Champion Rules

Chapter 408 404: Data Mass Production (Seeking Monthly Tickets!)

Kevin Durant scrutinized his opponents, savoring the familiar shiver that spread from the depths of their pupils.

The fear in your opponent's eyes is the greatest respect you can show.

Once upon a time, this awe born of fear existed only in his gaze as he looked up at Lynch.

Now, he has finally become the fearsome figure in the eyes of others.

The surrounding fans roared, and Mavericks commentator Derek Harper's voice was tense, his fingers unconsciously clenching the hem of his shirt.
"With 4.3 seconds left, the Oklahoma City Thunder are down by one point! The Dallas team is giving it their all! Dirk Nowitzki is showing the world that his desire for the championship has never died! Since 2006, he has been dreaming of returning to the Finals! If he can stop the Thunder tonight, it will be his most resounding challenge!"

For Dallas fans, it was undoubtedly an exciting night.

They battled to the very last moment against the best team in the West.

And they were only 4.3 seconds away from victory.

Monta Ellis's chemistry with Dirk Nowitzki in Dallas has exceeded expectations, and the team is getting better and better.

But Kevin Durant wasn't going to give the Dallas team any room for wishful thinking. He had no grudge against the Mavericks; he simply didn't want to lose and wanted to ensure his team maintained their lead over the Knicks in wins.

Shawn Marion pressed nervously against KD, who could feel waves of hot air hitting the side of his neck, indicating that the hacker was breathing very rapidly.

For some reason, even though the Mavericks were in the lead at that moment, Shawn Marion looked nervous, while KD seemed confident.

KD felt confident he could make the shot.

Andre Iguodala stood outside the boundary and took the ball from the referee.

The life-or-death duel was about to begin, with Stephen Curry taking the lead in approaching Andre Iguodala, but he was just bait.

After Curry drew some defenders away, KD broke through using a screen and received a pass from Andre Iguodala.

He then quickly turned around and broke through, trying to shake off Shawn Marion.

Marion, despite his age, stayed close to KD, leaving KD less than half a body length of space.

Kevin Durant didn't wait to fully break past Shawn Marion; instead, he stopped abruptly a step outside the free-throw line and launched a jump shot.

Shawn Marion reacted quickly, using his equally terrifyingly long arms to make up for the half-body distance. His hand completely covered the front of the basketball, leaving Kevin Durant with absolutely no room to shoot!

Although Hacker has never been selected to the All-Defensive Team, defense has always been his strength.

With his incredible wingspan, Shawn Marion can often make some unbelievable blocks and effectively reduce the efficiency of star players.

In his memory, very few people could complete a jump shot after his palm completely blocked the angle.

The most memorable exception for him was at the 2003 All-Star Game, where the aging Michael Jordan managed to hit an unbelievable turnaround jump shot despite his flawless defense.

But that was Michael Jordan, after all.

Besides Lynch, who else can replicate, no, surpass everything MJ did?

In mid-air, Shawn Marion's hand is about to touch the basketball.

Kevin Durant subtly pulled the ball outwards, narrowly avoiding the blocking fingertips. Then, he readjusted the basketball and released it. This incredible release was followed by an even more unbelievable sound—swish!

"Oh!!! Kevin Durant! He extinguished all hope! He ended the game! My God, did you see what kind of jump shot that was? The Grim Reaper is unstoppable!"

With 1.6 seconds remaining, Kevin Durant's basket gave the Thunder a one-point lead.

The Mavericks have no timeouts left, which means they've been eliminated.

Dirk Nowitzki's gaze was fixed on Kevin Durant, a profound sense of despair engulfing him.

This was absolutely the era with the most overflowing talent in the league, with powerful teams like the Spurs and monster-like individuals like Lynch and KD.

Even a chosen one like LeBron James can't make a ripple in this era overflowing with talent.

Kevin Durant was hugged tightly by his teammates, with Serge Ibaka excitedly shouting, "You will definitely be the MVP KD, you definitely will be!"

Kevin Durant felt the surge of passion and power coursing through his chest.

Yes, he was absolutely certain of the MVP's fate.

The chasm between him and Lynch is shrinking and closing at a visible speed.

At the same time, he also felt that the gap between his good looks and Lynch's was narrowing.

