Champion Rules

Chapter 366, Part 362: A Qualified Privileged Player (Seeking Monthly Tickets!)
Kevin Durant doesn't believe the long night is coming.

But Lin Qi slapped him across the face: "Do you fucking believe me or not?"

The 2012 Christmas Day game was too cruel for Kevin Durant.

His performance was completely overshadowed by Lynch.

Even in the singles match with the stick, he was completely defeated.

If a man has already achieved his goal but still can't conquer his partner, the sense of defeat will undoubtedly be quite intense.

But the poor result was just one of the challenges he had to face tonight.

At the post-game press conference, Kevin Durant faced another ordeal.

Thunder head coach Steve Kerr, in summarizing the game, did not deny the team's performance:

"Although the result wasn't what we wanted, I'm still proud of my players. They fought to the very end against a great team like the New York Knicks, and they never gave up the competition."

That's how competitive sports are; giving it your all doesn't guarantee victory. But we have no choice but to give it our all.

Thank you, Steph, thank you, James, thank you, Serge, thank you to all the Thunder players; they all played exceptionally well tonight.

Steve Kerr's words seemed reasonable, but they instantly plunged Kevin Durant into an awkward silence.

Of all the players who came to the press conference, Steve Kerr did not mention KD's name, but instead included him in "all Thunder players".

The role LeBron James once played here—"the other player"—has now been taken over by KD himself.

After Steve Kerr finished speaking, he seemed to suddenly remember something, turned to look at KD, and smiled broadly:
"Oh Kevin, I'm so embarrassed, I completely forgot to mention your name. But anyway, you're not that important to the team, hahahahaha."

Steve Kerr tried to remind the reporter with an exaggerated laugh that it was just a joke.

Perhaps it really was just a joke; Steve Kerr has always been this way of speaking.

Kevin Durant also twitched the corners of his mouth and gave a dry laugh.

In fact, he didn't find it funny at all, and his sensitive nature made him extremely embarrassed at that moment.

He couldn't be sure if it was just a casual joke from the coach.
Or was it a public humiliation for him who deviated from the strategy and ultimately lost the game?

Whether it was a joke or an insult, Kevin Durant understands one thing: he personally lost his star privileges tonight.

He wanted to be a privileged player like Lynch, but he messed it up.

From now on, at least until KD becomes a champion and Finals MVP, he will have to rely on Steve Kerr's passing and cutting system.

He no longer has the right to freely break away from the tactical system and play his own basketball; Steve Kerr has temporarily taken the initiative in terms of tactics.

Kevin Durant smiled wryly while clenching his fists.

Becoming a privileged player is never an easy thing.

Steve Kerr's smile was completely different from KD's; it was a genuine, radiant smile.

He really didn't understand why KD had to go toe-to-toe with Lynch in the last quarter.

Does he think his pull-up jumper is that good?

What level of star player is Lynch? Throughout his long career, he's faced countless female players off the court, yet he's never scored a single goal from open play. This demonstrates just how precise Lynch's pull-up jumper is—something even Michael Jordan couldn't match.

You want to compete against him in a one-on-one match?

Steve Kerr is pleased that he has contained Kevin Durant; in his coaching career, he doesn't want any privileged players.

At the press conference on the other side, Kyrie Irving and Lynch were chatting and laughing with reporters.

"Lynch, are you dating Scarlett Johansson lately?"

"No, she and I are just friends. We just met. And as you all know, I've never been someone who likes to start a relationship easily."

The reporters below all wanted to applaud. How did Lin Qi manage to hold back his laughter when he said that?
Reporters then asked what Lynch said to Irving after scoring at the start of the fourth quarter.

Kyrie Irving answered truthfully: "Lynch just told me that there was no chance of a game-winning shot tonight and told me not to get my hopes up. As you all saw, Professor L is a man of his word."

Regarding this topic, the media once again brought up the issue of the game-winning shot: "Kyrie, having the right to take the game-winning shot while playing alongside Lynch, do you consider yourself to be among the 'privileged players'?"

Upon hearing this, Kyrie Irving nodded with undisguised smugness.
"Of course, but the key is that I have to be able to make the shot. Privileges never fall into your lap for no reason. Sorry, Boss, you probably won't be able to get the ball in crucial moments all season."

Lynch simply responded with a calm smile. As things stand, Kyrie Irving's performance in crucial moments is indeed impeccable.

But he still offered a word of advice:
"The key to being a privileged player is not privilege, but responsibility. Continuing to fulfill your responsibilities is the most important thing."

