Champion Rules

Chapter 331, Section 327: He was completely convinced (Seeking monthly votes!)

The toughest nut to crack in the entire league was crushed by Lynch.

If such a crushing victory isn't enough to demonstrate Lynch and the Knicks' dominance, then Lynch might as well find an alien to play basketball with next.

For a moment, the world fell silent again.

The scattered noises surrounding Lynch's dominance have completely subsided.

It's actually quite normal for those previous discussions about Lynch's dominance to occur.

When you are a person with a halo, people will always pay excessive attention to you.

After Lynch failed to win by double digits in several games, people began to doubt the team's dominance.

Chuanbao hadn't performed any rituals for just a few days, and people were even starting to wonder if he was dead.

Therefore, Lynch was not annoyed by all the noise.

He did not refute any dissenting voices.

He also didn't have Reebok shoot any ads featuring him wearing a crown to highlight his status.

He silenced the world with just one game.

Along with Lynch, LeBron James also became a sensation after this game.

Sir Charles Barkley, America's most serious, professional, handsome, and well-proportioned sports presenter, didn't analyze Chandler Parsons' rise or the Knicks' tactical strategies, but instead delved into Zach Randolph's lip reading.

He has always been interested in the trash talk that players exchange on the court, and coincidentally, during yesterday's game, when Big Black Bear confronted Lynch, the cameras gave them close-ups more than once.

You know, European and American photographers, whether shooting art or sports, especially love to give high-definition close-ups of specific parts.

Charles Barkley thus interpreted Zach Randolph's statement as, "Without LeBron consistently contributing four wins to your team in the East every season, it's not easy to get 70 wins now."

It seems that Chris Paul's previous view was not an isolated case; everyone actually felt that the East had a competitive advantage.

By the time CP3 arrived, the benefits had already passed!

Charles Barkley's analysis put LBJ and the Big Black Bear in the spotlight.

Zach Randolph dismissed the criticism: "Insulting LeBron? I'm just stating the facts. Before joining Detroit, LBJ consistently gifted Lynch four wins every regular season."

LeBron James was quite unhappy with Zach Randolph's words, but the Thunder had indeed lost to the Grizzlies in their last game.

Therefore, he could only tell the media fiercely:
"Yes, the Grizzlies beat us last time. We helped the Grizzlies get through that hurdle, tested their mentality and their bodies, and that's what makes them one of the greatest teams in the West. But next time, Zach has to respect me."

LeBron is unbeatable.

When a normal person loses: I was defeated by him.

LBJ lost: I made him who he is.

You never know from what angle he might try to justify himself.

Thanks to Charles Barkley's peculiar hobby, LBJ was once again remembered and became a topic of conversation among fans after a game that had nothing to do with him.

If this alliance is Gotham, then he is the Joker who is never absent.

Even Kenny Smith expressed sympathy for LBJ's situation:
"Lynch is like a sniper who never misses. No matter where LeBron James is, he can accurately hit LBJ's weak points. His hitting range always covers LBJ."

Lynch shook his head as he watched Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith, two professional jokers, relentlessly teasing LeBron James.

Otherwise, why not say that signing LBJ was the greatest decision Under Armour ever made?

Although he had no record on the 23rd, his honors were minimal.

But the traffic is huge.

In the past, Lin Qi would definitely have been relentlessly attacking his old rivals in the comments section below these videos.

But this time, Lynch's mind wasn't on LBJ.

More than embarrassing LeBron James, Lynch has something else he's looking for right now.

During the media open time of his first training session after returning to New York, Lynch was putting on his jacket while facing a sea of ​​cameras.

He acted as if these reporters didn't exist, as if living in front of the camera was a normal part of his life.

In the first three seasons of his career, even if there was only one camera pointed at him, Lynch would sit quietly and give interviews.

For him at that time, giving an interview was a very formal matter.

Later, Lin Qi became more and more relaxed, and now he can do his own thing in front of the camera while answering reporters' questions.

