Champion Rules

Chapter 96, Episode 092: The Stone Buddha Forever Guards the Madmen of New York? (Seeking Monthly Tickets!)
The locker room was buzzing after the game; the entire Knicks team was overjoyed to have secured a big win against the Dallas Mavericks, the top seed in the Western Conference.

Stephon Marbury was basking in the thrill of defeating Jason Terry, swinging the towel around like a propeller.

"That Texas groundhog with his cheeks stuffed full of trash talk was so arrogant before the game, but afterwards he couldn't utter a single damn word! That's what happens when you anger the New York mob! Nobody can mess with us this season, nobody can mess with us! Anyone who comes near is dead!"

Marbury's words resonated with the locker room, who all shouted, "Nobody can mess with us!"

Everyone quieted down when Lin Qi walked into the locker room carrying a basketball.

"Hey, our superhero is back! You know what? Since you came to New York, Spider-Man has dropped one spot on the New York superhero popularity charts, and girls all over the city are decorating their bedrooms with pictures of your muscles! Superhero! Superhero! Superhero!"

Marbury led the locker room into a new wave of cheers, and the former "Lone Wolf" looked at Lynch with the fervor of a believer.

He truly didn't understand why anyone in this world would dislike Lin Qi; everyone who disliked Lin Qi was an idiot.

Yeah, he was a complete idiot last year too.

Now he's willing to tear anyone who dares to question the leader to shreds, and he's willing to lead the entire locker room in cheering for Lynch.

Lynch smiled and waved to signal everyone to quiet down, then held up the basketball in his hand, the ball for tonight's game.

"Guys, can you do me a favor?"
-
Michael Pietrus experienced the scorching heat of the New York spotlight for the first time.

On the night after the game, as his car drove out of the stadium's underground parking lot, the neon-lit streets of Manhattan were already packed with enthusiastic fans. Several girls in crop tops suddenly rushed to the car, pressed their ample breasts against the car window, and breathed out a misty invitation through their red lips.

The Frenchman's Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily, and his fingers gripping the steering wheel trembled slightly.

He could feel the restlessness emanating from his suit trousers. If he rolled down the car window, he could turn the night into a wonderful missionary night, playing a game of "blindfolded scavenging to identify the culprit."

This is New York under the spotlight. Even a role player like Michael Pietrus can seem like a superstar under the New York spotlight.

Michael Pietrus admitted that there was a moment when he fantasized about some R-rated scenes, but reason prevailed over desire.

He thought of Shawn Kemp, Magic Johnson, and countless other players whose lives had been ruined by women.

He poured cold water on his burning desire and drove away.

He knew he was just a role player and would never earn a multi-million dollar salary in the NBA, and he didn't want to go bankrupt because of high alimony payments.

He would rather retire and return to the French island of Guadeloupe to grow bananas than spend half his life struggling to pay child support.

As he drove slowly, admiring the neon lights of New York, an orange Lamborghini roared past him.

That's the car driven by the King of New York; the whole team recognizes it.

Michael Pietrus thought to himself, if even a character like himself is so popular in New York, he couldn't believe the looks and figure of the girl in Lynch's co-pilot's seat.

But in fact, the passenger seat in Lynch's car was empty, except for the basketball he had just taken into the locker room.

He wasn't speeding through the streets of New York to take a girl to a party; he was racing for a man.

Today is the day Grant Hill is having surgery.

New signing Michael Pietrus is great, but Lynch won't forget about someone else because of that.
-
Grant Hill lay supine on the cold white hospital bed, his back beneath his surgical gown already soaked with cold sweat.

Looking at his tightly bandaged wound, he felt incredibly nervous, and nightmarish memories began to flood his mind.

In the NBA, it is common for players to undergo surgery.

Grant Hill is definitely the first player to nearly die from surgery.

Grant Hill underwent ankle surgery the season before he was traded to the Knicks.

Five days after the surgery, he developed a persistent high fever and convulsions due to a Staphylococcus aureus infection, which bound this once elegant poet of the football field to the ICU bed. The alarm of the electrocardiogram monitor and the howl of the Grim Reaper's scythe intertwined into a nightmare concerto, tormenting him for a whole week.

He then received antibiotics for six months before finally making a full recovery.

Although he recovered his health, the accident left an indelible scar on his soul.

Lin Qi's appearance put him at ease.

Most people who are bedridden feel better when they see relatives and friends who come to visit them.

Moreover, the youthful energy unique to that boy who was not yet 20 years old seemed to be able to dispel the oppressive atmosphere in the ward.

