Champion Rules

Chapter 289-285: The Flying Man Returns (Seeking Monthly Tickets!)

Michael Jordan hasn't been this focused on who wins a season's championship in a long time.

Although he owns the Charlotte Bobcats, he is not interested in winning a championship because his team has been consistently excluded from the playoffs.

As long as the Charlotte Bobcats don't lift the trophy, it doesn't matter to them who wins the championship.

But this year is different.

Whether the Bobcats win the championship or not is not important.

In fact, it doesn't matter who wins the championship.

But Lynch not winning the championship is important to Michael Jordan.

Because of MJ's pride, which earned him the title of "God of Basketball," he was strong, arrogant, and intolerant of any intrusion.

He maintained a friendship with Charles Barkley for over 20 years, but he severed the relationship completely because Charles Barkley had hurt his pride on a television program.

To this day, because Charles Barkley has not publicly apologized, he has not spoken another word to Sir Alex Ferguson.

What's more, this time it was someone who had almost no personal relationship with him who pierced his pride.

This made him desperately want to see that arrogant brat fall flat on his face.

He knew that once the New York Knicks' three-peat was broken, Lynch would no longer have the right to speak loudly in front of him.

But Lynch's expectations came true before Michael Jordan's.

Dwyane Wade's reign as the top seed in the Eastern Conference was short-lived, just as Lynch predicted, he immediately fell from that position.

In his hometown of Chicago, he suffered a rather embarrassing defeat.

The Chicago Bulls held the Heat to just 83 points thanks to their strong defense.

Pau Gasol didn't believe the long night was coming until Joakim Noah shrouded him in darkness.

In his fourth year as a professional, this New York-born French-Cameroonian center has developed into a formidable defensive force.

Joachim Noah's mother was Miss Sweden in 1978 and the runner-up in Miss Universe, so it's really hard to imagine why he looks so abstract.

It's probably because his father's decisive pull-up jumper back then had accumulated for too long and was too concentrated.

As a result, he inherited none of his mother's genes, but rather all of his father's athletic genes, who was a professional tennis player.

This season, Joakim Noah's greater experience has allowed him to fully leverage his athletic advantages.

Pau Gasol had no chance in the paint today; a seasoned Joakim Noah made the Bulls' interior defense impenetrable.

Fortunately, Dwyane Wade has Andre Iguodala by his side.

His performance today was very consistent.

The three-pointer just won't go in!

That's normal, after all, Andre Iguodala can only play at an Finals MVP level when facing LeBron James.

South Sudanese-American basketball player Luol Duncan will not give Andre Iguodala any easy scoring opportunities.

Dwyane Wade exploded for 37 points, dominating the entire Bulls team.

But the entire Bulls team brutally beat his teammates.

Luol Deng and Joakim Noah, two guys whose nationalities are even more complicated than LeBron James's thought process, should bear the main responsibility for this.

In the final quarter, the Miami Heat had Derrick Rose directly guarded by Dwight Howard, which had a certain limiting effect.

The Chicago Bulls countered by double-teaming Dwyane Wade, effectively limiting his effectiveness.

But Derrick Rose smiled slightly.

I'm waiting for Chris Bosh, what are you waiting for?
Chris Bosh exploded for 12 points in the final quarter, but no one else on the Miami Heat could step up.

Ultimately, the Chicago Bulls defeated the Heat 95-83 to claim the top spot in the Eastern Conference.

When the game ended, Dwyane Wade looked utterly incredulous.

Although the Chicago Bulls' acquisition of Chris Bosh this summer is considered one of the best signings of the offseason.

But no one expected that this team, which had previously only been eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, would become so strong this season.

With Derrick Rose's brilliance shining through, Joakim Noah's pillar of strength, Chris Bosh's crucial firepower, and Tom Thibodeau's steel-like resilience, the Chicago Bulls have rebuilt their golden form.

At the post-match press conference, Erik Spoelstra shrugged helplessly:

"I don't think we have any problems. The poor performance of Andre and Paul is a product of the Chicago Bulls' suffocating defensive system."

