Champion Rules

Chapter 421, Section 417: The Final Conquest (Seeking monthly votes!)

Lynch cannot change what has already happened.

In the first two rounds of the series, the Knicks did indeed lose one game in each of them, and that was beyond redemption.

During the regular season, the Knicks' record was indeed not as good as the Oklahoma City Thunder's.

All of this has become the basis for Kevin Durant to boast about his dominance.

But for things that haven't happened yet, Lynch still has room to create.

He only needs to sweep the Thunder in the series to completely shatter Kevin Durant's illusion of dominance.

Therefore, this became Lynch's manifesto.

His remarks unsurprisingly caused a huge uproar. After all, the Thunder are one of the strongest teams in the league, and they are not to be underestimated.

If Lynch had simply said he could win, it might not have caused much of a stir. After all, everyone in the Finals is aiming to win.

But his declaration that he would sweep his opponents excited all the fans.

Whether they are fans hoping Lynch will deliver on his promises or bystanders waiting to see him fail, everyone will be watching every game closely.

Fans are arguing heatedly online. Some praise Lynch's victory after his domineering declaration as the most brilliant finale to his legendary retirement tour, while others worry that it will only add a stain to his perfect farewell.

Charles Barkley's concerns are quite representative:
"If Lynch hadn't said he would sweep the Thunder, even if he had won 4-3 in the end, his Finals would have been without regrets or blemishes. But Lynch actually publicly announced that he would sweep the Thunder? Even if the Knicks won 4-1 in the end, the halo of victory would be tarnished, and his retirement tour would not be perfect."

Shaquille O'Neal, however, believes that the flying pig is completely overthinking things:
"Do you think this is LeBron James's 'not 1, not 2, not 3'? Lynch can definitely do what he says. Yes, I also find it hard to imagine any team in this league sweeping the Thunder, but Lynch's greatest strength is turning the unimaginable into reality."

While the off-court commotion was immense, the entire Thunder team, including Kevin Durant himself, remained coldly silent about Lynch's sweep declaration.

At this moment, Kevin Durant is already in New York, traveling on the team bus to his hotel.

Upon arriving in New York, the skyscrapers lining both sides of the street were covered with huge posters of Lynch.

One after another, giant posters stretched across New York's steel jungle, creating a kingdom that belonged only to Lynch under the neon lights and daylight.

On the posters, he is either dunking and frozen in mid-air, or gazing ahead with a cold expression, constantly proclaiming his ownership of this city.

These ubiquitous totems are themselves the grandest and most direct interpretation of superstars.

This also left Kevin Durant breathless.

The poster makes it seem as if Lin Qi is staring at him all the time, leaving him nowhere to hide.

The pressure came from the crucial matchup in the previous game, where he clearly had two chances to kill the Knicks.

But in his duel with Lynch, he was completely defeated.

He once had a sleepless night when his Slam Dunk Contest teammate Curry lost to a Greek international, believing that he would have been able to seize the opportunity if it were him.

When it was his turn, he missed two opportunities in a row.

Now, he's a little unsure if he can really make the Knicks lose the game.

Yes, the first two games were very close. The Knicks didn't dominate the entire time; they only won the last few possessions in both games.

However, people have seriously underestimated the difficulty of maintaining control of crucial rounds under pressure.

Being able to hold your own against your opponent in regular time does not mean you can perform equally well in life-or-death situations.

Thus, a seed called "We might really be swept" quietly took root in Kevin Durant's heart.

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra once said, "We always overestimate the results of our daily efforts, but underestimate the rewards of long-term accumulation."

This statement can actually be applied to many things, including failure.

Kevin Durant won't be defeated by Lynch's two successful defensive plays, but the repeated failures over the past few years have already left a deep shadow in his heart.

Those two rounds were merely the bomb that detonated the shadows.

Of course, Kevin Durant has not given up completely.

But once self-doubt arises, it will constantly erode your will.
On the night of Game 3 of the Finals, Kevin Durant stepped into the arena that was both incredibly familiar to him and incredibly painful for him.

He was mentally prepared; he felt he would experience the deepest malice in the world at Madison Square Garden.

Even the cheerleaders' white breasts and thighs might have mocking slogans like "You can't even drink my bathwater" pasted on them.

As it turned out, things were completely different from what he had expected.

At Madison Square Garden, the holy land of basketball, fans held up signs bidding farewell to Lynch or moving petitions pleading for him to stay.

When the Thunder players entered the court, there was no booing or harsh insults as expected.

Nothing at all.

New York fans seemed completely indifferent to them, their eyes only on the figure about to leave.

Everyone treated these two games as Lynch's farewell ceremony, and for these fans, the outcome seemed to be a foregone conclusion.

