Champion Rules

Chapter 386, Part 382: Kyrie Irving has come to understand everything (Seeking monthly votes!)

Chris Paul seemed to transform into Kawhi Leonard at the press conference.

He was expressionless and taciturn.

After Lynch finally allowed him to bark freely, he couldn't utter a single word.

An ESPN reporter pressed on: "Chris, don't you really want to talk about that one-on-one game you had with Lynch in the fourth quarter tonight?"

Chris Paul frowned deeply, as if a poisonous thorn had pierced his nerves, causing him immense pain.

He slowly approached the microphone, his gaze unfocused.
"That round...you know, that round really..."

He tried to organize his thoughts, but all the words seemed to be stuck in his throat.

Chris Paul could only sigh in the end: "That was fucking a terrible round!"

Chris Paul had no idea what else to say, nor did he have the face to make any attempt to salvage the situation.

He was simply killed face-to-face by Lynch, it was that simple.

Not everyone in this world is like LeBron James, who, after betraying his hometown, his brothers, his promises, and playing with fans, still has the audacity to claim on social media that he is one of the most loyal players in NBA history.

Chris Paul would never make any excuses for himself after a clearly humiliating round, ignoring the facts.

That round was practically a public execution for him.

Lynch stripped away his dignity in front of fans all over the world, and then casually threw it on the ground.

One thing is foreseeable: that play just now will become Chris Paul's most memorable moment in the playoffs.

Just like Michael Jordan's iconic dribble past Brian Russell in the summer of 1998 to complete "The Last Shot," Lynch's iconic block from a standing position will also become a timeless classic moment.

This shame will follow him forever, and it will not fade away even on the day he retires.

This was a gift from Lynch, a nightmare that would haunt him for life!

On the other hand, the atmosphere at the Knicks' press conference was completely different.

Kyrie Irving, who scored 29 points tonight, had a smile on his face from the very beginning of the press conference.

“I have to thank that I am following a selfless leader. Lynch’s offensive appeal tonight made the defense we others faced less tight.”

Lynch was also very willing to share possession of the ball.

I haven't watched Bill Russell play, but if Lynch really resembles him, then I can now understand why people respect Bill so much.

Kyrie Irving's words are hard to believe; he's the guy who was clamoring for game-winning shots at the start of the season.

It's hard to imagine that he was once the guy the media had high hopes for, the next Kobe.

God knows how much the media hoped for a dramatic breakup between Lynch and Kyrie Irving, but at this moment, that possibility seems even more remote.

Beside him, Lin Qi shrugged with a smile: "Alright, Kerry, stop with the mushy talk. Even if you say that, I'm not going to hand over the finishing move to you, don't even think about it."

The reporters burst into laughter, and Kyrie Irving grinned, spreading his hands with a look of utter exasperation, as if he'd been caught out.

"Yes, my journalist friends, as you all saw, what I just said was just a casual remark. In fact, our leader is a super ball hog."

Everyone was laughing, forgetting how ardent and sincere Kyrie Irving's gaze had been when he uttered those words of praise for Lynch.

Ever since his regular season injury ended, he had been looking forward to this day, hoping to prove himself in the playoffs and to defeat Chris Paul.

This is an extremely agonizing process, like forcing someone to watch a sports movie where you can't skip ahead and the foreplay is particularly long.

Tonight, it all came true.

He proved himself to be a qualified number two player on a championship team.

He dealt a heavy blow to that scumbag who gloated when he was injured.

He got the opportunity to express himself.

He thanked Lynch for everything he did, from his encouragement after his injury, his role model in games, and his selfless support and trust in the playoffs.

In the era when Michael Jordan held sway and could define “leadership,” an almost dogmatic idea took root: a true locker room leader must inspire fear in his teammates.

This idea had a profound impact and became almost a consensus for a long time.

Players like Kobe Bryant and Allen Iverson, who witnessed MJ's rise to godhood, almost all led their teams in this way.

Lynch initially followed this path as well, but he didn't blindly follow in MJ's footsteps.

As he matured, he forged his own path, offering a different approach to problem-solving.

Kyrie Irving now understands why Lynch was able to keep a team in championship contention for five consecutive seasons.

Because he inspires everyone to love and respect him from the bottom of their hearts.

Kyrie Irving never imagined that he would one day develop feelings of "admiration" for Lynch.

After the press conference, Lynch and Kyrie Irving returned to the locker room to retrieve their phones, preparing to end their day's work.

As Lynch picked up his phone and pushed open the locker room door, Kyrie Irving called him back.

"Hey, Boss."

Lin Qi turned around: "Hmm?"

"You said before that the San Antonio Spurs are the best team, and you thought I would face the biggest challenge of my career against them. Then, during the regular season, when I missed a game-winning shot against the Spurs, you told me it wasn't just a matter of missing. Stop being a riddle; besides missing, what else did I do wrong?"
Why am I facing the biggest challenge of my career with the San Antonio Spurs?

