Champion Rules

Chapter 394 (390): Far More Than Just David (Seeking Monthly Tickets!)
That was last time.

This became the most significant public statement in the basketball world.

Its influence is comparable to Michael Jordan's famous "I'm back" quote.

Lynch didn't want to leave without saying goodbye. He didn't want to be like Michael Jordan, who had to retire after the season because the Bulls were beyond saving after 1998. Michael Jordan himself revealed more than once that he really wanted to win four consecutive championships.

Therefore, you could say that MJ's second retirement was more of a last resort.

Lynch hopes to accomplish what Michael Jordan left unfinished: not by being forced to leave, but by retiring with the attitude that "there is nothing left in the basketball world for me to conquer."

Moreover, Lynch had no interest in shamelessly helping Adam Silver, that hairless bastard, create glory.

On the contrary, Lynch wouldn't mind showing that fool Adam Silver how big a television broadcasting contract the NBA could sign without him.

After Lynch announced that next season would be his last, season tickets for the New York Knicks were sold out instantly.

The latest generation of Lynch sneakers saw a surge in sales upon release.

Lynch's jerseys sold out instantly, and they were extremely difficult to obtain through all official NBA channels.

After Lynch announced his retirement at the end of next season, ESPN invited Stephen A. Smith to do a special program.

During the show, Stephen A. Smith bluntly stated, "People will see everything about Lynch skyrocket next season, but when he actually retires, I can't imagine how much of an impact the entire basketball industry will suffer. Listen, believe it or not, the summer of 2014 will be the toughest summer for the NBA since 1998. God, I really want to replicate Magic Johnson's actions right now and kneel down and pray: Lynch, don't go, OK?"

It's easy to imagine how crazy the fans will be after Lynch announces that next season will be his last dance.

From the 80s to the 90s, the "retirement tour" became a special part of the NBA league.

In Dr. J's final season, wherever he went, he was almost always showered with gifts from fans at the stadium.

In fact, this tradition continues into the 21st century.

In another timeline, Dirk Nowitzki never publicly announced his plans to retire.

But in the 18-19 season, fans felt that it was "time" for him, so everyone spontaneously organized a retirement tour for him.

Finally, Nowitzki had no choice but to announce his retirement after the 18-19 season—the atmosphere had been built up to this point, and it would have been impolite not to retire.

These examples prove that as long as you can earn the respect of fans with solid performances, even if you don't deliberately create something like the infamous "Decision 2" in another timeline, you don't need any showmanship to receive the blessings of all the fans and have a dignified retirement tour.

Most fans are clear-headed; they know perfectly well who truly deserves respect.

Therefore, when Lynch voluntarily announced his retirement, one can imagine how lively his retirement tour would be.

Lynch's decision to announce his retirement early was, of course, also driven by business considerations.

Reebok generally supported Lynch's decision, but they didn't want Lynch's final season to end uneventfully.

Therefore, it was suggested that Lynch announce his retirement early.

While both had commercial considerations, unlike the blatant money-grabbing tactics of "The Decision 2," Lynch's early retirement announcement wasn't a joke; rather, it was a sincere invitation to everyone to participate in his farewell.

Lynch is the first athlete in NBA history to turn his retirement into a complete and highly commercially valuable brand story.

Such marketing naturally won't provoke the fans' resentment.

Only when an athlete's marketing loses its true core will what remains be a cold, alienating, and despicable force.

Lynch's announcement of his retirement instantly became the hottest topic this summer.

New York fans flocked to the streets to march, holding up signs that read "Don't Go," in an effort to persuade Lynch to stay.

In an exclusive interview, Kobe Bryant, who missed the rest of last season due to a ruptured Achilles tendon, made no secret of his surprise:

"You mean, that guy who's injury-free and in his prime is announcing he'll retire at the end of the season? You mean, when I recover, there won't be any players named Lynch in the league? Damn! That's ridiculous!"

