Champion Rules

Chapter 46043: Old American, slightly sore calves (please read!)
This guy, who had been rumored to be traded with superstars like Shaquille O'Neal before even entering the league, did not disappoint.

The boiling noise at the Amway Center froze in an instant, as if someone had pressed the mute button on the giant arena.

Although Lynch is very famous, this is the home of the Orlando Magic after all.

Just forty-eight hours ago, the city's star Tracy McGrady was traded to Houston, so at this moment Dwight Howard is the new king supported by Orlando fans.

Countless pairs of eyes in the stands are burning with anticipation, eager to witness this local genius crush the European myth with his iron arms.

Their expectations are not completely unrealistic. International players who come across the ocean always have to go through a long period of pain before they can adapt to the rhythm of American basketball.

Even if this is just a summer league full of young faces, international players still need to adapt.

The basketball here is faster, rougher, more terrifying, and the players' individual abilities are stronger.

Look at Yao Ming when he first entered the NBA. Who would have thought that the big guy who was easily knocked down by Stephen Marbury could become an NBA All-Star?
Howard has pure American basketball genes flowing in his veins. His leaping tendons have torn apart countless high school basketball hoops. He adapts to such rhythm and game atmosphere.

He might be able to overthrow Lynch in this battle.

But Lynch shattered the Orlando fans' fantasy eight seconds after the opening whistle.

Amid the roar of steel colliding, Dwight Howard staggered back to the baseline.

This prodigy who had been running rampant with his beastly physique since high school was now clenching his numb wrists in disbelief. He had never felt such terrifying power being crushed by an eighteen-year-old peer.

If Lynch was an NCAA player, it wouldn't be a big deal if he was so strong.

But Lynch and Howard are the same age!
Both are 18 years old, but Lynch's confrontation is already a level higher than Howard's.

This is thanks to the polish of professional basketball and the weight gain plan that Lynch has always insisted on.

When he went to the Knicks for a tryout, Lynch was measured to be 208 cm tall and weighed 122 kg, roughly equivalent to Antetokounmpo after gaining muscle.

This allowed Lynch to easily crush the rookie Howard in the confrontation.

Being able to carry weight is certainly a talent, and being able to carry weight without affecting agility is even more of a talent.

The perfect combination of AC Green's injury-resistant physique and Moses Malone's physical fitness gave Lynch this unexpected talent for gaining weight.

Howard stopped smiling, and all he could think about was getting back at Lynch.

Now he just loves to laugh, but he is not a fool, he has a basic sense of shame.

The Magic attacked, and Dwight Howard actively positioned himself inside.

Although he is about the same height as Lynch and started out as a point guard, Dwight Howard's current playing style is more inclined towards the inside.

He tried to position himself inside and attempted to attack the basket after receiving the ball.

To be honest, Lynch doesn't understand why Dwight Howard has been so obsessed with playing in the low post since his rookie season.

He doesn't have any low-post skills, and even his back-turning movement is not as smooth as Lynch's.

If he is willing to catch the ball after the pick-and-roll, his offense will be much easier.

Lynch did not hide from Howard on the defensive end. He was actively confronting Howard. The fierce muscle collision made Howard completely unable to maintain his position.

With Lynch's size and strength, Howard would have no chance as long as he didn't look with his hands on his hips.

Howard's immature back-to-the-basket skills caused him to suffer repeated setbacks, and his strength disadvantage caused him to be completely defeated.

In the end, he complained a few words in frustration and even gave up resisting Lynch.

It seems that Dwight Howard is the international player from Europe.

The heat waves of Orlando summer nights ultimately failed to melt the steel wall that stood in front of the genius.

In the end, the Magic's offense never got the ball past Howard's hands, and after the shot missed, Howard had no ability to compete with Lynch for the offensive rebound.

He is far less tough than Lynch, and Lynch only needs one elbow to knock him out of the rebounding range.

The game continued. Lynch did not hold the ball in this round. Instead, he was like a forward version of Reggie Miller, moving without the ball in the Magic's defense.

To be honest, Lynch feels that this defense is much looser than that in Europe.

In Summer League, winning or losing isn't important; what matters is individual performance. Consequently, many players obsess over their opponents and ignore help defense, leading to a lack of system and coordination in Summer League defense.

Therefore, when Lynch easily shook off Andrew De Klerk, the Magic defense, which lacked rotation coordination, had no one to fill the position and watched No. 10 calmly receive the ball outside the three-point line.

Lynch received the basketball and shot directly from beyond the three-point line.

"Will the distance of the NBA's three-point line become a problem for Lynch?"

Before the commentator's questioning was even finished, ripples appeared in the net bag.

"Goal! Okay, just forget I didn't say anything!"

This long shot not only penetrated the basket, but also shattered all doubts about the shooting adaptability of international players.

The commentators no longer had any illusions about Howard. Lynch was too mature. Look at his positioning and his understanding of the game. Dwight Howard simply couldn't compare.

At 5-0, Lynch was already widening the gap between him and Howard. In the next few rounds, Lynch freely displayed the skills he had honed in Europe.

Lynch weaves traps in the mid-range area: when De Klerk is afraid of his accurate jump shot and approaches half a step, he immediately attacks the opponent's front foot breakthrough; if the opponent takes the risk of shrinking, the fixed-point shot becomes an unstoppable killer move.