This cold indifference is far more chilling than blatant hostility.

Kevin Durant once protested, arguing that he had no obligation to be a supporting actor in his retirement tour.

However, at this moment, fate seemed to play a cruel joke—he became the most conspicuous yet most lonely supporting character in Lynch's retirement tour.

Before the game started, Lynch didn't even have time to run over and trash talk to Durant.

As current NBA stars and legends flocked to the game, they vied to take advantage of the precious pre-game break to surround Lynch, exchange jerseys with him, and pay their final respects.

Magic Johnson, Bill Russell, Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant—these legendary names surrounded the King of New York.

The competition seemed to have become an adjunct to the ceremony.

After Lynch finished his work, the referee was already urging both teams to move closer together in the center circle.

Andre Iguodala gathered everyone together before they went to prepare for the jump ball:
"Lynch's mind is all on his retirement tour, he'll be distracted, I guarantee he will! This is our chance, we can definitely snatch a victory in New York!"

Andre Iguodala is indeed an excellent locker room leader. He is very good at reading people and inspiring them.

Unfortunately, after both sides settled near the midfield line, Lin Qi's words rendered his encouragement completely useless, extinguishing the tiny flame he had carefully ignited in an instant.

“Kevin,” Lynch’s gaze was fixed on number 35, “Now that things have come to this, do you still have any complaints about the unanimous MVP? If not, then accept defeat. If so, I will continue to make you fail.”

Lynch remained completely focused; he remembered his mission and goals from beginning to end.

His warm greetings to other star players before the game did nothing to diminish his pure hunger for victory.

What surges in his veins is an instinctive and unwavering pursuit of victory.

Game 3 of the series was exciting, but James Harden's consecutive blunders and turnovers in the fourth quarter dragged the Thunder into a slump.

A James Harden who doesn't miss a single game in a series is definitely not a real James Harden.

The Thunder can at least be certain that they are using genuine products.

With James Harden's explosive performance, the New York Knicks quickly took control. In crucial possessions, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant scored consecutive baskets.

But Lynch is also scoring goals in a row!
Each time, the Thunder fans' jubilation was barely subsided before it was instantly frozen by the ice water poured on them by Lynch.

Ultimately, the Knicks won Game 3 at home by 7 points.

At this point, the final results are in.

The Oklahoma City Thunder's last shred of resilience was utterly shattered.

At the post-match press conference, even the usually composed Andre Iguodala couldn't hide his dejection, and he somberly admitted:

"We were thoroughly defeated."

The world after G3 ended was ruled by Lynch.

Even the most die-hard Thunder supporters have completely lost hope at this moment.

They saw no chance of beating the Knicks, and they realized the gap between Durant and Lynch.

They all knew that the game would never return to Oklahoma City.

Game 4 of the Finals will be Lynch's farewell ceremony.
-
Home court, Finals, bidding farewell to oneself with a championship – no player in NBA history has ever received such treatment in the final game of their career.

Amid the smoke of Game 7 of the 1992 Eastern Conference Semifinals loss to the Cavaliers, Larry Bird stood dejectedly with his hands on his hips, muttering to himself, "Well, I guess this is the end."

There was no farewell party, no tour, no tributes. Because at the time, nobody knew that was Larry Bird's last game of his career.

He simply slipped the match ball into his bag after the game and took it home.

Magic Johnson attempted a comeback in 1996, but surprisingly, he was not popular with the team.

Nick Van Exel was quite unhappy that the aging Magic Johnson stole his thunder, and Cedric Ceballos publicly complained that the Magic Johnson had taken away his playing time.

The magician tried to instill a sense of responsibility, unity, and victory in his young teammates in the locker room, but it was like talking to a brick wall.

For that young, rebuilding Lakers team, Magic Johnson's arrival was a disruption. He belonged to the Lakers' past, but the players on that Lakers team only cared about the future.

This Lakers team, which lacked any cohesion, was ultimately eliminated by the Rockets in the first round of the playoffs. Magic Johnson had a dismal performance that night under the intensity of the playoffs, shooting 2-for-8 for only 8 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists, while also committing 4 turnovers.

On the return flight, Magic Johnson told the team disappointedly, "I'm not playing anymore."

The last battle of his professional career? He doesn't even want to recall it.

For him, it was a nightmare he never wanted to recall.

On April 16, 2003, Michael Jordan played his final game as a player, earning everyone's respect.

The media had already set up their cameras and microphones, and the 76ers presented him with a golf cart bearing the number 23 before the game. Fans throughout Philadelphia cheered for him, and as he sat down to rest, chants of "We want Mike!" echoed throughout the court.

