Champion Rules

Chapter 90, 086: Not Friends (Seeking Monthly Tickets!)

Lynch became the star of the show on the home turf of the defending champions.

His arrogant statement made all the fans cheer.

The phrase "youthful exuberance" is embodied in Lynch; he always possesses an enviable vitality.

Larry Brown paused the game, his face grim. He glanced at the blank championship banner specially made by the arena's management in the dome and spat out, "What an utterly stupid piece of crap!"

He has always opposed this practice of taking out loans to win the championship. He knows that on the road to a three-peat, the Pistons' opponents are not only other teams, but also themselves.

How can players maintain their passion? How can they control their pride? How should they deal with other people's research?
Yes, the Pistons' starting lineup has remained almost unchanged; it's still the same players.

But you know, even within the same person, there can often be two different kinds of consciousness.

The people before and after the deer possess two completely different consciousnesses. They are still the same person, but their inner thoughts are completely different, and they may even dislike each other.

The Pistons players from last season and the Pistons players from this season may have developed two different mindsets. Last season, they would give everything to win. But this season, they might think they are amazing, that they are already very good, and that they can win easily.

Those warriors who have forged an iron will can very well become completely different people under the influence of champagne and praise.

Larry Brown had already noticed something during preseason training camp: Carmelo Anthony spent twice as much time fixing his headband as studying tactical videos, Ben Wallace was always talking about his next big contract, and even the most composed Chauncey Billups had fallen in love with media interviews.

That damn Joe Dumars knew how difficult it would be to win three consecutive championships, yet he still agreed to the players' unreasonable request to hang up the championship banner ahead of schedule.

Larry Brown has really had enough.

"This is why you bunch of idiots are falling behind!" Larry Brown pointed to the gold belts piled up next to the bench and the blank banner above. "Your minds aren't on the game at all! Open your eyes and see clearly, the hellfire burning in the veins of those Knicks' Avengers is what a real champion should look like! Focus!"

Carmelo Anthony rolled his eyes at Larry Brown and muttered discontentedly, "Focus? Didn't you also apply for the Knicks' general manager position halfway through last season?"

This statement is like pouring a bucket of gasoline into an already raging fire.

"Melo! Are you fucking going to war with me?! Don't forget who made you who you are today! If I hadn't insisted on choosing you, that Serbian would be sitting here now, and you would have nothing!" His bloodshot eyes glared at Melo. "Look at what the hell Philadelphia's answer has become. That's what happens without me. Do you want to become him?"

Chauncey Billups decided to step in and defuse the conflict. Last season, Larry Brown's flirting with the Knicks midway through the season had indeed made the whole team very unhappy, but now was not the time to argue.

"Alright, are we going to let those Avengers beat us 20-0? 30-0? Let's get back to the game, nothing else matters."

Big Ben nodded: "Shut up, everyone, the game isn't over yet."

Billups and Ben Wallace were arguably the two most respected players in the Pistons' locker room, and they temporarily stabilized the situation, bringing all the arguments to an abrupt end.

The timeout ends and the game continues.

Billups stepped onto the field with a serious expression.

It wasn't because the Knicks had become very strong, but because he sensed some danger.

No team can escape the curse of consecutive championships, and this blue-collar Pistons team is no exception.

The Larry O'Brien Trophy is like a monster; its brilliance can make everyone shine, but at the same time, it can erode the heart of a champion.

They will face many more challenges this season.

The game continued, and Richard Hamilton's mid-range catch-and-shoot jumper finally broke the Pistons' scoring drought.

Next, on the defensive end, Rasheed Wallace directly half-fronted Lynch to limit his ability to receive the ball.

But after a summer of intensive strength training, Lin Qi's muscle mass visibly increased, allowing him to more easily carry Roaring Celestial.

In the early 20th century, a league that valued physical confrontation, such a strong and resilient character was the foundation of its existence.

Moreover, in this historical context, the league has not yet implemented the No HandCheck rule.

Although the No HandCheck rule was actually proposed last season, the referees did not enforce it strictly.

The disastrous ratings of the 2005 NBA Finals in the past led David Stern to implement this rule, which resulted in a surge in shooting percentage and scoring by guards.