Lin Qi paused for a moment, then closed the locker room door again and grabbed a chair to sit down.

He was clearly interested in the topic that Kyrie Irving had suddenly brought up.

"The secret to the success of this San Antonio Spurs team is that they have ingrained the word 'team,' a word so clichéd that nobody wants to mention it, into their very bones."

We all witnessed their tactics during the regular season. They unusually used long rotations, employing dozens of different starting lineups throughout the season, making it impossible to find a single defensive focal point.

Each of them was aware of their responsibilities and roles. Each of them prioritized victory above personal gain.

Everyone knows this principle; coaches instill this concept from a young age.

Just like how every country wants to maintain world peace, everyone says so, but in reality, it is always very difficult to implement.

Going back to your last missed game-winning shot, besides not making the shot, what else did you do wrong?
In the final moments, you prioritized personal gain over the team's victory. You worried about your next game-winning shot, you worried about your pride. These things far outweighed your desire for victory the moment you took that final shot.

So, we failed.

I'm not saying that you have to pass the ball in crucial moments. LBJ likes to pass the ball in crucial moments, but that's also a way of putting personal gain above victory—his selfish desire to 'avoid being blamed' overrides the principle of 'getting the team to win'.

So he would pass the ball to teammates who clearly didn't have a good chance.

This is not much better than taking a bad shot at a crucial moment. This kind of pass is not great; on the contrary, it is selfish.

Of course, his fans will naturally use 'rationality' to explain his cowardice and selfishness.

So, it wasn't just a simple matter of you missing that shot last time; it wasn't a question of whether you took the shot or passed it.

Instead, we must ensure that our first reaction to any situation on the field is one that benefits the team.

This kind of thinking goes against human nature and requires training and practice. Who doesn't want more stats? Who doesn't want to be a little selfish? Who doesn't want more spotlight and a bigger contract? Who wants to just be running back and forth on the court?

This is your challenge, Kyrie. When we face the San Antonio Spurs, we have to do just as well as they do in this regard.

"Once you've developed this mindset, you'll have completed this challenge." Lynch paused, his tone softening. "So far, you've done a good job. Compared to when I first met you, you've changed a lot. Keep it up."

Lynch's phone rang abruptly. He glanced at the caller ID but didn't answer. He simply got up to leave: "That's it, Carey. Now, I'm going to have some in-depth conversations with some friends in the fashion industry."

Lynch pushed open the locker room door, and Kyrie Irving called out to him again: "Hey, Boss."

"how?"

"Whatever the challenge, I'll crush it. If I hadn't been drafted by the Knicks and hadn't been your teammate, I might have become a completely different player. But now, I know what I need to do."

This year, I will stand tall and proud alongside you to lift the Larry O'Brien Trophy. This time, I won't be a forgotten teammate again!
When I lift the trophy, I will definitely tell myself, I deserve it!

A barely perceptible smile of satisfaction flashed across Lynch's face: "Wait, our opponent now is still Chris Paul."

"Come on, I'm not being arrogant, but," Owen waved his hand, as if discussing an outdated old object, "Chris is already a stray dog ​​without dignity."
-
Kyrie Irving is right, Chris Paul is already a loser.

Game 1 of the series was a huge blow to Chris Paul, so much so that it affected his performance in Game 2.

In Game 2 at Madison Square Garden, Chris Paul had a terrible game, making only 4 of 13 shots.

Although he has never been a player who helps the team by scoring, that doesn’t mean he can ignore his offensive efficiency.

Paul George was also affected, shooting 3-for-10 and scoring only 13 points.

David West had an outstanding performance tonight, his mid-range jump shot was a huge threat, and he scored 21 points on 50% shooting.

In this era, you can't win a game with 50% efficiency and 20 points of mid-range shooting.

With a commanding 2-0 lead, the New York Knicks flew to Indianapolis.

Back in Indiana, the resilient Pacers found some fighting spirit.

David West maintained his form, even more so than in the previous game. He went 11-for-17, scoring 26 points.

Paul George delivered a game that proclaimed his potential to become a superstar.

Despite limited assists, he relied on his ball-handling skills to score 27 points in the game.

In addition to their offense, the Pacers also regained their energy on the defensive end.

Even Lance Stephenson, who was moe for two games after being trash-talked by Lynch as a "born loser," regained his energy tonight.

But Lynch's triple-double of 31 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists kept the Knicks close in the score throughout the game.

The Pacers were in incredibly good form, but they were surprised to find that even at their best, they could only go toe-to-toe with the Knicks.

Kawhi Leonard continued to demonstrate his defensive value, holding Lynch to just 31 points and a 45% field goal percentage.

But Lynch can influence the game in many ways.

