Champion Rules

Chapter 360, Section 356: Professor L (Seeking monthly votes!)
The Atlanta Hawks' departure was anything but peaceful.

The defending champions defeated the Bald Eagles cleanly and decisively in the opening game, with a score of 97 to 83.

Before the season began, the White Eagles boasted about how advanced their tactics were and how excellent their players were.

In fact, they weren't lying.

It wasn't until the actual fighting started that they discovered the other side had already deployed electromagnetic catapults.

Atlanta is definitely a strong team this season, without a doubt.

However, their lack of offensive prowess makes them look like an outdated team.

If time could be turned back to the dark ages when defense was king, they might have had a lot to offer.

However, in this era that places greater emphasis on a balanced offense and defense, their weakness in one area puts them some distance from the Larry O'Brien Trophy.

Dwight Howard, who scored 14 points, grabbed 14 rebounds, and blocked 3 shots, brushed past DeAndre Jordan as he walked off the court at the end of the game.

A strong sense of frustration was burning through his body.

Although Al Horford helped to create space, Lynch still boldly double-teamed Dwight Howard most of the time because of Howard's poor passing ability.

This caused Warcraft to run into obstacles on the offensive end tonight.

On the defensive end, although he performed well, Lynch and Kyrie Irving's occasional spectacular plays overshadowed his efforts.

The final outcome almost made him want to smash the entire stadium.

For a man, failing to defeat his opponent in a fierce, physical combat sport is the most humiliating thing.

So, as he passed DeAndre Jordan, who was raising his arms in celebration, Howard deliberately bumped him with his shoulder.

Although the collision wasn't serious, the tension was instantly ignited.

Continuing to nitpick after a game is extremely rare in the NBA, even rarer than kneeling down after a game.

DeAndre Jordan immediately stopped smiling, caught up with Howard, and forcefully pressed down on his shoulder with one hand: "Hey, what's wrong with you, you idiot!?"

Warcraft didn't escalate the conflict further; he simply impatiently shook off DeAndre Jordan's hand.

Some Hawks players immediately returned to the court, and the Knicks players quickly gathered as well.

However, the Hawks players clearly knew they were in the wrong, so they didn't escalate the conflict. Joe Johnson stood between the two groups, pressing his hands down, trying to calm things down: "Okay, guys, the game is over. Let's all end this night."

At this moment, Lin Qi stepped out from the crowd and walked steadily to the front.

With a smile that bordered on pity, he raised his hand and gently patted DeAndre Jordan's chest.

“It’s alright, Deandre. You have to be lenient with a good-for-nothing who failed the exam. This good-for-nothing lost the game and has to pay an exorbitant child support bill when he gets home. God, his life is already exciting enough. Let him go. Why can’t you show some mercy to a stray dog?”

Lynch deliberately spoke loudly to ensure that his extremely harsh "advice" could reach Dwight Howard's ears in the noisy environment.

He was terrified that the monsters wouldn't be able to hear him.

Sure enough, the monster's feet froze on the spot, its body stiffened for a moment, accompanied by a slight tremor.

Lynch would bet Dwight Howard is probably so angry right now that his muscles are tense and his fists are clenched.

But what can he do?

Aside from nudging DeAndre Jordan with his shoulder to express his displeasure, and from venting his impotent rage, there was nothing he could do.

He could only continue to bear this sense of defeat and leave the stage under the arrogant gaze of Lynch and the entire audience.

Dwight Howard had no choice but to swallow his anger. He didn't even have the courage to turn around and refute. He could only maintain his tense posture, enduring the cold, piercing laughter of the victors behind him, and walk towards the player tunnel.

The crowd erupted in cheers again as the Knicks' celebrations continued.

The King of New York still stands there, looking down on his opponent's humiliating exit, silently trampling on his opponent's dignity even more thoroughly.

At Madison Square Garden—the basketball mecca etched with Lynch's reign of power—any transgression will inevitably face his ruthless reckoning.

It could be physical punishment.

Or it's mental torture.

The emperors of New York would never tolerate any recklessness on this territory.
-
The following day, a brand new name spread amidst the fans' jubilation and the shadow of their opponents:
Professor L.

Professor L.

When Mike Brin likened a disheveled Dwight Howard to a "failed exam candidate" last night, astute fans instantly grasped the perfect symbolism—Lynch is precisely that stern professor in that rigorous examination hall, wielding the power of life and death, judging merits and demerits.

The new nickname quickly became popular, and at the same time, people were speculating about the fate of the next candidate.

The next candidate is none other than the only man in NBA history who could amaze audiences with his standing windmill dunk, the best barber in the West, and the cornerstone of San Antonio, Tim Duncan, who possesses the passive skill of "smiling and getting a technical foul".

This season, with the rapid growth of players like Danny Green and the further maturation of the new system, the San Antonio Spurs are ready for the championship.

They cleanly defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in the opening game. The man known as the "Spurs nemesis" played 35 minutes and missed 15 shots, helping the Lakers finish the game in three quarters with extremely high efficiency.

