Champion Rules

Chapter 333, Page 329: I strongly suggest Dwight Howard play his hometown basketball (Seeking monthly votes!)
After the press conference, Lynch boarded the team bus, ready to return to the hotel with the team.

Inside the bus, the clamor of victory had not yet subsided, except for the last corner row, which was a quiet, isolated island.

Ray Allen sat in the corner of the last row by the window, his headphones blocking out the excited chatter of his teammates.

Now in 2012, with continuous success filling his life, DeMar DeRozan has become much more cheerful.

He often joked with his teammates and became friendly with everyone.

Ray Allen, however, has always remained himself.

He wasn't deliberately distant, nor was he putting on an aloof act; he simply didn't have much in common with most people.

He would go out to eat with the team, but he almost never met with anyone privately.

He would twitch the corners of his mouth when everyone joked around, but he never became the main character in the banter.

In the Knicks' locker room, people were used to the presence of this "weirdo".

People did not reject him; they still regarded him as a brother who fought alongside them.

Ray Allen's personality, like the transparent glass surrounding him, always creates a sense of distance between him and everyone else.

There's nothing wrong with that; this subtle sense of isolation is just right.

It would neither make Ray Allen feel uncomfortable nor make the locker room feel like he was an outsider.

Lynch doesn't mind this; he's not like KG or Paul Pierce, who grew up on the streets and have to demand that all players be like family.

But ever since his ankle injury, Lynch could clearly sense that the transparent barrier surrounding Ray Allen was becoming increasingly thick.

As Lynch boarded the bus, DeAndre Jordan immediately egged him on: "Hey Lynch, because of you, our Soul Savior will make some random lucky girl at the Orlando Strip Club unable to hold back her farts tomorrow!"

Laughter filled the carriage. Lin Qi wasn't interested in these toilet jokes and just forced a smile.

He then walked straight to the "isolated island" in the back row.

DeAndre Jordan immediately knew what Lynch was up to, so he quickly changed the subject: "To be honest, you have to be careful about hygiene with this stuff. Last time my girlfriend didn't get it properly done with the enema, and I ended up with my head covered in it."

Lynch stopped listening to DeAndre Jordan's disgusting rant and sat down next to Ray Allen, who tactfully took off his headphones.

Because of DeAndre Jordan's "screen," most of the Knicks players didn't pay much attention to the backcourt, which created a private space for Lynch and Ray Allen's conversation.

That's why DeAndre Jordan was so popular in the locker room; he might look silly, but he wasn't.

“Lei Lei, don’t be angry. Dwight has already paid the price,” Lin Qi said first.

Ray Allen looked out the window, a barely audible sigh escaping his lips: "He's right."

"what?"

“He’s right,” Ray Allen turned his head, his profile appearing particularly hard in the interplay of light and shadow. “I played rubbish in last season’s Finals. Apart from Game 1, I contributed almost nothing.”

Don't be too hard on yourself.

“That’s why I decided to play another season,” Ray Allen interrupted Lynch. “I don’t want to be a slacker. I want to play in a meaningful Finals series and win a real ring! But I’m getting older, I just went through an ankle injury, and I don’t know if I’ll get another one. I don’t know my condition.”

The sudden roar of the engine was like a giant beast awakening, and the bus trembled slightly. The bus crushed the darkness and sped forward.

The unfinished words were abruptly cut off by the buzzing sound. Although the words were not finished, Lynch finally understood why Ray Allen wanted to play another season when no one understood, why he was so anxious after his injury, and why his estrangement from others was worsening.

People like him tend to isolate themselves and engage in intense internal conflict when faced with problems.

In the lonely cage, he repeatedly licked his wounds until he was completely exhausted.

Lynch didn't say much. Ray Allen wanted to play a Finals series worthy of a championship ring, and only he could solve that.

But he still told Ray Allen:

"There's nothing to be anxious about, Lei Lei. Basketball will not let down anyone who works hard. Take every game seriously, and your performance will definitely be fine."

Don't shut yourself off because of these troubles; try to draw strength from your teammates.

Furthermore, if anyone in this world is qualified to say that you played like a piece of crap in the finals, it's only me.

"Ha, so how would you rate my performance in last season's Finals?"

"The hit rate is indeed a bit low, but I know that if you have a chance at the last minute, I will still pass it to you. Ultimately, I still trust you. And you? Don't you trust yourself anymore? Don't forget who you are—"

Lin Qi's eyes were sharp.

"You were fifth in the 1997 Slam Dunk Contest!"

Ray Allen was so angry he laughed. There were only six people participating in that year's dunk contest.

Despite being mercilessly teased, Junzi Lei was still very happy.

Unlike all his previous teammates and coaches, Lynch did not distance himself from him when he was silent.

He is not someone who likes to open up about his feelings, and because of his personality, most people wouldn't do the same to him either.