Kevin Irving clearly wasn't listening; he was simply absorbed in his joy.

Following the Christmas Day game, public discussion about "officiating standards" has once again become heated.

Last night's game undoubtedly proved that when the Oklahoma City Thunder can no longer easily get to the free-throw line, they will struggle considerably against the Knicks.

ESPN writer Zach Lowe commented, "The best chance for other teams against the New York Knicks is to hope the referees don't like the Knicks today. I don't know why there's been such a huge change in the officiating standards for the Knicks between the beginning of the season and now. But it turns out that the only thing that can limit them is the officiating."

Zach Lowe's boss, basketball columnist and GOAT Bill Simmons, liked this post.

As a seasoned professional, Bill Simmons could see some clues: the league might no longer want to see the Knicks lift the trophy.

Although Adam Silver was David Stern's most trusted man, their methods of managing the league and their philosophies on making the league more profitable were completely different.

Clearly, Adam Silver didn't want to see such a dominant player and team. His solution was to make the Knicks dance in shackles.

But perhaps due to box office pressure, or fear of Lynch's influence, or for some other reason, the league quietly loosened its grip on the Knicks after a few initial attempts at the start of the season.

As a result, the Knicks continued their dominant performance.

Bill Simmons did not believe the league would give up. As a writer with a screenwriting background, he liked to compare the league president to a writer.

The conflicts in the NBA are the script, and the players are the characters.

A writer must never allow the characters he creates to get out of control.

Therefore, the league's control over the games has always existed.

History is the best testament.

In the 80s, referees were quite lenient in their calls against illegal defense by the Detroit Pistons.

In the 90s, the Pistons lost their protector, and the Bulls became the new darlings.

Of course, this doesn't mean that whoever the league wants to promote will necessarily succeed; the players are still the ultimate decision-makers.

But as long as the NBA remains a business, this kind of intervention—whether in 1985 or 2025—will be ever-present.

He believes the Knicks may encounter similar problems in the playoffs.

However, as he stated in his social media posts, he believes Adam Silver will ultimately waste his efforts.

The "role" of Lynch has long been out of control.

He wanted to write his own story, free from anyone's constraints.

Bill Simmons is eagerly anticipating the outcome of this struggle between supreme power and absolute strength.

He stood firmly by Lynch's side.

After liking the post, Bill Simmons then retweeted Zach Lowe's opinion on social media, adding his own comment:

"No, even some unfair calls can't stop them."

"Besides Lynch, no one can completely control the New York Knicks' game."
-
The public outcry over the "standards of officiating" has deeply displeased newly appointed Adam Silver.

Bill Simmons's statement, "No one but Lynch can completely control the New York Knicks' game," felt like a thorn in his side.

This is practically a challenge to Adam Silver's authority.

He doesn't think he's wrong; the New York Knicks' dominance is making it increasingly difficult for smaller teams to survive.

Teams like the Utah Jazz, Cleveland Cavaliers, Milwaukee Bucks, and Toronto Raptors struggle to stay out of the spotlight. After a season, fans might not even recognize the faces of their starting players.

The world's basketball fans are focused on the Knicks and a few of their main rivals, and this imbalance is precisely the problem he is trying to overcome.

Of course, Lynch's looming threat of retirement hung like a sword over Adam Silver's head, making him wary.

Therefore, he wouldn't be foolish enough to openly and blatantly interfere with the Knicks' games.

But this does not mean he will abandon his established direction; his ideals remain firm, and he will only change his methods.

His approach to limiting the Knicks will shift from blatant shackles to more subtle and indirect methods.

Perhaps Lynch's followers won't feel this during the regular season.

But Adam Silver vowed that he would succeed.

The New York Knicks continue their debate over the officiating controversy.

The Christmas battles are over, but the American Christmas holiday continues, and the big shows will continue.

After their game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Knicks faced their second consecutive tough game against the San Antonio Spurs, who are currently ranked first in the Western Conference.

In their last encounter, the San Antonio Spurs were defeated by Kyrie Irving's game-winning shot.

Tonight, the Spurs are determined to reclaim their victory.

Two months into the new season, the San Antonio Spurs have successfully climbed from fifth to second in ESPN's power rankings.

People firmly believe that the Spurs are the best team in the league outside of the Knicks. In December, they just had an 11-game winning streak and set a series of astonishing statistics.

This team's average playing time is less than 30 minutes per game, a first since the merger of the ABA and NBA. Gregg Popovich has perfected team basketball, ensuring that everyone, whether a starter or a substitute, contributes.