However, because the Pistons had Carmelo Anthony as a star player, the viewership of last season's Finals was not so low as to break records.

Judging from the officiating standards of the last few rounds, the No HandCheck policy is still not strict enough, and it seems that David Stern has not yet made a firm decision to reform it.

Therefore, this league is still in the dark defensive era.

To survive in this era, one must have a body of steel and iron.

With even greater strength than last season, Lynch forcefully pushed past the entanglement of the Roaring God, and Marbury's pass was then delivered accurately.

The Pistons' defensive machine roared into action instantly, and Ben Wallace's low-post double-team was swift and decisive.

"Try to get another point, you arrogant bastard!" Big Ben deliberately provoked, hoping to provoke Lynch into making a move.

But Lynch would not do that.

He knew that his newly acquired turnaround fadeaway was still quite raw. He had only purchased the turnaround fadeaway talent in August with the talent points he earned from holiday training missions. In between, he had only practiced this skill for a little over a month in the preseason training camp.

This is far from enough to fully unleash one's talent.

The reason he was able to score was mainly because neither Wallace nor the other player anticipated his move and failed to intervene immediately, which gave Lynch the opportunity.

Now, those two terrifying guys from the Pistons will never let Lynch get away with a fadeaway jumper so easily again.

With the two Wallaces already on guard and providing tight defense, forcing a shot is by no means a wise move. Insisting on scoring will only lead to the embarrassing situation of hitting three shots while lying on your back.

Turning your back is definitely not an option either. Sometimes Lynch finds that the "Never Move" skill is actually a debuff, because it makes his footsteps easier to predict.

If they could occasionally steal a step or two when the referee wasn't looking, let alone the two Wallaces, even Hakeem Olajuwon and The Admiral as a frontcourt pairing would be completely outmaneuvered.

Lynch didn't let Ben Wallace's provocation sway him and continue shooting. With his back to the basket, he made a blind pass, tossing the ball over his head and then directly assisting Kurt Thomas for a layup!
"Unbelievable vision! This is clearly the kind of magic only Magician Johnson would perform!" Mike Breen wondered if Hakeem Olajuwon and Lynch had done some kind of soul-swapping ritual.

Lynch's handling of the ball in the low post this season has been both mature and diverse, almost as if he were possessed by the Dream.

Lynch got his second assist of the night. Mark Jackson's passing talent gave him the confidence to make bold passes, and the passing constraints that once restricted Lynch have been shattered.

Last season, although he was able to spot gaps, his passing ability limited him from accurately getting the ball into his teammates' hands.

Being able to look but not possess is the most desperate punishment in the world.

Now, with the added talent of a legendary point guard, those brilliant ideas can finally be transformed into blades that tear through defenses.

Lynch's impact on offense is all-encompassing; he has become the Knicks' offensive linchpin.

The Pistons were still trailing until the eighth minute of the first quarter.

At this point, both sides began to send their substitutes onto the field one after another.

Larry Brown saw an opportunity to change the situation.

Last season, the Knicks' transitional lineup was no match for the Pistons, and Jamal Crawford, the only player on the bench, was overshadowed by the Pistons' sixth man, Tayshaun Prince.

The game continued, with only Lynch remaining on the court for the Knicks, while the rest of the starters rested.

The Pistons continued their tough tradition, with Ben Wallace anchoring the paint and former All-Star forward Antonio McDyess replacing Rasheed Wallace to ensure seamless interior defense.

At this point, the Pistons had closed the gap to just 6 points. Chauncey Billups dribbled the ball across half-court, and the Finals MVP, as usual, switched to scoring mode during the transition period.

He is a combo guard by nature, and he often scores easily when facing the Knicks during transition periods, because last season the Knicks' bench did not have a single perimeter player who could be considered a qualified defender.

However, things are different now. When Billups approached the three-point line, Trevor Ariza spread his terrifyingly long arms and completely covered him.

Ariza's return to the bench gives the Knicks' transition lineup a perimeter player who can contribute on the defensive end.

Billups called for a pick-and-roll and quickly broke through, but was stopped by Lynch's help defense when he reached the edge of the paint and did not dare to go any further.