At that moment, Kevin Durant pointed at the floor and nodded frantically, indicating that he was in complete control. He was sure that his celebration after the game-winning shot had captivated countless female fans.

Stephen Curry, watching KD's frenzied celebration, tried to pull him back: "Kevin, stop it."

But the excited KD wouldn't listen: "Nobody can make me stop Stephen, nobody!"

Ultimately, with Monta Ellis's long-range three-pointer bouncing off the rim, the Thunder defeated the Dallas Mavericks, who had a breakout performance from the entire team.

Kevin Durant scored 33 points, grabbed 7 rebounds, and dished out 4 assists – a standard "Lynch-esque" performance.

After the game, KD didn't rush to celebrate. Instead, he walked to the bench, his gaze fixed intently on head coach Steve Kerr:

"Hey, now can you tell me how things are going with the Knicks?"

KD is deeply invested in the Knicks' games; his competition with Lynch for MVP is like the most brutal trench warfare in human history. Every step forward on this long and arduous journey is soaked in blood and sweat, and he desperately wants to outdo Lynch in every game.

The Knicks' game against the Trail Blazers had ended half an hour earlier, but Steve Kerr refused to inform KD about anything happening on the other court before the Thunder's own game ended.

At this moment, KD's voice carried an urgent tone that left no room for delay:

"Tell me quickly, how did Lynch perform? Did the Knicks win?"

Kerr's previously beaming smile gradually faded, and seeing his coach's reaction, KD's heart sank.

but.
It shouldn't be.

He scored 33 points, grabbed 7 rebounds, dished out 4 assists, and hit a game-winning shot.

How could Lynch possibly do better than that?

Steve Kerr forced a smile again and gently patted KD on the shoulder: "The Knicks beat the Pacers, even if it was only by 8 points, it was still a win. What I'm trying to say is, why pay so much attention to other people's games? Why always stare at others? Just focus on our own victory. That crucial shot just now was absolutely beautiful, KD."

Steve Kerr was about to steer the conversation towards the present, but Kevin Durant didn't give him the chance, his follow-up question slicing through the air like a sharp blade: "Lynch's stats?" "Kevin, are they really that important to you?"

"Yes, Coach, I have to make sure I'm better than him in every way."

Kerr was silent for a moment, then gave up resisting. He took a deep breath, as if to expel a thousand-pound burden, before laboriously announcing the numbers: "31 points, 20 rebounds, and 11 assists."

"What!?"

"30+20+10, a triple-double, buddy."

The light in Durant's eyes visibly dimmed, and his shoulders seemed to slump slightly.

Seeing Kevin Durant's dejected expression, Kerr felt a pang of heartache. He tried to force a smile, like a girl of average ability desperately squeezing her chest to try and create a non-existent curve—stiff and strained.

"Don't worry about it. After all, Lynch can't play like this every game. And tonight's performance is just the norm for you this season."

Kevin Durant is definitely in a better mood. Yes, 30+20+10, a triple-double. It's certainly a dazzling performance, but it's also one that can't be sustained.

In terms of consistency, KD believes he is better than Lynch.

At the post-match press conference, reporters also asked about another match.

"Today, the Trail Blazers and Knicks had a fierce game. Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Aldridge played exceptionally well, but the Knicks still emerged victorious. Do you know what Damian said about Lynch after the game? He said he finally understood why Lynch is the MOAT. He accepted the loss wholeheartedly. He couldn't imagine anyone competing with Lynch for MVP."

What do you think of Damian's statement? Did he ignore you?

This is clearly a tricky question, but since KD completely let loose, he's become more outspoken than anyone else in the league. He's no longer the timid KD who used a smurf account to speak cautiously on social media.

He even follows female firefighters now using his main account. When you see KD's main account starting to like posts about female firefighters, you know he's been diligently practicing again.

KD is now very outspoken, so he didn't hold back when speaking to Lillard:
“Damian is just a second-year rookie. He’s very good, but in the end, he’s just a good rookie. It’s normal for a rookie to be scared out of his wits by Lynch. If he were facing me, ha, he’d be scared out of his wits too.” He even added what he considered to be a very charming bubble laugh in the middle.

