Champion Rules

Chapter 276, Section 272: The Challenge is More Than Just Victory or Defeat (Seeking Monthly Tickets!)

Michael Jordan doesn't like to have much direct contact with current players after retiring.

The change in identity led to a difference in stance.

Michael Jordan once hated Jerry Krause's cunning and Jerry Reinsdorf's stinginess.

He felt that they only cared about profit, were full of the stench of money, and had no understanding of basketball, victory, or glory.

Now in the position of owner, Michael Jordan understands the stance of the two Jerrys back then.

The difference in their status makes it almost impossible for him to build genuine friendships with current players.

Kobe Bryant was an exception.

Because those were friends he had known since his playing days.

For the vast majority of active players, Michael Jordan is just a distant, unfamiliar, and unattainable legendary figure; at most, they are merely nodding acquaintances.

As for the unfamiliar and unattainable Michael Jordan, most current players would view him like a god.
When his name is mentioned, the respect shown is often tinged with an almost humble attitude.

Michael Jordan admitted that he enjoyed the feeling of being worshipped.

But that guy from New York broke the rule that "active players must be respectful to MJ".

A burst of laughter brought Michael Jordan back to reality.

On the golf course, watching Charles Barkley's graceful swing, comparable to LeBron's turnaround fadeaway, Michael Jordan smiled again.

That fatso was always his source of joy.

Jazz Flying Pig used a golf club to shovel the turf and hit the ball, a clumsy shot that elicited even more laughter.

Charles Barkley muttered and shook his head, cursing himself: "Damn it, you fat pig! Fat pig!"

Michael Jordan, a cigar dangling from his lips, walked up to him and patted him on the shoulder: "What's there to be upset about? You played perfectly normally. It's a good thing you're a basketball player. If you had a golf career that lasted for more than a decade, you'd probably have dug a hole in the earth with your golf clubs by now."

Although Flying Pig Jazz shook off his friend's hand on his shoulder with a look of disdain, he was actually not angry.

Their mutual teasing is a unique testament to their long-standing friendship. It is precisely because their relationship is so good that they can joke and tease each other without any boundaries.

No matter how offensive or harsh the other person's words are, neither of them will actually get angry.

Friends can't be so irresponsible with each other, right?
But Feizhu was clearly not going to back down, and now he just wanted to retaliate with an even more devastating piece of trash talk.

Then he thought of that man.

"Save your breath, Michael. What right do you have to judge me in the world of golf? Just like you can't judge Joey Wotto in the world of baseball."

In fact, your right to freely criticize others in the basketball world is almost over.

Flying Pig Jazz paused deliberately, capturing the subtle changes in MJ's expression, before slowly uttering that fatal line:
"Lynch is right. He had already won four rings before you were old enough to win your first one. He was destined to surpass you, Michael."

Hurry up and untie the knot below you. If you want to regain your GOAT status, the only way is to have another son.

Marcus's a good guy, but he clearly prefers the wife of an old-school basketball player to basketball, doesn't he?

As soon as he finished speaking, the smile on Michael Jordan's face froze instantly, turning as gloomy as if dark clouds were pressing down.

Charles Barkley, seeing this, knew that the trash talk had hit the nail on the head, and laughed triumphantly: "Hahaha, you're nervous."

Michael Jordan didn't smile; his gaze was like a knife, piercing Charles Barkley.

Feizhu had seen that look before, back in the finals of 1993.

He immediately realized that his old friend had broken their unspoken rule of "no jokes, no anger".

He is angry now.

"Shut up, Charles!" MJ roared, his voice booming like thunder.

Feizhu subconsciously shrugged, trying to defuse the situation with his old trick: "Hey, when you said my big head wasn't fully developed and my little head wasn't developed at all, I never got angry."

Charles Barkley thought it was the joke about vasectomy that stung MJ.

But MJ clenched his fist, and each word, like molten lava, burst forth from between his teeth:

"In the world of basketball, I can evaluate others however I want. Lin Qi surpassing me? Wait until he builds a true dynasty before talking to me about surpassing him!"

Charles Barkley knew why MJ was angry.

It turns out he still cares, cares a lot.

He has been retired for seven years. If his time with the Wizards, as an "owner player" struggling on the court, doesn't count as a pure playing career, then it's been twelve years since that legendary farewell in 1998.

A person who has been away from the competitive vortex for twelve years still instinctively resists the possibility of being surpassed.

Charles Barkley laughed: "Of course he can build a dynasty; after all, you can't directly stop him. Hey, how's the labor negotiations going?"

