Champion Rules

Chapter 43 040 It’s our turn to appear in this world (Please read!)
John Fitzgerald Kennedy International Airport.

The hurricane that devastated Europe has made landfall in North America for the first time!
When Lynch got off the plane in the United States, he was shocked by his own popularity.

The airport's arrival hall was packed with people, and Knicks fans were cheering and holding up signs.

“Lynch FOR NYC!”

"We want Lynch!!!"

"It's Lynch or no one."

"Welcome the King of New York!"

"New York needs you to rewrite history!"

"Lynch, you haven't seen a butt as big as mine in Europe!"

The crowd went into a frenzy, and the human wall formed by security guards was like a lone boat in the raging sea amidst the seething crowd.

Some fans in the front row even leaned over the isolation tape and tried to touch the young emperor who swept the European basketball scene at the age of 18.

But without exception, they were tackled by the brave NYPD who had just finished eating donuts.

Although the draft has not yet begun, New Yorkers have already expressed their desire for Lynch in this way.

Looking at these enthusiastic New York fans, what else can Lynch say?
Thank you.

After leaving the airport, Lynch got into a Cadillac Escalade arranged by Reebok and prepared to go to the Central Park Ritz-Carlton Hotel where he was staying.

I thought everything would return to calm after leaving the crowd.

However, the huge waves caused by the hurricane have not yet dissipated.

Not long after getting in the car, Lynch heard a loud noise circling overhead. He glanced at his companion, Misko, in confusion. The European agent simply smiled and said, "It's probably ESPN's live helicopter. Nothing to be alarmed about. From this moment on, every breath you take will be magnified three hundred times."

After a while, the Escalade drove into the neon vortex of Times Square, and the iconic LED screens were all filled with Lynch's Reebok advertisements.

The image of him flying over the Empire State Building in the camera complements the real scene outside the car window at that moment.

The Knicks also rented a screen, and a blue and orange advertisement read: "May God guide us to make the right decision."

The traffic lights at the intersection lost their meaning in the frenzy of the fans. Countless fans wearing No. 10 Knicks jerseys burst into MVP cheers, completely paralyzing the traffic.

Of course, Lynch also saw some very liberal things, with people marching with signs saying: "No justice in America, no jobs for black people!!!"

Misko opened his arms proudly. "Welcome to the beacon of freedom. Now do you hear me? This is the heartbeat of New York!"

Lynch watched all this and whistled.

It must be admitted that his vanity was greatly satisfied.

The spotlight gilded his outline, and at this moment he seemed to be standing at the center of the world, even his breathing was wrapped in the weight of the stars.

There have been several drafts in NBA history where the No. 1 pick was a foregone conclusion, but never has the rookie's first appearance in North America caused as much of a sensation as Lynch's.

This is partly due to Lynch's own reasons. His miracle of sweeping Europe at such a young age has made the NBA salivate. Remember, last season Real Madrid was a team that didn't even make the playoffs.

With Lynch, they became European champions.

This kind of narrative is very popular in the NBA. Compared with those geniuses who have stepped out of the NCAA step by step, this young man from the East who has conquered the mountains and rivers of Europe naturally carries the legendary background of a conqueror.

The NBA also smelled an excellent script for deification in Lynch.

But what really pushed this carnival to its peak was the giant neon-soaked stage in New York.

In the world of commercial sports, strength alone is not enough, you also need a gorgeous enough stage to present the most perfect performance.

New York was undoubtedly the perfect stage to add fuel to Lynch's already sensational debut.

When Yao Ming arrived in Houston in 2002 with the halo of the No. 1 pick, at least the Rockets had already selected him.

Lynch doesn't belong to the Knicks yet, but he has driven the entire city into a collective frenzy over an uncertain possibility.

After arriving at the hotel, Misko raised his hand to stop Lynch who was about to open the door and handed him a pair of Oakley sunglasses.

This eyewear brand, which was brought to the world by the movie "The Matrix", just signed a $300 million endorsement contract with Lynch a day ago.

Lynch has already made a lot of money from commercial endorsements before he officially signed a contract with any NBA team.

"Oh, I almost forgot I'm their spokesperson." Lynch took the sunglasses.

"No, no, no, you'll understand later that wearing sunglasses is not just fulfilling a brand obligation." Misko pointed meaningfully at the car window.

