Champion Rules

Chapter 336, Section 332: I prefer to just smash the other person to pieces (Seeking monthly votes!)

In their final regular season game of the 11-12 season against the Atlanta Hawks, the New York Knicks opted to rest their starters.

Jimmy Butler scored 9 points in 35 minutes of play, but missed three free throws in the final moments, managing to keep his score in single digits once again.

Some people may appear to be the last pick in the first round, but they are actually top science picks in the NBA, and their ability to manipulate data is unparalleled.

As it turns out, even if Michael Jordan did do it in Houston, he must have done it in a very rushed manner.

I only applied two drops before quickly drying it out, which resulted in the quality not being up to standard.

As expected, the New York Knicks, led by Jimmy Butler, lost to the Hawks.

But the result of this game is not important. When Mike Malone decided to rest, it meant that he had already considered the outcome of tonight's game.

The Knicks have a record of 73 wins this season.

enough.

Moreover, it has already broken every record that could be broken.

He won six consecutive games by more than 25 points in a single season, and won 54 games by double-digit margins in a single season.

These two records, like Tim Duncan's record of being scored on in 35 seconds, will become eternal.

Therefore, the outcome of this final match is no longer important.

The Knicks have now set their sights on the playoffs.

After the game, the Knicks players hugged each other.

Although the Hawks were the winners, the Knicks players had reason to celebrate, as they had a truly impressive and outstanding season.

But this is not the end.

Lynch would never allow his team to break that unprecedented and embarrassing record—70 wins and a runner-up finish.

A victory in the regular season does not guarantee a final victory.

In the Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder are second with 66 wins.

The top team in the Western Conference is the San Antonio Spurs with 68 wins, a team that has successfully transformed itself.

Add to that the Pacers, who are second in the East.

This season, four teams have achieved a record of over 60 wins.

Therefore, this is still a highly competitive season.

The playoffs that the Knicks are about to enter will still be a brutal battlefield.

Everything is still up in the air.

Before the playoffs even began, another competition had already quietly started.

During the brief two-day break following the end of the regular season, the documentary "The Last Dance" swept across the basketball world, becoming the hottest topic of discussion.

Although titled "The Last Dance," this ten-episode documentary does not focus solely on MJ's final season, but rather depicts his entire career.

This allows today's young fans to have a more comprehensive and thorough understanding of the greatness of that legend from the 90s.

The documentary was a success, and as Nike had hoped, it sparked a strong "Jordan fever" worldwide.

The first episode of the documentary attracted more than 630 million viewers, breaking the all-time viewership record for ESPN documentaries.

While the Jordan fever may not rival the scorching heat of a Tokyo summer, it certainly brought MJ's name back into the spotlight.

Reebok, however, found Nike's actions ridiculous.

How desperate must they be to choose to support a living fossil that has been retired for many years?
Nike can no longer compete with Lynch by relying on current players; they can only use legends like MJ for marketing.

But how long can the hype surrounding Michael Jordan last?

Lynch watched the first two episodes of the documentary and found that the content was very similar to "The Last Dance" in another timeline.

The reason this documentary was released eight years early is only one possibility—it was MJ and Nike's last lifeline.

In another timeline, by 2012, Nike had completely dominated the basketball world, and the man who helped the Mavericks win their first championship in franchise history had not yet declared himself the GOAT. MJ's position was quite secure.

They don't need to do anything to consolidate their position.

But the situation is very different now. Reebok has completely overtaken the Hook, and Michael Jordan's position is in jeopardy.

Nike and MJ had no choice but to resort to this last resort to awaken the world's memories of their past glory.

However, just as the hype was building, Michael Jordan faced criticism.

Scottie Pippen, the most important supporting character in MJ's career, his fake best friend, his daughter-in-law's ex-husband, the first person to inexplicably suffer from migraines in crucial NBA playoff games, and the first person to refuse to play in crucial NBA playoff moments, felt "hurt and disappointed" about his portrayal in the show.

"That Chicago Bulls team was undoubtedly the greatest of all time, but that achievement was made possible by two of the greatest players. Yet in the documentary, one of them was marginalized, rendered insignificant in the narrative."

