Champion Rules

Chapter 273, Page 269: I'm roughly equivalent to Lin Qi! (Seeking monthly votes!)
LeBron James went to Portland and spoke with Brandon Roy.

The outcome was not as good as he had expected.

Brandon Roy was only a fourth-year player; although he made the All-NBA team, he wasn't on the First Team. He became an All-Star, but wasn't a starter.

He is not a superstar yet and has not established a true presence in the league.

Therefore, LeBron James believes that he deserves sufficient respect during the meeting.

As a result, Brandon Roy told him bluntly, even rudely, when they met:

“We would love to welcome you to LeBron, but you’d better stop with all the dirty tricks you’ve been up to in Detroit. If you mess up my team, we will act decisively and trade you. I don’t want it to come to that, but you know, I have to set the boundaries beforehand.”

This statement shocked LBJ.

Yes, although Brandon Roy only entered the league in 2006, he is actually three months older than LBJ, so they are considered to be the same age.

However, in this league, seniority and age can never be simply generalized.

Even if you're a seasoned veteran from Europe, you still have to start as a rookie when you first enter the NBA.

You also have to carry bags for others, deliver water to others, and have your car filled with popcorn by others.

Therefore, LeBron James simply couldn't believe that someone with less experience than himself could so naturally act as a team leader and, in an almost threatening tone, point fingers at him, a top star in the league.

A phrase: "My team," followed by: "Trade you away."

Brandon Roy's toughness and controlling nature, revealed between the lines, pierced LeBron James's extremely displeased mind like fine thorns.

He left Portland with an unprecedented sense of unease.

LeBron James thought Brandon Roy was just a simple up-and-coming talent, but he was sorely mistaken.

As a man with innate leadership qualities, and as one of the few players who almost led the team to victory at Madison Square Garden last season, Brandon Roy established himself as the team's leader almost in his first week with the Trail Blazers.

He was never afraid of the veteran players or so-called "troublemakers" on the team, and even directly reprimanded Zach Randolph during his rookie season.

With Zach Randolph traded away, Brandon Roy's leadership position on the team has become even more unshakeable.

Brandon Roy is definitely a person with a strong sense of contrast.

She's even more of a contrast to those bespectacled girls who are polite and refined during the day but have their legs crossed at night.

On the field, he is calm and composed, and does not like to roar or shout.

But off the field he is extremely tough and has a deep and unfathomable gang background.

He is a good teammate who sets a good example when everyone on the team is working hard.

But if someone undermines the team, he will become a ruthless and iron-fisted general.

LeBron James thought he could bully the weak, but he ended up picking a tough nut to crack.

Therefore, he completely gave up the idea of ​​joining the Portland Trail Blazers.

They also accepted another tough clause from Jerry West: "Don't fucking joke with me. Do you think I'm stupid? You're signing at least two years."

Of course, LBJ did not meet with Kevin Durant before signing with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Because Rich Paul told him unequivocally:

"Nike's assessment of KD is that he's still just a boy who hasn't grown up. So there's nothing to worry about. In Oklahoma, no one can stop you from taking control of the team."

The Oklahoma City Thunder are a team with immense potential, as the whole world knows. Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry have the potential to become top stars in the league.

As for James Harden, as a player who is currently an offensive kaleidoscope, a defensive force to be exploited by many, a playmaking garbage can, and a player who can be easily exploited in nightclubs, although his potential may not be as great as KD and the Slam Dunk Contest champion, he still has the potential to become a star player.

While the Thunder's current strength may not be considered top-tier in the league, they are already a force to be reckoned with, led by these three young stars.

Last season, this team faced the Lakers in the first round of the playoffs and managed to snatch two victories from them.

They are already a great team, so LeBron James's choice is not bad.

However, signing with the Thunder did not bring LeBron James the same joy he felt when he joined the Pistons last summer.

Last summer, he still had the upper hand in many things.

