Champion Rules

Chapter 274, page 270: He can now completely overwhelm everything (Seeking monthly votes!)

Kobe Bryant looked at Kevin Durant's confident face and was reminded of his own past.

In his youth, he was just like KD, eager to prove himself in one-on-one matches.

During those years when he was born to take on challenges, Kobe even questioned his own sexual orientation.

Because the excitement and intense thrill he felt when he saw Michael Jordan was something no woman could match.

If Kobe could ever beat Michael Jordan in a one-on-one match, he would feel as if the sky had been coated with glycerin, and the radiant glow of the sunset could not be contained.

Looking back now, those head-to-head one-on-one battles, those rounds where I defeated Michael Jordan, were actually meaningless in the long run of my career.

But youth, or rather, the spirit of youth, is a journey in which a person does foolish things for some meaningless reasons.

The results may be meaningless, but the process of burning with all one's might and giving one's all is the most precious meaning.

However, the speed at which time passed was beyond Kobe's expectations.

It feels like just yesterday he was that green, headstrong young man with eyes only for the gods, eager to challenge Michael Jordan. In the blink of an eye, he has become that old guy that rising stars are eager to surpass.

Two months ago, after that fiercely contested Finals series, the general consensus was that the Los Angeles Lakers had missed their last chance to win the championship.

Unless there is a major change in the core roster, the Lakers have completely dropped out of the championship race.

All media outlets and fans are using different methods and the same cold language to repeatedly emphasize one thing: the Lakers are old, Kobe Bryant is old.

For someone as fiercely competitive as Kobe, these harsh and cold words were like needles.

What's even harder to accept is that this is the truth.

Kobe could clearly sense that even now, his physical condition had not yet returned to its best.

When he played one-on-one with KD yesterday, it looked like he was wearing a pair of Nikes filled with concrete, and every step was incredibly sluggish.

Not everyone is like 40-year-old LeBron James, who played poorly against strong teams yesterday because of ankle soreness, but can immediately glide and dunk against weak teams the next day.

We can't expect too much from Kobe; his intelligent recovery ability is perhaps unique in the entire history of the NBA.

Besides physical fitness, another overlooked point about Kobe's loss to KD is that Kevin Durant's ball-handling offense has improved significantly.

He is still not an elite ball-handler, but he is no longer a pure off-ball scorer either.

It wasn't so easy for Kobe to stop him from moving with the ball.

Kobe knew that Lynch had also been working hard on his ball-handling skills this summer, but Kevin Durant was probably more talented than Lynch in this area.

Lin Qi has practiced for so many years but hasn't made much progress.

In a relatively short period of time, Kevin Durant has already incorporated ball-handling and driving to the basket into his regular arsenal.

This wasn't gloating, but Kobe did have a premonition: KD might really cause Lynch some trouble.

KD might not win, but Lynch won't have an easy time either.

On the court, Lynch tossed the ball to Kevin Durant: "You go first."

Kevin Durant received the ball with a broad smile.

According to the rules, the team that scores a goal can retain possession of the ball indefinitely.

Possession will only change hands when the attack fails.

This ignited a glimmer of hope in Kevin Durant's heart—perhaps, if he had a good shooting night, he could unleash a devastating 21-0 run?

Looking at KD's smug expression, Lynch recalled the nonchalant smile he had when he was defeated by Anthony Edwards.

Competitive sports are like a giant cycle; how you snatch the scepter from someone else today will be replaced by someone else in the same way tomorrow.

But Lynch believed that he might have the power to break free from this inescapable cycle of fate.

This certainty did not stem from unfounded arrogance, but rather from...
He's only two years older than Kevin Durant!

Playing early doesn't necessarily mean playing well.

But playing early and playing well is really fun!

The game begins, and Kevin Durant drives to the basket.

His ball-handling has indeed improved a lot, and it's difficult for Lynch to disrupt his dribbling immediately given his center of gravity.

Admittedly, defensive stalwart Tony Allen made things difficult for him, but that's because Tony Allen is a full 15 centimeters shorter than Lynch.

For big men, it's not easy to disrupt KD's dribbling.

Furthermore, KD's stride was quite exaggerated; he dribbled twice and was already at the side of the restricted area.