Some players treat personal statistics as the outcome, and the entire game process serves the result.

But Lynch has always regarded victory as the result, and data is a natural product of the pursuit of results.

He knew he couldn't simply overpower Kawhi Leonard and the Pacers' double-teams with his individual offense, so he would restrain himself when he was on a scoring run and pass the ball out. He would play hard on defense and fight for every rebound.

But he is not a pure "system star".

With 32 seconds left in tonight's game, the Knicks and Pacers were still tied.

Lynch had the ball and was on the offensive when Kyrie Irving made a beautiful back cut and got a chance to cut to the basket.

Although Chris Paul is still relentlessly pursuing the opportunity, a fleeting chance has already been created.

But Lynch didn't pass; instead, he caught the ball in the middle of the court, turned, and shot a jumper over Kawhi Leonard, sealing the victory.

This is the ultimate display of personal power, and a perfect illustration of his profound understanding of when to bare his deadly fangs.

With a 3-0 lead, the New York Knicks have secured their ticket to the NBA Finals for the fifth consecutive year!
At the press conference after the game, reporters were very interested in Lynch's game-winning shot.

They found a new topic to stir up Kyrie Irving's restless rebellious spirit.

A reporter from the San Antonio Express-News deliberately set up a hook:
"Kyrie, Lynch played very unselfishly the whole game, but on the last possession, he chose to take matters into his own hands, ignoring you who had the opportunity. Of course, it was a good shot, but do you think Lynch did it to save his chance to win the game?"
Lynch previously mentioned that whoever makes the game-winning shot has the right to take the shot in the next crucial moment.

Kyrie Irving smiled:

"If you still think that this kind of question can stir up emotions in me, you may be disappointed again."

I did create an opportunity, but I have no doubt about Lynch; I believe he made the right decision at the time. He doesn't need the game-winning shot to demonstrate his authority, so he had no reason to do so.

Lynch didn't pass the ball intentionally; he just felt that passing the ball at the risk of being intercepted by CP3 was a better decision than turning around and shooting a jump shot over Kawhi Leonard's defense.

The reporter quickly turned his attention to Lynch: "Lynch, how do you explain your final decision? Why did you ignore Carey?"

“I won,” Lynch said, not even bothering to get closer to the microphone for the question, his voice calm yet carrying immense power. “It’s that simple. I don’t need to explain anything.”

The following day, the San Antonio Spurs also won their game in Memphis, taking a 3-0 lead in the series.

Compared to the Knicks' 3-0 lead over the Pacers, the Spurs' 3-0 lead over Carmelo Anthony's Grizzlies is quite a surprising result.

The whole world knew that the Spurs had a better chance of advancing to the Finals, but no one expected that the Grizzlies, who were equally strong this season, would be so vulnerable.

The cold, hard numbers speak volumes about the Spurs' scorching performance tonight: they attempted a whopping 29 three-pointers, and with so many attempts from beyond the arc, their three-point shooting percentage was an astonishing 48%!
The Grizzlies' toughness, resilience, and tenacity were rendered worthless by such terrifying three-point firepower.

Kevin Durant's belief has crumbled.

At this moment, his sense of frustration even surpassed that of Carmelo Anthony, the person directly involved.

A very cruel question echoed in his mind—if the Memphis Grizzlies couldn't even win against the San Antonio Spurs, then what did he mean by losing to the Memphis Grizzlies? If it were Thunder vs. Spurs again this year, could he win again?

The NBA Finals journey of the past two years has raised Kevin Durant's expectations for himself, making him feel that a championship ring is something within reach.

But this season, he fell and was in a lot of pain.

Admittedly, Stephen Curry's season-ending injury has had a significant impact on the team, but KD still finds it hard to accept the end of this season.

He didn't even lose to the best team in the West.

So how can he challenge the best player in the league?

Moreover, KD still doesn't know why.

The Grizzlies don't seem to have as much talent as the Thunder, and the Spurs don't seem to have even as much talent as the Grizzlies. They don't even have a single dominant scorer or an All-Star caliber three-point shooter.

Compared to the previous two seasons when they lost to the Thunder, the Spurs did not make any major signings.

But why are they still unstoppable in the playoffs this year? Why are they able to consistently achieve such an incredible three-point shooting percentage?

Shocked by the result, KD immediately updated his social media, posting a screenshot of the final score with a single, cathartic caption:
"What the hell!?"

Lynch saw this post and it's clear that Kevin Durant still doesn't understand why he and his Thunder were eliminated, or why the Spurs are so strong.

He still doesn't understand.

Fortunately, Kyrie Irving, who is also young, has already understood all of this.

Lynch doesn't need to worry about the Finals now.

Professor L tapped his finger and posted a status update, equally concise, yet brimming with fighting spirit:
"Let's fight!"

(End of this chapter)