I think this film is more like Michael's attempt to solidify his personal myth, but it backfired because people saw a less 'sacred' side of Michael in it. Yes, sometimes he was selfish.

Scottie Pippen then rather inopportunely brought up "Moat" Lynch as a point of comparison.

“Watch Lynch’s documentaries; his documentaries never overlook his teammates.”

I've watched documentaries about his European period, his first Knicks championship, and his three-peat season.

Dude, Lynch was never the only protagonist, and documentaries don't elevate Lynch by belittling others.

After watching Lynch's films, you won't think Stephon Marbury is an idiot, nor will you misunderstand Grant Hill as a rigid, old-fashioned stubborn man.

Those videos truly captured the indispensable role each team member played in the championship journey.

Scottie Pippen's words sparked some discussion, and more importantly, they prompted a growing number of members of the dynasty Bulls to come forward and criticize the documentary.

Horace Grant followed suit, criticizing the editing of "The Last Dance" for being too biased towards MJ. He admitted that the documentary was "very interesting," but was blunt about the authenticity of its content: "About 90% of it is nonsense."

Another key figure, Bill Cartwright, the starting center and assistant coach during the Bulls dynasty, bluntly stated on his blog: "This film is pure entertainment. MJ has been creating an inaccurate image for the public, but his theatrical performances are foolish."

These fierce criticisms from former core members have caused a huge uproar and heated discussion among fans, completely catching Nike and Michael Jordan off guard.

For a very long time, almost no one dared to publicly criticize MJ.

He was elevated to a divine status, so great as to seem unreal.

No one can deny MJ's greatness.

Any criticism of MJ is considered foolish.

How could such a high and mighty person have any flaws?

But in 2012, the world had changed dramatically.

When MJ's supreme status was no longer so unattainable, when the league had a new darling.

People have discovered that Michael Jordan isn't entirely immune to criticism.

After all, he was never perfect.

As the popularity of "The Last Dance" continues to grow, the controversy surrounding Michael Jordan is also intensifying.

Nike completely lost control of the situation, and yes, Michael Jordan regained the spotlight and popularity. However, this surge of attention and popularity was accompanied by unprecedented controversy.

As the controversy grew, a viewpoint even spread in the basketball world: "Linche will eventually surpass Michael because he also has many flaws, and he is no longer a symbol of 'god'. As long as one is mortal, one is destined to be surpassed by those who come after him."

The mission of "The Last Dance" was to solidify Michael Jordan's status.

Today, however, it has become, to some extent, evidence to support the claim that "Lynch will surpass MJ".

The day before the playoffs began, Lynch gave an interview to reporters in the locker room after practice at the Greenburg Training Center.

As expected, the interview touched on "The Last Dance".

Surprisingly, at a time when Michael Jordan was at the center of a media storm and had a long-standing strained personal relationship with Lynch, Lynch did not choose to kick him while he was down.

He neither mocked MJ nor criticized the miniseries.

On the contrary, Lynch gave "The Last Dance" very high praise.

“I watch this documentary every night. I love the NBA in the 90s and am fascinated by the fierce competition of that era. It’s no exaggeration to say that Hakeem, Charles, and Michael are part of my youthful memories, reminding me of those shining years when I was chasing my professional basketball dream.”

The film's pacing and editing are excellent, and it includes many previously unseen scenes, which is fantastic.

The reporters are being tortured beyond belief.

Mutual flattery naturally exists within this alliance.

For example, KD would praise LBJ's fadeaway jump shot as being as beautiful as Kobe's, while LBJ would praise KD as the most stylish player he has ever seen in the league.

However, given Lynch's personal relationship with MJ and the fiercely rivaling brand camps they each represented, any form of mutual "commercial praise" between them was absolutely impossible.

"Lynch," a reporter asked, puzzled, "you're not being sarcastic, are you?"

"No, in terms of production quality alone, this is one of the best sports documentaries."

