Champion, please stay!

Chapter 125, Part 123: The Battle to Defend the Holy Land (Part 1)

"Sorry, I don't like being a subordinate. No matter which team I'm on, I'm always a leader."

Last time at the Olympics, after being speechless by Yi Shui's words, James only fell asleep after seeing the night view of Beijing at four in the morning, regretting that he hadn't responded in a different way.

Unexpectedly, he heard the same sentence again, and immediately gave the best answer he could think of that night, which was also a response to the criticism he received for calling himself a leader during the Olympics.

He has already led his team to the top spot in the Eastern Conference of the NBA!

To my surprise, the other person replied, "It's a real shame. I don't like being a subordinate either. I always want to be the boss wherever I go, but New York... is alright. I really like it here and have no intention of leaving."

James' eyes widened as he realized he had misspoke, and he quickly said, "Me too, I love Cleveland, and I have no intention of leaving my hometown."

"..."

Yi Shui had a lot to say at that moment, so he quickly ended the small talk.

He wasn't actually planning to argue with James verbally; he just intended to say hello, take a photo, and go back to fulfill the arrangement of being in the same frame as the hook.

It was only because the other party put on that "alliance leader caring for a newbie" act again that he couldn't resist teasing KING again... He never expected that the other party would draw his sword and stab his future self in the knee.

He was curious about what would happen to the video if James changed teams again in the future. The footage from the live broadcast was so bad that even Bill Gates couldn't afford to buy it all.

Suddenly, Yi Shui realized that he seemed to have blocked James's path to playing in New York!
He said this twice, which can be considered to define 'James joining the Knicks' as 'King coming to the basketball mecca to assist the Emperor', but James said he would not be a subordinate... no, that's not right either, there will be another particularly rich team in New York in the future.

Wait, not going to be a lackey?
He remembered that in the original timeline, when the Big Three were first formed, Riley said that Wade was the core.

Even if it was just to fool Wade, it was still something said in public...

Yi Di: Interesting, there's going to be a lot of fun to watch in the future.

...

While the two teams were making their final preparations before the match, the commentators from various TV stations were also busy analyzing the two teams' lineups, strengths, and chances of winning...

Every television station, including commentators from cable sports and time warner sports networks that consistently support Yi Shui, favored the Cavaliers to win.

After all, the Cavaliers are first in the East, while the Knicks, although they have a record of 14 wins and 5 losses and are ranked third in the East, have only played 6 games against the top four teams in the East or the top eight teams in the West before tonight, losing 5 of them. The only team they beat, the Trail Blazers, was missing Roy and Oden, and they won by reversal.

The Knicks have earned the nickname "masters of beating weak teams," but this is not meant to belittle them.

Even ESPN, NBC and other "rival camp" TV stations kept praising their achievements... This rivalry is not just about those few TV stations praising James, or American Cable and Time Warner Cable praising Yi Shui; the two sides are actually in opposing camps in the media industry.

A team that got the number one draft pick last season has a salary of over 9000 million, with nearly half of it occupied by two bad contracts and several players who have been bought out or retired... Under such conditions, the number one draft pick can start dominating weak teams as soon as he enters the NBA, and he simply cannot lead the team.

Why not focus on 'stomping noobs' and give them a proper compliment?

This would make the Cavaliers' victory tonight even more significant...

Yes, unlike commentators on American Cable, Time Warner Cable, TNT Sports, and other television stations who seriously discuss the relative strengths and weaknesses of the teams and analyze the Knicks' chances of winning from the perspective of the underdog.

ESPN, NBC, and other television networks are already promoting the Cavaliers' victory.

Just like the Cavaliers' pre-game preparations, where everyone was laughing and joking and seemed very relaxed, they didn't think they could possibly lose tonight.

However, the Cavaliers players seemed confident of victory, while the Knicks, who appeared very serious and focused, actually didn't feel much pressure.

I just want to win!
Because I want to win, I am serious and focused.

Especially those players who joined the Knicks in the NBA. The team had been bad for so many years, and they had been criticized for so many years. They finally started winning and could enjoy the cheers of the fans. They didn't want to lose all of this.

As for whether or not they are afraid of losing... what is there to be afraid of? All the media and fans' analyses and predictions over the past two days have shown that the Cavaliers are stronger, and they all think so.

Just like what the leader said during warm-up – "Go onto the court aiming for victory, and if you lose, just play the next game!"

The pre-match preparation time ended, and Yi Shui, along with his starting teammates Du Hong, Curry, David Lee, Swift, and others, stepped onto the court... System notification appeared!
"LeBron James, nicknamed 'The King,' is making a powerful comeback. Can you, who have just earned the title of Monarch of the Basketball Sanctuary, defend your territory? Mission: Sanctuary Defense War Triggered."

Objective: None. Rewards will be determined based on your individual performance and your team's performance. Yi Shui glanced at the system screen and then turned it off. For some reason, the name 'New Madison Square Garden' popped into his mind.

It feels a bit ominous, with a curry flavor.

The fact that the task did not specify a target indicates that the system has determined a significant gap in strength.