Tonight at home, the Spurs once again demonstrated their excellent teamwork.

Basketball moves like a dancing sprite in their hands, unimpeded. And whenever the offense stalls and someone needs to step up, Tony Parker's masterful mid-range shot always helps the team overcome the difficulties.

This young guard, who wasn't good at shooting early in his career, managed to become a mid-range master at the age of 30.

The Spurs clearly posed a greater challenge to the defending champions than the Hawks, with the score remaining close for most of the game and the lead changing hands several times.

With 43 seconds left in the game, the Spurs still led by 2 points, and the Knicks had possession of the ball.

The importance of this play cannot be overstated. The Spurs maintained their discipline on the defensive end and did not let their guard down in the slightest.

The Spurs have always been a team that compensates for their lack of defensive talent with defensive discipline.

They are one of the few teams that maintained the same level of defensive discipline and focus in both the first and 47th minutes of the game.

The Knicks were unable to get any decent opportunities against the Spurs' excellent defense.

Time relentlessly ticked away, and with five seconds left, and with an easy chance becoming a distant dream, the ball naturally fell into Lynch's hands.

He received the ball with his back to goal in the elbow area, Boris Diaw approached, and the smiling but unsmiling defender double-teamed him.

Lynch's gaze swept over DeAndre Jordan, who had a temporary opportunity under the basket, but the thought of passing the ball was quickly extinguished.

In crucial moments, the Spurs will definitely commit a tactical foul on DeAndre Jordan.

His free throws, however, are completely unreliable.

So Lynch turned to his right and stepped out with one leg. Tim Duncan and Dio both thought Lynch was going to break through.

But Lynch didn't start moving after turning around. He quickly pulled back the leg he had stepped out and pulled up for a straight pull-up!
The masterful footwork displaced Boris Dior, who had moved aside earlier, but the Stone Buddha still stood in Lynch's way.

Lin Qi decisively leaned back slightly in mid-air, despite the interference from the Stone Buddha, and released the ball.

This move didn't completely shake him off the defense, but facing Duncan's interference alone was still better than forcing a shot while being double-teamed.

The basketball soared past the tip of a thumb, tracing an extremely high arc.

The fans at the ATT Center were cheering. Lynch's move was beautiful, but he hadn't completely shaken off the defense. If the ball missed, the Spurs would have the victory firmly in their grasp.

But just as the red light came on to signal the end of the 24-second shot clock, the basketball slammed into the net!
The crisp sound was like heavenly music, piercing the net and penetrating the heart!

San Antonio Spurs legend and current Fox Sports San Antonio commentator Sean Elliott roared, "It's tied again! Professor L's test continues! Nobody can finish early!"

When the Spurs called a timeout, Lynch showed no sign of celebration or joy, because victory did not yet belong to the Knicks.

Lynch's indifference cast a shadow of "unknown fear" in the hearts of Spurs fans.

The timeout ended, and the ball returned to the Spurs, but they were tripped up by a global problem.

Tim Duncan's inbound pass was surprisingly disrupted by Jimmy Butler, who forcefully pushed past Gerald Wallace and poked the ball away with his fingertips.

The basketball flew out of bounds uncontrollably, but Jimmy Butler still didn't give up.

He made a Dennis Rodman-esque diving save to dribble out of bounds and grab the basketball.

And, in mid-air, he made a timeout gesture to the referee. "Bang!"

Jimmy Butler fell heavily off the court.

"beep!"

The referee's sharp whistle pierced the stadium.

Spurs fans cheered, all thinking the referee had called Jimmy Butler out of bounds.

The result was that the Knicks were given a timeout!
A swarm of Spurs players surrounded the referee, and Gregg Popovich, enraged, roared at him, spitting as he yelled, "You're manipulating the game! You're fucking robbing the winner! Damn it!"

However, the league's replay center immediately cleared the referee's name, as the replay showed that Jimmy Butler did indeed call a timeout before he received the ball and landed.

Butler's move was much more timely than Michael Jordan's play back then.

From a rules perspective, there is nothing wrong with this pause.

Faced with the irrefutable replay, the Spurs decided not to pursue the matter further.

Mike Malone ignored the Spurs' protests; he was already setting up his final game-winning strategy.

"Listen, Lynch, in a minute."

“Coach,” Kyrie Irving interrupted him, “shouldn’t this be my shot? Lynch and I agreed on this. I hit the game-winner last game. So it should be my turn this time. I know Lynch is on fire, but we agreed on this beforehand.”

Kyrie Irving did not give up his chance to win the game.

He looked at Lynch, not to ask for permission, but to remind him of his commitment.

Mike Malone's face flushed instantly, but Lynch's hand pressed down on the edge of the tactical board at just the right moment: "Give it to him."

"what?"

"Give Kerry the tactics; let him finish the job tonight."

Mike Malone hesitated for a few seconds, but finally compromised: "Listen, from now on we'll play around Kerry."

