Champion Rules

Chapter 57 054: Just want to see how far I can run (please read!)

When the score was completely widened and Lynch personally set the record on the top of Shark's head, the Miami Heat had been lynched.

Under the spotlight of Madison Square Garden, Shark walked towards the bench with a hunched back and looked depressed, while Lynch held his head high and accepted the worship of 20,000 people on the scene.

Spike Lee sat on the bench with 40 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 blocks. Lynch's debut stats on the big screen were so dazzling.

Ever since he went to see Lynch play in person during the Olympics, Spike Lee has been looking forward to his NBA debut like a child looking forward to a birthday present. There are many people like Spike Lee in New York.

And Lynch lives up to the expectations of all of New York.

Lynch did not play in the subsequent games, and New York fans entered their usual garbage time.

Mike Breen joked, "It seems even a 40-point debut by a supernova can't change the New York tradition of games always going into garbage time."

Indeed, in the past many seasons, MSG's games have easily entered garbage time.

That period was always filled with fans' curses and Spike Lee's oath: "If you come to the game again, I will be a dog."

But tonight, New Yorkers were partying in garbage time.

When Nazr Mohammad scored a poor hook shot, the thunderous cheers made it seem as if a player had scored a game-winning goal from half court. Victory was already a foregone conclusion, but New Yorkers were still greedily sipping on the nectar of glory, rejoicing in every goal.

The game ended with a score of 107 to 92, and the Knicks opened a new chapter in their team history.

Spike Lee couldn't wait to walk up and shake Lynch's hand, his eyes filled with enthusiasm behind his glasses: "Dude, looks like I have to give up AJ for you. Tomorrow I'm going to Reebok to apply for the commercial director position, seriously!"

Spike Lee has a close connection with Nike. He appears on the sidelines wearing AJs and Nike hats. He has shot countless commercials for Nike and some movies about Nike stars.

His nightly Nike outfit has even become a cultural symbol on the MSG sidelines.

So when he said he was willing to give up AJ for Lynch, even if it was just a joke, it proved that he had become Lynch's most loyal fan.

"The salary is very low during the internship." Lynch replied to the famous black director with a smile.

At this time, Lynch saw countless reporters rushing into the player tunnel.

He was still confused, and Spike Lee gave him the answer as if he could see through Lynch's thoughts.

"Those guys will rush into the locker room like mad bulls, hoping to be the first to surround the empty chair in front of your locker, waiting for you to come."

Lynch nodded, not thinking it was an exaggeration. Scoring 40 points in his NBA debut was indeed an achievement worth bragging about.

Before Lynch, the youngest 40-point player in the NBA was a great chosen one.

2004年3月28日，新秀勒布朗在对阵新泽西篮网的比赛中砍下41分6个篮板13次助攻，以19岁88天的年纪成为NBA历史上最年轻的40分先生。

Cavaliers coach Paul Silas was extremely excited after the game: "We needed him to play a great performance to save the team, and he did it. He did everything we needed!"

Of course, it turned out that Paul Silas was too happy too early.

Because LeBron couldn't do the one thing the team needed most - lead the team to the playoffs.

In any case, the 40-point night was a great night for LeBron. It was the perfect supplement for the media in the Nike camp to brag about LBJ's talent, and it was an excellent material for the media to exaggerate the "LBJ era is coming."

But tonight, LeBron's greatness was overshadowed.

The spotlight of history has begun to shift.

After finishing the interview on the sidelines, Lynch returned to the locker room and found that his seat was indeed surrounded by people.

Lynch squeezed through the crowd and finally sat in front of his locker. Countless questions immediately came to him.

"What do you think of Shaq saying that the final-second call is evidence that the NBA's star-making movement is tainting basketball?"

"The Heat can't win with or without that foul. I don't know what Shaq is barking about. It doesn't matter. I allow losers to vent their emotions in this incompetent way."

Lynch adapted to the NBA quickly, and adapted to the NBA's way of speaking even faster.

"Dwyane also scored 35 points tonight. How do you evaluate his performance?"

"A great opponent, but not a winner."