Feizhu knew that continuing this topic would definitely lead to unpleasantness, so she changed the subject.

Michael Jordan put his cigar back in his mouth, took a deep drag, and let the smoke curl upwards: "Not so good. The labor side is very tough, and so are we. I just heard that Lynch will be representing the players in the next round of negotiations."

At this point, Michael Jordan's eyes lit up and he smiled.

After hearing this, Barkley became even more convinced of his point of view: "You see, he really is like you. He is a responsible superstar. He is the highest-paid basketball player in the world, but he knows that he also needs to speak up for the interests of others."

"No, we're completely different. If we're friends, Charles, then never compare that guy to me."

You're saying I can't stop him? Hahaha, of course I can.

Yes, of course I can stop him!

Michael Jordan is increasingly looking forward to the next round of labor negotiations.

Did the labor side think that finding a superstar to put pressure on them would solve everything?
You guys really think he's Michael Jordan!
Michael Jordan's influence has united most of the owners.

What about Lynch? What can he do?
That long-lost competitive spirit from his playing days burned within him, and Michael Jordan was filled with unprecedented anticipation for the upcoming negotiations.

The next labor negotiations will make it clear to the whole world the vast difference between them!

While Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley were enjoying life on the golf course, Lynch and his teammates played their final preseason game.

In recent games, Ray Allen's form has been like a thawing stream, gradually flowing forth again.

Tonight he was on fire – making all five of his three-point attempts and scoring 21 points.

Now, nobody discusses pointless questions like "Will Ray Allen fall out of the rotation?"

Ray Allen's problems were resolved, but some other issues facing the Knicks were not yet fully resolved.

罗恩.阿泰斯特今晚出场30分钟，0分4板1助1失误，稳定出洋相。

Low emotional intelligence: Demoting bad players to the Development League.

High emotional intelligence: Ron Artest completes Project 411!

It's not Artest's fault. After all, it's not easy to score 1 point in basketball. So what if he got 0 points?
The harsh reality is that this veteran's fuel tank is empty. He's now just like the people of Goose City—there's nothing left to squeeze out of him.

This season, he will likely move from the Knicks' basketball division to the combat division, forming a security trio with DeShawn Stevenson and Amir Johnson.

New York legend Charles Oakley was moved to tears upon seeing this; the Knicks' security department, a place blessed with outstanding people and resources, will forever shine!

Fortunately, General Manager Sam Presti always had a backup plan.

After the preseason was over, he approached Wilson Chandler and made him a promise:
“You will be a guaranteed starter this season. Unless you are in bad form, no one will be able to bench you midway through the season. If you can help Lynch win his third championship, I will offer him a contract extension of at least three years.”

For Wilson Chandler now, a three-peat might just be icing on the cake, something he could easily do without.

But what about a contract renewal with real money?
The sudden flash of anger in his eyes said it all. But the other person's contract renewal wasn't so easy to handle.

When Sam Presti saw the cunning and experienced agent Dan Fagan in his office, he felt nothing but disgust.

He knew that Dan Fagan was a cunning old fox and would definitely make some troublesome demands.

And judging from his confident expression, he must have come prepared today.

Dan Fegan came to New York to discuss DeAndre Jordan's contract extension, and deliberately did not bring his employer with him.

He knew that DeAndre Jordan liked the New York Knicks, and could even say he loved it.

He admired Lynch's tough style of leading him to kick everyone's butts, respected his mentor Patrick Ewing's teachings, and was also intoxicated by the fervent atmosphere of winning in New York.

Well, who knows if Patrick Ewing, that old ladybug, took him to some weird places, otherwise it's really hard to explain how these two could build such a deep friendship that transcends the generation gap.

But Dan Fegan knew very well that if DeAndre Jordan continued to stay in Tyson Chandler's shadow as a substitute, then his entire career would probably be spent dreaming of a big contract commensurate with his abilities from the bench.

And he was also unable to get higher commissions.

The New York Knicks are the most talked-about team in the NBA today, but no matter how much attention they receive, it's never distributed fairly to everyone.

Lynch basked in the limelight, while even a high-profile substitute like Ray Allen managed to steal a small share.

As for the rest of the people? They might not even be able to get a turn for soup.

Without sufficient exposure, where does commercial value come from? Without value, the future of one's career is bleak.

These are things that passion alone cannot compensate for.

Feelings are feelings, and dollars are dollars.

Continuing to play as a substitute will not benefit DeAndre Jordan's career.

Dan Fagan was afraid that his simple-minded, emotional young client would waver, so he went alone today and got straight to the point, laying down the cold, hard facts.