This isn't an upset, because the New York Knicks will almost certainly experience the same nightmare in the next game.

Eric Spoelstra's words excited Chicago fans.

After defeating the Miami Heat, the United Center's next opponent will be the New York Knicks, who are currently embroiled in controversy.

The starting center has requested a trade, and the starting point guard is still recovering from a serious injury—the once-dominant team is now struggling.

This is a great opportunity for Chicago fans to finally shine.

In the past two seasons, the Chicago Bulls were ruthlessly swept by the New York Knicks in the first round of the playoffs.

After last season's disappointing performance, Derrick Rose's bitter words, "Perhaps every generation has its own Larry Bird," still resonate.

However, at this press conference, Derrick Rose's gaze pierced through the room lights, resolute as iron:

“MJ never had a chance to get revenge on Larry, but for me…”
The time has come!
-
The powerful and young Chicago Bulls are a tough opponent for the current New York Knicks.

Fortunately, the New York Knicks, who have been experiencing a series of setbacks, finally received a small piece of good news.

The day after their narrow victory over the Detroit Pistons, multiple media outlets confirmed that the New York Knicks had signed Jermaine O'Neal, who had just been waived by the Miami Heat.

This battered defending champions has finally found a genuine backup center, at least in terms of height.

Sam Presti didn't expect the signing to go so smoothly, because Ron Artest was probably the person Jermaine O'Neal hated most throughout his entire career.

When asked in an interview, "Would you have a conflict with Ron in the locker room?", Jermaine O'Neill's answer was unequivocal:

“I chose New York because I admire Lynch, Ron? Don’t worry, I won’t say a word to that bastard—not a single word!”

Indeed, on his first day at the Greenburg training center, when Ron Artest forced a smile and stepped forward to shake hands and make peace, Jermaine O'Neal's gaze went straight past his raised arm, as if passing through a meaningless mass of air, without even pausing his steps.

He walked straight to Lynch, gave him a tight hug, and then turned to his other teammates, smiling as he began to introduce himself.

Ron Artest's hand hung awkwardly in mid-air. Seeing this, Sean Battier immediately stepped in front of the beast that could erupt at any moment.

Shane Battier has consistently opposed the signing, fearing it would bring a new crisis to the locker room, which had just begun to calm down.

However, he had no decision-making power in this matter.

All he could do was try his best to help Lynch maintain order in the locker room.

He felt this would bring a new crisis to the recently calm locker room.

Surprisingly, Ron Artest did not get angry in the face of Jermaine O'Neal's disdain.

He turned to look at the nervous Sean Battier and smiled, "You don't think I'll make the same stupid mistake I did back then, do you?"

Jermaine O'Neal's integration with the team is progressing smoothly, and his rich experience allows him to fit into any defensive system.

The tricky part is on the offensive end, where his actual performance is even worse than the advanced stats suggest.

Years of injuries not only caused him to lose most of his athletic ability, but even his once decent jump shot ability has completely deteriorated.

He can only be used as a pure defensive center.

Even in defense, he certainly cannot completely replace Tyson Chandler's role.

Therefore, for Chicago fans, this New York Knicks team is still not a threat.

Jermaine O'Neal only practiced with the team for one day before flying to Chicago with them.

A young team eager to dominate the East is on high alert, waiting for their arrival.

As soon as Lynch and his Knicks landed in Chicago, all the reporters bombarded him with a surprising question:

"Lynch, what are your thoughts on Michael Jordan's return to the United Center tomorrow night after seven years?"

Lin Qi's first reaction was that he had misheard.

Michael Jordan and Larry Bird were definitely two maverick stars.

Most star players and legends take pride in returning to the places where they once shone, enjoying the thunderous adoration they receive there.

The two of them were exceptions.

Larry Bird, having completely broken with the team's management in the 90s, has never set foot in TD Garden as a guest. Even during his time coaching the Pacers, he was notoriously ruthless, never allowing the Celtics to win a single game over him.

