Champion Rules

Chapter 91 087: Life is More Important Than Basketball (Seeking Monthly Tickets!)

Pat Riley adheres to an almost obsessive principle—strictly forbidding his players from forming close relationships with opponents.

He believes that it would affect the players' competitive state and their determination to win.

This iron-willed coach's competitive philosophy is rooted in the long-standing rivalry between the Lakers and Celtics in the 1980s. He firmly believes that the blood feud between the Celtics and the Lakers is the ultimate fuel that drives the dynasty.

Want your team to be full of fighting spirit? Then stir up their hatred.

But in fact, Riley doesn't need to worry about this at all.

When it comes to the championship, some people can even deceive their own teammates, let alone their opponents.

For most players, the allure of the championship outweighs everything else.

This is especially true for Carmelo Anthony, who is already accustomed to success at a young age; the allure of the championship has long been ingrained in his bones.

He rose to fame in high school by defeating LeBron James in a highly anticipated game.

He led his team to the championship in his freshman year, leaving a significant mark on the long history of the NCAA in just one season.

He won championships in his first two seasons in the NBA, and won the Finals MVP in his second year. If Kobe Bryant had even one Finals MVP, he would have been able to speak more confidently in front of Shaq.

When the spotlight becomes the air we breathe, and victory becomes the sustenance for survival, Cameron Anthony fears falling from grace more than anyone else.

Those who are used to standing at the top and looking down on everyone else are often the ones who find it hardest to bear the pain of falling.

Therefore, when he felt threatened by Lynch, he would not bow his head, would not be humble, and would not wish his opponent victory.

He will only be his enemy, clearing away any danger that could cause him to fall.

Moreover, to be honest, his friendship with Lynch wasn't that profound, and it would naturally fade away under the intense heat of the championship.

The breakdown in Lynch and Anthony's relationship was met with cheers from the media; finally, these two became what the media wanted them to be.

The storyline of the alliance has been updated once again, and the "battle of the two giants" has become even more intense.

The competition for the championship between friends who have become bitter enemies has obviously given the media more room to maneuver.

Despite his falling out with his friends, Lynch was not affected. In the second game of the regular season, the Knicks crushed the Timberwolves by 32 points in a heated Madison Square Garden game.

Last season, Lynch had a very tough time against Kevin Garnett, and the Knicks were unable to win a game against the Timberwolves.

But this season, Lynch scored 24 points and grabbed 13 rebounds against KG. When Lynch had his excellent low-post offense, KG's defense began to falter.

At the end of the game, looking at the unbelievable huge point difference and at Marbury and Cassell next to Lynch, Garnett joked with Lynch: "You robbed my men, man."

It might be hard for many to believe, but Cassell and Marbury are the two most reliable teammates KG has ever had in his career.

And now, they are all by Lynch's side.

At the post-match press conference, reporters showed little interest in the game itself.

80% of the questions reporters asked Lynch were related to Anthony.

But Lynch did not shy away from the issue because he did not believe that he had done anything wrong.

When Anthony wins, Lynch can accept his friends making fun of him.

But when Lynch did the same, Anthony objected.

Lynch discovered that his understanding of friendship differed from Anthony's understanding of friendship.

In Lynch's eyes, he and Anthony were equals.

But melons might not think that way.

"I think Melo might have misunderstood. I'm not here to be his lackey; I've never been anyone's vassal. Since it's a misunderstanding, there's nothing wrong with clearing it up," Lin Qi told the reporter frankly.

After attending the press conference, Lynch did not go straight home, but instead went to see Tinker Hadfield, a former Nike designer who had just left LeBron James' shoe design team this summer.

After leaving Nike, Sonny Vaccaro tried to persuade him to join Reebok by leveraging their personal relationship.

The brilliant designer did not agree immediately, but instead asked to meet with Lynch.

The two met at a cigar club arranged by Vaccaro, an atmosphere Lynch liked because the last time he was in a cigar room talking to someone, he had successfully gotten the Smiling Assassin to kiss the back of his hand.

This time, he believes everything will go smoothly as well.

When Tinker Hadfield saw that Lynch had come alone, a smile immediately appeared on his face: "I thought you would come with eight or nine henchmen."

Tinker Hadfield left James' team because there were always eight or nine people around James talking past each other and not respecting Tinker Hadfield's personal design opinions.

Lynch shrugged: "I don't have that many friends. You see, I just ruined a friendship."

The three laughed and then began to discuss serious matters.

During the chat, Tinker Hadfield revealed that after leaving LeBron James' team, Nike wanted to put him back on the Air Jordan team or join Kobe Bryant's team to retain talent, but Tinker clearly had a grander career plan.