But Lynch is very proactive, as can be seen from his ever-increasing off-court scoring stats.

This proactive approach made him a true ascetic and a great leader, even greater than Michael Jordan.

People always say that Michael Jordan could handle all kinds of teammates, which is why he was a great leader.

Is that really the case?

His teammates had plenty of complaints about him.

Bill Cartwright, who was bullied by MJ more than once, still believes that MJ was a complete bastard.

Horace Grant still can't forget that afternoon on the Bulls' plane, when he was briefly transported back to the era of slavery—he was blatantly deprived of his right to eat!
What's even more strange is that the one who "enslaved" him was also a song of parting.

What about Lynch? From the beginning of his professional career until now, almost no teammates have complained about him or turned against him.

He wasn't the kind of easygoing person without any prestige; he was even somewhat stern.

But he always managed to maintain firm control over every corner of the locker room in various ways.

According to Ray Allen, the only area where Michael Jordan can consistently outperform Lynch is beyond the three-point line—his record of 5 points in a single game of the Three-Point Contest is simply too solid, and his line "Are you guys here to compete for second to last place?" is something Lynch could learn from for a lifetime.

In addition, Ray Allen felt that Lynch had surpassed MJ in every aspect.

He decided to adjust his mindset and break free from his current isolated state.

The best way to avoid betraying your teammates' trust is to trust yourself.

Even alongside the GOAT, he still wants to make his own contribution in the finals!
Back in New York, Dwight Howard's saga with the Orlando Magic has become the focus of national attention.

The media is speculating whether he will leave Orlando before the trade deadline.

When interviewed by reporters, Lin Qi gave his opinion on the deal controversy: "What does it have to do with me? He's a pig waiting to be slaughtered wherever he goes."

That evening, the Knicks hosted the Atlanta Hawks, their last opponent in January.

The Hawks are probably one of the most awkward teams in the league.

They are far superior to the lottery teams, but no one would associate them with the championship.

Every season, they manage to achieve a respectable record in the regular season, only to be eliminated in the second round at best.

Tonight's game truly reflected the Atlanta Hawks' predicament.

Unlike teams that are easily defeated by the Knicks, their resistance was tenacious.

Joe Johnson is in excellent form; his mid-range one-on-one game is virtually unstoppable.

Josh Smith's defense and dunks remain explosive, although his mid-range one-on-one game is practically unstoppable.

Al Horford plays very intelligently, and Jeff Teague is showing early promise.

They weren't easily defeated by the Knicks, but the New York fans in the arena knew that they had no chance of taking the lead.

Indeed, the Hawks were dominated throughout the game, and that suffocating sense of despair lasted for 48 minutes.

The Hawks' biggest problem right now is that they lack a defensively outstanding forward on the wing.

Al Horford can play the power forward position, but once he does, the Hawks have no one to protect the rim.

Josh Smith can play power forward, but if he does, it will leave a huge gap on the wing.

When Al Horford and Josh Smith were focused on defending Lynch, the flanks were wide open.

Lynch passed the ball a lot tonight, creating many opportunities for Wilson Chandler and DeMar DeRozan, who capitalized on those opportunities, combining for 42 points in the empty wing tunnel with drives and mid-range jumpers!
When the buzzer sounded to signal the end of the game, the scoreboard showed 88 to 96.

The New York Knicks went undefeated in January!
The Hawks players' breaths were filled with despair; they had given it their all. Their team defense meshed like gears, and their offensive play flowed like mercury.

They are one of the few teams this season that have only lost to the Knicks by single digits.

However, the gap in their overall strength led to their defeat in New York.

This has always been the Atlanta Hawks' fate: always falling short of a breakthrough when they are just one step away.

At the post-game press conference, Hawks head coach Larry Drew helplessly spread his hands:
"If we had added a wing or center earlier, we could have challenged Lynch tonight. We have a solid foundation, and we can't just stay stagnant."

Larry Drew is undoubtedly putting pressure on general manager Rick Sander, whose relationship with the general manager has always been bad, a fact known to the entire team.

He felt that Rick Sander's actions were foolish, letting go of the team's key member Jamal Crawford for nothing last summer—he only wanted a two-year, $1000 million contract, which was perfectly reasonable, and could even be considered extremely cost-effective.

Even if the Hawks wanted to cut costs, they could have done so elsewhere.

As a result, Rick Sander chose the most foolish way to save money.

Larry Drew's words quickly reached the home team's press conference, and Lynch felt that his words sounded familiar.

He was fed up with the notion that "Lynch and I are just one deal away from being connected."

"I strongly suggest that Dwight Howard return to Atlanta to play his hometown basketball, since you all believe that a trade can solve all the problems—"

Then I wouldn't mind crushing all your fantasies to pieces!

(End of this chapter)