场均25.2次助攻排在联盟第1，场均39.7%的三分球命中率，联盟第167.5%的助攻率同样是联盟第1。

Their teamwork was excellent, with everyone contributing, multiple players contributing, and seamless teamwork, making them the ultimate example of team basketball.

During the second quarter of the Spurs' Christmas Day game against the Grizzlies, Mike Breen made a truly remarkable comment: "The Spurs' shooting percentage has finally been limited to below 70%!"

This is the "achievement" of the Memphis Grizzlies, a team known for its strong defense, after giving it their all.

The Spurs did not make any significant improvements to their roster during this summer's offseason. Theoretically, they may even be weaker than last year, given that the three main core players of the "Big Three" (Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili) are all a year older.

However, Gregg Popovich made full use of the team's strengths. Although the Spurs did not have a superstar in his prime, all of them had excellent passing, movement, shooting, and basketball IQ.

Everyone can participate in the attack; everyone can be both the initiator and the finisher.

This Spurs team slaughtered the highly favored Memphis Grizzlies for the second time in the Christmas Day game.

So far this season, neither the Thunder nor the Grizzlies have managed to defeat the Spurs.

The Spurs have proven that they are officially back in championship contention.

They presented the state of affairs in 2014 from another timeline in advance.

The only obstacle for them now is the New York Knicks.

Tonight's game was similar to the last one, with the Spurs relying on their incredible scoring efficiency to compete with the Knicks.

Even with Lynch, arguably the most formidable defensive player in history, the Knicks still struggled to completely contain the Spurs' offense.

The game was close from the very first second and continued throughout the entire night.

After the third quarter, looking at the tied score, Mike Breen was completely certain about this Spurs team:
Before the season started, people were speculating about the Knicks' opponent in this year's NBA Finals.

Some say it could be the third consecutive year that the Thunder will face the Knicks.

Some believe that Carmelo Anthony and the Memphis Grizzlies will continue their rivalry with Lynch in the Finals.

But now I believe most people agree with me: the San Antonio Spurs are the Western Conference team closest to the NBA Finals.

In the fourth quarter, the Spurs went on a three-point barrage, extending their lead to 11 points at one point.

Lynch reacted quickly, using relentless, all-out help defense to temporarily halt the Spurs' scoring momentum. On offense, he and Kyrie Irving relied on their unstoppable individual abilities to chip away at the score difference back to within a few millimeters.

With 17 seconds left in the game, Lynch put on a breathtaking defensive solo.

He made a frantic rotation to help out, switching from beyond the three-point line to double-teaming Tim Duncan in the paint, and then immediately rushing out of the paint to block Tony Parker's shot after Duncan passed the ball.

"Lynch made it look like the Knicks had eight players on defense!" Mike Breen exclaimed.

After that priceless block, the Knicks were down by only one point.

As if by fate, the Knicks and Spurs once again battled to the brink of elimination!

Mike Malone called an emergency halt, and Kyrie Irving felt a fierce clash of ambition and trepidation within him.

He is about to deliver the most crucial blow in this pivotal showdown.

On the other side, Gregg Popovich decisively ordered: "Squeeze Kyrie Irving shut down, don't let him get an easy shot, leave everyone except Lynch out. We've cut off Kyrie and Lynch from their teammates tonight, the role players' hands are already frozen."

Tim Duncan's face remained expressionless, but a hint of doubt flashed in his eyes.

Shouldn't it be Lynch who's caught in the crossfire?
Popovich seemed to understand TD's thoughts and smiled slightly: "Kyrie won't pass it. That kid thinks he's a real privileged player."

The game restarted, and Kyrie Irving controlled the ball until the last 10 seconds, ready to start.

But Gerald Wallace immediately double-teamed him—in this timeline, Gerald Wallace had not suffered any serious injuries or the fatal accident of a rib piercing his lung. At 30 years old, he still maintained extremely high mobility and possessed All-Defensive Team level strength.

His double-team was swift, leaving DeMar DeRozan out of the picture.

Kyrie Irving glanced at DeRozan but didn't pass the ball immediately.

Lin Qi then circled out to the three-point line and opened his arms.

Kyrie Irving, however, simply directed Lynch to set screens, hoping to break the double-team with Lynch's offensive threat—once the pick-and-roll was set up, the Spurs' double-team target would definitely become Lynch.

Lynch got into position to provide cover, but the space Irving had envisioned didn't materialize.

