Gold Prospectors

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

At first, Stephenson thought George was just too fond of his college teammate, so the Link he described seemed incredibly tough. But if he was really that good, how did he go undrafted?

But after actually going head-to-head with Link today, Stephenson realized this Chinese-American player might be even better than George had described!

From the very first play, Link shut Stephenson down with textbook defense. And despite not being particularly fast, he completed a fast break with just his passing.

Stephenson had played ball for years, and he knew exactly which players were easy to handle and which weren't. Sometimes, a single possession was enough to gauge a player's ability.

Unfortunately, someone like Link, who could predict an offensive player's next move, was the most terrifying kind.

"Lance, wake up! Move the ball more!"

Seeing Stephenson spacing out on the court, Mad Ants head coach Steve Gansey shouted urgently.

Stephenson might be a hothead, but he was also the Mad Ants' best hope for a win. If he froze up on the court, the entire offense would grind to a halt.

Hearing Gansey's yell, Stephenson snapped back to reality. He raised his hand to call for the ball from his point guard, but the moment he caught it, Link was already in his face.

That Chinese-American number five wasn't giving the "Son of New York" any breathing room!

"The physicality between these two is intense. If you ask me, this matchup is NBA-level!"

The commentator was locked in. Seeing an NBA-caliber duel in a G League game was a rare treat.

Stephenson shoved Link away with his head, but Link just kept his arms up, making no extra moves.

Although Link's personality was nothing like Grant Hill's, his playing habits were eerily similar.

Everyone knew Hill was a gentleman, a good guy. His mild temperament was the polar opposite of Iverson's rebelliousness. And like any true gentleman, Hill played a clean game.

No fouls meant Stephenson had to find a way to drive with almost no space. He tried twice, but Link blocked him both times.

With so little room, any move Stephenson made was telegraphed. And with Link pressing him that close, Stephenson couldn't use his speed advantage either.

"Stephenson is in a tough spot—he can barely move! Link's defense today is incredible. Stephenson has no choice but to pass!"

Stephenson passed, but it was meaningless. This wasn't a setup play; he was forced to give up the ball.

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

In other words, when Link guarded him, Stephenson hadn't moved a single step. He was completely locked down!

Since entering the draft, this wasn't the first time Stephenson had been stuck in place. But the last time he'd been this humiliated was in the NBA, going up against Kobe.

And today... he was getting schooled by an undrafted player.

When he got back from the G League, Stephenson was definitely going to give George an earful.

He'd undersold his former teammate way too much.

※※※

Larry Bird had always had one goal: to become a basketball godfather like Auerbach. Auerbach's importance to the Celtics went without saying, and Bird wanted to be Indianapolis's version of that.

Though he'd stepped down as head coach, Bird had done well in management in recent years. Now the Pacers' President of Basketball Operations, he'd used a first-round tenth pick and a second-round tenth pick to select George and Stephenson, believing his choices would make the team better.

As for Paul George, Bird wasn't too worried. The kid might be averaging under ten points a game, but his talent on the court was obvious.

What really concerned Bird was Stephenson, picked tenth in the second round. Barkley once said, "Stephenson is one of the most talented players in the league—he just has a weird temper."

Bird agreed. If not for all the off-court trouble, Stephenson would never have fallen to the second round.

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

But lately, Bird realized those punishments weren't cutting it anymore. So he'd made a tough call and sent Stephenson back to the G League.

Stephenson was a wild beast, hard to tame. But once tamed, Bird would gain a fearless, iron-willed warrior.

Since the Pacers had no game today, Bird turned on the local Indiana channel after work to watch the G League broadcast.

By now, the game was in the third quarter. To Bird's surprise, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants were down by 13 points.

"What the hell?" Bird frowned. With Stephenson on the roster, the Mad Ants were trailing by 13 in the third? How badly was he playing?

In Bird's expectations, Stephenson should have dominated the G League on both ends. But on the court, a Chinese-American player in number five shook off Stephenson with a beautiful reverse pivot, caught the ball, and hit a mid-range jumper.

That number five's shooting was so steady Bird almost clapped.

Then the screen showed the stat comparison.

That number five, Tom Lin, had 18 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists—very well-rounded.

Stephenson's line: 6 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 turnovers...

Bird's envisioned iron warrior had been completely dismantled by an unknown Chinese-American player!

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

Based on the on-court performance, Stephenson wasn't having an off night—he was simply outclassed!

In shooting consistency, defensive stability, and overall composure, that Chinese-American number five was better than Stephenson!

Bird knew Stephenson's strengths and weaknesses well. Any G League player who could dominate Stephenson like this was no joke.

So Bird immediately opened his laptop and searched for Link's name.

He hadn't expected much, but the screen filled with news about Link's triple-double from the previous game.

A guy who can dominate Stephenson and drop a triple-double on Luke Ba Weiyuan—Bird doesn't think the G League is where he belongs.

Bird is dead set on completely transforming the Pacers, so he won't turn down any player with real talent.

He doesn't care about a man's skin color or his background; he only cares about what that player can bring to the team.

So he picks up the phone and calls 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 10-day contract."

Bird's demand is clear: he wants to sign Link.

"Uh... I'm afraid you're too late, Bird. According to my network, the Houston Rockets have already made a move on Link. They're also interested in offering him a 10-day contract."

Hearing the scout's reply, Bird let out a wry smile. In the world of basketball, gold really does shine eventually. And this league never lacks for prospectors.