He frankly expressed his unwavering pursuit of market influence: "The vitality of a design lies in being worn by athletes on the field and in being loved by consumers. No matter how exquisite the design, it will lose its value if no one pays attention to it."

He didn't want his ingenious designs to have little market share.

As the former designer of the Air Jordan line, Tinker Hadfield shares the same mindset as Anthony – he doesn't want to fall from grace.

Currently, Nike's sales still far surpass Reebok and Adidas, but its dominant position, like a beautiful woman in her thirties, is showing signs of weakening and will only become more so.

This decline will accelerate with Lynch's success.

This means that the influence of James and Kobe may not be enough to satisfy his ambitions.

In the original timeline, Tinker Hadfield ultimately stayed with Nike because, at the time, no other player could satisfy his ambitions.

But things are different now; the NBA now has Lynch.

“I am confident that people will wear your shoes,” Lynch said, cigar in hand. “I don’t like basketball shoes that look too bulky. Today’s consumers, like me, are tired of those heavy metal boxes. We want to redefine the market with shoes that combine safety and visual appeal, just like the AJ1 broke the boundaries between the court and the street. Top-notch design combined with phenomenal success is the formula for a sales miracle, and the phenomenal success of AJ has proven that.”

Tinker Hadfield's liking for Lynch continued to grow. Lynch had his own ideas, he was very clear about his needs, and he knew what he could do to become a more influential player.

This is completely different from LBJ, who would bite his nails while listening to seven or eight friends chatter on and on.

“I have top-notch designs, but what about phenomenal achievements?” Tinker Hadfield deliberately threw out a pointed question, wanting to see if the kid had the guts.

If he doesn't even have testicles, if he doesn't even have the courage to face difficulties head-on, if he avoids looking away, then he can't possibly succeed.

Lynch wasn't in a hurry and was full of confidence. "It'll be here soon. You can rest for a while and don't rush into a decision. Don't go back to Nike or Reebok." He took a puff of his cigar and easily exhaled the smoke. "You can take a look first and see who will become the biggest player in the sneaker market before making a decision."

Lynch's charisma reminded Tinker Hadfield of Michael Jackson, who always spoke in an unquestionable tone in any situation.

The young Caesar was indeed extraordinary.

Tinker initially thought LBJ was that kind of person too.

All I can say is that the true chosen ones don't tattoo the title of chosen ones on their bodies.

"I'll see, Lynch. Good luck." "Good luck is useless, but I still have to say thank you for your well wishes, Tinker."

It was past midnight when the three left. In the back seat of the black Cadillac Escalade, Sonny Vaccaro was still reviewing the conversation, trying to make Lynch understand the importance of recruiting Tinker Hadfield.

“I know you’re unstoppable on the court, but you need someone to help you off the court, and Tinker is the one who helps you expand your influence. For basketball players, shoes and people are inseparable. A popular product can, in turn, increase a player’s fame. We have to impress him with results, Lynch. You’re under a lot of pressure this season.”

"It doesn't matter, there's no pressure, because the goal is there. Whether I recruit him or not, my goal is to win the championship."

Sonny Vaccaro suddenly felt it was surreal; most kids Lynch's age were still worrying about their draft picks.

Lynch is already talking about winning the NBA championship and revolutionizing the sneaker market.

But that's why Reebok needs Lynch.

He was the man who changed the times.

In the following games, Lynch continued to demonstrate his dominance this season.

Lynch easily led his team to victory against the SuperSonics and Atlanta Hawks, achieving a four-game winning streak at the start of the season, and also won the Player of the Week award.

However, the Knicks suffered their first loss of the season against Tim Duncan's Spurs.

The San Antonio Spurs are the only team Lynch has never beaten in his career, losing both of their matchups last season and this one. Three encounters, three defeats.

The Knicks lack a top-tier ball-handling mid-range scorer, which means they are destined to struggle to break down the Spurs' defense and can only engage in defensive battles with the Spurs.

The score was very close for most of the day, with the two sides trading leads.

But in the final two possessions, Manu Ginobili sealed the victory for the Spurs with two incredible layups.

The San Antonio fans were happy when the game ended.

If the Knicks can actually make it out of the Eastern Conference this season, it means the Spurs' chances of winning the championship will increase significantly.

Because the Knicks seem to have absolutely no way to compete with the Spurs.

However, the front page the next day was not about the Knicks' first loss of the season.

Because LBJ's 52 points in Milwaukee were enough to dominate the basketball world.

The Cavaliers have been on a winning streak this season, and LeBron James' shooting has also improved dramatically.

In his first game of the new season, he gave all of Cleveland a gift—6 out of 7 three-pointers.