Before the start of "The Decision," no one could reach him, including team star Carmelo Anthony, and everyone had to be patient with him.

When he officially joined the Pistons, Carmelo Anthony simply told everyone in a consultative tone that they must unite and that this team is all one and the same.

But now?

Chris Bosh had no intention of continuing this stalemate.

Brandon Roy asserts sovereignty during meeting in Portland.
Jerry West first refused to sign Chris Bosh, and then refused to sign a 1+1 contract.

LBJ truly experienced what it felt like to have "no cards to play".

Therefore, he had only one goal: to get all the cards he had lost back.

After signing with the Oklahoma City Thunder, LeBron James also officially signed a five-year contract with Under Armour.

The good news is that for the next five years, LeBron James will remain the undisputed face and number one star of the brand's basketball lineup.

The bad news is that Under Armour now only has LeBron James as a spokesperson in the basketball world!
This brand now has very little influence in the basketball world, and LeBron James can no longer enjoy the overwhelming promotional resources he had during his Nike era.

But if he can help Under Armour establish itself in the basketball world like Lynch did, then sooner or later he will reclaim everything he once had.

The news of LeBron James signing with Under Armour has been widely reported by various media outlets, which means that the major events of this summer are almost over.

Aside from following the gossip, Lynch has been spending his time around the world participating in business and charity events.

Of course, he had one small request wherever he went: "Prepare a quiet training ground and an NBA game ball for me."

"Lynch cannot go more than 48 hours without playing ball"—this ironclad rule has become a guideline that all partners must abide by.

Lin Qi brought a complete training team with him as he traveled the world, and the core training topic during this offseason was upgrading ball control skills.

After perfectly integrating Stephen Curry's ball-handling talent, his rate of improvement is phenomenal.

If this continues, the clutch move that shook Kobe Bryant in last season's Finals will no longer be a fluke in the new season, but will become a regular and exciting moment.

In addition, Lynch also acquired a new talent that he desperately needed through his talent points: Jamal Crawford's dribble jump shot talent.

To reiterate, the ability to combine ball control with movement is the biggest weakness of most forwards.

You can shoot, but you can't necessarily dribble.

You can dribble, but that doesn't mean you can shoot.

You can dribble and shoot, but you may not be able to connect a shot with a dribble.

The second biggest weakness for forwards is their lack of motivation, and the exceptionally talented Ben Simmons later fell victim to this very flaw.

Fortunately, Lin Qi doesn't need to worry about the second fatal weakness, and he has already resolved the first one.

Jamal Crawford is definitely a master of shooting with the ball.

When top-tier running jump shots are perfectly combined with evolved ball-handling skills, Lynch's ability to break through in half-court situations will break through dimensions.

Last season's Finals, the Los Angeles Lakers certainly had a good chance.

Kobe Bryant's two all-out defensive efforts once reduced Lynch's single-game scoring to less than 30 points.

Facing a top-tier perimeter defender like Kobe who doesn't suffer much in physical confrontations, Lynch will be very passive on offense.

Without a doubt, next season, all teams will follow the Lakers' approach to defending Lynch.

But what if Lynch completely overcomes this weakness during the offseason?
Just when all the opponents thought they had finally found the King of New York's weakness, they would find at the start of the new season that the so-called weakness had already vanished.

The sense of control that comes from the thought that “you think you can take me down but you are powerless” is the driving force that motivates Lynch to continue his intensive training despite his busy business schedule.

Even when he's very busy with business activities, he always makes time for training.

The only thing that dampened the joy was that the fourth championship trophy once again raised the bar for redeeming talent.

Now, Lin Qi needs to spend 600 talent points to exchange for a new talent.

This certainly means that Lynch's pace of progress will begin to slow down.

But this also means that Lin Qi's peak has truly arrived!
The Lynch who won four titles in five years and achieved three Grand Slams in a single season was not even the Lynch at his peak.