At first, Kobe Bryant couldn't understand Lynch's decision at all.

Kobe knew that they were essentially the same kind of people, both fiercely competitive.

A person who desires victory will not voluntarily give up the opportunity to win.

It's as if Wilt Chamberlain would never stop indulging in his female fangirling.

A few days later, Kobe finally understood Lynch's decision—he had already achieved enough victories, and he didn't need to go through year after year of training, games, and diet management.

Even the most competitive person would feel satisfied after achieving what Lynch has.

The problem is that after Lynch announced his retirement decision ahead of time, he had to make sure he didn't fail in order to leave a truly brilliant legacy.

Now, the whole world knows that Lynch's ultimate goal is to build a super dynasty that has never been interrupted and has won the championship for six consecutive years.

Only if he achieves this will his retirement tour be perfect.

Otherwise, he will leave an ugly, embarrassing mark on his great career, just like Michael Jordan, who made his comeback in Washington.

Kobe believed this was a significant challenge, as Lynch had preemptively blocked his escape route, leaving himself no room for failure.

But then again, Lin Qi had long since lost the right to lose.

From the day he surpassed the three-peat, he was placed on the pedestal of "invincibility".

Most star players wished Lynch well in his retirement, while others expressed dissatisfaction with his actions.

LBJ's mouthpiece, David McMenamin, believes that "Lynch selfishly treats everyone as his supporting character."

"He announced his retirement tour ahead of time, drawing all eyes to him. It was like a meticulously choreographed grand stage play, where Lynch took center stage. But no one else had any obligation or reason to play a supporting role."

He had envisioned a perfect script for himself, with himself as the absolute protagonist. But sorry, the NBA is a competitive sport. There's only competition here; no one will cooperate just because you want to be the star, and no one will give up victory for your retirement tour.

This post quickly sparked heated discussions, reaching its peak after Kevin Durant liked it.

Kevin Durant is eager to be the one to break Lynch's perfect script. Next season, when "Three-Point Dr. J" Stephen Curry returns, KD is confident of returning to the Finals and ending Lynch's mythical dynasty.

Amid the seismic aftershocks of Lynch's retirement announcement, the 2013 NBA draft quietly began.

This year's NBA draft was the least popular in the last decade, not only because the story of Lynch's retirement became the only focus of the summer, but also because the talent pool in the 13 draft was too barren.

With the draft about to begin, people can't even find a universally accepted candidate for the top pick.

Because the media believes that no one in this year's draft deserves the number one pick.

Kentucky's young big man, Nerlens Noel, was originally a highly anticipated number one draft pick, whose defensive impact was just as great as that of his Kentucky senior, Anthony Davis.

However, before the draft, Noel suffered a severe meniscus tear, causing his stock to plummet.

At this point, even the only talent that seemed decent disappeared.

The Cleveland Cavaliers, holding the number one draft pick, are utterly frustrated. Daniel Gilbert is like a karaoke bar facing a row of music teachers whose skill level is only A. Not only are they only A-level, but they're also all short.

This resulted in him having the right to make the first choice, but he had no one to choose from.

Nobody wants to use the number one pick to select a role player.

The Cavaliers wanted to trade down their draft pick, but no team was willing to take it on.

This may be the first time in NBA history that the number one draft pick has been completely worthless.

This was the 2013 NBA Draft, a draft so lacking in talent that even the team holding the number one pick was at a loss.

On the day the draft began, the Cavaliers were still looking to trade down and were making a final effort.

They found the Knicks with the fifth pick – a pick from a 2011 trade when the New York Knicks sent Goran Dragic to Phoenix in exchange for Milos Teodosic and the Suns' 2013 first and second round draft picks.

Last season, the Suns finished last in the Western Conference and ranked second to last in the entire league.

Thus, the Knicks once again had a high draft pick during a consecutive period.