"So, putting aside the production aspects," another reporter pressed, "what do you think of the great image of MJ portrayed in the documentary? Is it an over-mythologizing? You know, recently many former Bulls players have come forward to criticize the documentary's inaccurate content." Lynch shrugged, his tone calm:
"Everyone has flaws, and Michael certainly does too. He has imperfections, and he has a lot of dirt on him. If some of that were in the internet age, it's unimaginable what kind of uproar it would cause."

But as a basketball player, no one can deny the legendary status of the Chicago Bulls' two three-peats.

What? Does it mean that because the Bulls always won the Larry O'Brien Trophy by beating the runner-up, while LBJ always lost to me, Michael's championship has no value?

Michael Jordan's two dynasties are one of the most brilliant and enduring legends in basketball history!

The reporters on the scene were stunned. They had reason to suspect that the real Lynch had been abducted by aliens to the far side of the moon.

Lin Qi, however, did not think there was anything wrong with what he said.

Yes, ever since Reebok and Nike started their rivalry, ever since they clashed in labor negotiations, Lynch and MJ have disliked each other.

But Lynch will not disregard the facts and smear MJ's career because of this.

Acknowledging someone's excellence does not mean submitting to them.

Soon, Lin Qi spoke again:
"So, it only makes sense to me to surpass such a great MJ. It's a pity, Michael, that this documentary is your final tribute to your illustrious career."

To surpass someone, you don't necessarily have to be worse than them.

It's like when LeBron fans and Curry fans are arguing fiercely, there's only one way to resolve the conflict: Kobe takes full responsibility.

By belittling Kobe, it seems that the stains on LeBron James and Stephen Curry's record don't matter anymore, and the mood of both groups of fans instantly improves.

Lin Qi has always found the idea of ​​"I may be bad, but you are even worse, so I am better" to be ridiculous.

To frankly acknowledge the greatness of one's opponent, and then take action to leave them behind—that is what it truly means to surpass them.

What kind of transcendence is it to just compete in being worse?
Lynch did not belittle Michael Jordan, nor did he join the other members of the Bulls dynasty in attacking him.

But this attitude made Michael Jordan and Nike even more afraid.

That number 20 is too confident.

He confidently believed that even if MJ was as great as he was, he could surpass him.

And a solid step toward surpassing Michael was finally taken on the day the playoffs began.

When the entire Orlando Magic team stepped into Madison Square Garden, an almost tangible sense of suffocation gripped everyone.

They knew this perfectly well; Lynch was never one to talk the talk but walk the walk.

He said he would make Dwight Howard "look good," and this game would be a bloodbath.

From the moment he stepped into this "basketball Mecca," Dwight Howard's brows furrowed like a rusted lock, never to be relaxed again.

Before the series began, Warcraft was terrified.

But he adjusted his mindset. He knew Lynch's trick; the guy wanted to make himself look like a cowardly idiot by intimidating him.

He will absolutely not show any weakness!
Dwight Howard knew that this Magic team had no chance of beating the Knicks in the playoffs.

But if he could fight his way to a victory—even just one—that would be a resounding slap in the face to Lynch!

If he were to win both games by sheer luck, it would be an even greater disgrace for the arrogant King of New York who was so pre-game!
Who made him issue doomsday-like warnings time and time again? He personally raised everyone's expectations to their peak.

If Lynch fails to win this series decisively, it will be considered a failure to show off.

However, Warcraft believes that winning just one or two games is still possible.

Even if he loses, he wants to tell the world: "Warrior did his best, and his teammates are from the WNBA."

Therefore, Dwight Howard remained tough in front of the camera:

"Who does Lynch think he is? A judge? I'm here to fight, not to be judged by him."

But in the very first round of the match, Dwight Howard, who had been incredibly tough just moments before, almost went soft.

He couldn't believe that Lynch would actually go after him in the very first round of Game 1 of the series.

For the Knicks, their raw talent is enough to overwhelm the Magic, and they don't even need much tactical maneuvering.

Therefore, Lynch can play in a less "conventional" way.

He can do what he did in the regular season against the Magic: hand over the offense to others and then torment Dwight Howard for the entire game.

And so began the endless torment.

Dwight Howard received the ball in the first possession, and the ball was stolen by Lynch the instant he turned and started to move.