In a flash, Billups threw the ball high to try to defuse the crisis, but Ariza, like a cheetah, rushed out from the wing, his long arm sweeping like a whip, and snatched the basketball from Billups' hands!
The experienced Sam Cassell received the ball, but instead of rushing, he slowly advanced, waiting for everyone to get into position.

TySean Prince tightly guarded Jamal Crawford, while the more energetic Antonio McDyess aggressively circled around Lynch, making it difficult for Lynch to shake him off.

Trevor Ariza and Nazir Mohammed, like last season, did not contribute much to the attack.

But the Knicks' offense won't stop there.

Sam Cassell waved for Lynch to set a screen, and Lynch used the screen to get rid of the defender before hitting a mid-range pull-up jumper!

Sam Cassell is actually a combo guard; you can think of him as a weaker version of Chauncey Billups.

Of course, their scoring areas are somewhat different. Billups is accurate from three-point range and efficient at finishing near the basket.

Sam Cassell's strength lies in the mid-range game.

With the Timberwolves, his pick-and-roll mid-range jumper was a key weapon for the team.

After scoring, Cassell grinned at the Pistons' bench, and Larry Brown immediately complained to the referee, "You should give that bastard a technical foul!"

"Why? What did he do?"

"What did he do? Damn it, his laughter is a crime!"

The defending champions' once-proud defense was countered by their opponents, and the Knicks' bench players were no longer the vulnerable, old, and infirm who were easy prey.

One possession later, Cassell once again broke through after a screen.

Facing Ben Wallace coming to help defend, Cassell clapped the ball with both hands, staring at the basket, but suddenly passed it to Trevor Ariza who was cutting in.

This cunning guy treated the dominant players of the dark defensive era like puppets, luring them away from the paint before assisting his teammates for easy scores.

Sam Cassell proved he is fully capable of being the core of the transition, allowing Lynch to focus solely on defense during that period, thus conserving a significant amount of his energy.

Two minutes later, Lynch was also substituted off the field.

But Cassell's steady control of the game kept the number of possessions down, making full use of every 24 seconds and denying the Pistons any chance to catch up.

Ultimately, the Knicks finished the first quarter with an 8-point lead.

When Cassel sat back down, Lynch suddenly realized that the old guy wasn't ugly at all, just eccentric and unconventional.

At this moment, the joyful atmosphere left by the championship ring presentation ceremony has vanished, and Pistons fans look dejected.

Lynch suddenly realized that the Detroit Pistons weren't as strong as he thought.

The dark clouds that once hung over him have been pierced by a few rays of sunlight.

Of course, the defending champion is, after all, the defending champion.

The defending champions' experience helped the Pistons stay close in the score throughout the subsequent games and prevent them from collapsing, but they were never able to take the lead.

Lynch continued to shine on offense, repeatedly punishing the Pistons' weak-side double-teams with passes and forcing shots with low-post isolation plays.

Of course, he will make mistakes and miss shots.

Overall, Lynch's impact on the offensive end was positive.

On the other hand, Carmelo Anthony, last season's Finals MVP, is now mired in a quagmire, his Jordan dream shattered tonight.

The thrill of revenge hardened Lynch's heart, giving Anthony no chance whatsoever.

The defensive chain of Eddie Jones, Grant Hill, and Lynch forced the former Finals MVP to play an extremely ugly game.

With seven minutes left in the fourth quarter, Anthony staggered as he made his fourth of 12 shots of the game. His sweat-covered face was filled with struggle in the close-up shot—this barely made mid-range shot had just brought him to double digits in points.

His inefficiency greatly displeased Larry Brown.

"Damn it! Richard just had a better chance!"

Anthony did not refute, but he was furious inside.

He clearly scored the goal, so what is that old bastard complaining about?
Far away in North Carolina, Michael Jordan stared at the stats displayed on the television screen, Anthony's 4-for-12 shooting efficiency was incredibly glaring.

"That damn bastard didn't listen to a word," Jordan muttered to himself.

During this offseason, MJ called Carmelo Anthony, the most successful player under his brand.

He congratulated him first, then reminded him.