Michael Jordan is the same; as long as Jerry Reinsdorf remains the leader of the Chicago Bulls, he will never return to the United Center as a guest.

In the original timeline of January 2024, Michael Jordan was not even expected to return to the United Center for the grand ceremony of awarding the "Ring of Honor".

These two strong-willed guys expressed their backbone in this way.

These two legendary figures, with their inherent arrogance, demonstrated their stubbornness in this way: "You can enshrine me on a pedestal, and have the entire city adore me—but do you expect me to bow down and curry favor? Don't even think about it!"

This is completely different from those stars who desperately wanted their jerseys retired by the Heat, only to have the Heat quickly retire Bill Russell's #6 jersey to avoid embarrassment.

Michael Jordan and Larry Bird's arrogance often led teams to fawn over them, but they remained unmoved.

So when Lynch learned that Michael Jordan was actually going to return to the United Center, he was indeed very surprised.

What made MJ make such a rebellious decision?

It was obviously himself.

That stubborn basketball god clearly wanted to be there in person, to witness himself lose this crucial battle in his deepest abyss.

Compared to his feud with Jerry Reinsdorf, Michael Jordan is now clearly more concerned about his feud with Lynch.

His feud with Jerry Reinsdorf was a thing of the past, and he was punished for it—he personally killed the possibility of the basketball god descending upon Chicago.

Lynch is different.

His actions have not yet been punished.

Michael Jordan will surely remind Lynch just how vulnerable he was, and who this league truly belongs to.

When Michael Jordan reappeared at the player tunnel of the United Center in Chicago after seven years, the entire arena went wild.

As the classic theme song "Siuirs" began to play, the deafening cheers seemed to lift the dome off the field, and the sound waves were like a real tsunami, washing over every corner of the stadium.

The spotlight precisely locked onto the figure in the impeccably tailored suit. Amidst a chorus of salutes, he slowly walked toward the center of the field, his expression calm yet exuding an aura of dominance.

Time seemed to flow backward, and the glory of the sprinter returned at this moment.

The arena's big screen was playing highlights of Michael Jordan's Bulls career.

Those incredible game-winning shots, those dominant dunks, those championship trophies that stood proudly above all others—every frame of the video stirred the nerves of tens of thousands of Bulls fans in the arena, igniting wave after wave of frenzied cheers.

The team meticulously arranged a tribute ceremony for tonight. Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf stood courtside with a forced smile, but MJ's gaze remained fixed on the roaring stands the entire time, not even glancing in his direction.

The ceremony reached its climax when the host, in the most respectful tone, finished his introduction and handed the microphone to Michael Jordan, and the entire audience held their breath.

“Thank you, Chicago,” his deep, powerful voice echoed in the suddenly quiet arena. “This is my home, the place where my dreams took flight. No matter how much time passes, this connection will never fade.”

Then, his gaze was fixed on Lynch's face.

The look in his eyes was devoid of its former disdain, replaced only by the cold scrutiny and a hint of mockery of a hunter looking at his prey that had fallen into a trap.

"I believe I will see a beautiful victory here tonight. For many years, people have said that someone will surpass Michael Jordan. But we all know that some dominance is unbreakable!"

The focus of everyone's attention instantly shifted from the sprinter's glorious past to the tense present moment.

The air froze, and everyone felt the chilling killing intent directed at Lin Qi.

Michael Jordan needs no further words; his presence, his rituals, and every glance of his silently proclaim:
"He came to witness Lynch's defeat firsthand, to see this disrespectful young man lose in the most humiliating way on his former turf, in front of his most loyal followers. To show him the true gap between him and a legend."

At this moment, Lynch, standing at the eye of the storm, with his back to the overwhelming hostility, faces the most powerful shadow in basketball history.

Every New York fan watching on TV clenched their fists.

They all had one question in their minds:
Lynch, are you ready to overturn this idol on God's territory?
(End of this chapter)