That's true. The combined salaries of their starters don't even equal those of LeBron James alone. Their total salary is indeed more than two million dollars more than the Cavaliers' $9200 million, but most of it is wasted. The Cavaliers also have a bunch of overpaid contracts, but at least they are just overpaid.

Take Ben Wallace, for example. He's definitely not worth $1500 million this season, but since he joined, the Cavaliers' overall defense has undergone a qualitative change!

In Game 4 of the first round of last season's playoffs, if Ben Wallace hadn't anticipated the opponent's tactical intentions at a crucial moment and moved ahead to disrupt Caron Butler's key three-pointer, the Cavaliers would likely have been overturned by the Wizards. In that case, it wouldn't have been a 3-1 lead, but a 2-2 tie. And if the Wizards had won Game 5, the Cavaliers might have been upset by the Wizards, who were already out for the season with Arenas.

It's better not to have a specific goal, so he won't be distracted by those things.

He looked across at the starting lineup: Mo Williams, Delonte West, James, Ben Wallace, Zydrunas Ilgauskas... This starting lineup cost over $5000 million; the Cavaliers' owner is willing to spend that much!

But disregarding age and focusing solely on roster structure, it is indeed a very good fit for James.

The team boasts a center who can stretch the floor and protect the rim, a power forward who can cut to the basket and provide help defense, and two guards who excel at one-on-one play and are also good at shooting and receiving passes. The bench is similarly filled with players who excel in their respective areas. Even the inactive players in suits are all players who were signed around LeBron James, allowing him to fully showcase his versatility.

However, without LeBron James, this roster would have a hard time avoiding finishing last.

Yi: No wonder Cleveland fans will hate them so much in the future...

The competition started at 8 p.m.

The referee blew the whistle and tossed the ball into the air. Swift leaped high and tipped the ball away, giving the Knicks the first possession!
Duhon received the ball and quickly advanced the ball, with the Knicks pressing forward en masse!

Swift bypassed the big Z who tried to block him and charged down the middle!
Ben Wallace received a foul on Swift just inside the free-throw line. Duhon passed the ball to David Lee, who was cutting in on the right. James covered for the ball, and David Lee, with his back to James, passed it to the high post.

Yi Shui received the ball, and Delonte West, Mo Williams, and Big Z, who had retreated to the three-point line, all double-teamed him. He threw the ball to his left... Curry received the ball at a 45-degree angle, jumped up and released the shot, and the three-pointer went in!

James cursed under his breath: 'Damn, that's fast!'

He called to his teammates, emphasized the upcoming defensive retreat, and then retreated towards the frontcourt after receiving the serve.

The opposing team's lineup is incredibly fast on offense, but their defense is equally terrible, especially in the paint!

James came to the frontcourt... Surprisingly, it was Duhon guarding the top arc?
Seeing Yi Shui following Delonte West on the wing, James quickly analyzed Yi Shui's intentions—no big center, can't defend his drives, and can't outrun him on straight-line acceleration, so he wanted to double-team him from the wing?

He sneered inwardly, took a large stride, and charged past Du Hong!

As James predicted, Yi Shui immediately moved in from the flank, and he, who was prepared, turned to the left... only to be blocked by Swift!
David Lee also extended his reach early, and together with Yi Shui who came up to double-team, they forced James to stop right in the middle of the right sideline of the three-second zone!
James was completely caught off guard by the three big men double-teaming him at close range! He had heard that the Knicks' mindless double-teaming was outrageous, but he didn't expect it to be this mindless.

He protected the ball and tried to pass it to the basket, but Yi Shui bypassed David Lee and retreated to the restricted area the moment he stopped the ball.

He wanted to pass to Delonte West, who was left wide open by Yi Shui, but when he turned his head, he saw that Duhon had already marked his teammate closely.

After Duhon was beaten, he didn't chase James at all, and went straight to the wing to switch onto Delonte West.

Fortunately, at that moment, Zydrunas Ilgauskas pulled from the baseline to the left side of the free-throw line, and James used brute force to push away Swift, who was about to grab him and steal the ball, and flung him to the left.

Big Z catches the ball and shoots...it goes in!
As one of the few centers in the NBA who scores more from close range than from inside, Zydrunas Ilgauskas's ability to receive passes and make shots always reassures LeBron James.

But just as James breathed a sigh of relief at avoiding a turnover, he heard Ben Wallace calling for his teammates to retreat on defense, and he quickly shouted "Defense!" to lead the team in retreating.

Yi Shui has already served the ball, and Du Hong receives it and advances!
After being marked by Delonte West, Duhon immediately passed to Curry who had run to the midcourt line. Curry advanced a few steps but was blocked by James before crossing the ball. Yi Shui rushed to the top arc but was blocked by Ben Wallace and Mo Williams... Through excellent delaying defense, the Cavaliers successfully created an opportunity for Big Z to retreat to the basket, forcing the Knicks into a half-court game.

Without giving the Cavaliers players a chance to catch their breath, Yi Shui, who was blocked at the top of the arc, raised the ball and passed it to the left. David Lee received the ball, dribbled two steps to shooting distance, jumped over the onrushing Ben Wallace, and shot...missed.

But it still startled the Cavaliers players!
The Knicks' offense is even more ferocious than the Suns' back in the day!

(End of this chapter)