“You need to be careful. From now on, all of you will think you are the best. When you go home, you will talk about your role in this championship. Then everyone will start demanding more ball possession, more say, and other things. As the team leader, you need to solve this problem.”

MJ would never say such heartfelt things to others, but as AJ's most successful star, Anthony was someone MJ had high hopes for.

As a result, instead of becoming the leader who solved the problem, Anthony himself seemed to be the one who started demanding more possession of the ball and more say in the game.

He noticeably reduced his passing and off-ball movement today, and his desire to take one-on-one shots was significantly stronger. He was also photographed arguing with Larry Brown on the bench more than once.

When they won their first championship, Chauncey Billups was the Finals MVP, while Carmelo Anthony didn't start until the playoffs, so he wasn't consumed by the championship.

But winning the Finals MVP last season clearly changed his mindset.

He is adored by the media, and he has won championships every season since his freshman year of college. Last season, he even won a very significant individual honor.

He took it for granted that he was a big star.

MJ sighed. He had won many championships, but he still knew nothing about the rules of championships.

Can the Pistons build a dynasty? Can Carmelo Anthony elevate the Air Jordan brand to new heights?
Michael Jordan had absolutely no idea what to expect.

He could only mutter to himself again, "That damn bastard didn't listen to a word I said."

Carmelo Anthony barely managed his 11th point of the day, while Lynch assisted Grant Hill for a mid-range jumper in the same possession.

Al Michaels raised his arms high: "25 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists! Lynch's first career triple-double, and also the youngest player in NBA history to achieve a triple-double! Lynch is still redefining people's understanding of young players; top-tier potential and top-tier immediate impact can coexist!"

The game was paused, and Lin Qi walked to the sidelines surrounded by his teammates.

Carmelo Anthony was met only with a barrage of insults from Larry Brown.

The defending champions' morale was severely damaged, and they were unable to create a miracle in the final five minutes of the game.

The New York Knicks defeated the defending champion Pistons 97-89 on the road, securing their first win of the season.

Lynch walked to the center of the court, shook hands with Anthony, and jokingly asked, "Now, who's Charles?"

Anthony's expression was cold and hard: "Have you said enough?"

"what?"

"I've had enough of your nonsense! You're happy to see me make a fool of myself, huh?"

“Melo, I wasn’t angry when you compared me to Karl Malone.”

“Because that’s who you are!” With that, Cameron Anthony turned and left.

The reason why the Four Musketeers could drink champagne and chat so easily was because their championship dreams from their youth had never clashed on the same stage.

KG and Kobe were able to remain friends because their battles had forged them into incredibly mature players.

For young Lynch and Melo, the competition for the championship meant they couldn't easily become friends. In fact, that's precisely why they were able to become friends in the first place—they were too frank and not tactful enough.

Lynch stared at the departing Carmelo Anthony, while Sam Cassell patted the youngest triple-double player on the back.

"This is the NBA, kid. Friendships are like candles in the wind, but here, only championships last forever."

Lin Qi nodded and turned to leave.

He won't be upset about it; he just did what he was supposed to do, and he's just winning.

He did nothing wrong.
-
Friends? Friends wouldn't kick me when I'm down and humiliate me! We're not friends! — Carmelo Anthony yells at Lynch after the game.

Enough! Stop talking about him! He only won one game. I'll win my third championship, just you wait! — Carmelo Anthony was furious after being asked too many questions about Lynch.

When Melo was successful, he was willing to befriend Lynch because he was in the spotlight and because he was always winning. But when Lynch became the focus, when Lynch became the winner, Melo wouldn't have it. All I can say is, Lynch doesn't need friends like that; he just needs to destroy him. —Stephen A. Smith's rant about Carmelo Anthony.

Nothing will be different when we meet again. I mean, I'll still beat him. — Lynch when asked if his mindset would change if he met Melo again.

That's why I won't join them. Immature kids and a GM with poor judgment will never succeed. We're different. I'm the final piece of the Phoenix championship puzzle. — Raja Bell on the Knicks.

"Next summer, I've decided to take my talents to Hakeem Olajuwon." — LeBron James told reporters.

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(End of this chapter)