Kyrie Irving followed Lynch's example, so even with a bunch of reporters in front of him, he nonchalantly held his phone.

"Kerry, what do you think is the key to Chandler Parsons' rise?"

"He works very hard; he's one of the hardest-working players on our team."

"Working harder than Lynch? Oh, just a heads up, as a rookie, you'd better think carefully about the answer to that question, after all, your boss is sitting right next to you."

The reporters laughed, and Kyrie Irving put down his phone: "Chandler is indeed more hardworking than Lynch, and I believe Lynch won't mind me saying that. But hard work is only one aspect; unparalleled confidence is also key to Chandler's ability to seize opportunities."

Kyrie Irving paused, glancing at the team leader who had already put on his jacket and was preparing to leave the locker room:

"A remarkable phenomenon this season is that everyone around Lynch believes they are invincible, and that's the power of Lynch."

Lynch nodded to Kyrie Irving: "Thanks for the recognition, Kyrie."

Seeing that Lin Qi was about to leave, a reporter quickly asked one last question.

"Lin Qi, what kind of results are you looking forward to in January?"

“I don’t know, no one can predict the results, that’s the charm of competitive sports,” he said, zipping up his jacket and staring intently at the camera. “But if you ask me what I expect, well, I plan to take down all my opponents.”

His tone was unusually calm, as if he were stating a preordained, unquestionable fact.

But even so, Lynch's desire for this matter was quite intense.

It even surpassed the desire to see LBJ make a fool of himself.

The team was on track, and Lynch was like a warrior who had acquired unparalleled equipment, eager to use it in battle, to see just how powerful it was, and to see what would happen.

Therefore, he had absolutely no interest in LBJ.

He's only thinking about his next opponent now.

He looks forward to every game from now on, and to the performance of a fully fit Knicks team.

After speaking, Lin Qi walked out of the locker room, ending his communication with the media for the day.

The cameras immediately focused on Kyrie Irving.

"Kerry, did you hear that? What do you think Lynch just did?"

“What Lynch wants is what we want,” Carey Irving shrugged. “We’ll take down all our opponents.”

Yes, everyone around him is very confident.
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You can imagine what it would be like if Kevin Durant or Dwyane Wade said they were going to take down all their opponents for the next month.

They will be met with a torrent of verbal attacks.

But when Lynch made this announcement, not a single influential media outlet stood up to refute it.

Even though the Knicks will face two traditional Eastern Conference powerhouses, the Chicago Bulls and the Detroit Pistons, in their upcoming schedule.

On January 11, the New York Knicks hosted the Chicago Bulls.

Before the game, the matchup between Derrick Rose and Kyrie Irving, two number one draft picks and guards, became a major point of interest.

But when the game actually started, people discovered that Derrick Rose's opponent was not Kyrie Irving at all.

It wasn't Lynch either.

It's Chris Bosh!

In the last game, Chris Bosh scored a whopping 40 points.

Tonight, Chris Bosh only managed one rebound in the first half and one goal in the second half.

One game caused Derrick Rose to suffer two strokes.

Derrick Rose used physically damaging changes of direction to find openings and tear apart the defense.

The best breakthrough point turned out to be one's own teammates!
Chris Bosh was truly helpless. "What kind of opponent did I play in the last game? What kind of opponent am I playing in this game?"
To nearly score double digits against Lynch is already considered an outstanding performance.

The Chicago Bulls' starting lineup was completely outmatched, and their bench was even worse—

He hardly ever plays.

Tom Thibodeau made Chicago the last city in the United States of America to retain its slaves.

The best tactic in the world is to use a superior horse against a superior horse, and then continue using a superior horse against an inferior horse.

But even against the Bulls, who used their starters to the bone, the Knicks' bench performed equally well.

Although Chris Bosh was ineffective on offense tonight, he still allowed Chandler Parsons to score 11 points on defense.

Led by Chris Bosh, the Chicago Bulls ultimately lost to the Knicks 82-108.