But Lynch didn't lose his position, firmly locking onto Kevin Durant's side like a shadow.

Kevin Durant immediately stopped, creating a sliver of space, and turned to shoot.

Kobe gritted his teeth; this guy's improvement is just too fast. Look at his movements, how fluid they are!

KD felt good about his shot during practice today, and he was very confident about it.

But Lynch didn't even test his touch.

The basketball had just risen from KD's fingertips when a huge shadow loomed over it, obscuring the sky.

With a muffled thud, Lin Qi's long arm, like a giant axe, cleaved the basketball with terrifying precision from an even greater height, sending it crashing straight out of bounds!
This is a declaration of sovereignty through sealing!

Kevin Durant has rarely had his shots blocked throughout his career.

His height and wingspan, which make him stand out among all players at the small forward position, create a shooting height that leaves most defenders in despair.

However, the power forwards in the league who can match his height and wingspan often cannot keep up with him in time.

But in Lynch's presence, his "magic" vanished.

He seems to have become just an ordinary player.

Having your shot blocked is a rather unfamiliar experience for KD, no, it's an unfamiliar experience for anyone.

Kobe Bryant sat quietly on the sidelines, saying nothing.

This dazzling display of talent left him breathless.

KD's offense just now had a very high probability of scoring against any defender.

But unfortunately, he was facing Lin Qi.

Watching the basketball roll out of bounds, Lin Qi shrugged, his tone calm yet carrying an invisible pressure:
"I thought you'd be even stronger, after all, you actually dared to bet $50,000 with me, but..."

Lynch gave a condescending smile: "Kevin, I know you're still on your rookie contract and not earning much. I can give you another chance to score one more time."

Unlike Lynch, Kevin Durant's smile had vanished completely, leaving only a tense, clenched expression.

Lynch's dismissive attitude stung his pride like a needle.

But he still accepted the opportunity Lynch offered him.

Why not?

Giving up the chance to recover $50,000 just because of a moment of anger? Only a fool would do that!
Lynch threw the ball to KD again. The moment Durant caught the ball, he seemed to pour all his anger into his feet, started running again, and even completed a beautiful crossover in front of Lynch, tearing open a sliver of space.

After creating space, Kevin Durant stopped abruptly to gather the ball, intending to take a jump shot.

But seeing that Lin Qi was still sticking close to him, KD hesitated for a moment.

The recent block still made him somewhat wary, causing KD's fingertips to unconsciously pause for a moment—he didn't know whether he should add a feint to deceive his opponent.
Kobe, sitting on the sidelines, was already shaking his head: "A stupid choice."

Dwyane Wade whistled, already predicting the outcome of this round.

KD hesitated for about 0.5 seconds, but in a top-level offensive and defensive game, that momentary vulnerability is enough to be fatal.

Lynch made a sharp, precise, and ruthless strike, swatting the basketball between KD's hands and stealing it!
Facing Lynch's defense, any lapse or hesitation will be magnified instantly, leading to an irreparable mistake.

Kevin Durant missed his second scoring opportunity.

He stood frozen in place, never expecting that after a summer of hard training, he would still be so vulnerable in front of Lin Qi.

Lynch scooped the ball with one hand and walked past KD to the three-point line.

"I'm prepared to give you another chance."

“No need, you go ahead and attack!” Kevin Durant frowned and opened his arms.

"No, no, no, you misunderstood KD. I'm not giving you another chance to attack. The chance I'm giving you is that if you lose this one-on-one, the $50,000 bet can be cancelled. You just need to pass on a message for me."

"To whom?"

"Your teammate."

KD quickly calculated in his mind that as a poor but rich and ugly guy, he would not let go of any opportunity to save money.

For someone like Kevin Durant, he'd be more than willing to ride his bike down Scarlett Johansson's sewers—save money where he can!
"Deal!" he agreed decisively, then added, "But I'm not necessarily going to lose!"

Lynch said no more and began his attack.

He first skillfully adopted the triple threat stance, but a few probing steps did not completely fool Kevin Durant.

As is customary, Lynch is now going to start posting up.

However, tonight, he decided to break with tradition! Lin Qi suddenly shifted his weight and leaned against Kevin Durant to forcefully initiate a breakthrough!
Durant gritted his teeth and fought back—even though Lynch continued to lose weight this summer to achieve a lighter physique, at this moment, in terms of strength, KD still felt an unmatched, brute force.