At 24, Lynch is rapidly pushing the praise of being "on par with Michael Jordan" toward the historic milestone of "surpassing Michael Jordan"!

While Lynch is busy traveling all over the world, the discussion about him in the basketball world has never stopped.

Through social media, Lynch posted a video of himself training his ball control skills this summer, bringing a topic worth discussing to the otherwise dull offseason following the major transfers.

Charles Barkley believes that Lynch's evolution will take basketball into the future:
"Looking back at history, big men's ball control has long been stifled."

Does anyone remember that when Dirk Nowitzki first entered the league, he was a small forward who could drive to the basket? But as time went on, he evolved into an interior player primarily relying on off-ball movement and post-up play. I know Dirk's shooting was phenomenal, but fundamentally, he remains an interior player.

Even at 203cm tall, I started focusing on off-the-ball offense during my time in Phoenix. Because I was a forward, I couldn't handle the ball a lot, and people thought I didn't need to develop that ability at all.

Prior to this, only Magic Johnson, with his power forward physique, had handled the ball extensively.

Now, Lynch is subverting tradition.

I've seen athletes travel the world with a bunch of women for business events, and even play poker on their private jets.

But I've never seen a star player travel the world with an entire professional training team.

Lynch is keenly aware that his abilities are far from exhausted, and his ambition to continuously expand his arsenal is awe-inspiring.

I'm really looking forward to seeing a completely new Lynch next season. Once he masters this skill, 'position-blurring basketball' will no longer be just theory, but will become a wave sweeping the league!

Shaquille O'Neal, standing nearby, was good at grasping the key point: "I have no objection to the other arguments, but you bastard, even with long hair, you're definitely not 203 centimeters tall."

Of course, some media outlets held opposing views.

David McMenamin, who says he's more like LeBron James' son than Bronny, leveraged his influence on ESPN to publish a column on the site titled "Lynch: A Master of Showmanship."

He interpreted Lynch's posting of training videos as a marketing tactic.

"Truly hardworking people don't put their training videos online for others to watch. If Lynch really wants to improve his skills, why doesn't he hone them quietly and amaze the world in the new season? He's just putting on a show!"

Truly hardworking people train quietly away from the cameras.

Have you forgotten how long it's been since you've seen LeBron James on camera?
He doesn't need spotlights or cameras.

He simply pushes himself on the basketball court every day, focusing on training. For the team, for the fans, and for himself, he strives to become better.

This is true professionalism!

Of course, the article's comment section was quickly flooded with comments.

"People who truly read books don't post photos of themselves looking at the title page online for others to see."

"The title page is already worn out from being read so many times."

I've been watching The Godfather.

The reporter pressed for an answer.

"Wait, Smartman."

"LeBron doesn't need cameras, it's just that the cameras don't care about him anymore. By the way, I walked all over town tonight, passing dozens of Reebok stores, but couldn't find a single Under Armour store. Does anyone know how to buy LeBron's shoes? Waiting online, urgent."

LeBron James indifferently swept over the mockery in the comments section, his heart as calm as a deep abyss.

He's used to it.

For the past year, he has been facing malice from all over the world.

He used to have mental breakdowns because of these things, but now he has learned to adjust.

LBJ also has his own training plan.

He plans to continue refining his jump shot.

Then, push your weight as far as possible within the safe range!
LeBron James must forge his own path and push his unparalleled finishing ability around the basket to its limits.

He needs a training partner; that will make it easier for him to stick with it.

Almost without thinking, LBJ dialed Kevin Durant's number.

If you want to lead this young army to success, it is essential to get closer to the young people who are assisting you.

Even though he was jealous of KD replacing him in Nike's ecosystem, and even though he had never admired this tall, thin guy.

But he still dialed the number.

At least, when they play on the same team, he'll act like a brother to KD.

After the call connected, LeBron James heard a series of "slapping" sounds and Kevin Durant's heavy breathing.