The Knicks' starting lineup has been the best in the league since the start of the season. Unless they are out of form, the Knicks rarely lose points when all their starters are on the court.

Most of the Knicks' losses, or close games, were due to them conceding too many points during their rotation time.

But after the night in Memphis, the problem was easily solved.

The media had anticipated that the Chicago Bulls would lose, but the 26-point margin of defeat still left everyone speechless.

Lynch's next opponent, Carmelo Anthony, chuckled: "The Palace of Auburn Hills is not the United Center, and we are not the Chicago Bulls. Don't lump us together."

They really shouldn't be lumped together, because—

Losing by 35 points is different from losing by 26 points!

Carmelo Anthony exploded for 33 points tonight, playing with great efficiency even in the paint, his least favorite area.

Chandler Parsons and Wilson Chandler were nearly knocked apart by Carmelo Anthony tonight.

However, the dilapidated aircraft carrier beneath his feet—the Detroit Piston—was riddled with holes and utterly incapable of supporting him against Lynch's invincible warship.

This summer, the Pistons underwent a major change, with Bill Davis's widow, Karen Davis, ultimately selling the team in despair.

The failure of the Super Pistons plan did little to increase the team's market value. According to The Detroit Business, the Pistons were ultimately sold for only $3.76 million, far below expectations.

After new owner Tom Gores took over, he made several leadership changes to the Pistons.

This includes firing Joe Dumars, who led the team to two consecutive championships, and firing Lionel Hollins, the legendary head coach who laid the foundation for the Pistons' locker room culture.

It's not hard to imagine how chaotic the Pistons must have been amidst such turmoil.

The new owner doesn't currently plan to spend heavily to contend for a championship, as he believes the team's championship window hasn't opened yet. Making the playoffs would already be a success for him.

In this atmosphere, most players don't know if they will still play for the Pistons next season, because they are not part of the team's long-term plan.

For them, playing here is just a job, and a not-so-good one at that—the declining Detroit has too little attention, with only 11 nationally televised games this season, compared to 48 nationally televised games for the New York Knicks. The poor exposure has severely impacted the commercial value of the Pistons players.

Therefore, compared to the Pistons of the "Grit and Grind" era, this Pistons team has become quite loose.

Even Deron Williams, who once had a lot of passion, is now in a state of tanking and clocking out.

Carmelo Anthony is the only Pistons player who still feels a sense of honor.

But it was clear that he could not fight Lynch on his own.

Ultimately, the Detroit Pistons lost by a full 35 points.

Melo stood there, stunned, his gaze unfocused on the score on the big screen, his mind a complete blank.

There was a time when he and Lynch were widely regarded as the most likely successors to Michael Jackson.

He won two consecutive championships with his team in his rookie season, and won the Finals MVP in his second year.

His future seemed limitless at the time.

Then, Lynch suddenly became the sole protagonist of the story.

Surrounding the Detroit Pistons is a persistent cloud of failure, layer upon layer.

The Pistons seem to have fallen into the curse of the 80s again—after winning two consecutive championships, the Bad Boys suddenly disappeared from the competition, and they never even had the chance to face MJ in the playoffs again.

When Carmelo Anthony saw that the reporter interviewing Lynch was an unknown guy, he realized that today's game wasn't even a nationally televised game!
The terrifying gap between reality and past glory almost caused him to lose control and roar in public.

He simply couldn't believe how he had gotten to this point.

At the post-game press conference, disappointment was like a layer of dark paint, clinging tightly to Carmelo Anthony's face.

The sharp questions that followed were like a dull knife cutting into his flesh, leaving him nowhere to hide his embarrassment.

"Melo, there are rumors that the Pistons have opened up trade inquiries for you. Are you aware of this?"

"Anything that hasn't happened is just a rumor."

What are your thoughts on the actions of the new boss, Tom Gores, since he took office?

"I firmly believe that the team is moving in the right direction."

"The failure of the Super Pistons plan undoubtedly changed your career completely. Do you still hate LeBron for betraying the team?"