"Grant Hill scored 19 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals today. He seems to have completely recovered from his injury. Do you think he will be a key player for the team this season?"

"Man, Grant has five All-NBA selections, more than anybody in this locker room, and you're asking me if he's the key? If I had five, you guys would be booking me for an interview next March."

The reporters all laughed, and Lynch created a relatively relaxed interview atmosphere.

Maintaining good relations with the media is something Lynch must do.

Especially the New York media.

Soon, the man with a bad relationship with the New York media was being whipped.

"Lynch, Steph only had 9 points and 3 assists today. Do you think he's hurting the Knicks?"

If the reporter hadn't reminded him, Lynch would have almost forgotten that the team actually had an All-Star guard who was selected to the All-NBA Team twice.

Stephon Marbury might as well have gone to Hogwarts, because he managed to make himself invisible in plain sight.

In the first half of the game, Marbury still had some presence.

But in the second half, when Grant Hill took away the ball, Marbury simply disappeared.

He was standing there, but even Lynch couldn't detect him.

It's a shame for a man to not be felt.

In stark contrast to his previous friendly attitude towards Hill, Lynch did not say anything good about Marbury: "I don't have much to say about Steph. Aren't you used to it? If even the atmosphere of victory can't wake someone up, then it doesn't matter whether he exists or not."

Lynch certainly knows better than anyone that in the public opinion arena of New York, evaluating teammates is often more dangerous than evaluating opponents, and evaluating teammates who play poorly is the most dangerous of all.

If you’re not careful, you’ll ruin the dressing room.

But Lynch still said some unpleasant words, because in the Knicks' locker room ecology, Marbury has long been insignificant. No one in the entire locker room trusts him, and he has no influence in the locker room.

When semi-crippled players like Alan Houston and Anfernee Hardaway were following the team's footsteps and playing defense seriously, Stephen Marbury's still lazy attitude had proved that he was hopeless and he had already declared self-exile.

Young Lynch wasn't going to defend this kind of abandoning himself garbage.

In fact, Lynch hoped that the Smiling Assassin would hear his dissatisfaction and get rid of the Lone Wolf as soon as possible.

The team doesn't need Stephen Marbury, and Grant Hill has proved today that he can be the ball handler.

Stephen Marbury walked into the locker room at this inopportune time and sat in front of the locker with a dull look in his eyes.

He looked at the crowd of reporters as if he had seen a shiny cockroach, picked up his phone and hid in the therapy room.

After a perfect debut, the Knicks beat the Celtics and then lost to the Timberwolves.

In the showdown at Target Center, Lynch faced the first real rival in his career - Kevin Garnett, who was at his peak.

The peak Wolf King reduced Lynch's score to only 16 points. Of course, he only scored 14 points under Lynch's defense.

KG can keep up with Lynch's speed, can compete with Lynch, and like Lynch, inject passion into the team on the defensive end.

"Going against Lynch was like facing my own shadow," Kevin Garnett said after the game. "Of course, the key to our victory was Sam. At this moment, I just want to kiss the most handsome man in the world!"

Whether Sam Cassell deserves the word "handsome" is still controversial, but Stephen Marbury's performance that night justified the name of "clown".

He allowed Cassell to score 27 points, which was the biggest reason the Knicks lost tonight.

In the first half, Stephen Marbury's performance was normal, working hard both on defense and offense.

But when he tried his best and still let Cassell score some points, he suddenly started to play badly in the second half.

As usual, Lynch expressed his dissatisfaction with Marbury in media interviews, and he does have the right to express his dissatisfaction.

He did everything he could, setting screens for Marbury and covering his ass on defense. In Real Madrid, he used this method to unite everyone and win the European Championship. This is Lynch's way of being a leader.

But this trick didn't work on Marbury. The New York No. 3 was like a stone that was impassable to him. No matter what Lynch did, he had no fighting spirit. Lynch just wanted him to get out of here.

Grant Hill, who was sitting next to Lynch, watched all this and silently wiped the sweat from his head.

Lynch is very strong, incredibly strong. Before this, Grant Hill had never thought that anyone could score 40 points in his NBA debut, and never thought that a rookie could hold his own against KG.