Seeing that Jordan was too exhausted to find any more shooting opportunities in the fourth quarter, 76ers head coach Larry Brown even had his players intentionally foul him so that Michael Jordan could stand at the free-throw line to receive the fans' respect and score another 2 points.

Ultimately, although the Wizards suffered a crushing defeat, Michael Jordan at least left the court amidst everyone's blessings and cheers.

His final game was much more respectable than Magic Johnson's and Bird's, but was this really what Michael Jordan wanted?

His team posed no threat at the time and was eliminated from playoff contention early on. The opposing coach even deliberately sent him to the free-throw line because he couldn't get any more shots. It was certainly a dignified farewell, but definitely not what Michael Jordan wanted.

If he could, he would certainly prefer to end it all in glory.

If he could, he would never have wanted to accept this final cheer, which was almost a sign of pity.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's situation was similar to Jordan's. In his final game, the cheers of the fans still echoed in his ears, and the applause of tribute never ceased. But what was the result? His team was swept 4-0 in the Finals, and he could only watch helplessly. All night, the aging Skyhook contributed only 7 points and 3 rebounds.

No player's last game was perfect; they were either too old to put on a respectable individual performance.

Or perhaps they are already unable to embrace victory.

Compared to their brilliant careers, their endings are often quite bleak.

That's why if Lynch could personally end the series at Madison Square Garden in Game 4 of the Finals, amidst deafening cheers, and conclude his legendary career with a gleaming championship trophy.

That would be an unprecedented and perfect ending in NBA history.

On the day Game 4 began, Spike Lee drove to the arena early and walked from the familiar VIP passage to his familiar spot.

Upon entering the arena, he noticed that every seat back had a Lynch jersey carefully draped over it. Each seat also held a beautifully bound commemorative album.

These two items are gifts that the Knicks are giving to every fan in the arena tonight.

Spike Lee sat down and curiously picked up the catalog to browse through it.

It contains a selection of footage from various periods of Lynch's career, arranged chronologically—showing his dominance on the court, as well as those meaningful moments where he was not present.

As he flipped through the pages, a photograph of a yellowed note caught his eye.

Although the writing on the note in the photo is faded and blurred, it is still faintly legible:

"No matter what, choose Lynch."

Spike Lee ran his fingers over the photograph, his gaze falling on the caption below.

A moment later, a knowing smile quietly spread across his lips. He gently shook his head, as if whispering to the past:
“At least, Isaiah wasn’t entirely useless. At least, he brought this guy to New York.”

That was the beginning of everything.

As the match drew closer, more and more people began to enter the stadium.

In the last game, many legends came to exchange jerseys with Lynch to express their respect.

But tonight, the number of special spectators has only increased.

Spike Lee's gaze swept across the stands, where he saw Lynch's old friends and coaches who had fought alongside him in European competitions, as well as familiar faces such as Stephon Marbury, Grant Hill, Steve Nash, and Ron Artest.

In addition, I also saw quite a few celebrities from the entertainment industry.

The entire stadium seemed to transform into a galaxy, with every corner shimmering with extraordinary light.

Before the competition began, Lynch was still very busy.

Busy taking photos with celebrities and busy exchanging jerseys with others.

Immediately following, the New York Knicks solemnly began their carefully prepared tribute ceremony.

Lynch's former teammates, who were specially invited to the center of the arena, each delivered a brief and heartfelt speech.
Team owner James Dolan personally presented Lynch with a special honor ring. Its craftsmanship is identical to that of the NBA championship ring, symbolizing the pinnacle of the league, commemorating everything Lynch has dedicated to the Knicks and etching his immortal achievements.

However, the climax of the ceremony was yet to come.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, a long, rectangular object covered with a curtain was slowly brought into the arena.

Lynch's heart pounded, his gaze fixed on the mysterious silhouette, a barely perceptible unease creeping into his mind—what if my statue is as ugly as Dwyane Wade's?
The curtain was slowly drawn back, but what came into view was not a statue, but a magnificent commemorative pillar.

The pillar is covered with exquisite reliefs, like a flowing epic painting. Every season Lynch played for the Knicks, his glorious achievements and those classic moments that will be forever recorded in history are eternally engraved on it.

James Dolan caught the rare look of surprise on Lynch's face and declared with satisfaction:
"This commemorative column will stand forever outside Madison Square Garden! Let people forever remember the legends that were born here!"

Lynch liked the gift; many players have their own statues. But a commemorative pillar? That's one of a kind.

After all of this, Game 4 of the finals finally began.

This is the finals, after all, so Lynch can't go on a crazy one-on-one attack every round.

He will continue to play in a rational, team-oriented, and winning way.

Stephen Curry is still putting up a tough fight, having already hit several incredible three-pointers tonight.

