Champion Rules

Chapter 53 050: I am not the performer who carves the Chosen One on my skin (Please read!)

The sunlight of Belgrade shines obliquely on the FMP youth team training ground. Amid the rhythmic sound of basketball hitting the wooden floor, Lynch and Teodosic are carrying out their refined jump shot training.

Familiar environment, familiar people, for a moment, Lynch had a feeling that everything was just a dream, and he was just an unknown little player in the FMP youth team.

But Boško Jokic's shout shattered the membrane of space and time: "Hey! Boss!"

There was a hint of respect in the joking shout.

During the rainy season two years ago, Boshko looked at Lynch with eyes full of pity and regret. He felt that this talented child probably would not be able to play professional basketball.

Now, two years later, this kid has become a basketball superstar that attracts worldwide attention and has become the boss of Boshko.

A month ago, Lynch bought FMP and built a new youth training base for the team.

This is not really an investment, as Serbian teams do not have much commercial value.

Lynch does this simply for the love of it.

"Boshko, I told you not to use that old-fashioned name." Lynch accurately sent the ball into the basket, and the sound of the basketball breaking the net rang out again.

He felt that the thing that accelerated training results after winning the Olympics must have worked.

He could feel that his jump shot was becoming more and more handy, getting closer to Korver's level.

"Okay, boss, no problem, boss. The NBA's new season training camp is about to start, right? Why are you still here?" Boshko deliberately called the boss twice, just like Lynch deliberately called him "Mediterranean Commander" back then.

"New York is too noisy." Lynch's answer was surprisingly simple.

Now he can understand why Nikola Jokic is always eager to flee the United States after every season.

It's a bustling place, where your every move is captured by the media, the TV is always filled with the bickering of basketball commentators, you have endless business events to attend and endless "friends" to meet. You want to see the blue sky, but if you go out without sunglasses, you will be blinded by the flash in minutes.

This kind of atmosphere will make people restless and unable to calm down.

He just wanted the Serbian wind to stay a little longer and blow away the glitz and chaos attached to his jersey.

Teodosic flicked his wrist and threw the orange ball outside the three-point line. Lynch bent his knees when he received the ball. To this day, he still thinks Theo's pass is the most comfortable.

The morning light outlined Lynch's increasingly muscular body. The moment the net flipped up, he saw his friend's teasing smile.

"Too noisy? What? Are you woken up every morning by a maid wearing only torn socks?"

"Hehe, I was going to ask you. Why did you sign a three-year contract with Olympiacos? You're not coming to the NBA? Tell me, how many maids did they promise to give you?" Lynch turned the topic to his good friend.

Because Teodosic and Lynch became teammates, his fame is much greater than it originally was in history.

Mainstream media generally believed that he could be selected in the second round in 2005 or 2006.

However, signing a long-term contract with Olympiacos will limit his entry into the NBA because there is a penalty issue.

If an NBA team wants to take him away, it must pay Olympiacos a penalty, or a buyout fee.

This undoubtedly increases the cost of acquiring Teodosic.

Theo's fingertips unconsciously stroked the basketball particles and smiled bitterly: "I don't have the talent like you. I want to gain experience in Europe first."

"The right time to log in can make your NBA career many times smoother, so don't miss it. If you're worried about becoming a complete garbage time player in the NBA, I can only say that you should muster up the courage to take a step forward."

Theo's fingers trembled slightly. He felt that Lynch understood him far more than he had imagined.

"Of course. Of course it's not because of that."

"Well, I wish you all the best in Greece."

"Let's have dinner at your restaurant tonight?"

"You forgot, my restaurant is now in New York."

"It's so far away. It's becoming difficult for us to play ball together."

"I will wait for you in the NBA. Sooner or later, we will be together." Lynch received the pass from Theo and made another shot.

He loves this feeling so much, it's the most comfortable pass in the world.

The two continued to shoot, and the steel frame of the training hall's dome cast a fine grid above their heads, like the longitude and latitude of fate.

On the other side of the world, Grant Hill came to the Shura field of New York with his luggage.

He can understand the Orlando people's decision. He hasn't played well for four seasons, and no one knows how many games he can play next season.

The Magic no longer need immediate combat power. They now just need to patiently rebuild around Dwight Howard.

Grant Hill's big contract will last until 2007, while Tim Thomas's expires in 2006.

All of this makes the Magic management's decision understandable.

He just really hated the timing, though. He had just expressed his love for Orlando, and the words he said were absolutely heartfelt.

But the loyalty promised in the Orlando summer ultimately turned into an old scar on the Knicks' physical report.