Hill is sure that they can win many games playing with him. Today, the Knicks only lost to the Timberwolves by 5 points.

Hill likes the current team, so he hopes it gets better.

Stephon Marbury is the key to making this team better.

If Stephon Marbury can find himself, this team will be even better.

To take a step back, based on the cruel logic of reality, even if Lynch cannot bear to work with Stephen Marbury, he can only have a higher trading value if he performs well.

Lynch, who reached the peak of his career as soon as he debuted, found it difficult to understand someone like Stephen Marbury who had fallen into the abyss, and the young Caesar had no time to save this lost lamb.

But Grant Hill can, because he knows how it feels to fall from the top of a mountain into the abyss.

This nice guy decided to talk to the lost New York No. 3, for Lynch and for the Knicks.

Outside the flashes of reporters' cameras, Grant Hill stared at the half-open door of the physiotherapy room and stood up.

Hill walked into the physical therapy room, Stephen Marbury looked up, then continued to look down at his phone.

"Stephen, it was a tough game." Grant Hill said with a good-natured smile and a gentle voice that could make anyone relax.

"Yeah." Stephen Marbury's reaction was extremely cold.

"Hey, don't be so negative all the time. We're strong this season, and you deserve to be a part of this glory. You're a son of New York, aren't you?"

The screen of the phone that Marbury was holding tightly flickered, reflecting the flickering light in his pupils.

"Lynch's light is enough to illuminate ten New Yorks. As for me, forget it."

"You're always a son of New York, unless you decide not to be."

"I don't want to. I want to retire."

Stephon Marbury threw his phone, which landed on the cushions with a dull thud. He then covered his face with his hands and screamed hysterically.

"I don't want to play basketball anymore! Never again! I don't want to go out and embarrass myself again. You know the situation in the garden! They are holding up the camera not to record the glory, but to catch me in a state of embarrassment! Damn tomorrow's newspapers! I don't even dare to think about what they will say about me! I tried my best in the first half, but when I think about tomorrow's newspapers, I don't even want to tie my shoelaces in the second half!"

Hill saw many scenes in the splashing tears: the high-spirited genius of Coney Island, the rebellious rising star wearing the Timberwolves jersey, and the lost man who was curled up in the shadows and torn himself into pieces.

From being a genius to being a mediocrity, it is extremely difficult to climb out of hell.

Lynch's hearty laughter could be faintly heard outside the therapy room as he answered reporters' questions, making the place look even more like a dark garbage dump.

"Stephen, when I first arrived in New York, the media only met with cynicism and ridicule. Yes, New York was hell for me back then.

But now? The New York media is very kind to me, they praise me, and we get along well. Because we can win, because victory never disappoints those who are sincere.

All these years of professional career have taught me only one thing: when you devote yourself to victory, victory will naturally come back to you.

You always turn every game into a Coney Island bullfight, trying to use every change of direction to scream to the world, "Look, I'm worth a $20 million contract." When you encounter setbacks, you will be crushed by the pressure of public opinion and lose your focus.

But we are no longer at the age where we need to prove our talent to scouts. Those harsh columnists last season were not upset with you, but with the Knicks' glaring number of losses.

You could say the team didn't support you last season, making winning a luxury. But what about this season? What excuses do you have?

You will never have the chance to win so easily again because you are now with Lynch.

You can get blown away by Sam Cassell for 13 points in the first half, but as long as we beat the Timberwolves, you're still going to be loved."

"You don't understand at all. Even if we start a winning streak, even if they are smiling at you now, it only takes one mistake, one failure, and they will turn around and insult you. There is no point in playing for them!"

"You're right, there are some mean media and fans. But we don't play for a particular person. I started playing before I knew them, before they knew me. I'm still running, not because of the media's applause, but to see how far I can go."

Grant Hill is the perfect second-in-command, not only because of his playing style, but also because he can do things in the locker room that Lynch can't do.

Lynch is the general who leads the charge, but there must always be someone on the team to comfort the wounded soldiers.

The physical therapy room fell silent until Marbury's hoarse sneer cut through the air: "Hell, you should go to ESPN and do a philosophy show. You look like a fucking philosopher."