While it's widely believed that Adam Silver manipulated the Knicks' draft pick—after all, securing the fifth pick after 19 wins is no easy feat—the Knicks remain in a positive cycle. Cavaliers general manager Chris Grant attempted to trade the number one pick for Jimmy Butler or Chandler Parsons from the Knicks. Knowing Sam Princeton is not easily fooled, he openly admitted:

"With the number one pick, you can select the best role player who can immediately make an impact during Lynch's retirement tour season. Sir, you don't want Lynch's retirement tour to fail, do you?"

This Japanese-style persuasive talk failed to sway Sam Presti: "Let me be frank, there's no one in this year's talent pool worth giving up Jimmy or Chandler. In fact, I wouldn't even trade Vince, who's almost 40, in this year's draft."

After hanging up the phone, Sam Presti, inside the luxurious private room, turned to look at the man beside him:

"You're about to retire, why are you still so concerned about the draft? Even if that kid you're talking about is really talented, he can only play alongside you for one year at most. Besides, I don't think he can help you in his rookie season."

I've watched the video of that kid's game, and frankly, his basketball skills are nowhere near those of a professional player.

He does have physical talent, but the NBA has no shortage of physical talent.

In his rookie season, he probably won't even get to play.

I think we could try Kentavious Caldwell-Pope from the University of Georgia, or Ben McLemore from Kansas.

They may not become superstars, but they possess both shooting and defensive skills, making them a decent immediate contributor and a good addition to the backcourt.

Beside Sam Princeton, the man who had caused the earthquake this summer held documents in his hand and shook his head:
“Sam, our roster is good, we don’t need to add anything extra. We need the future, and there’s only one player in this draft who can be called the future.”

"The future? Although I'm still reluctant to accept it, you only have one year left in your career."

"Yes, I only have one year left in my playing career, but that doesn't mean I'll completely leave basketball. Don't forget Sam, I might be your boss in the future. The Knicks are still my team, and I'm very interested in working with you to make this team a success."

"After I retire, this team needs a future even more."

Sam Presti shrugged: "You've been my boss for a while now. If you really want to draft that kid, I suggest we trade down the draft pick, because we don't need the fifth pick to draft him. Trading down will maximize our profits."

"Of course you can, but as you can see, even the top pick is hard to trade down now."

While the two were chatting, David Stern walked onto the stage to begin announcing the first overall pick in the draft.

A deafening chorus of boos erupted from the Barclays Center as fans paid tribute to the white-haired Jewish man, knowing it would be his last NBA draft – booing David Stern at the draft was not disrespectful, but a tradition of the draft.

David Stern himself seemed to enjoy it, even waving his arms to make the boos even louder.

This draft class, as David Stern's farewell performance in the public eye, has a very awkward aspect: the last number one pick of his career will most likely be a bust.

People are mentally prepared to see an unworthy person become the first in line.

But when David Stern actually read out the name, the fans were still stunned.

Anthony Bennett, who was expected to be selected 13th overall, was surprisingly called out as the first overall pick in the first round.

In fact, Anthony Bennett himself was also very shocked.

Five minutes before the draft, when he learned from his agent that he would be the number one pick, his first reaction was not excitement, but doubt: "You must be messing with me, right?"

The Cavaliers really have no options left; there's no player in this draft class who deserves the number one pick.

But at least, Anthony Bennett was a very humble and polite boy.

Even if he doesn't become a superstar, he won't be a problem.

Little did the Cavaliers know that from this moment on, the debate over "who is the biggest bust in NBA history" was completely put to rest.

Whether it's Michael Olowokandi, Kwame Brown, or Greg Oden, who only entered the draft in 2007 but is now practically forgotten, they will all be completely outclassed by Anthony Bennett in the realm of "busts".

Anthony Bennett doesn't just lack talent; he simply doesn't want to play basketball. His passion for the sport is practically zero. Soon, the Cavaliers will see in the preseason how his lazy pick-and-rolls are completely ineffective.