And as it turns out, this wasn't just a flash in the pan. In the five games since the start of the season, LBJ's three-point shooting has been remarkably consistent.

It's not hard to imagine the scale of publicity Nike would use to praise LeBron James when he delivers a performance of this caliber.

So when he exploded for 52 points last night in Milwaukee, shooting 8-for-15 from three-point range, Nike made the whole world aware of this incredible feat.

What excites Cleveland fans is that the Cavaliers' next opponent is the damn New York Knicks.

Last season, the Cavaliers lost all four games against the Knicks, and the nickname "The Performer Who Carved the Chosen One into His Skin" made LeBron fans feel very ashamed.

But now, the time for revenge has finally come.

The Knicks' loss to the Spurs proves that they are not invincible.

If the Spurs can win, why can't the Cavaliers?

LBJ is also paying close attention to this game because he recently learned that Tinker Hadfield is in contact with Reebok.

This is a very shameful thing. He clearly has the best resources and the best sneaker designers in the world.

As a result, the designer who created countless classic shoe designs ran away because he couldn't stand working with him!

Not only did he run away, but he also went and threw himself into Lin Qi's arms!
It's shameful for a man to go to someone else's house to steal food when he can't get enough to eat at home.

"He (Tink) will regret this choice!" LeBron James' good friend, Maverick Carter, who works in Nike's publicity department, was indignant, but he also knew that his good friend's career was indeed in trouble. "LeBron, we can't lose to Lynch again. We have to win the next game no matter what! Lynch wants to use you as a stepping stone to conquer the sneaker market. We can't give him any more chances!"

James nodded, his fingers tracing the newspaper headline "LeBron's 52-point performance is divine."

He's in great form this season; his shooting seems to have been blessed by Larry Bird.

But one thing worries him – his shooting touch always comes and goes, and very few people can maintain a good shooting touch for six consecutive games.

If he happens to have a bad shooting night in the next game against the Knicks
“LeBron?” Carter noticed his partner’s unfocused pupils and his tone suddenly sharpened. “Don’t tell me you’re stage fright!”

"Of course not!" James straightened his back reflexively.

"That's good. Listen, the whole of America is watching this matchup. We need to give the fans, your teammates, and Nike some confidence. In the pre-match interviews, you need to be tough. Lynch has always been tough; you can't always be the nice guy. You need to be tough and let everyone know you're not afraid of him. Only then will the pre-match media favor you! At the post-match press conference, I want to see you loosen your tie, throw the microphone down, and say to the camera, 'This is the king's response!'"

Although Maverick Carter didn't graduate from college, he believes he learned something from "Nike University" that's comparable to a college diploma, and he knows how to help James build his image.

Many years later, the confident moments of the Loan Champions and The Decision 1 were beginning to take shape in his bloodshot eyes.

Maverick Carter's strategy was indeed correct. If "not1, not2, not3" becomes a reality, it will be the most famous show-off moment in NBA history.

However, his strategies were sometimes severely out of sync with LBJ's abilities.

In any case, Maverick Carter wants LBJ to act boldly and not be timid in public.

James nodded, but his eyes darted around.

He didn't know why, but the game against the Knicks made him feel nervous.

The next day, Lynch and the Knicks arrived in Cleveland.

As expected, they received a warm welcome from Cleveland fans.

The boos continued almost from the airport all the way to the hotel, and shouts of "Farkling!" filled the streets of Cleveland.

When the Knicks' team bus arrived at their hotel, the young man in a dark gray bespoke suit stepped off the bus, opening his arms against the chorus of boos, as if he were a Roman consul being crowned.

Lynch's cold smile pierced the pride of the Cleveland fans, instantly turning their hostility into an even more frenzied roar—his damn composure was more lethal than any trash talk.

That's just how Lynch is—always confident, always full of aggression. This, besides his achievements and good looks, is the source of his immense popularity.

Meanwhile, inside the Cavaliers' training facility, LBJ was being interviewed.

The reporter showed him Lynch's arrogant behavior in the face of boos from the fans. Everyone expected LBJ to respond like a real king, instead of always spouting high-sounding platitudes.

LBJ remembered Maverick Carter's words: tough, tough, tough!
He nervously licked his lips and moved closer to the microphone.

“I have nothing to say,” LeBron James said. “Life is more important than basketball, and I don’t want this to ruin my dinner with my family tonight.”

Tinker Hadfield felt he had acted very timely after seeing James' response online that evening.

He believed that what he said was absolutely correct:

"If he doesn't even have testicles, if he doesn't even have the courage to face difficulties head-on, if he avoids looking away, then he can't possibly succeed."

(End of this chapter)