Champion Rules

Chapter 299, Section 295: Dominance is Back (Seeking Monthly Tickets!)
The historic reconciliation that took place in Indianapolis moved all fans.

The sharp blade of time has repeatedly struck this iron-willed army, attempting to dull its edge in the quest for championships, but it has never been able to break their unyielding backbone.

Fate seems to always cast the deepest shadow over the Pacers' championship dream just when glory is within reach.

But this team never chose to succumb. For them, defeat was merely a painful footnote to forging an immortal spirit, not the final end of their journey.

They may not have been crowned with a championship trophy, but they have the tenacity to get back up after countless falls.

This stubbornness is also etched into the DNA of Ron Artest and Jermaine O'Neal.

Even as heroes grow old and reach the final chapter of their careers, the flame of victory and redemption in their hearts remains unextinguished, driving them to rise from the dust once more and defy fate.

When their spiritual icon, Reggie Miller, personally stepped in to mend the rift that had stretched across the years, the grudge that had lingered in the hearts of the two warriors for many years finally dissipated completely at that moment.

The Knicks' first round of the playoffs ended in such a touching way, while the other two championship favorites, the Chicago Bulls and the Oklahoma City Thunder, also advanced with sweeps.

Under Armour is pleasantly surprised by the Thunder's current situation.

The Thunder are currently the best team in the Western Conference.

But I am extremely worried about LeBron James' current situation.

Because LBJ cannot even be identified as the best player on the Thunder.

Nike's promotion of Kevin Durant has never stopped.

They tried to mold KD into the sole leader of this Oklahoma City team.

Coincidentally, Reebok is doing the same thing, consistently emphasizing the key role of Stephen Curry.

With the Oklahoma City Thunder demonstrating their dominance through unexpected roster changes, Under Armour naturally hopes to translate the team's success into a peak in LeBron James' personal reputation.

As a result, the Thunder became the most unique team in the entire league—a team that simultaneously had three star players who claimed to be the only legitimate leader.

But in this respect, LeBron James's "orthodoxy" is at a great disadvantage.

Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant are both Thunder's homegrown players developed through the draft, while LeBron James is more like a mercenary, and a mercenary who only signed a 2+1 contract.

In Oklahoma City, LeBron James' jersey sales were lower than Stephen Curry and KD, and only higher than sixth man James Harden.

However, considering that James Harden has had his jersey retired by several nightclubs in Oklahoma City through his own efforts, it is difficult to say whether LBJ's actual status in the hearts of Oklahoma City fans is stronger than Harden's.

In an effort to break the deadlock, Under Armour adopted a method that Nike used to love—customized data.

Various boasts began to emerge, and records unknown to most people began to frequently bombard the eyes of fans. LBJ began to appear on all sorts of historical lists that had never been seen before.

How strong LeBron James is depends entirely on how well the qualifiers are used.

Years later, to mock LeBron James's custom stats, American media compiled a list of "all players in history who have played 800+ games, averaged 13.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game, with a field goal percentage above 49% and a three-point percentage above 30%".

Players appearing on this list include LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and—

Thaddeus Young.

As long as the qualifiers are added well enough, and the data is customized to a decimal place, even an unknown player like Thaddeus Young can be included in the GOAT discussion alongside a host of great players.

This is what it means to master math, physics, and chemistry; then you can go anywhere in the world without fear.

Problems that basketball can't solve, mathematics certainly can.

Thankfully, LeBron James scored five points in the Eastern Conference Finals last season, instead of four.

Otherwise, he could have taken Tom Brady's position as the best quarterback in the country.

Under Armour tried to mold LeBron James into a historic superstar, but with little success.

Over the years, fans have become immune to all sorts of propaganda about LBJ.

If you want the media to hype you up, you have to win at least once.

Although people always laugh at the idea that 4 > 6, there must at least be four for the idea to continue.

Ultimately, LeBron James still lacks a truly convincing core honor.

He himself was well aware of this.

Having learned from last season's experience, he is no longer distracted by the fight for his place on the team during this year's playoffs.

Moreover, he firmly believes that if he wins the championship, he, as the primary ball handler, will definitely be the final MVP.

As a result, the Oklahoma City Thunder swept through the first round.