Tim Duncan immediately switched defense, joining Tony Parker in double-teaming the Knicks' second-year number one draft pick!
With no time to spare, Kyrie Irving took a step back and, despite being contested by two players, released the ball.

"Beep!"

The buzzing sound echoed throughout the stadium.

The arc of the basketball was strikingly similar to the one Kyrie Irving used to hit the game-winning shot against the Spurs.

But the outcome was different; this time, the basketball bounced off the rim.

The San Antonio Spurs secured the victory.

"They proved themselves!" Mike Brin shouted. "They proved they are a genuine championship contender!"

Kyrie Irving clutched his head tightly with both hands; it was a huge blow to him.

Just like Kevin Durant, he knows he has lost his privilege.

Gregg Popovich smiled and shook hands with Mike Malone: ​​"Luck isn't on your side, buddy."

Mike Malone nodded reluctantly; he never liked such formalities.

Gregg Popovich was indeed being polite; the Spurs' victory tonight had nothing to do with luck, but was a perfect demonstration of his precise psychological warfare.

A young prodigy shrouded in the halo of "privilege" will never easily give up his privileges.

People like him don't understand that privilege and responsibility are intertwined.

Responsibility takes far greater priority than privilege.

Lynch is a living example; he gave up the privilege of taking all the key shots in order to maintain the stability of the locker room.

But Kyrie Irving, enveloped in tremendous success this season, failed to see any of this.

Both Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving underestimated the difficulty of being a privileged player and the true weight of being a privileged player.

Gregg Popovich figured out the young man's mentality, and his defensive strategy was successful.

Lynch wasn't discouraged—he certainly cared about winning, but he had achieved something else.

Just like Steve Kerr, he can now legitimately reclaim his privileges without damaging his relationship with Irving.

It wasn't that Lynch wanted to deliberately take it back, but rather that it proved Kyrie Irving wasn't ready to have special privileges.

This loss was regrettable, but it's better than arguing with Kyrie Irving over crucial shots in the playoffs.

Lynch walked over to Carey Irving and reached out to pat his head.

“Being a privileged player has never been easy, Kyrie.”

Kyrie Irving pouted in frustration: "I just didn't make the shot."

"No, you didn't just miss."

But don't panic, you'll soon see how a truly privileged player leads the team.

Kyrie Irving did not refute this.

But he thought to himself, "Lin Qi probably can't make every shot either."
-
After his team was eliminated by the Thunder last season, Greg told everyone that if you think losing to the Thunder is the worst thing that's ever happened to you, you're underestimating life! You have jobs, you have wives and children, and you should know that misfortunes can happen at any time. That's life!
Swallow this bitter pill. If losing to the Thunder is the worst thing that's ever happened to us, then we're actually quite lucky! Let's get over it and keep fighting!
This message has inspired us all, so this year, we will do it!

We've already beaten the New York Knicks, now it's time to win the championship!
— Tony Parker talks about Gregg Popovich's impact on the team.

I took the whole team out for some fun. We were all laughing like crazy, and the players were like family members, talking, encouraging, accompanying, and playing with each other. That's how we overcame the regret and pain of missing the Finals in 2012 and got back on track. — Gregg Popovich recounts how he got his team back on track.

"Tonight's loss is all my fault. I ruined the team's entire night's effort, and I owe the whole team an apology. Guys, I'm sorry." — Kyrie Irving, dejected, spoke about the defeat at the press conference.

"Linch, you had an outstanding performance tonight. Your plus-minus was the highest in the game, even surpassing all the Spurs players."

"Stop it, put away that damn plus-minus rating. We lost the game, who talks about their plus-minus rating after losing a game?"

"Lynch, at the end of the day, this is just a regular season game."

"The same words can be used in the finals. In the end, it's just a championship."

"Okay, Lynch, I can see you care a lot about tonight's victory. So, what's your assessment of Kyrie Irving's performance?"

"Obviously, Kyrie didn't pass the test this time. His ball handling in the final moments wasn't good, but we have to look forward. I believe he won't make similar mistakes in crucial moments again."

How would you rate the San Antonio Spurs?

"A brilliant team that embodies the essence of 'team basketball'; they are unique."

"In two consecutive games, the Knicks and Spurs went down to the wire, making them probably the only opponent the Knicks can't consistently beat this season. If you really do meet the San Antonio Spurs in the Finals, are you confident you can win?"

"I have."

— Lynch in an interview with Fox Sports.

(Thanks to Lin Yu, Z Daoshi, and other big names for their donations)

(End of this chapter)