Looking at the flower baskets that had filled the ward, Lin Qi smiled proudly and presented the special gift he had prepared—the ball for today's game.

It was covered in the signatures of Knicks players, and there was a big "For the Championship" written in red pen.

This is what Lynch asked his teammates to do for him.

“Every brother signed it, with the blood of a Texan.”

This game is very important to us. Last season, we were basically helpless against the top teams in the West. We lost twice to the Spurs and twice to the Mavericks. Apart from playing against Houston, we had no chance in Texas.

But today, it's all over. This is the first time in my career I've beaten a Texas team, which means we have the ability to go toe-to-toe with the Western Conference powerhouses in the ultimate arena.

Here's the ball for you. It's proof that we crushed the Texas Cleveland Cavaliers, and it's the beginning of our championship run.

We're waiting for you to come back, buddy. We have a great chance this year.

When you return to the battlefield from the operating table, we'll tear apart the Pistons' iron net in the playoffs, extinguish the Miami heat, and then crush all the guys coming from the West to stop us!
Let’s do it together!

Lynch will never forget Grant Hill, considering Alberto Herreros and Grant Hill as the two most important mentors in his basketball career.

In Madrid, he helped the Real Madrid captain realize his dream of reaching the pinnacle of European football.

He hopes to achieve the same thing in the NBA.

He didn't want to disappoint anyone who was willing to help him or follow him.

This is the most basic sense of responsibility of a man. If you disappoint the person who trusts you the most, what kind of responsibility are you talking about?
A player who lacks responsibility will never be the GOAT. Because to become the GOAT, you first have to be a man.

Grant Hill smiled as he took the basketball with both hands, his fingertips tracing the anti-slip particles on the surface of the ball.

He had just seen the game result on the news; the Dallas Mavericks were completely outmatched by the Knicks.

Lynch is right, the Knicks have a good chance this season.

Grant Hill did not retire despite suffering such severe and recurring injuries, precisely because he wanted to win a championship.

For some players, the championship is a culmination of their entire career.

That's not just an honor, it's also a record of the path one has walked.

Moreover, Hill understands that some regrets, once they occur, can never be made up for in a lifetime.

During his time at Duke, the regret of losing the final to the University of Arkansas and missing out on the championship haunted him for the rest of his life.

He didn't want the same regret to happen again.

He doesn't need to be the absolute protagonist under the spotlight, and he doesn't care about the applause from the media and fans.

But at least you should touch the gold-plated pattern of the Larry O'Brien Trophy with your own hands.

At the very least, he has to climb to the top and take a look.

Grant Hill suddenly wasn't afraid anymore; he was full of fighting spirit and eager to return to the court.

He wanted to fight alongside those people; he knew it would be the most valuable asset of his career. "Thank you for coming to see me, Lynch."

"My mom will bring you food these days. You don't have to worry about three meals a day. They're delicious and healthy."

"Tell her not to work so hard."

“I tried to persuade her, but it was no use; she insisted on doing it.”

“Your mother is a wise and kind woman, and I am very grateful to you and your family.”

Just then, Kenny Smith's untimely voice came from the television, which was on.

"The Knicks played beautifully, but the Mavericks aren't the only championship contender in the West. Even excluding the Phoenix Suns who lost Amar'e Stoudemire, there's still the San Antonio Spurs. Don't forget, that's another opponent Lynch has never beaten."

The Stone Buddha will forever guard the New York madmen!

Yes, if the Knicks want to prove they have championship potential this season, the San Antonio Spurs are definitely an opponent they can't avoid.

Lynch watched TV and tilted his head toward Grant Hill.

"I'll take down that number 21 too. Now it's our turn to shove the chisel into San Antonio's hard rock. Go now, get some rest, the whole team is with you."

Goodbye, Lynch.

Goodnight, Grant.

After Lin Qi left, the ward suddenly fell silent, with only the ticking of the electrocardiogram monitor remaining.

Grant Hill ran his fingers over the signatures on the basketball, his expression serious.

His wife, Canadian singer Tamia Hill, pats her husband's shoulder.

"I've scheduled an appointment with an ankle specialist in Vancouver to assess your ankle. We'll go next week. Health is the most important thing."

Hill's athletic hernia ultimately stemmed from an ankle problem, and Tamia really didn't want to see her husband break his bones and have them set again.

Grant Hill nodded, but his mind was elsewhere.

He stared at the game ball, his blood surging with excitement.
-
After defeating the Dallas Mavericks, the Knicks were unstoppable, sweeping away four opponents in the following week.