"If De Andre can't start, we won't renew his contract, no matter how much money it costs."

Dan Fagan leaned forward slightly, tapping his fingertips lightly on the table, a sinister smile on his face.

I heard you've promised to start Wilson Chandler, which means you do have that authority.

So, you should be able to make De Andre a starter, right?

Sam Presti didn't know where he got the information, but that's why agents like them are so difficult to deal with.

He acknowledged DeAndre Jordan's excellence, noting that he even managed to limit Dwight Howard during last season's playoffs when Tyson Chandler was in foul trouble.

Since drafting DeAndre Jordan, the Knicks have never struggled with depth at the center position.

But he clearly could not agree to Dan Fagan's request.

The promise to start Wilson Chandler was made because Ron Artest himself knew he was no longer qualified for the starting lineup.

However, the center position is completely different.

Tyson Chandler, a championship center in his prime, would never accept being a substitute.

Sam Presti made no promises, only waving his hand dismissively: "You know, as general manager, I'm more like a butler, helping to handle all sorts of miscellaneous matters for the team. Butlers handle a lot of things, but they often don't have much real say."

“So who has the say? Philip? I’ll contact Philip and tell him my demands.” Dan Fagan said, then stood up to leave.

But Sam Presti's words made him suddenly stop.

"The power is in Lynch's hands; this is his team."

We are nothing but servants of the empire's master.
-
Lynch knew that building a three-peat dynasty would involve more than just winning and losing.

He got information about DeAndre Jordan from Sam Presti, and he had to deal with that problem immediately.

As the team leader, he has an inescapable responsibility to be deeply involved.

The contract renewal issues between Jordan Poole and Draymond Green ignited the Warriors, and their leader Steve Curry, apart from his impotent rage when Jordan Poole made some inexplicable mistakes such as losing the ball before turning past the player, made no other statement and tried to smooth things over when facing reporters.

Instead of stepping forward to solve the problem, he chose to remain a bystander.

As a result, the Warriors went from the Finals to the playoffs and then directly to the play-in tournament.

Lynch is now facing a similar problem.

Although Tyson Chandler and DeAndre Jordan had a decent personal relationship, their long-term competition for positions would eventually cause a rift between them.

Once the cracks completely break down, the entire team will be affected.

As a strong leader, Lynch must be the first to seal the cracks.

In a recent locker room meeting, Lynch stated directly: "We don't have fixed starting positions. The player in better form will start. This isn't about competition for anyone; it's all about form and winning. If anyone has any objections to this principle, they can speak up."

Ron Artest and Ray Allen both gave Lynch their full support, raising their hands and saying, "I have no objections."

Both of them were once renowned stars, yet they both readily accepted the role of substitute.

Their nods were the strongest endorsement of Lynch's rules.

Tyson Chandler's gaze swept quickly over DeAndre Jordan beside him. After a moment of silence, he slowly raised his arm and said, "I agree."

The problem is temporarily resolved.

DeAndre Jordan will be content to continue playing as a substitute for now.

Tyson Chandler has also mentally prepared for possible rotation adjustments.

Under Lin Qi's prestige, they will not cause any trouble for the time being.

But this is still a ticking time bomb.

And there are quite a few such time bombs.

Injuries, declining form of veteran players, and competition for positions—each of these could be a ticking time bomb that could puncture the seemingly sturdy deck of the three-time champions.

Lynch faces many challenges, much like navigating a sea riddled with reefs.

With this not-so-safe warship, Lynch set sail once again, embarking on his second attempt to achieve a three-peat.

At the end of October, the Knicks received their championship rings at Madison Square Garden.

Before the rings had even cooled on their fingers, they faced their first test of the new season – the San Antonio Spurs, who had undergone their ultimate evolution.

Last season, the Knicks exploited the Spurs' contract renewal weakness to dismantle them, but clearly, they don't have that weakness this season.

After signing his contract extension, Manu Ginobili seems to have rediscovered his lost Pampas Eagle spirit and is in red-hot form.

More importantly, by acquiring Gerald Wallace in a trade, the Spurs successfully filled the huge wing void left by Bruce Bowen.

This Spurs team has finally become complete.

So, Yao Ming told Lin Qi before the game, "I might really have to retire after this season, hahaha."

He once said that if he could beat Lynch to win a championship in his career, he would retire immediately, because that would be the unsurpassable peak of his basketball career.

This year, he felt that the time had come.

(Thank you so much to Deep Blue Gemini and other generous donors! I'm extremely grateful!)

(End of this chapter)