On June 23, Link's birthday, the 2017 NBA Draft officially began at Barclays Center in New York.
Yet this year, Link neither attended team workouts as he had in previous years nor took part in the draft.
More precisely, Link had "disappeared" from the public eye ever since the Grizzlies won the championship on June 12.
No media outlet had been able to get any news of Link. Aside from a brief appearance at the championship parade, no one had seen him again.
The beloved NBA Finals MVP had neither gone traveling nor kept busy with team affairs.
While other stars were helping their teams with the draft lottery, getting swept up in trade rumors, or posting glamorous vacation photos, Link's whereabouts remained completely unknown, and his social media accounts had gone unupdated for days.
Because this summer, Link had to devote all his attention to his family.
Early that morning, Link was awakened by his child's crying.
He checked the time. It was only six thirty.
But Link was not annoyed. He quietly got up and walked over to the crib.
"Awake again, little one?" Link gently picked up his daughter, who had been born just ten days ago. He had barely slept properly in those ten days because of her, and dark circles had formed under his eyes.
Yet he did not feel tired at all. Instead, he was enveloped by happiness.
The day after the Grizzlies won the championship, Rachel had smoothly given birth to this healthy mixed-race baby girl right on her due date.
Link did not care whether he had a son or a daughter. He liked both.
The idea of having a son inherit his legacy had never even crossed Link's mind.
Link had never intended to force his children to play basketball anyway.