The G League Players' Road Games

Road games for NBDL teams were nowhere near as comfortable as road games for NBA teams.

After notching a triple-double and crushing the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the Blue Team's next opponent would be the Fort Wayne Mad Ants from Indiana. It would also be Link's first road game since becoming a professional player.

Road games were already hard enough for NBA players. But in reality, NBA players had it pretty good on the road. Never mind the five-star hotels; the many services they enjoyed while traveling were enough to make anyone envious.

NBA players generally flew on chartered flights, and the wealthier teams even owned their own planes.

The players didn't have to worry about their luggage, because equipment managers, like personal butlers, took care of everything. When the players woke up the next morning, they would find their sneakers waiting outside their rooms.

Their accommodations and meals were naturally top-notch, too. You could say that the only hassles NBA players had to deal with on the road were the unfamiliar atmosphere at game time and the fans' boos.

Even so, players still complained that road games were exhausting. But if they knew what road trips were usually like for NBDL players, they probably wouldn't think they had it so hard.

First of all, G League teams couldn't afford to hire dedicated equipment managers for their players. That meant the players had to pack everything themselves, from their personal belongings to their gear.

Second, G League players didn't have private planes to fly on, either. They traveled in economy class on regular flights. Don't assume that would cause a stir, though; most people had no idea the person sitting next to them was a professional player.

And flying was only an option for long-distance road games. For shorter trips, the team would arrange for everyone to take a bus. They couldn't afford an equipment manager, but they could afford a long-haul driver.

If there was one thing G League players could be happy about on the road, it was the $60 meal allowance they received for every away game. But compared with NBA players' earnings, that $60 was practically nothing.

That was why G League players were the ones who truly had the right to say, "Road games are exhausting."

"Link, have you ever been to Indiana?" Upshaw seemed to be in a pretty good mood on the plane. Road trips were rough for G League players, but for him, being able to fly to an away game was already the best of a bad situation.

"Never been. I only know the Indiana Pacers are there." Link spread his hands. Before he'd crossed over, he'd never even left the country, so how could he have been to Indianapolis?

"Yeah, people only know about the Pacers. But how many of them know there's also a team in Fort Wayne called the Mad Ants... Never mind. Let's talk about something else. Do you know who your opponent is tomorrow?"

Upshaw grinned mischievously. He always liked to study the opposition before a game.

"This time, I've done my homework. My opponent is Lance Stephenson, who was sent down from the Pacers. Unless something unexpected happens, he'll probably play at the two or three."

Link had studied the Fort Wayne Mad Ants' roster the night before. He had to admit he didn't recognize a single one of their players. But Lance Stephenson's name, and that name alone, was very familiar to him.

Stephenson was still unknown at the time, but as a fan from 2019, Link knew exactly how far the guy would go.

One of the biggest troublemakers in NBA history, the ultimate "James fanboy," and a tough-as-nails Pacers player.

He was an extremely polarizing player. Those who loved him adored him, while those who hated him would gladly have killed him.

Link had never felt one way or the other about Stephenson. He neither liked nor disliked him. After all, he wasn't a Pacers fan and hadn't watched many of their games.

But there was one thing Link had to admit: anyone assigned to guard James couldn't be a pushover. Stephenson might not have reached his peak yet, but in a place like the G League, he was bound to be a dominant force.

When Link named Stephenson, Upshaw immediately saw his little brother in a new light. In the past, the only thing Link could hope for was a few more minutes of playing time. Now, he was already thinking about how to beat that night's opponent.

"Lance Stephenson's no pushover. I heard he wasn't sent down this time because he wasn't good enough. He broke the team rules again. You know Larry Bird's a hard-nosed general manager. He won't tolerate troublemakers on his team. So whenever Stephenson screws up, he sends the guy down to the G League."

Upshaw continued to fill Link in on Stephenson. He'd done a lot more research than Link had. After all, when there was nothing to do at the car wash, Upshaw liked to study their opponents.

"So Stephenson might be even tougher to handle than Luke Ba Weiyuan. He's got NBA-level talent; he's just a little odd-tempered. You've got to seize your chance, Link. The stronger the opponents you beat, the better your chances of making it to the NBA!"

Link watched Upshaw, animated as ever, and said nothing more.

He lightly bumped fists with Upshaw. He was lucky to have a teammate like him.

"I'll keep passing you the ball today, Zeke. Let's take him down together."

A motel. Link never would've imagined that the team would put them up in one.

He'd expected the G League team's accommodations to be lousy, but he'd at least thought they'd stay in a proper hotel.

But Link had clearly been too optimistic about his road trip. Judging by how calm the other players looked, staying in motels was probably the norm.

"Too bad we're not going to Indianapolis. Otherwise, I'd introduce you to Paul George."

Once he accepted the situation, Link continued chatting with Upshaw about this and that.

"Paul George? You mean the Pacers' Paul George? You know him?"

"More than that. We were close in college, just like you and me now. He's incredibly talented. I think going tenth overall was way too low for him."

"For a player from an NCAA Division II school to get drafted in the lottery already proves how talented he is. Don't rush it. Sooner or later, you'll play against him. Tomorrow, we'll start by taking down his teammate."

As they talked, the two of them carried their bags into the room. Just like NBA teams, the players shared rooms on the road, two to a room. There was no doubt that Link and Upshaw would be roommates.

The first thing everyone did after entering their rooms was unpack. Link's belongings were pretty ordinary: clothes, sneakers, a toothbrush, towels, and the like.

But something in Upshaw's luggage caught Link's attention.

"What's this? A pill organizer?" Upshaw took out an unusual little round container and placed it on the bedside table. Curious, Link picked it up and looked it over.

The palm-sized container was divided into lots of little compartments, each holding different pills. Link had seen plenty of elderly people use organizers like this to sort their medication and make it easier to take.

But Upshaw wasn't old. He was one of the fittest people in the world.

"Just some medicine I keep with me. Don't worry about it," Upshaw replied with a smile, but Link could tell his friend's smile wasn't natural.

Seeing that Upshaw didn't really want to answer, Link didn't press him. They had to get some rest before heading over to get used to the court that afternoon.

A triple-double in one game wasn't anything special. Plenty of players in the G League could put up triple-doubles. Link had to stay focused every game if he wanted to stand out.

This was Link's first road trip, and he didn't want anything to go wrong.