It feels like you foolishly reveal your true feelings to a woman, only to be laughed at and slapped in the face by her.

Not many people came to pick him up at the airport. The spotlight of this city had long been monopolized by Lynch, and Hill's faded star halo now seemed to overlap with the wear and tear on the suitcase.

A New York Times reporter raised his recorder and said, "Grant, do you think our wise general manager traded you for no apparent reason because he thought you would be healthy again next season and play at least 50 games?"

The sharp questions tore away the last bit of decency, leaving Hill's knuckles white from gripping the suitcase tightly. The New York media was indeed merciless.

He was too familiar with this tone; every time he made a comeback in the past four years, the same doubts were lurking in the press conference hall.

In the outside world's assessment, this is another stupid deal for Isiah Thomas.

They think the Assassins can just trade Tim Thomas for a few useful role players instead of necessarily pursuing another top-paid star.

To the casual observer, a guy who can only play an average of 11 games a year is of no help to New York.

This is simply an irresponsible gamble. The New York media and fans are furious. Steve A. Smith is probably already writing a script to greet the assassin's mother on the radio show.

"I'll have the trainer develop a comprehensive recovery plan," Hill replied hoarsely. He suddenly looked up at the distant forest of steel. "Excuse me, how do I get to Stark Tower? Perhaps I should ask Tony Stark to customize a set of reinforced bones for me."

The self-deprecating humor is tinged with bitterness.

Hill walked away and got into the car. The sporadic flashes of light seemed desolate. Two years ago, when Boshko held up Lynch's body and shook his head in the report, he also sentenced him to death. Now he has become a darling of New York.

Now the car window is reflecting the face of another convicted person, and a kind of fateful cycle is quietly taking shape in New York.

Time flies, and New York in September embraces the returning son of basketball with bustle.

Lynch returned to New York to attend the Knicks' new season media day.

The press conference was packed with reporters, their cameras aggroing like a cavalry formation poised for action, their shutter clicks slicing the air into fine waves of sound.

In addition to Lynch, those attending the press conference also included the Smiling Assassin, head coach Lenny Wilkens and Knicks owner James Dolan - this playboy does not often appear at the media day press conference.

Dolan shook hands with Lynch enthusiastically, the assassin patted Lynch on the shoulder, and then the three of them raised Lynch's No. 20 New York jersey together - New York No. 10 was already hanging in the dome of Madison Square Garden, belonging to Walter Frazier.

The number 20 was chosen with the help of Reebok's marketing department after countless meetings. For a superstar, a number is also part of their trademark. Reebok's script for the new No. 20 jersey reads: "The No. 10 jersey of Belgrade's youth academy is stained with the morning dew of the Balkans. The No. 10 jersey of Real Madrid carries the starlight of Iberia. When the two No. 10s intersect on the axis of destiny, they are finally fused into the No. 20 that now dances across the New York skyline."

A New York Times reporter raised his hand: "Lynch, coming to New York, a city that hasn't made the playoffs for years, with the title of savior, do you feel any pressure?"

Lynch straightened the lapels of his Armani suit and brought the microphone closer. His smile faded, as if he was about to make a serious announcement.

"I'm not a savior, nor am I a performer who carves the Chosen One into my skin." The audience was silent, and the reporters held their breath. "I'm just an expert in winning."

This statement was not directed at a certain person in Cleveland who had "Qiu Shengwang" tattooed on his back. Lynch just wanted to express his attitude - he didn't care about those idiotic titles at all, so he had no pressure at all.

Lynch believed that he could continue to win in New York because just one week after the training camp started, coach Lenny Wilkens cut the mess in the backcourt and confirmed something very important to the team - Stephen Marbury and Jamal Crawford must not be on the court at the same time.

Lenny Wilkens is worthy of being the person Lynch trusts the most in this chaotic Knicks team, and he has done a great job.

Although General Manager "Assassin" fantasized that this backcourt combination could burst out with the firepower of a heavyweight boxer, he traded for Crawford to play the starting No. 2 position. After all, Anfernee Hardaway and Alan Houston were no longer of much use.

He's declared more than once that this backcourt duo is "the next me and Joe."

But that is just a beautiful fantasy. When these two guards are on the court at the same time, the efficiency of any tactical execution will become low. Every offense will be bogged down in the sound of their dribbling, and the defensive rotation will be a mess.

Wise choices often come with pain. Jamal Crawford silently swallowed the bitter pill of being a substitute, but he had no capital to object.

And Lynch believes that Jamal Crawford will love the role of sixth man, he definitely will.

Of course, saving New York is not that easy.