The moment Lynch stepped out of the Escalade, the shutter clicked like thunder, and the endless flashes merged into a sea of ​​​​blazing white light, as if millions of suns exploded in front of his eyes at the same time.

Even through the dark brown lenses, the silvery-white flashes still intertwined into an impenetrable net in front of Lynch's eyes.

If someone were to look down from the Empire State Building at this moment, they would mistakenly think that someone had crushed the Milky Way and dumped it next to Central Park.

"Hello Lynch, look over here!"

"Can I take a look here?"

"Nihao, here, here!"

Passing through the layers of flashes from reporters, Lynch finally walked into the hotel and was led to his room by the waiter.

This will be Lynch's temporary resting place before he attends the draft.

Lynch fell on the soft big bed in the luxurious suite. The madness of North America made him both excited and exhausted.

"When will my mother arrive?"

"tomorrow morning."

"Where's the Rolls-Royce Phantom I ordered?"

"I'll be waiting for you at the hotel entrance two hours before the draft starts tomorrow."

"What news do you have about the New York Knicks? Am I really going to stay here?"

Talking about this, Misko suddenly got a headache.

In the past half month, Lynch has only tried out for one team, the New York Knicks.

Lynch's performance in Europe is enough to explain everything. Any tryout is unnecessary for Lynch. Trying out for the Knicks is just a friendly gesture.

The Smiling Assassin gave Lynch a very high evaluation, but he did not make any promises on the spot.

Misko's connections told him that the Knicks hadn't yet decided how to use the pick.

They undoubtedly wanted Lynch, but some trade offers made the smiling assassin hesitate, making him want to hit other teams hard. Therefore, the text message notification sound in Misko's mobile phone almost never stopped, because someone was always reporting the latest trade rumors to him.

"There are a lot of trade rumors about you, and the Washington Wizards are willing to send Gilbert Arenas, Larry Hughes and Kwame Brown.

The Phoenix Suns are willing to add Amar'e Stoudemire, Shawn Marion and three future first-round draft picks to the bargaining chip, which is equivalent to betting the team's entire future on you.

In Boston, Paul Pierce was not spared and was put on the shelf.

And of course, the West Coast.”

Having said that, Misco paused.

Lynch's trading value has climbed to an astonishing height. All the teams in the league know it very well. If they want to get the rookie who has never played an NBA game, they must use an All-Star level player as a bargaining chip, otherwise the Smiling Assassin will not even bother to start negotiations.

But the Los Angeles Lakers are the most exaggerated because their chips are not as simple as the All-Stars.

"The Los Angeles Lakers are willing to use Shaquille O'Neal as their main bargaining chip just to get you."

To this day, there are still many people who think that Jerry West's trade of Divac for Kobe was a bold gamble.

The legend of the rookie guard being traded for an All-Star center has been talked about for years, even though Divac had never been an All-Star when Kobe was traded.

And now, when the purple and gold giants are willing to trade Shaquille O'Neal, the core of their three-peat dynasty, just to exchange for an 18-year-old rookie who has not yet set foot on the NBA floor, the legend of Divac trading for Kobe has become worthless.

That's the giant who won three championships and three FMVPs in the past five years.

Even though the Lakers F4's failure this season was disappointing, the entire Purple and Gold Army became a stepping stone for Carmelo Anthony to become a legend.

But Shaquille O'Neal is still one of the best players in the league.

Lynch listened to all this, feeling both happy about his trading value and anxious about his fate.

Meanwhile, the more anxious person was Mitch Kupchak.

The Lakers dynasty has collapsed, and the partnership between Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant may have completely broken down.

The only thing he could do was to trade Shaquille O'Neal for a better future - the one who left certainly couldn't be Kobe, as he was younger and healthier. Although the Eagle County incident made him a public enemy, Jerry Buss still had high hopes for that guy.

24 hours before the draft.

Mitch Kupchak called the Smiling Assassin again.

"Man, I've thought about it. Shaquille O'Neal and two future draft picks. Deal. I'm willing. Let's finalize this deal."

On the other end of the line, the smiling assassin's response made Mitch Kupchak furious: "That was my offer 30 seconds ago. Now I want three first-round picks and two second-round picks."

"No, that's impossible. Be realistic, Isaiah? You know my offer is fair! We have a power forward, and we don't really want Lynch that badly, don't get it wrong."