For the small number of LeBron James fans, they believe that the "lifetime series" is about to become a reality.

If LeBron James wins the championship, on a smaller scale, it's just that a sports league has produced a new champion.

But on a grander scale, this is enough to be recorded in modern American history, because it marks the formal overthrow of the separation of powers—if LeBron James wins a championship, he will never give up any power or honor.

Let alone Kevin Durant, even if the Flash, who has already won a championship, were to win another one with LeBron James, his historical status would not rise but fall, making him the first victim of winning a championship in NBA history.

Oklahoma City's current situation is indeed very much in line with the theme of this season.

A miracle may happen in this small town.

LeBron James emphasized the point that "miracles happen here" after defeating the Knicks in the regular season.

After the first round of the competition, LBJ continued to mention the Knicks in an interview with ESPN.

"This is competitive sports, and turning competitive sports into a battle between good and evil is a very bad and foolish thing to do. Lynch does not represent justice, nor is he qualified to enforce justice; he is just a basketball player."

People praise his contributions to the collective bargaining agreement, and I acknowledge those contributions. But in NBA history, no one has ever been called the GOAT because of their contributions to the collective bargaining agreement.

Even without Lynch's intervention, labor negotiations would have reached an agreement in another way.

Therefore, those who use this to claim that his influence rivals that of MJ are truly disgusting.

If it were me, I would never try to emulate Michael Jordan before winning six championships.

In fact, Lynch should be worried about Dwyane Wade, not Michael or me.

"Let him deal with Dwayne first, then we can talk about upholding justice."

Since he's already playing the villain, LeBron James has decided to go all the way with the bad guys.

With his encouragement, the 20 vs. 23 matchup became everyone's expectation.

Sometimes you have to admit that even if LeBron James isn't the greatest player of all time, he's certainly the most entertaining player in history.

Whether he's basking in glory or not, he always manages to come up with something new.

Last season, the Knicks vs. Pistons rivalry was one of the most anticipated matchups for fans.

This season, the Knicks and Thunder's Finals matchup is the most anticipated showdown among fans.

If LeBron James were to retire, countless fans, whether or not they were his fans, would surely be moved to tears.

The league will lose a lot of fun because of him.

Both the Knicks and the Thunder have a long way to go before they can meet the expectations of their fans.

Dwyane Wade could indeed potentially interrupt the Knicks' three-peat for the second time.

He did it once.

He certainly wouldn't mind doing it a second time.

In the locker room before the game started, Lin Qi was looking at his phone.

The top of the page is all news about LeBron James.

As it turns out, performance record is the true hard currency in the world of competitive sports.

Even though Under Armour has limited influence in the media, if the Thunder achieve outstanding results, LBJ's popularity will certainly not wane.

Lynch was not angry about LBJ's outrageous remarks.

He pointed to his phone screen as if it were a joke: "His tone made me wonder who was the one with four rings between us."

Lynch doesn't plan to pay too much attention to LBJ right now. His real opponent right now is the Miami Heat, who are eyeing him covetously, and Dwyane Wade, who once made the Knicks taste the bitterness of failure.

Dwyane Wade still remembers their last regular season matchup, where Steve Nash's presence completely ruined the three-man double-team strategy.

Overall, however, the game was still very close, and the Knicks did not win by a single hand.

Therefore, Dwyane Wade's gaze was intense when he faced reporters before the game:

"We know how strong the fully-formed New York Knicks are, but we are ready. By the way, I haven't lost a game at Madison Square Garden this season."

After warming up and returning to the bench, Dwyane Wade pulled an elegant box from under his seat. Opening the lid, a Cohiba cigar, exuding a rich tobacco aroma, lay quietly inside its velvet lining.

This cigar is certainly expensive, but it's nothing unusual for an NBA superstar.

The reason Wade treasures it so much and carries it with him is because it carries a weight far beyond its material form—it was the "championship fuse" that Pat Riley personally handed to him two seasons ago during the height of the playoffs.

At that time, Pat Riley's advice still resonated in his ears. He reminded the Flash to reignite the team on the night of the championship victory, and declared:

"That will be the most satisfying bite you've ever had in your life."

He knew that Pat Riley was offering more than just a cigar; he was conveying a weighty sense of recognition and a burning, eager expectation.