His pick-and-roll completely broke down the Magic's defense. When he went down to the basket, it was like a hammer, and when he bounced out to the three-point line, it turned into a crossbow. The Magic's defensive formation was torn apart time and time again, and New York fans have begun to look forward to his dream pick-and-roll combination with Marbury.

He can cut without the ball, and he can also catch the ball and shoot from long range.

Compared to Howard's monotonous low-post hard work, Lynch's arsenal is gorgeous.

Of course, the defensive end is where Lynch really makes his mark.

He prevented Dwight Howard from scoring any field goals in the entire first quarter. The new king of the Magic was unable to score in the fierce confrontation, and every attempt at a post-up play was like hitting a concrete wall.

After the first quarter, fans across the United States knew how big the gap was between first and second.

Lynch looked less like a rookie and more like a superstar who stumbled onto a summer league court.

After half of the second quarter, Howard still hadn't scored any points in the running game. His offense was as calm as the frozen surface of Orlando Lake. The fact that he only managed to score 3 points by free throws was particularly glaring in the technical statistics column.

This gifted young man swallowed his anxiety with his Adam's apple rolling, and finally in the seventh minute of the second quarter, he smelled an opportunity to break the ice.

In this round, Howard did not continue to fight with Lynch in the low post, but moved to the high post to set a screen for this year's 20th overall pick Jameer Nelson.

Nelson broke through immediately. This NCAA star, who led the Saint Joseph's University Eagles to a 27-0 record in the regular season last season and reached the quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament and had already appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated, was very fast and easily tore through the defense.

Lynch quickly made up for the defense, but Nelson did not make a layup after reaching the basket. At the last moment, he shook his wrist slightly, and the basketball drew a strange arc and flew to the shadow behind him.

The Warcraft that had been dormant for a long time finally showed its fangs. Howard jumped up from the ground, and raised the orange ball above his head with his hands full of blue veins. Every inch of his muscle fiber was roaring to crush the European myth in front of him.

This is his best scoring chance today!

It seems that the top talent in the United States is finally standing up!

Everyone held their breath waiting for the ending, while Lynch calmly watched Howard catch the basketball and jump up at the right time and in the right place.

After acquiring Theo Ratliff's shot-blocking talent, Lynch had been practicing. He'd long ago learned that talent alone wasn't enough to dominate the NBA. Fortunately, Lynch now possessed a remarkable sense of judgment.

The two divine bodies collided in mid-air, the violent impact causing the front row spectators to recoil unconsciously. As Howard slammed the ball towards the basket with both arms, Lynch's powerful right palm, like a judgment of fate, blocked the last ray of light.

With the dull sound of leather hitting flesh, the orange track came to an abrupt end three centimeters away from the basket.

"Lynch actually blocked Dwight Howard's alley-oop dunk! He can protect the rim, he can help defend, he can shoot, he can drive, he can wreak havoc on the rim, and he can also shoot three-pointers. I don't know what else Lynch can't do. Summer League is not about Lynch adapting to the NBA, it's about the NBA adapting to Lynch!"

It was a desperate moment, because Howard wouldn't have a better chance in the entire game.

Sure enough, Howard still didn't score any points in the subsequent games.

After the second quarter, Knicks summer league coach Mike Malone told Lynch, "Hell, you don't have to play in the second half."

"why?"

"Why? This damn game means nothing to you. It's like asking Michael Jordan to play high school basketball!"

In the second half, Dwight Howard scored some points and showed off his explosive physical fitness.

But when Orlando people think about the gap between him and Lynch, they can no longer laugh.

In the end, the New York Knicks easily defeated the Magic on the road.

林奇半场拿下16分8个篮板4次封盖，霍华德全场12分7个篮板2次封盖。

The nationally televised summer league ended with a shocking finale.

Stephen Marbury watched Lynch being interviewed on TV and called his agent.

"Get me that guy's phone number."

"What are you planning on doing? Planning a welcome party for him? Then you'd better find some older Asian girls."

"No," Lone Wolf smiled confidently. "I'm going to send him some tickets to the Athens Olympics. It's time for the rookie to see the real world-class stage and let him see how his good brother plays. When he struggles in the Olympics and I wear the gold medal, my work next season will be much easier."

Stephen Marbury certainly knows that the arrival of strong new players will cause changes in the locker room structure.

And he plans to take care of all of this before the season starts.
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That's why Lynch was rumored to be in a trade with Shaquille O'Neal a few days ago. He's already a superstar. --ESPN post-game summary.

Is Dwight Howard worthy of the No. 2 pick? Make your choice. — The Orlando Sentinel has launched another round of voting.

"Hello, Lin Qi. The news that you have decided to participate in the 2004 Athens Olympics has made Chinese fans very excited. What kind of results do you think you can achieve?"

"This is my first time participating in the Olympics, and I just want to give my best. I won't think too much about the results for now."

"So, how did it feel to go up against a legendary NBA player for the first time tonight, against top American talent?"

Lin Qi smiled and blinked: "Americans are average, my calves are a little sore."

——Lin Qi was interviewed by CCTV5 on-site reporters.

(End of this chapter)