“Uh, Kevin, I have to remind you, the Trail Blazers beat you once this season. And Damian has never made a similar comment about you.”

"Enough! Stop bothering me with this match. Even if Lynch played exceptionally well tonight, he can't replicate it. But my performance tonight is something I can produce in any quantity!"

Kevin Durant looked at the reporters in front of him, narrowed his eyes, and a silent roar churned within him:

"You'll shut up, you'll shut up sooner or later."

After the match, Lynch's brutal, top-to-bottom attack on Damian Lillard went viral online.

Videos and GIFs of that scene have been circulating wildly.

Kevin Durant is no less impressive; in fact, GIFs of him are even more popular than those of Lynch.

His celebratory gesture after scoring the game-winning shot, which involved a full-body spasm as if he had been electrocuted, went viral.

Within just one day, this meme appeared in the green bubbles of many Chinese fans' social media feeds.

Charles Barkley laughed out loud on the show: "Kevin is awesome. He's probably the only player in NBA history who never tries to show off and just shows his true self."

KD:
The saddest thing in the world is when you're trying to look cool, but others think you're just being abstract.

Well, Durant now realizes that his celebration was absolutely stupid after looking at it again.

Why didn't anyone remind me at the time?
Oh, Curry reminded me, but it seems I rejected it.
Kevin Durant covered his head. He originally wanted to compete with Lynch for MVP, but he didn't expect to end up on the same path as LeBron James.

He closed the webpage, lay down on the sofa, closed his eyes, and stopped thinking about it.

Regardless, he is currently still ranked number one in the MVP rankings.

January is just around the corner, and if he continues to play like this, the MVP will surely be his.

On the other side, when Lynch pushed open the door to the head coach's office, Mike Malone was slumped in his chair, panting heavily, his face flushed, pointing at the computer screen, making intermittent sounds in his throat:
"Linlin.Lin."

Lynch was startled: "Mike, what's wrong with you!?"

Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that his computer screen was displaying footage of Kevin Durant convulsing.

Lynch:
"Lin Qi!" Malone finally caught his breath and burst into an even louder laugh, tears streaming down his face. "I'm fucking scared that you have an opponent like this, hahahahaha! He's trying to make us laugh to death!"

Lin Qi shook his head and sat down across the desk: "Alright, what did you call me here for?"

Mike Malone turned off Durant's video, wiped away the tears he had just laughed out loud, rubbed his temples, and tried to regain his composure: "I want to change your playing style."

"what?"

“This season, because of Chandler’s injury, your playing time has increased significantly, and the pressure on the defensive end has also increased. I don’t want you to be overworked. Don’t rush to argue with me. Maybe you don’t feel tired, but taking on more responsibility will definitely take a toll on you.”

"So what are you planning to do?"

“If you don’t mind, I plan to reduce the frequency of your offensive plays. You’ve seen how good Demar and Kyrie have been this season, so you can give them more shot attempts to reduce the pressure on your offense. Of course, that doesn’t mean you should disappear from the offense. You’ll still be the core player in organizing, facilitating, and taking over in crucial moments, but you won’t need to take as many shots as before.”

“I’m fine with it,” Lynch shrugged. He was never one to be obsessed with the right to make a move. “It’s a reasonable plan, and I can accept it.”

Mike Malone knew Lynch would agree, but he still reminded him, "This will cause your scoring stats to drop slightly, and that might be a problem for you. Don't worry, Lynch, the MVP award isn't just about scoring. As long as our record is strong enough, you'll still be the top favorite for MVP."

"Mike, are you trying to comfort me?"
Yes, reporters these days focus heavily on scoring statistics. While basketball isn't a sport that can be fully explained by statistics, those idiots who voted don't understand that.

They just drool over exaggerated statistics.

But have you ever thought about this—"

Lynch rested his hands on his desk, a confident smile on his face.

"If I play the way you say, my score might drop a little, but I'm fully capable of producing triple-doubles that only happen occasionally."

At that point, even the dumbest reporter, one who only looks at the data, will be stunned by the mass production of triple-doubles.

The smile that had just appeared on Mike Malone's face because of KD vanished completely, replaced by pure astonishment.

Mass-produced triple-double?

Lynch's ideas are always as bold as KD's celebration gestures, bordering on abstract.

(End of this chapter)