"Tonight's game has nothing to do with LeBron, and I don't want to talk about anything related to him."

Carmelo Anthony is like a perfunctory husband, mechanically lifting his legs to do exercises. You can't say he's not trying, but doing it like this definitely makes it uninspiring.

The reporters' enthusiasm for asking questions dried up under such perfunctory answers.

Finally, an ESPN reporter asked him, "Melo, from this point in time, how would you rate Lynch? Do you think he really has a chance to become the GOAT of the sport?"

This was originally a pointed question: Is Melo the current GOAT brand ambassador or Lynch's arch-rival? His answer would certainly generate a lot of discussion.

However, the reporters did not have high expectations for Carmelo Anthony's answer.

At this point, he will most likely just say something meaningless to brush it off.

But Carmelo Anthony remained silent for over ten seconds after thinking for a while.

The only sounds on set were the low hum of the camera and his own slightly heavy breathing, captured by the microphone.

"Uh, Melo?" the reporter prompted.

These words were like a wake-up call; Melon's eyes snapped to attention, and he leaned forward to get closer to the microphone.

Then, when everyone had given up hope, he made a startling statement:
"Yes, if I had to choose the greatest player of all time, I think it would be Lynch. Without reservation, he completely dominated this era."

Regarding the incident many years ago, when I lost to him and broke off our friendship...
I admit, it stemmed from pure jealousy.

Now, it's the journalists' turn to be silenced.

No one expected that this arch-rival who had been battling Lynch for years would personally crown him amidst the ruins of a crushing 35-point defeat!
Carmelo Anthony thought a lot in those last ten seconds.

From the first time he fought Lin Qi until now, Lin Qi has completely widened the gap between them.

He admitted that he was indeed ruled by Lynch.

Carmelo Anthony has never been a fool who completely disregards reality just because of his status as a sworn enemy.

He and Lynch were bitter rivals, but he respected Lynch's young fan Kevin Lucas and Lynch's mother.

Even when they were at odds, he never denied the illustrious achievements Lin Qi had made.

Tonight, after this crushing 35-point defeat, he finally stopped struggling and calmly accepted the fact:
He is merely an appendage of this era.

After a brief moment of shock, the reporters' hunting instincts were instantly ignited:

"Mello, so you consider yourself the Karl Malone of this era?"

Melon gave a bittersweet yet resigned smile:
“I think I’m more like Charles Barkley. Don’t rush to argue with me, I know I’ve never played in the Finals with Lynch. But at least, while we were competing, we still had the courage to acknowledge the excellence of others.”

Click! Click! Click!

The sound of camera shutters filled the room as Cameron Anthony calmly stood up and left the scene.

His calmness was completely unexpected, and his honesty contrasted sharply with his previous perfunctory attitude.

ESPN writer Marc Stein immediately updated his social media with a picture of Carmelo Anthony looking disheveled on the court, hands on hips – a silent, frozen moment after being crushed.

With text:

"He was completely defeated by Lynch."
-
An indescribable sense of accomplishment quietly grew in Lin Qi's heart.

This sense of accomplishment is something you can't get no matter how many games you win.

Over the years, Lynch has beaten Melo so many times that he himself can't even remember.

But those feelings of accomplishment are short-lived.

Because the next time they meet on a narrow path, that guy will always bar his fangs and pounce again, as if all the past defeats never happened.

But this time, Cameron Anthony's attitude finally solidified the mountain of past victories into a real medal of conquest.

Two of the famous Dream Team members have already expressed their admiration and respect for Lynch.

If Dwyane Wade's praise for Lynch was due to their close personal relationship, then...

The candor of his arch-rival Carmelo Anthony is the most authoritative proof of Lynch's dominance.

On January 17th, before the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the man in the colorful shirt, Sager, naturally interviewed Lynch about this issue:

"Have you and Melo resumed your private contact?"

Lynch waved his hand: "We haven't contacted each other privately yet, but I appreciate Melo's praise and candor."