"Power forward? You mean Karl Malone? You mean Karl? Man, you're funny. He can barely run on the court! Consider my offer. Time's running out."

After hanging up the phone, the Smiling Assassin rubbed his temples.

He was torn. He once said, "I'd trade everything for Shaq."

But when the opportunity to get Shaq really came to him, he was conflicted.

The Shark has excellent combat effectiveness. The combination of him and Stephen Marbury may be able to immediately change the Knicks' poor situation.

Lynch is strong, but he is only 18 years old after all. It is difficult to expect such a person to help the team succeed immediately.

But Shaq is old, his legs and toes are injured, and no one knows if he can play 70 games next season.

The Knicks' chief scout, 78-year-old Dick Maguire, rushed into the Smiling Assassin's office and threw a stack of information on the ground.

"I don't understand. All year long, all I've heard is how great Lynch is. And now you want to trade the kid who made it in Europe for some worthless All-Stars and a half-buried Shaq!?"

Dick Maguire dared to challenge the general manager because his reputation in New York was far greater than that of the Smiling Assassin. He had been a scout for the team since 1963, and many media outlets have said, "In New York City, Dick Maguire's name is as sacred as it is in basketball circles."

The smiling assassin spread his hands: "I didn't say I would definitely trade him, but I have to listen to some offers. This is the New York Knicks' chance to become great!"

"You'd better not be tempted by any offer, you'd better do this!"

Dick Maguire wasn't the only scout who lost his temper. Mitch Kupchak was also confronting Antonio Marcellas.

"Listen, I don't care how many draft picks it takes, we have to get Lynch!"

"You don't understand. I'm gambling with the team's future for ten years. The Buss family won't allow it!" Mitch Kupchak put his hands on his hips and paced back and forth in the office anxiously.

"The next ten years? Kobe and Lynch can create the Lakers' golden decade!"

Eighteen hours before the draft, the Smiling Assassin received a call from owner James Dolan.

"Shaq is a legend, you know what he means. If the Lakers' chips are right, I will allow you to trade the No. 1 pick. Because I'm tired of losing, I want to succeed immediately. And I heard that Lynch has a very bad temper. One fight is enough for David Stern to confiscate Lynch's star."

Next up was another scout for the team, Anderson Carter, who had been trying to replace Dick. "I've studied every one of his games. Lynch's offense might not be top-tier in the NBA. He might just be a top-tier defensive player, but he won't be a two-way star. He's not as good as people think."

The Smiling Assassin couldn't sleep all night, so he immediately called his old friend Joe Dumars.

"Hey man, what can you tell me about Lynch? Anything."

Although Joe Dumars and the Smiling Assassin now serve different masters, their friendship still exists. So the good old Dumars said a few heartfelt words to the Smiling Assassin.

"Whatever you hear, don't believe it. Whatever you see in him, it's true. Whatever negative you hear about him, it's false. He's a perfect fit for your team, and I wouldn't say that to anyone. I'm telling you this out of respect for our friendship."

The Smiling Assassin was almost torn apart. After a series of phone calls and countless struggles, the time came to two hours before the draft!

With the help of his stylist, Lynch put on his suit and prepared to go to the audition.

Before leaving the room, he received a call from Teodosic. The other party's joking voice came from the receiver: "I heard that the league office prepared tissues for every rookie. Which hand are you going to use to wipe your tears?"

"In fact, I don't understand why the chosen ones would cry. This is clearly a moment worth celebrating. I won't wipe my tears like a woman. The tears of the winner will only appear on the opponent's face."

After saying that, Lynch walked to the hotel entrance under the attention of everyone.

At the door, a silver Rolls-Royce Phantom was waiting quietly.

Misko helped Lynch open the car door, surrounded by reporters and the sound of camera shutters. Lynch looked at everything he had imagined, and his hair stood on end.

"Come on, young president, let's put on our formal attire. It's time for us to take the stage in this world. Remember, never be stage-frightened."

After saying that, Misko patted Lynch on the shoulder, then closed the car door, bent down slightly and waved at Lynch.

The Phantom drove towards the future that was about to become clear. Lynch saw his tense Adam's apple in the reflection of the car window and let out a long sigh.

I won't cry, I definitely won't cry.

(End of this chapter)