Just when everyone on the sidelines thought Lin Qi was going to use his absolute strength to crush the defense and go straight for the goal, while moving at high speed, Lin Qi suddenly made a huge behind-the-back dribble with his left hand. The basketball was instantly pulled from his waist to the other side. With the lateral shift of his body weight, Durant's taut defensive chain was torn apart by Lin Qi and left behind!

In the instant he hastily turned his head, he only saw Lin Qi stretch out his body in mid-air, grabbing the basketball with one hand and slamming it into the basket like a heavy hammer.

"boom--!"

The thunderous roar of the slam dunk echoed and surged through the empty training hall, instantly striking the hearts of everyone present and creating silent ripples.

Everyone could clearly see that Lin Qi's behind-the-back crossover was very smooth, and it was a dribbling move made during intense competition.

He traveled the world with his entire training team, training them continuously regardless of cost.

At that very moment, all that massive investment seemed to instantly realize its value in that fleeting, breathtaking action.

However, Lynch himself appeared unusually calm.

He let go of the rim and landed, then simply bent down to pick up the rolling basketball, turned around, and walked back to the three-point line.

There's nothing to be excited about; he's just playing to his usual standard.

On the second offensive possession, Lynch changed direction to create space, and then immediately stepped back to the three-point line.

As his body bounced back beyond the three-point line, his fingertips flicked the ball out—

The basketball hits the net!

5:0.

Lynch can not only control his dribbling, but also seamlessly connect it to a jump shot, and even advanced moves like a step-back jump shot.

There was a deathly silence in the audience.

Kobe, Wade, and everyone else remained silent, their gazes seemingly locked onto the court by invisible chains, witnessing this breathtaking one-man show.

In his third and fourth attacks, Lynch resolutely abandoned his familiar back-to-the-basket technique in every subsequent attack.

In every possession, Lynch used increasingly sharp face-up isolation plays to scorch Kevin Durant's nerves.

Every attack Lynch made was like a deliberate declaration—to prove to everyone that even without his signature back-to-the-basket move, he could still dominate the offensive end!

Lynch kept scoring, and the numbers on the scoreboard kept jumping relentlessly.

Kevin Durant's offensive consistency was on full display at this moment, as he consistently scored zero points!

Because Lynch kept scoring, KD had no chance to attack at all.

7:0.

9:0.

12:0.

Compared to his offense, Kevin Durant's defense was utterly ineffective against Lynch.

Without the protection of a system or teammates, in this pure one-on-one battle, KD had absolutely no chance of stopping Lynch.

While his impressive height and wingspan weren't as lethal to Lynch, Kevin Durant was completely outmatched in every other aspect—strength, agility, anticipation, and rhythm control!
Kevin Durant was all smiles before the game.

No more hehe now!
He even suspected that Kobe was putting on an act yesterday, just to mislead him into challenging Lynch and becoming the laughing stock of everyone!
He knew long ago that Kobe and Lynch had an inappropriate male-male relationship. Otherwise, how do you explain that they fought tooth and nail on the court but got along very well off the court?
Not even once.

KD never managed to defend Lynch.

Even if Lynch didn't use the Dream Shake or his back to the basket, KD couldn't stop him.

His dribbling and changing direction, his agile spin, his running jump shot—Lynch played KD more moves tonight than he did with Victoria's Secret models!

When Lynch scored again with a sudden pull-up three-pointer after a series of crossover dribbles, the score became 22-0.

"Shh!"

The sound of the net tumbling was so pleasant, but it sent chills down the spines of the other players on the sidelines.

Lynch, who was already difficult to defeat, has undergone another terrifying major upgrade!

The scene was not only silent, but also surrounded by an immense, suffocating pressure.

Kevin Durant stared at the basketball rolling on the ground, his Adam's apple bobbing, and forcefully wiped the sweat from his forehead.

He certainly knew how strong Lin Qi was, but the huge gap in skill in this one-on-one fight still dealt him a heavy blow.

He hung his head dejectedly, his voice hoarse: "I lost. Who do you want me to pass on a message to?"