"In your seventh year of your career, you begin to completely win over your arch-rivals. What does that mean to you?"

"It means a lot, and it makes me more confident."

Are you satisfied with this?

Lin Qi waved his hand: "I am somewhat satisfied, but I am far from truly satisfied. The day I am completely satisfied, I may announce my retirement on the spot. As long as I am still playing, it means I am not satisfied yet."

Indeed, in this game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Lynch scored 23 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, and dished out 8 assists.

By Lynch's standards, this data doesn't seem particularly impressive.

But considering that Lynch achieved this stat in just 29 minutes, his brutality on the court is evident.

The Cavaliers couldn't even stop garbage time from coming, losing by 27 points with Lynch not playing a single second in the fourth quarter.

After that, the Knicks won against the Jazz and the Nets by 29 and 26 points respectively.

With this, the Knicks became the first team since the 1971-72 Bucks to win five consecutive games by more than 25 points!

With only four games left in January, Lynch is getting closer and closer to his declaration, "I want to beat all my opponents."

January 26, Philadelphia, Wachovia Center.

Louis Williams looked up at the stands and was momentarily surprised.

He could hardly believe it was an NBA game.

The vast gaps in the stands were truly shocking.

The 76ers are one of the teams with the lowest attendance this season. After the legendary Finals in 2001, Philadelphia fans could never have imagined that this sudden darkness would last for 11 years.

On the big screen, the score was a shocking 82 to 51, with only 33 seconds left in the third quarter.

Lynch and his team once again crushed their opponents in three quarters.

Lou Williams sighed. If he were a fan, he wouldn't have bought a ticket to watch his team play a game that was destined to be slaughtered.

Before tonight's game even started, people seemed to have concluded that it would be a record-breaking night.

Almost no one thought the 76ers could withstand the Knicks.

And indeed, Lynch and his teammates conquered the area with overwhelming force.

Lynch, now with his "new gear," got the results he wanted; this Knicks team was indeed far superior in the first two and a half months of the season.

After the game ended, reporters excitedly rushed onto the court. The New York Knicks became the only team in NBA history to win six consecutive games by more than 25 points.

Because it was a record-breaking match, the game was temporarily changed to a nationally televised game on ESPN.

You could say this was a coronation ceremony specially organized by ESPN for Lynch.

Mike Breen, looking at the Knicks' record since January and their six-game winning streak by 25 points or more, corrected Kenny Smith's earlier statement:

"Lynch's hitting range goes far beyond just covering LBJ; his terrifying hitting range covers the entire league."
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Carmelo Anthony is a true man; he dared to fight Lynch and also dared to admit his defeat. So who is it that, while losing, still tries to justify themselves? — Stephen A. Smith, a LeBron James fan for fifty years, posed a question on his show that everyone knows the answer to.

Before 2012, the Knicks had a 25-5 record. Back then, aside from Lynch himself, nobody believed they could replicate their 70-win season. Now, ladies and gentlemen, they're 37-5. — Charles Barkley marvels at the Knicks' recent record.

The Orlando Magic are still listening to trade proposals for Dwight Howard. Will the superstar center leave before the trade deadline? —ESPN News Brief.

Winning six consecutive games by 25 points or more is a remarkable achievement. But don't forget their "double-digit margin of victory in a single season" is still building, and frankly, I don't know how many records the Knicks will break this season. —ESPN writer John Hollinger reminds everyone.

Ray Allen, who will turn 37 soon, will return in the next game, and yes, the New York Knicks aren't even playing with a full roster. —The New York Times.

The key is whether he gets a ring. You know, even if he wins 77 games, he still has to measure the success or failure of this season by his championship ring. —Michael Jordan's comment on Lynch's recent performance at a press conference: the ring is his only shield.

(Only one update today, 3400 words shorter. I had insomnia last night and feel dizzy today, so I wrote very slowly. I'll get some rest early tonight and be back to normal tomorrow.)

(End of this chapter)