn't idle on the defensive end either.

He sucked all of Lionel Hollins's sweat dry.

Hollins would break out in a sweat from the tension every time he saw him deliberately being overly aggressive in his confrontation with Lynch.

On the offensive end, they draw in teammates.

The defensive end absorbs the coach.

A true combination of offense and defense!
Late in the second quarter, LeBron James picked up his third foul.

This was a despicable foul that surprised and greatly disappointed Carmelo Anthony.

Because LBJ actually chose to step on Lynch's foot.

As Lynch took the three-pointer, the soul, completely consumed by its own darkness, maliciously took a step forward.

This insidious trick is exactly the same as his despicable act of eliminating Daniel Granger in his original timeline.

The accumulated repression and humiliation finally erupted at this moment.

The cry of "I want to kill Lynch" drowned out all reason.

But he never expected that Lin Qi's destination would be so complicated.

Although Lynch has the injury resistance of AC Green, it doesn't mean that Lynch is absolutely immune to injury.

Therefore, he underwent special training to avoid being tripped by obstacles, and most of the time he was able to instinctively avoid them.

Lin Qi knew that this shitty alliance had all sorts of people, and having more skills was never a bad thing.

He originally thought that Bruce Bowen would be the first person to treat his own shit like that.

As a result, Bruce Bowen, fearing retaliation from the Knicks for TD, never went all out against Lynch, not even until his retirement.

He never imagined that LeBron James would fall into such a miserable state, becoming the first "great actor" to use such dirty tricks to ruin his career.

Although Lynch avoided the fatal collision between his shin and ankle, he still tripped and fell.

The referee blew the whistle without hesitation.

Carmelo Anthony could no longer suppress the raging fury and the excruciating pain of his collapsing faith.

He rushed forward and roared at LeBron's hollow frame, "LeBron, what are you doing?!"

Carmelo Anthony is eager to beat Lynch, just as much as LeBron James.

But he couldn't accept defeating Lynch in this way.

Ultimately, with two rings in hand, Carmelo Anthony, a former American icon, still feels a sense of honor.

Just as he felt deeply ashamed of Rasheed Wallace's contemptuous attitude towards Wu Lan and Kevin Lucas back then, and subsequently offered a solemn apology.

If he wins against Lynch in this way, what meaning does the victory have for him?
The biggest difference between this 21st-century Pistons team and the Bad Boys of the 80s is that they never use vague or intentional excuses to evade responsibility, never use a self-satisfied tough-guy image to whitewash the situation, and never use dirty play to set a benchmark.

The world acknowledges that the Pistons, who won back-to-back championships in the 21st century, had a very strong defense.

The world reveres their steel defense network, a magnificent creation forged from sweat, talent, toughness, and meticulous collaboration.

No one ever associated them with the word "dirty".

Even Ben Wallace's magnificent defenses, which blocked everything with steel and iron, were always built on pure strength in the face of adversity.

Their glory is pure, able to stand in the sunlight without being tainted by a speck of dust.

Starting his career in such a team had an enormous impact on Melo.

LeBron James still did not answer.

Seeing Lionel Hollins replace him, he silently walked off the field, casting the disappointment of his teammates and his own crumbling glory into the abyss.

But just as LBJ was about to leave the court, Lynch's hand gripped LeBron's shoulder tightly, like a steel clamp.

He then pulled back sharply, his other hand gripping LeBron James' jersey collar, yanking his foul-smelling head close to his own breath:
"You bastard, you better explain yourself!"

The referee intervened immediately, his piercing whistle sounding like an air raid siren tearing through the air.

The frenzied New York fans had a burning desire for judgment, wishing they could rush onto the field and tear that symbol of depravity wearing the number 6 to shreds.

Fortunately, the timely intervention of the referee and players from both sides prevented the conflict from escalating.

Watching LeBron James leave the court unscathed, Lynch nearly ground his teeth to dust.

But Ron Artest patted the King of New York on the shoulder.

"The king won't be the executioner himself. Your battlefield is in the next round. Focus on that, Lynch!"

In the third quarter, when LeBron James returned to the court, Lynch clenched his fist.

He looked at Lin Qi's furious face, which seemed to want to devour him alive, and a triumphant slit appeared on his lips.

He smiled.

He felt that this was probably the only thing he could be proud of today.

"What can you do, Lynch? You don't even dare to respond to my malice."

LBJ hopes to provoke Lynch if Lynch is suspended in the Finals for attacking him, thus losing the championship.

Then he will also taste the only drop of sweetness in this bitter collapse.

Beside him, Ron Artest's sharp eyes instantly caught Lynch's impending destructive signal.

He immediately pressed his hands down, signaling Lin Qi to calm down.

It was a strange experience: a notoriously irritable New York mental patient was now reminding Lynch to calm down.

Ron Artest's advice worked; Lynch ignored LBJ and continued his attack.

This time, Ron Artest shook off the defense and drove to the basket, and Lynch's legend was immediately found.

He caught the ball and finished the play, everything fell into place, and the Knicks were now leading by 16 points. The collapse of the Pistons was imminent.

But LBJ didn't seem to care about the staggering point difference.

He continues to provoke.

"See, you coward, you don't dare to do it at all."

"Boom!!!"

Before LBJ could finish speaking, he felt a loud bang in his head, and a pure darkness, like a catastrophic flood that instantly drained the oxygen, completely engulfed him!
He instantly collapsed onto the cold floor like a humanoid mech whose power had been cut off, without any struggle!

Just now, Ron Artest was celebrating his goal by waving his arms excitedly.

His elbow accidentally struck LeBron James on the head at a perfect angle, and unfortunately hit his temple.

Ron Artest's elbow was destined to end a guy named James.

Carmelo Anthony watched as LeBron James collapsed completely, losing consciousness, much like David Robinson's classic fainting spell, without going to check on him.

Lynch was right; placing his hopes on a hypocrite was the most foolish thing he had ever done.

Ron Artest's beastly face instantly transformed into an angelic expression of pure bewilderment.

He casually spread out the hands that had just been used to deliver the physical punishment, his tone so innocent it was heartbreaking:

"You all saw it, I didn't do it on purpose."

(End of this chapter)