In the third quarter, he even scored a jump shot from near the center logo after a screen from Serge Ibaka.

The good news is that Stephen Curry is in superb form.

The bad news is that only Stephen Curry is in top form.

Kevin Durant had a terrible shooting night, and his former courage and determination to challenge for the throne seem to have been worn away by a series of setbacks.

James Harden continued to slump into a quagmire of confusion. You could even see scenes like this: four Thunder players were fighting hard in the frontcourt, while Harden, like an outsider, slowly strolled across the half-court.

With three minutes remaining in the game, the Thunder were already down by 28 points, effectively sealing the victory.

Lynch's illustrious career is about to come to a perfect end amidst unparalleled glory and thunderous blessings.

At this point, even if Lin Qi scores recklessly, it won't disrupt the game.

But in the last three minutes, Lynch still didn't go on a scoring spree.

He ran a pick-and-roll with Kyrie Irving, delivered a brilliant pass to Jimmy Butler who was cutting in, and assisted DeMar DeRozan to make a mid-range jumper, completing an alley-oop with Giannis.

"Compared to simply bombarding the enemy," Mike Brin tried to interpret this final chapter, "this is the kind of game that Lynch likes and enjoys the most."

He paused, then burst into proud laughter:

"That's his championship formula."

比赛结束，林奇全场轰下33分16个篮板15次助攻——NBA总决赛历史首位轰下30+15+15的球员。

Kevin Durant stood there, his jersey soaked with sweat and disappointment.

After a moment of silence, he made a move that surprised everyone—just like Michael Jordan a few weeks earlier, he walked towards Lynch and opened his arms with an almost tragic composure.

"You are the best."

You could say Kevin Durant can afford to lose.

From another perspective, you could also say that Kevin Durant was won over.

Like all of Lynch's past rivals, he admitted that he could not shake Lynch's dominance.

Lynch did not refuse this belated surrender.

He reached out and gently patted his nemesis's sweaty nape, then ruffled his hair in a soothing gesture—a gesture that was both accommodating and a testament to absolute dominance.

No one can question his second unanimous MVP award anymore.

Adam Silver closed his eyes, trying to block out the deafening roar of "MVP" chants.

Lynch lifted the Larry O'Brien Trophy for the sixth consecutive year, marking two uninterrupted reigns.

In his view, this completely shattered the league's competitive environment.

If it weren't for Lynch, Kevin Durant, LeBron James, or Paul George would have been even more dazzling.

But Adam Silver dared not tamper with Lynch's game again, because he knew he could not stop the inevitable course of history.

When Lynch stepped onto the stage to lift the championship trophy for the sixth consecutive year, Adam Silver's congratulatory tone contained both relief and fear.

He knew that the era of one dominant player was over.

But he also knew that the NBA's golden age in the 21st century had also come to an end.

"Adam!" Lynch's shout brought Xiao Hua back to his senses, and he reflexively put on that professional fake smile again.

At this moment, Lin Qi had already lit a cigar and was looking down at the new president with a condescending and disrespectful gaze:

Is there a fire?

Just then, Kyrie Irving provided a perfect assist, quickly stepping forward with a gleaming cigar lighter in hand: "Lynch, do you need me to light this for you?"

Lynch's gaze remained unmoved, still like a cold chain, firmly wrapped around Adam Silver.

"Adam! Adam! Adam! Adam!"

Madison Square Garden erupted instantly, with a deafening roar like an invisible tidal wave, carrying an irresistible public sentiment as it crashed into the center of the field.

Thousands of eyes were focused on this, and countless camera lenses flashed with a cold light, greedily capturing the faltering fake smile on the new president's face.

Adam Silver knew the damage his reputation and standing would suffer if he refused the retiring legend at this historic moment.

Under the intense scrutiny of millions of eyes and amidst a deafening roar, Adam Silver—the man who once thought he could control Lynch—ultimately succumbed to the pressure.

His stiff smile froze completely, and he reached out with trembling hands as if accepting a scalding hot iron, taking the lighter that Irving offered.

He walked heavily to Lynch and, extremely slowly, lit the orange-red flame that symbolized ultimate conquest on the cigar that Lynch was holding between his lips.

The flickering firelight illuminated Lynch's calm yet absolutely commanding face, as well as Adam Silver's undisguised humiliation and helplessness.

Smoke curled upwards.

This is the last footage of Lynch's professional career.

He stood atop the pinnacle of glory, a victor who personally completed the final conquest of the alliance's power.

In Lynch and his time.

He conquered everyone he needed to conquer.

The flame on that cigar became an unprecedentedly perfect ending.

(There's one more chapter to finish, but give me a few days, I don't want to rush it. Of course, it won't be too long, the latest update will be Wednesday.)
(End of this chapter)