Next, the Orlando Magic selected Victor Oladipo with the second pick.

This guard from Indiana University had a smooth draft journey.

Before the draft began, his role model was set as Tony Allen, and his projected draft position was not high.

But from the physical tests to the Combine, Victor Oladipo's draft position soared, eventually becoming this year's second overall pick.

This guard, who happily donned the Magic's cap, could never have imagined that after a smooth draft, a bumpy career would follow.

Thirteen years later, he even needs to play in preseason games against NBA teams with a CBA team to prove himself to the NBA again.

The subsequent drafts were unremarkable, and Sam Presti failed to trade down the fifth pick.

The Knicks originally hoped to rob the Philadelphia 76ers, while the 76ers wanted to gamble on the number one draft pick Nerlens Noel, who had a torn meniscus. However, they only had one 11th overall pick.

So, determined to completely rebuild, they put Jr. Holiday on the shelf.

The Knicks wanted to use their fifth overall pick to acquire Jrue Holiday and the 76ers' own 11th overall pick, but they declined.

They knew what level of immediate impact Jrue Holiday was, and they didn't want to help the Knicks strengthen their roster further.

Ultimately, the 76ers and the Pelicans, who had the sixth pick, reached an agreement: the 76ers would send Jrue Holiday to the Pelicans, who would then select Nerlens Noel with the sixth pick.

Furthermore, 76ers general manager Sam Hinkie, founder of Trust the Process, stated, "Even if you snatch Nerlens Noel in the fifth round, we will not send Jrue Holiday to New York."

Sam Presti ultimately decided against taking any risks, as he didn't have a high opinion of Nerlens Noel's future. Holding onto the draft pick would be a waste.

He abandoned his plan to trade down the draft pick and instead presented David Stern with a difficult challenge by using the fifth pick.

Fifth pick, when David Stern took the stage again, he shouted out the name that baffled fans worldwide:

"The New York Knicks selected Giannis Antetokounmpo with the fifth overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft from the Greek club Firas Riddiq."

Sam Presti watched as the young man, who could only play in the second division in Greece, stepped onto the field with a surprised expression, and whistled: "Is this our future?"

Lynch smiled: "This is just one aspect of our future. Don't forget the big Serbian fat guy I mentioned to you before."

"That guy who plays for your club?"

"Yes."

Sam Presti gave a wry smile: "At least one of us, your judgment or mine, is completely gone."

The subsequent draft proceeded as planned. After the first round of the draft, David Stern did not leave but instead introduced his successor, Adam Silver, to everyone.

Next, he will announce the results of the second round of the draft.

When Adam Silver appeared, the boos from the audience grew even louder.

If the booing of David Stern was just a joke, then the booing of Adam Silver was a clear indication of unwelcomeness.

Nobody wants David Stern to retire, because one thing is certain—the NBA will never find a better successor than David Stern.

The boos continued for a long time until Adam Silver announced that he had brought home Hakeem Olajuwon tonight, the first player David Stern ever called out in a draft.

Hakeem Olajuwon walked out from backstage wearing the same suit and bow tie he wore when he participated in the 1984 draft, and hugged David Stern tightly. The boos finally turned into cheers.

This was the best farewell ceremony for David Stern.

From 1984 to the present, he has transformed the NBA from a chaotic league into a global, hugely successful business league.

Sam Presti, watching Stern embrace Big Dream, couldn't help but applaud: "What a beautiful ending, isn't it? An era has come to an end."

Lynch looked at the retired David Stern, lost in thought.

After a long silence, he slowly spoke:
"Yes, a great era should end in such a great way."

Sam Presti nodded silently. He understood that Lynch's feelings went far beyond David Stern.

It was also himself.

(Thank you so much to the big spender who donated 15000! I'm so grateful!)
(Thanks to Z-Taoist and other big shots for their donations)

(End of this chapter)