However, more than 700 days and nights have passed, and Paul Pierce has already left us, yet he still failed to fulfill this expectation.

The quote he wrote on his cigar, which only Paul Pierce had ever seen, has even begun to fade.

He didn't know how much longer he would have to wait. All he could do was quietly open the wooden box whenever he felt emotional before a match and needed to draw strength from it, letting this quiet "spiritual totem" remind him that he still had an unfinished mission.

He carefully closed the box, then turned his gaze back to the center of the court, where he saw Lynch being interviewed by reporters.

He shook his head casually, his expression relaxed.
"No, Dwyane doesn't know what the fully-formed New York Knicks would look like."

Lin Qi paused, his tone tinged with barely suppressed anticipation, "In fact, even I didn't know."

Nobody on the Heat took Lynch's response seriously.

At first, everyone thought it was just a routine intimidation, a psychological pressure tactic commonly used before a match.

However, when the starting whistle truly pierced the air and the orange-blue torrent of steel swept in, they realized...

They truly knew nothing about the fighting capabilities of the fully-formed Knicks.

The game had just begun when DeAndre Jordan blocked Andre Iguodala's drives to the basket with two consecutive blocks.

The second instance was particularly visually striking, when Andre Iguodala drove in and slammed home a two-handed dunk, and DeAndre Jordan rushed to the rim from the side to protect it.

With a loud bang, DeAndre Jordan crashed to the ground, and everyone instinctively thought it was a brutal dunk over someone.

But then, a deafening roar of cheers erupted from Madison Square Garden.

Because the basketball flew directly beyond the three-point line, this was not a dunk over someone, but a powerful and almost brutal block dunk!

DeAndre Jordan has been in excellent form lately, as there are rumors that he has been nominated for the All-Defensive Team.

Regardless of whether he ultimately wins the award, just receiving such a nomination in his first year as a starter is enough to ignite a burning flame within him.

Previously, the historic reconciliation in Indianapolis also served as a reminder not to leave himself with a regret that he would have to hastily remedy at the twilight of his career.

If the team can maintain its center position after Tyson Chandler's departure, it would be enough to show that he has achieved his dream of becoming a qualified NBA starting player.

DeAndre Jordan's explosive performance was just the tip of the iceberg, because DeMar DeRozan soon gave Andre Iguodala a hard time.

Compared to their last encounter, DeMar DeRozan's off-the-ball movement is more skillful and intelligent, making it difficult even for defensively renowned Andre Iguodala to fully track his routes.

With two catch-and-shoot mid-range jumpers and one cut to the basket, DeMar DeRozan scored the Knicks' first six points.

Charles Barkley believes that the second-year rookie, who averaged 23 points per game in March, needs to be tested in the playoffs to truly prove that he is not just a pretty face.

DeMar DeRozan is demonstrating with his actions that he is "not a fucking Barbie doll!"

But Andre Iguodala was beaten up like a Barbie doll!
They couldn't score on offense, and they couldn't stop anyone on defense.

Recalling Paul Pierce's on-court involvement in a sexual harassment incident during his time with the Heat, Mike Breen quipped:

"Don't tell me that Andre has also caught the Heat's small forward's hereditary gastroenteritis. He's been a rare visitor these past few days, so he hasn't dared to step outside."

Hey, can't the Miami Heat hire a few reliable gastroenterologists?

Andre Iguodala certainly wasn't unable to defend against DeMar DeRozan; he simply severely underestimated the speed of the second-year player's transformation.

In their past encounters, Andre Iguodala probably only needed to focus 50% of his energy on DeMar DeRozan, leaving the remaining 50% for Lynch.

But tonight, this amount of investment is clearly no longer enough to restrain that guy with a face full of acne scars.

In the fourth offensive possession, when Dwyane Wade had to move half a step to the side to block DeMar DeRozan's path to receive the ball in order to extinguish the Knicks' boiling offensive flames, the fatal defensive gap had already been torn open.

Lynch, positioned in the low post, seized this fleeting opening and skillfully passed the ball to Steve Nash, the "ugly duckling." The Canadian three-pointer gave the Knicks a 9-point lead at the start of the game!
The Miami Heat players were panting, not from exhaustion, but from being overwhelmed by the Knicks' fluid offense.