On the Spurs' side, Gregg Popovich devised a series of defensive tactics against Lynch, firmly believing that Lynch was the Knicks' only option.

The buzzer ignited the flames of anxiety, and the game began with 19 seconds remaining.

The Knicks fielded a lineup of Irving, DeRozan, Carter, Parsons, and Lynch, with all five players posing an offensive threat.

But Gregg Popovich was indifferent to these threats; all he cared about was number 20.

The inbound pass was successfully delivered, and Kyrie Irving controlled the ball.

The Spurs only allowed Tony Parker to guard Irving, while everyone else's attention was focused on Lynch.

Lynch didn't stop running; from the very first second the race restarted, he was frantically looking for an opportunity.

Time was ticking away, and Sean Elliott was just as nervous as the fans: "Kyrie doesn't seem to have found an opportunity to pass the ball to Lynch yet. Gerald Wallace delivered a perfect defensive entanglement this time! There are only 10 seconds left. Will Lynch be able to receive the ball smoothly in 9/8?"

Just then, Kyrie Irving broke through without warning.

Lynch quickly spread out his defense, leaving the Spurs' middle defense wide open.

Tim Duncan reacted and immediately went to help defend.

Facing the "Big Fundamental," Kyrie Irving leaped just inside the free-throw line and gently floated the ball.

The basketball slammed heavily against the front edge of the rim and bounced high into the air.

But then, as if gently pushed by invisible fingers, the basketball obediently slipped into the net on its second descent.

"Shua——!!!"

"Unbelievable confidence, Kyrie Irving!" Sean Elliott's roar shattered the entire arena. "He personally strangled the Spurs! Leaving them with only 1.2 seconds of despair! Could this be a game-winner!?"

Kyrie Irving tugs at his jersey, savoring his moment of victory.

Then, he turned to look at Lin Qi, a smirk playing on his lips, his eyes flashing with the sharp edge of youthful triumph:

"I've earned myself another chance. Looks like you won't have the game-winning shot this season, Professor."

Lynch remained expressionless, merely nodding slightly: "Don't predict what will happen next. At least you did a good job tonight, Carey."

The Spurs ultimately failed to capitalize on the final 1.2 seconds, with Tony Parker's hasty three-point attempt hitting the side of the rim and bouncing away.

The Knicks won their first two games of the new season, 114-112.

In his post-game summary, Shawn Elliott said, "If Lynch is a strict professor, then Kyrie is an equally strict assistant coach."

Beside him, his commentator partner Bill Rand inadvertently uttered a remark that would soon cause a public uproar:

"No, Kyrie wants to be the professor too. I've never seen an assistant coach decide who gets the ball. Lynch was trying to get into position, he definitely wanted to receive the ball, but Kyrie didn't pass it to him. Listen, that play might not have been part of the Knicks' original play."

Suspicion and discussion instantly ignited online and media frenzy.

The headline "Kyrie refuses to pass to Lynch and scores the game-winning shot alone" appeared on major basketball forums, pushing the off-court commotion to a climax.

In the TNT studio, Shaquille O'Neal's hypothetical scenario is causing even more concern among New York fans:

"I see Kobe's shadow in Kyrie. Don't get me wrong, their playing styles are very different. I'm referring to desire; they have the same desire."

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

The Fox Sports reporter's first question went straight to the point:

"Lynch, did you feel challenged when Kyrie refused to pass you the ball tonight?"

Kyrie Irving immediately clarified: "I didn't refuse to pass the ball, I didn't challenge Lynch, and the final play was for me to finish the game."

This was naturally interpreted by the reporters as a defense, and they continued to press for answers.

“Lynch, if this is a tactic, why did you choose to let Carey take on this responsibility? You are the one who is most confident.”

Lynch remained calm and did not utter any ambiguous statements.

"No challenge, no passing the ball. You're all too easily excited, gentlemen and ladies of the media."

In the 'exam room' I designed, Carey simply passed the test I gave him. Making that game-winning shot earned him a second chance.

As a professor, I never panic about a student getting a good score.

What I will do is make sure he understands—

Lynch paused, then looked at Carey Irving:

"If one day he hands in a blank answer sheet, then it will be my turn to give him the correct example."

Congratulations, Kerry, you passed the test tonight.

I hope you can be just as great next time.

Okay, anyone have any questions?

Kyrie Irving did not refute the claim, and the reporters did not press him further.

Because Lynch had already declared the demise of all suspicions with his highly confident answer and tough attitude.

The vortex of doubts brewing in the media instantly fell silent in the face of absolute authority.

In this regard, Lynch will never allow the media, which deliberately stirs up conflict, to take the initiative, like the OK duo did back then.

He would boldly and confidently assert his dominance, even in front of Kyrie Irving.

A reporter raised his hand: "What if one day, the professor also submits a blank paper?"

“Dude,” Lin Qi shook his head slightly, as if looking at a child rambling on, “how much did you drink before you came here?”

(End of this chapter)