The Gold Diggers

Before this game began, Paul George had told Stephenson countless good things about Link.

At first, Stephenson thought George was just overly fond of his college teammate, which was why he made Link sound so formidable. But if Link was really that good, why had he gone undrafted?

It wasn't until he faced Link himself today that Stephenson realized this Chinese-American player might be even better than George had described!

On the opening possession, Link stopped Stephenson with textbook defense. And despite not being particularly fast, he started a fast break with nothing but a pass.

After playing basketball for so many years, Stephenson knew which players were easy to handle and which weren't. Sometimes, it took him just one possession to get a rough sense of a player's ability.

Unfortunately, players like Link, who could predict an attacker's next move, were the most terrifying of all.

"Lance, focus! Move the ball!"

Seeing Stephenson standing dazed on the court, Mad Ants head coach Steve Gansey shouted anxiously.

Stephenson might have been a hothead, but he was also the Mad Ants' hope for victory. If he became lost on the court, the team's entire offense would grind to a halt.

Gansey's shout brought Stephenson back to his senses. He raised a hand to call for the ball from his point guard, but the moment he got it, Link was all over him.

The Chinese-American number five wasn't about to give the Son of New York a single opening!

"The two are going at it fiercely. If you ask me, this matchup is on an NBA level!"

The commentator watched intently. Seeing an NBA-level matchup in a G League game was a rare treat.

Stephenson shoved Link aside with his head, while Link simply raised both arms and made no unnecessary movements.

Link's personality was nothing like Grant Hill's, but when it came to playing basketball, he had inherited Hill's habits all the same.

Everyone knew Hill was a true gentleman, a genuinely good guy. His amiable personality was the polar opposite of Iverson's defiance, and like the gentleman he was, Hill played clean.

With no foul called, Stephenson had to find a way to break through in the cramped space. He tried twice, but Link stopped him both times.

There was too little room. Stephenson's every move was easy to read, and with Link guarding him so closely, he couldn't use his speed.

"Stephenson's struggling. He can barely move! Link's defense has been incredible today. Stephenson has no choice but to pass!"

Stephenson passed, but it accomplished little. He wasn't moving the offense along; he'd simply been forced to give up the ball.

After passing, Stephenson looked down. He was still standing in the same spot where he'd caught the ball.

In other words, while Link was guarding him, Stephenson hadn't managed to take even one step. He'd been completely locked in place!

This wasn't the first time Stephenson had been held in place since entering the draft. But the last time he'd been defended this badly was in the NBA, when he'd faced Kobe.

But today... he'd been embarrassed by an undrafted player.

After he got back from the G League, Stephenson would have to give George a piece of his mind.

He'd made his former teammate sound far too weak.

※※※

Larry Bird had always had one goal: to become a basketball patriarch like Auerbach. Auerbach's importance to the Celtics hardly needed explaining. Bird wanted to be the Auerbach of Indianapolis.

Though he'd stepped down as head coach, Bird had done an excellent job in the front office over the past few years. Now the Pacers' president of basketball operations, he'd used the tenth pick in the first round and the tenth pick in the second round to select George and Stephenson. He believed his choices would make the team better.

Bird wasn't too worried about Paul George. The kid was averaging fewer than ten points a game, but his talent on the court was plain to see.

The one who really worried Bird was Stephenson, the tenth pick in the second round. Barkley had once said, "Stephenson is one of the most talented players in the league. He just has a bizarre temperament."

Bird agreed. If not for the trouble he'd caused off the court, Stephenson would never have fallen to the second round.

And because of Stephenson's childish temper, Bird had punished him plenty.

Recently, though, Bird had realized that his previous punishments had barely made a dent. So he'd finally lost patience and sent Stephenson back to the G League.

Stephenson was a wild beast, difficult to tame. But once tamed, he could become a fearless, battle-hardened warrior.

The Pacers didn't have a game today, so after getting home from work, Bird turned on a local Indiana TV station and tuned in to the G League game.

The game was already in the third quarter. To Bird's surprise, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants were down by thirteen.

"What the hell?" Bird frowned. With Stephenson on the team, how were the Mad Ants down by thirteen in the third quarter? Just how badly was he playing?

Bird had expected Stephenson to dominate the G League on both ends of the court. But on-screen, a Chinese-American player wearing number five made a slick counter and left Stephenson behind, then caught the ball and pulled up for a midrange jumper.

The number five's shot was so smooth that Bird could barely resist applauding.

Next, the stats for both teams appeared at the bottom of the screen.

The Chinese-American number five, Tom Link, had already put up an impressive all-around line: eighteen points, five rebounds, and four assists.

Stephenson's line showed six points, two rebounds, three assists, and four turnovers...

The battle-hardened warrior Bird had envisioned had been thoroughly outplayed by an unknown Chinese-American player!

At first, Bird thought Stephenson was just having an off night. But after watching the third quarter, he dismissed that idea.

Judging by his performance on the court, Stephenson wasn't having an off night. He simply wasn't good enough!

The Chinese-American number five was better than Stephenson in shooting consistency, defensive consistency, and composure!

Bird knew exactly what Stephenson was capable of. Any G League player who could run rings around Stephenson had to be something special!

So Bird immediately opened his laptop and searched for Link.

A quick search brought up a slew of articles about Link's triple-double in his previous game.

Bird didn't think a player who could run rings around Stephenson and put up a triple-double against Luke Babbitt belonged in the G League.

Bird was determined to transform the Pacers, so he wouldn't turn away any player with real ability.

He didn't care about a player's skin color or background. All he cared about was what that player could bring to the team.

He picked up the phone and called his chief scout.

"I don't care how you do it. Get in touch with him as soon as possible. I want to offer him a ten-day contract."

Bird's request was clear: he wanted to sign Link!

"Uh... I'm afraid you're a little late, Bird. From what I've heard through my network, the Houston Rockets have already made a move for Link. They're interested in offering him a ten-day contract too."

Hearing the scout's reply, Bird gave a wry smile. In the world of basketball, gold really did always find a way to shine. And this league was never short of prospectors.