The basketball is out of bounds.

Statistically, this wasn't considered a mistake by Dwight Howard, nor was it a steal by Lynch.

Anyone who watched the game knows that Lynch easily stopped Dwight Howard right from the start.

When Dwight Howard had another chance to receive the ball in the low post, it was already three minutes later.

That's how it is with low-post centers; their frequency of receiving the ball is limited, so their output is also limited.

Therefore, neither the four great centers, Yao Ming, nor Howard can be called scoring machines.

Howard finally received the ball and turned to hook the ball, but Lynch's subtle shoving and tight interference caused his hook shot to bounce off the rim.

Dwight Howard had no idea that these two rounds would be the epitome of his entire night.

Throughout the night, Dwight Howard struggled to score from the field.

Lynch completely ignored help defense and didn't put in much effort on offense.

He just wanted to embarrass Dwight Howard.

The King of New York trash-talked Dwight Howard repeatedly while keeping him on the defensive.

Dwight Howard had not scored a single point from the field by the end of the fourth quarter!
"Is Lynch planning to completely shut him down?!" Mike Breen swallowed hard; Lynch's one-on-one defensive ability tonight was simply outrageous.

Dwight Howard, panting heavily, glanced at the scoreboard.

Even he couldn't believe that he hadn't scored a single goal from open play after playing three quarters.

Fortunately, Jason Richardson and JJ Redick were in excellent form tonight, and the Magic are currently only down by 17 points—a miracle considering their star players are playing so poorly.

Jason Richardson and JJ Redick struggled to hold on until Dwight Howard's comeback in the final quarter.

In the fourth quarter, Dwight Howard scored two points with four free throws, giving Jason Richardson and JJ Redick a heart attack!

Warcraft has never felt that scoring is so difficult.

He clearly has the advantage in strength, so theoretically he should have a great advantage in the low post.

But every time he attacked, Lynch seemed to be able to predict his next move, and every time he defended, he was doing the right thing.

His repeated perfect defensive plays not only restricted his limbs, but also tightened his confidence.

As the game ticked away, the point difference gradually widened.

Dwight Howard is still mechanically struggling, eager to score that symbolic first open-play goal of the night and break this suffocating and humiliating zero-goal record.

But Lynch was like a cold and ruthless T-800, without anger or pity, only with a flawless execution, round after round, completely extinguishing the last glimmer of hope in Warcraft's heart.

With 1 minute and 48 seconds remaining in the game, the New York Knicks, leading by 38 points, called it a day, and the Magic also pulled all their starters.

Lynch only scored 18 points in the game, but grabbed 17 rebounds and made 4 blocks.

Furthermore, they successfully kept Dwight Howard's record of zero goals from open play until the very end!
Today, Dwight Howard was forced to become a shooting-type center – he only managed to score 6 points throughout the game, relying on free throws one by one.

You could say that Dwight Howard was completely destroyed.

On-site commentator Mike Brin summarized the controversy surrounding the previous documentary "The Last Dance":

"Rather than trying to outdo others in terms of how bad you are, Lin Qi prefers to just beat them to a pulp!"

In an instant, the fantasy of "winning one game is no loss, winning two games is a huge profit" in Warcraft was completely shattered.

At this moment, he knew better than anyone that Lin Qi was not bluffing at all, and that he would not be able to win a single game.

Lin Qi wiped the sweat from his forehead, staring at number 12, whom he had beaten so badly, his gaze still cold and emotionless: "I fucking warned you before, don't fall to eighth place."

The frustration of scoring zero goals throughout the game tormented Dwight Howard. Unable to refute Lynch, he could only lower his head and sit back on the bench.

At this moment, the word "dominance" took on a tangible meaning in Warcraft's mind.

Behind him, the jeers of New York fans were like barbed whips, mercilessly lashing at his already shattered self-esteem.

"Hey Dwight, feeling desperate? Ashamed? Sad? Don't get me wrong, this isn't mockery, it's just a reminder—"

The roars of the crowd coalesced into a ferocious sonic wave, tearing through the air and crushing the monster's fragile nerves:

"This is only the first one!"

(End of this chapter)