On the first morning after returning from Indiana to Oklahoma City, Link rummaged through the closet in his rental apartment, only to discover in despair that he didn't own a single suit.
He sat on his bed, staring at the mess of clothes scattered around him, at a loss for what to do.
Today was the day Link was supposed to sign with the Rockets. But he couldn't meet with the team's management dressed in a suit. It was true that for a G League player, just putting food on the table was hard enough. Where was he supposed to get the extra money to buy a suit?
With no other choice, Link put on casual clothes and hoped they wouldn't leave a bad impression on the Rockets' management.
But honestly, Link had never expected to end up with the Houston Rockets. Everyone knew that at the time, the Houston Rockets were practically the home team of Chinese NBA fans. Yao Ming was once again out for the season, but his influence remained. Link himself had once been a Rockets fan.
If everything went smoothly this afternoon, he'd become a member of the Rockets!
The Houston Rockets were in a slump during the 2010–11 season. In Link's memory, they hadn't even made the playoffs that year.
The Rockets also didn't have much depth at forward. Battier was still holding the line, but age had caught up with him. Chase Budinger could leap and dunk, but his overall ability was nothing special. In other words, Link believed he could earn a spot on the Rockets through his own ability.
If he could become an official Rocket one day and take Yao Ming's place as the idol of basketball fans across China, that would be pretty amazing.
Just as Link was nearly drooling at the thought, his phone suddenly rang. It was Carl Jones. They had to get ready to sign the contract.
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The signing hadn't even begun, but news that Link was about to sign with the Houston Rockets had already set the world abuzz.
Now, people across that vast continent in the East knew that a Chinese American named Link was about to don a Rockets jersey and carry on Yao Ming's legacy.
Overnight, Link became a household name among Chinese basketball fans. And far away in the United States, he gained a degree of fame as well.
There was no doubt that Carl Jones and the Rockets had done a great job publicizing the deal. They'd successfully drawn attention with Link. But the person at the center of it all was completely in the dark.
So when Link arrived at the meeting place and found a large crowd of reporters waiting, he was astonished.
He hadn't expected that a nobody from the G League signing a ten-day contract with the Rockets could attract this much attention.
As soon as he walked into the room where the signing was to take place, the Rockets' general manager, Darrell Morey, a familiar name to Chinese fans, came over and warmly embraced him.
"Congratulations, Link. Your dream is about to come true."
Morey was so friendly that anyone who didn't know better would have thought he and Link were old friends.
As Morey embraced Link, camera flashes went off all around them. Link felt dizzy, as if nothing around him was quite real.
"Come on, let's get this signing done as quickly as possible. Then you can put on a Houston Rockets jersey. Over here, young man. Your ten-day contract is waiting for you!"
Morey said this as he walked over to a table. A contract lay on it. According to Carl Jones, he'd already read it carefully. Link only needed to flip through it as if he were checking it, then sign.
As soon as Link sat down, every camera turned toward him. Large beads of sweat formed on his forehead. After his last game in Indiana, he'd been incredibly nervous just facing one reporter.
Now, faced with a sea of cameras, Link could barely breathe.
With everyone watching, Link mechanically flipped through the contract and signed his name.
"Smile for the cameras, young man."
As soon as Link finished signing, Morey muttered quietly beside him.
Still dazed, Link did as he was told, and a perfect signing photo was born.
Just like that, Link became an NBA player and a member of the Houston Rockets, without quite understanding how it had happened.
With $57,000 in hand, the door to the NBA had been kicked open. But Link couldn't shake his unease. The people around him were simply too enthusiastic.
"Congratulations, Link! I told you I'd make you an NBA player!" As soon as the signing ceremony ended, Carl Jones excitedly embraced Link, as if he were hugging a sturdy money tree.
And Morey? He only smiled faintly at Link before hurrying away. The warmth he'd shown moments ago seemed to vanish in an instant.
It was almost as if... he'd only been putting on a show for the cameras.
"Now that the signing's done, I can move on with my plan. To be honest, before you signed, I'd already received offers for a bunch of commercial deals, but I turned them all down. Know why? Because once you become famous, they'll have to pay several times more than they would now to get you! Celebrate, Link. We're going to make a fortune!"
Carl Jones was practically dancing with joy, but Link frowned.
"Commercial deals? Shouldn't my top priority be reporting to Houston?"
"Of course, of course. I'll take you to Houston tomorrow. But don't worry. There are plenty of commercial deals waiting for you to sign even in Houston. Tomorrow—no, maybe this afternoon—news about you will be all over the world. Your value will rise right along with it. You'll love the way I handle things, Link. Together, we'll have all kinds of opportunities!"
As Carl Jones spoke, his phone rang. Judging by his manner and tone as he answered, it was probably a call about a commercial deal.
The way Carl Jones and Morey had acted left Link feeling uneasy. He only wanted to focus on basketball and earn a place in the NBA. But if the Rockets and Jones were just using him as a publicity tool... Link clenched his fists. There was more to the NBA than basketball. It seemed far more complicated than he'd imagined.
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"Inspiring! Chinese American youth fulfills his dream, bringing another Chinese touch to Houston!"
"A Chinese face in the NBA again? China's Link makes the league!"
Morey: "We're delighted to have Link join the Rockets. His arrival is a great addition to our roster."
Just as Carl Jones had said, news of Link signing with the Rockets spread around the world that afternoon. There were countless articles about him, from opinion pieces to stories digging into his background.
Link's parents even called to say that reporters had crowded around their house, leaving barely any room to move. Most of them were Chinese reporters.
Looking at all the news stories, Link could only think one thing: Fake!
He suddenly felt as if he weren't going to play basketball at all, but to Houston to put on a show. Like some washed-up celebrity making an appearance at an event for quick cash, then living off the proceeds until the next chance came along.
The directors of this show were clearly Carl Jones and Morey. One wanted higher earnings from commercial deals, while the other needed to attract the Chinese market as the Rockets hit a low point.
Had these two really signed him for basketball reasons? Link couldn't help asking himself.
He shook his head and stopped overthinking it. Whatever Morey's reason for signing him, if he performed well in practice and games, he could take off the "clown" mask.
"Link, what are you spacing out for? Come on in! Dinner's ready!"
Zeke Upshaw's shout brought Link back to his senses. He realized he'd arrived at Upshaw's front door.
When Upshaw heard that the Rockets had signed Link, he'd insisted that Link come over for dinner so they could celebrate together.
"What's wrong? Why the long face? You're going to the NBA, man. The NBA!"
Upshaw rushed out of the house and clapped Link on the shoulder. The NBA had been Upshaw's lifelong dream, but at twenty-six, he still hadn't achieved it.
Even so, seeing someone close to him realize his dream filled Upshaw with excitement.
"No, I'm happy. Thanks for looking out for me and keeping me company, man." Link hugged Upshaw. It was the first time he'd ever embraced a man so tenderly.
Compared with the unreadable masks worn by Carl Jones and Morey, the warmth Upshaw gave him was undeniably real.
They'd fought side by side on the court and looked after each other in life. In some ways, Link would have preferred to keep playing with Upshaw in the G League.
"Come on, get inside. Mom made her famous sausage pie. Tonight's your big night, brother."
Link smiled and walked through the door. Only now did he truly feel the joy of becoming an NBA player.
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