Including the win against the Mavericks, the Knicks have now won five straight games.

Grant Hill's postoperative recovery went very smoothly, and he left the hospital in New York for Vancouver, where he underwent an ankle evaluation.

Under the operating lights of the medical center, Grant Hill stared at the spiderweb-like ligament structure in the MRI image, while Todd Andrews, Vancouver's top sports medicine expert, fixed a laser pointer on the shadow of the ankle joint:
"It's like a precision machine designed by Leonardo da Vinci, but a gear has a 0.1-millimeter deviation, causing uneven force on your two feet. Under normal circumstances, it won't affect your game, but your playing time must be strictly controlled, and you absolutely cannot overwork yourself. If you were compared to a candle, you now have to find a way to prolong your burning time, rather than burn yourself out."

“I understand,” Hill said in a very steady voice.

In the past, he would have completely agreed with what the doctor said.

Yes, one must never burn oneself out.

His choice to burn himself out in Detroit cost him his entire career.

That experience made him more rational, and since then he has made sure to take full care of any injuries and never play with an injury again.

He thought his rationality would never change until yesterday when he saw the basketball and the signature on it.

Therefore, this time, he could only agree with 90% of what the doctor said.

Because if he really has a chance to win a championship, and the team really needs him, he will choose to give it his all.

For the team, for the championship, and for myself.

Of course, it's too far off to think about these things now.

After all, the regular season has only just begun.

At this moment, the New York Knicks' private plane is flying through the sky, and the outline of San Antonio is clearly visible below the clouds outside the porthole.

While people like Kenny Smith were still touting the Black Silver Legion's dominance, the New York gangsters had already quietly loaded their shotguns.

As soon as he got off the plane, Lin Qi was blocked by reporters.

The security personnel formed a human wall that continued to shrink, and the sound of reporters' heels scraping against the ground mingled with a cacophony of questions, turning the tarmac into a boisterous press conference hall.

"Linche, you've already played the Spurs once this season and lost. Now that you're on the road, will the shadow of 'The Big Fundamental' still haunt you?"

Lynch paused, the edge of his sunglasses reflecting the blinding Texas sunlight: "Tim Duncan is great, but my teammates and I will do everything we can to take him down. Believe me, no shadow in this world lasts forever."

The second question followed immediately: "People say that Tim's reign over you was as stable as your reign over LeBron. What do you think?"

"I won't allow you to disrespect LeBron James! It's not that LeBron can't beat me, he just doesn't want to make a big fuss over a mere basketball game. You know, life is more important than basketball."

"Carmelo Anthony said you'll never be able to play with the same flair he showed against the Spurs. What's your take on that?"

"It seems that Melo has a deep misunderstanding of the word 'magnificent'."

Will you personally guard Tim Duncan in the next game?

"I don't plan to reveal the team's strategy at the airport. You'll see the answer once we dismantle the ATT Center."

Lynch gave perfunctory answers to all the questions and finally squeezed onto the team bus.

Because of their five-game winning streak, most of the Knicks players were laughing and joking.

Only Lynch looked serious; he knew very well that the Spurs were an opponent he had to defeat.

In the original history, the Spurs lost to the Mavericks in Game 7, and if it weren't for Ginobili's foolish foul in the final moments that gave the Mavericks a 2+1 opportunity, the Spurs might have been the ones to advance to the Finals.

God knows if something similar will happen again in this time and space.

Therefore, just being able to beat the Mavericks isn't enough to guarantee a win.

Lynch must make sure he can still beat the Spurs.

In their last encounter, the Knicks were actually very close to victory.

If it weren't for Manu Ginobili's several unreasonable and unbalanced layups, the San Antonio curse would have been broken long ago.

Of course, Lynch wouldn't comfort himself with the excuse of "luck".

If he could have played more dominantly, if he could have scored more points, then even Manu's final superhuman moment wouldn't have been able to save the Spurs.

His desire to win has reached its highest point since the start of the season; he is determined to lift up the Holy City Stone Buddha and smash it.

Meanwhile, Tim Duncan, who had just finished training, was also being interviewed by reporters.

"In the last game, the New York Knicks just missed beating the Spurs. What are your thoughts on the Knicks' performance in that game?"

Tim Duncan looked up, revealing the league's most famous poker face, calmly staring at the camera. His steady voice held a hint of sarcasm as he uttered the trash talk that Lynch had hated most ever.

"The Knicks' performance in the last game? Nice try."

(End of this chapter)