In the following rounds, the Miami Heat were completely dominated.

With the rotation time finally underway, Erik Spoelstra saw this as a good opportunity to close the gap.

But Ray Allen hit a three-pointer as soon as he entered the game, turning the Miami Heat's hopes into nothing.

Dwyane Wade attempted to close the gap with a strong drive, and although Ron Artest in front of him lowered his center of gravity and focused his eyes, the Flash did not take the New York psychopath, whose speed had been severely reduced, seriously.

At that moment, Jermaine O'Neal shouted from behind Ron Artest, "Missionary! Missionary!"

The New York mental patient frowned: "Are you sure it's not Hou Rushi?"

"Stop talking nonsense, missionary!"

The Flash:
He knew this was the opponent's secret defensive communication code, but couldn't they at least use some more sensible language for this?!
Come to the shady places!
With his killing intent unwavering, Dwyane Wade ignored their communication and positioning. Seeing an opening, he immediately accelerated and broke through to Ron Artest's right side.

But after penetrating the paint, Flash discovered that Jermaine O'Neal had already anticipated his path and, together with the chasing Ron Artest, formed a deadly trap.

Their communication was effective.

Jermaine O'Neal had just directed Ron Artest, based on his own positioning, to force the Flash to the right as much as possible.

Those fists, which had once been sworn enemies, now joined forces and struck The Flash in the face.

The Flash's pull-up jumper missed amid interference from two veteran forwards.

Yes, this won't work every round; completely shutting down Dwyane Wade isn't as simple as just yelling a few words.

But when Ron Artest and Jermaine O'Neal are willing to work together, the Knicks' defense during transition periods will undoubtedly become much better.

In previous encounters, Lynch had to do everything he could during transition periods to help the Knicks maintain their lead.

But now, the burden on Lin Qi's shoulders is clearly not so heavy anymore.

Throughout the first three quarters, the Knicks played with ease. The Miami Heat narrowed the gap to just one point at one point, but ultimately couldn't break the deadlock.

In the fourth quarter, when a fully fit Lynch began to take over the game, the noose tightened instantly.

Starting midway through the fourth quarter, Lynch launched a super offensive, scoring 19 consecutive points.

Lynch's energy, which he conserved in the first three quarters, was channeled into a barrage of bullets in the fourth quarter, leaving the Miami Heat riddled with holes.

The balance of power was completely reversed in that instant, and this Eastern Conference powerhouse with a record of 60 wins appeared powerless to fight back under the absolute pressure of the New York champions.

The two sides didn't even fight to the very end, because with 1 minute and 03 seconds left in the game, the two coaches tacitly called it quits.

Ultimately, the Miami Heat suffered a crushing 13-point defeat at Madison Square Garden.

林奇全场37分11个篮板6次助攻，德玛尔.德罗赞17分，史蒂夫.纳什17分，雷.阿伦16分，德安德烈.乔丹13个篮板4次封盖。

At the end of the match, Lin Qi frankly admitted:

"I thought the game would go down to the wire, so yes, I deliberately conserved my energy and saved my strength in the first three quarters. But as you can see, the actual situation was completely different from what I expected."

As I said, I don't even know what the complete New York Knicks would look like.

Lynch initially intended to turn and leave, but then suddenly remembered something and returned to the camera:
"But LeBron will know."

This New York Knicks team, tempered and refined through the turbulence of the regular season, finally revealed their ultimate power to the world for the first time on this night.

Historically, teams that win three consecutive championships are often weak, exhausted, and struggling.

Even the legendary 1998 Bulls were once forced into a Game 7 by the Pacers in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

The Knicks also showed signs of exhaustion and struggle during the regular season.

But when it came to the playoffs, that breathtaking absolute dominance that belongs to the champions—it all came back!
Mike Breen was amazed by Lynch's control of the locker room; he didn't let the Knicks fall apart, and he got the team back on track while simultaneously negotiating the labor negotiations.

But that's not the scariest thing.

His final summary plunged the entire league into an even deeper nightmare.

"Now we can only pray that Lady Luck won't smile on the New York Knicks at the lottery draw in a few days."

If they get a favorable draw, then...
Not only is this year not the end of the dynasty, but even a three-peat might not be the end of the dynasty.

(End of this chapter)