In fact, Kevin Durant didn't even need to ask to know who Lynch was going to pass the message to.

The answer was exactly as he expected.

"Pass on a message to your esteemed new teammate, LeBron James."

say what?
Lynch grinned and leaned close to KD's ear.

After hearing this, KD stared at Lynch with disdain: "Fuck, do you want to dismantle our locker room? LeBron would tear down the urinals if he heard that!"

Lynch shrugged: "Either you pay me fifty thousand dollars, and don't forget KD, I advised you not to bet with me, but you insisted on betting this round yourself."

Between infuriating his new teammates and receiving $50,000, Kevin Durant made his choice with ease.

He waved his hand dismissively: "What a joke! Who do you think I am? Would I give up $50,000 for a urinal at Chesapeake Energy Arena? I have my own principles!"

This self-deprecating remark drew laughter from the sidelines, finally easing the heavy atmosphere.

Only one person remained frozen in place.

Kobe Bryant sat alone in the corner, every move Lynch had just made etched into his mind.

Last season, the Los Angeles Lakers were able to snatch two games from the Knicks because Lynch had weaknesses in his ball-handling offense.

At this moment, the only gap that could provide balance has been completely closed up!
If the Lakers play another series against Lynch, the Lakers might...
They might not even be able to win another game!

A chilling despair ran down Kobe's spine; this fact was more painful for him than time itself.

Lin Qi is now absolutely dominant.
-
LeBron James walked into the new training center with great anticipation.

This disappointing summer was filled with cold shoulders and compromises, but in any case, his career with the Oklahoma City Thunder is a new beginning.

He forced himself to start the new season in top form and participated in today's media day event.

At least in front of the camera, he still has to be the arrogant King James.

Boys, don't bow your heads, or your crown will fall!

In fact, the situation is not that bad.

The Thunder do indeed possess enviable talent: Kevin Durant's slender frame conceals a deadly scoring prowess, and Stephen Curry's elfin three-point magic has already revolutionized the league.

With these two divine weapons by my side, the path to the championship may not be over.

As LBJ pushed open the locker room door, he saw Stephen Curry and KD huddled together, staring at their phone screens, where Scarlett Johansson's red carpet photo shone brightly.

Kevin Durant licked his lips and grinned: "We're getting a lot of attention this season, and I bet she'll come to our home arena. When she gets here, ha, just you wait and see!"

Stephen Curry pointed at the screen and said, "Kevin, zoom in on the photo and look at her feet."

Under the pale lights of the dome, the lewd laughter of two future superstars echoed in the locker room.

LBJ:
At that moment, he felt like the sky had fallen!
Can I really succeed with two idiots?!
Upon hearing the noise, the two of them immediately put away their phones as if they had been electrocuted.

Then, they saw LeBron James, the center of this summer's media storm, standing backlit at the locker room entrance.

LBJ tried to forget everything that had just happened, raised his chin, and said: "Hey Stephen, hey Kevin, are you ready to be a winner this season?"

Stephen Curry shook hands with LBJ graciously, while Kevin Durant seemed somewhat embarrassed, his eyes darting away.

"LeBron, Lynch, he..."

LBJ knew that the two men in front of him had a close relationship with Lynch. He didn't want to bring it up, but now he had no choice.

"What happened to Lynch?"

"Lin Qi asked me to pass on a message to you."

LeBron James's expression instantly darkened: "You say it."

He told me—no, he told you.

Facing LeBron James's suddenly frozen gaze, KD finally uttered that scorching provocation:

"Don't be so nervous on media day. After all, you're only going to lose to me twice a season now."
-
You know, I don't care about the stats. I just want to help them make significant progress and then lead this team to success. — LeBron James on his responsibility.

I don't want to repeat that damn nonsense! — LeBron James' answer to the question, "Lynch said he had KD deliver a message to you, what was that message?"

LeBron doesn't want to repeat himself, and I don't want to bring it up again. — Kevin Durant declined to answer the same question.

I just told him not to be so nervous, that he only loses two games to me a season now.

You know, LeBron's my brother, and his move to the West is a huge challenge for me because it means I can't beat him four or more times every season. It means I have to find wins against other, stronger players.

—Lin Qi was very happy to answer this question at the media day.

(End of this chapter)