"Huff... Huff... Hey LeBron, what's up? Ah! Be gentle!"

LBJ:
"KD, if it's inconvenient for you, I'll call you back later."

"No, no, no, it's convenient for me, you can tell me."

"I was just asking if you're free? I've rented a gym in Oklahoma City and I'm thinking of hosting a small training camp. Would you be interested in joining? We can get to know each other better before the season starts."

"Sorry LeBron, but I'm already at Lynch's training camp."

"who!?"

"Lynch's training camp, what a coincidence, we just started training together yesterday. Looks like we'll have to wait until preseason training camp to see each other again."

LeBron James stared at the phone after it was hung up, frozen in place.

Lynch, Lynch, Lynch.

The whole world is shrouded in Lynch's shadow!
The forced calm was finally broken.

A raging fire was raging in LeBron James's chest—he'd had enough!
Even if it costs me my entire career, I will definitely defeat Lynch next season!

At this moment in New York, Lynch's training camp is gathering a force powerful enough to shake the league:
Dwyane Wade, Kobe Bryant, Brandon Roy, Stephen Curry, DeMar DeRozan, and Kevin Durant are training together.

Although everyone has their own training plan, the pressure of having so many superstars makes everyone unwilling to be the "first to slack off," which greatly increases the players' enthusiasm for training.

Every afternoon, they would spontaneously organize several one-on-one matches.

It's for both entertainment and to maintain competitive form.

Kevin Durant won a one-on-one match against Kobe Bryant yesterday, earning him $10,000.

Before it all began, Kobe jokingly told KD, "If your mom knew you did this, she'd beat you up because you lost $10,000 for nothing."

Then Kobe calmly handed over $10,000.

Lynch keenly noticed something amiss: Kobe's sluggish lateral movements and weak center of gravity indicated that he was far from regaining his Finals-level physical condition.

His defense against KD was completely different from what he did in the Finals.

If Kobe Bryant during the Finals was an All-Defensive Team caliber guard, then now he's at best a Paul Pierce—his defense relies purely on aggressiveness.

Rather than special training, Lynch believes Kobe actually needs more rest to build up his physical strength before the new season.

KD, on the other hand, was on fire, and several of his difficult jump shots over Kobe went in.

Although they only won by two points against Kobe in the end, a win is a win.

This victory gave KD a huge boost in confidence.

Kobe was able to contain Lynch in the Finals, but I beat Kobe.

Rounding up, I'm roughly equal to Lynch!
Moreover, he was less than one point behind the scoring leader Lynch on last season's scoring list.

At this moment, the young soldier was extremely eager to prove that, at least on the offensive end, he and Lynch were on the same level.

So he strode toward Lynch at the other end of the court, his eyes burning with intensity.

"Hey, let's play a game, and we'll bet $10,000."

Nearby, Dwyane Wade laughed and egged him on: "Look, the Grim Reaper's scythe is hanging over Lynch's head."

As Lin Qi drank his water, he glanced up at the thin, ghostly figure and said, "I don't have any change. How about I bet fifty thousand?"

He intended to scare KD away, but to his surprise, KD became even more excited.

“Oh, why would I refuse $50,000? That’s enough to buy my mom a BMW.”

Lin Qi laughed and shook his head: "Save your breath, KD. Without pick-and-rolls and off-ball plays, you can't do anything to me. Besides shrugging and complaining about the referees not calling fouls, what else can you do on offense?"

Lynch wasn't afraid; he just didn't want Kevin Durant to lose face in front of so many people.

After all, they weren't really that close.

Kevin Durant persisted: "Damn Lynch, Stephen told me that if a coward says he's a great player and leader, he's lying. And we all know you're not that kind of person, right?"

“If that’s really what you’re thinking,” Lynch stood up. Perfect, he could test his training results in front of Kevin Durant.

"Then, as you wish."

(End of this chapter)