"Not really. I just read more than just the title page." Grant Hill shrugged.

In the next few games, Stephen Marbury's performance improved.

Facing the Philadelphia 76ers, he regained his presence with 18 points of offensive firepower; against the Los Angeles Clippers, he delivered his first double-double of the season with 21 points and 10 assists.

The Knicks have won two games in a row and started with a 4-1 record.

As the wave of victory washed over Madison Square Garden, Marbury seemed to have temporarily broken free from the shackles of media judgment, and his movements on the court had a long-lost sense of ease.

But the furnace of public opinion did not completely let him go.

Next up, on November 16th, the New York Knicks will face the Phoenix Suns.

Stephen Marbury is under fire again because after the Suns traded him last season and signed Steve Nash this summer, the team started with 5 wins and 1 loss, ranking first in the league in offense.

Tragic history seemed to have begun a cycle: when he and Jason Kidd swapped teams, Kidd immediately led the Nets to the Finals, which first led to public opinion destroying Marbury. Now, after Nash replaced Marbury and launched the "Seven Seconds" offense in Phoenix, Marbury's career has become even more of a cursed tragedy.

Not only does he have to face the edge of his replacement, but he also has to bear the original sin of being the "cancer of the team" - the team has become better without you, if you are not a cancer, then who is?
But this time, the overwhelming media coverage did not affect New York No. 3.

He just trained and prepared seriously, and tried not to listen to the outside voices.

November 16th arrives, and Stephen Marbury faces Nash.

Lynch faced off against Amar'e Stoudemire, who averaged 26 points per game this season and had just scored 35 points in the iron-blooded restricted area guarded by Tim Duncan.

So he confidently told the media before the game: "I don't think anyone can defend me, not even Lynch."

There are always some stars in this world who mistake their platform for ability, such as Michael Jordan.

斯科特.皮蓬1987年加入NBA，当赛季常规赛打出7.9分3.8板2.1助的出色数据，率领着场均仅35分6.5篮板5.9助攻的CBA水平球员MJ挺进季后赛。

In 97 and 98, due to the aging of the Bulls players, they were repeatedly in danger, so the magic of Boss Pi was even more obvious.

In the decisive 97 Finals, Jordan, after overeating before the game, contracted food poisoning and became a weakling. It was Pippen who stepped up and scored an epic 17 points on 27.9% shooting, leading the team to victory. After the game, Jordan, who had scored 38 points on 48.1% shooting, was so moved that he threw himself into Pippen's arms, knowing that Pippen had once again saved him.

Particularly noteworthy is Game 6 of the 98 Finals. On the Utah Jazz's dreadful home court, Jordan was utterly terrified, completely malfunctioning and scoring only 45 points. But Jordan exploded for 8 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists, leading this CBA bench-level player to defeat the formidable Jazz, a feat forever remembered by the world!

Therefore, MJ's GOAT status is not stable and will be threatened in a few years.

Stoudemire is clearly another player who mistook his platform for ability.

Lynch thought he would first hear some trash talk from Stoudemire before the game started.

But the first person to speak to Lynch was Marbury - this was the first time they had communicated before the game.

Marbury walked over to Lynch, his hands on his hips. "I'm going to focus on guarding Steve, I promise. So don't be distracted by taking care of my back tonight, and focus on getting Amare. I'm not speaking for him, but he does have some skills, be careful."

The word "full-force defense" coming out of Marbury's mouth is like Magic Johnson saying that he has a decent private life.

Marbury seemed to see the disdain in Lynch's eyes, so he shrugged: "Believe it or not, I will charge with you anyway. Please don't let me lose this game, Lynch."

The desire in the lone wolf's eyes caused Lynch's attitude to change slightly.

"Ah."

Young Caesar reached out and touched the head with the "Starbury" brand logo tattooed on it.

(Thanks to Lin Di, Lao Mei Zhujiu, I Want to Wake Up to the World, Sitting Alone by the Sea Watching the Sunrise, Reader 1900800841591480320 and other big guys for the rewards, thank you very much!)

(End of this chapter)