On the training ground, Lynch is leading Kurt Thomas, Nazr Mohammed, Grant Hill and this year's second-round pick Trevor Ariza to rebuild iron discipline.

When Vin Baker and Tim Thomas left the team with their lax genes, the Knicks also had the capital to play good defense.

Lenny Wilkens, who took over the team halfway through last season, was like a carpenter trying to mend a leaky ship. He wanted to change the team's temperament, but found that the ship could not be mended at all because the helmsmen were guys like Marbury, Vin Baker, and Tim Thomas.

No matter how you patch them, they will just create another bigger hole.

Now, Lynch is at the helm, and the preseason training camp has become a melting pot for forging the defense.

The entire New York Knicks team has a consensus - now, at this moment, the core of Madison Square Garden is Lynch, not Stephen Marbury.

The temperament of a team's core can greatly influence the temperament of the entire team.

He is willing to sacrifice himself on defense to protect his teammates.

He would yell and scream and inject passion into the defense.

He always leads by example and never lets down his guard on defense.

These are things that were not seen in Stephen Marbury last season.

These sweat-soaked details are changing the Knicks' team culture bit by bit.

Lynch's maturity surprised Lenny Wilkens. He found it hard to believe that this young man who was trying to lead the team was only 18 years old.

Again, the experience at Real Madrid is a treasure in Lynch's basketball career.

The team is getting better. Kurt Thomas, the most unabashed anti-Steph inside the Knicks locker room, told reporters: "We're finally following the right leader."

The feud between Kurt Thomas and Marbury has long been an open secret in the locker room. Last season, he publicly complained about Marbury's lax playing style more than once. The most serious conflict came from a tactical meeting last season. When Marbury, wearing diamond earrings, was dozing off in the dim tactical meeting room, it was Thomas who smashed the marker at hand directly at the son of New York's head.

All this led to extremely strained personal relations between them.

He once vowed to smear hot sauce in Stephon Marbury's underwear to punish the bastard for never playing good defense.

But now, the once-strong Kurt Thomas is as obedient as a loyal dog: "I'm happy to pave the way for true fighters."

What was Stephen Marbury's reaction to all this?
He didn't react.

He watched the changes in the locker room silently, like a faded bronze statue.

The outcome of the Olympics had already deprived him of all his say. He didn't engage in a locker room fight with Lynch because he knew better than anyone that he had already lost his qualifications. No one would listen to him, no one would support him.

But the Lone Wolf has not integrated into the current Knicks team. He is confused, keeps to himself, doesn't talk to anyone, and just punches in and out every day.

He was always seen mechanically completing basic training, his eyes vacant during tactical drills. He was always seen moving silently between his locker and the shower room like a wandering soul, numb even to the sound of his sneakers scraping against the floor.

But at least he did not become a destabilizing factor.

Just when Lynch thought he could start reaping the fruits of his labor with preseason victories, the day before the preseason began, Lenny Wilkens and the Smiling Assassin suddenly had an argument.

"Isaiah! I am the commander in charge of on-the-spot deployment!" The roar of old coach Lenny Wilkens was like thunder, and his wrinkled palm slammed the tactical board heavily to the floor, startling the players who were in training and looking sideways.

The smiling assassin's response was filled with a biting chill. He slowly approached the old commander with a sharp gaze.

"Need I remind you who holds the release clause? On my team!" He suddenly raised his voice, poking his index finger at Jamal Crawford, who was dribbling outside the three-point line. "The guy wearing number 11 must be in the starting lineup! Don't mess with my team!"

Well, it seems that the real destabilizing factor has never been Stephen, the stray dog.

"Are you talking about me?" A confused voice broke the tense atmosphere.

Jamal Crawford stood there in a daze, and even dropped the ball in shock.
-
Lynch simply doesn't understand what LeBron means to Cleveland. People like him will never understand the responsibility of carrying a city. Winning experts? We'll see who's in the playoffs next season. —The Cleveland Plain Dealer

We don't have sunshine, negotiations, or Hollywood big asses. What do we have? LeBron James. That's our only hope. Lynch will never understand what the Chosen One means to us. He's a jerk, and jerk players always appear on the Knicks. — Jared Sullinger, a Cleveland Cleveland fan, told the host during a radio segment.

Cleveland comes from the Latin word for "unrealistic hope." — Stephen A. Smith fires for Lynch.

(Thanks to Mucha Shijiuhao, Yuexiawenyaowenyao, reader 1900800841591480320, Very Cola 2022, Dabingfangpao and other big guys for the rewards, thank you very much!)
(End of this chapter)