The Troubles of Happiness

December 6th's NBA Top 5 Plays of the Day, as usual, got most fans' blood pumping.

But what surprised many was that today's Top 5 featured a figure most fans found utterly unfamiliar. And not just once—twice.

First came the fifth-place play: that unknown yellow-skinned player shook off McGrady, cut perfectly to the basket, then twisted sideways to throw down a tomahawk dunk over Monroe's block.

From the separation to the cut to the final slam, the whole sequence was seamless. Anyone watching might've thought Yao Ming had shrunk. After all, it had been far too long since a yellow-skinned player pulled off such a highlight in the NBA.

Then, in second place, that same yellow-skinned Chinese-American appeared again.

This time, he didn't even dribble. Didn't take a single step. He just casually lobbed the ball from the perimeter after catching a blocked shot, finishing an alley-oop with Jordan Hill.

And the beauty of that play was precisely that casual, unhurried air. Without a sharp ability to read the game, that kind of effortless composure can't be faked.

For one player to claim two spots in the daily Top 5 is no small feat. With so many NBA games in a single day and countless highlights, the odds of picking five plays where two come from the same person are incredibly low.

But today, Link pulled it off. Oh, right—most fans watching the Top 5 still didn't know that suddenly emerging Chinese-American was named Link.

When the majority of fans searched online, they discovered he was just an undrafted rookie! Currently on a 10-day contract with the Rockets, and last night's game was his first-ever NBA appearance!

In an instant, all the fans exploded. Without anyone noticing, Link's fame had begun to skyrocket...

5 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist—the moment Link opened his eyes in bed, those numbers were the first thing to flash through his mind.

That was his stat line from his first NBA game.

Yesterday, Josh Smith put up 34 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists. Carlos Boozer had 29 points and 12 rebounds. The Pacers had seven players scoring in double digits.

Compared to those numbers, Link's 5 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 assist meant nothing.

But even so, this Chinese-American player had become a hot commodity.

First, Link's playing time was less than two minutes, and all of it came in garbage time. Second, as an undrafted rookie making his official debut, grabbing two spots in the daily Top 5 was already remarkable.

Though the stats weren't flashy, Link was still pretty happy—at least it was a good start.

Picking up his phone after getting out of bed, Link saw several unread messages. They came from Upshaw, George, and some college classmates.

Link focused on the texts from Upshaw and George. Both were genuinely happy for him.

Link smiled. So last night, plenty of people had been glued to their TVs, just to watch him play.

He didn't know why Adelman had suddenly decided to put him in, but he knew one thing: he definitely hadn't let Adelman down.

Next, Link had two more games to play. After those, whether he stayed or left would largely depend on Adelman's evaluation.

Thinking about that, Link sprang out of bed like he'd been injected with adrenaline. Only when he was sweating it out in the training gym did he feel safe.

Link's apartment wasn't far from the Toyota Center—the Rockets had arranged it for him. The ten days' rent was also fully covered by the team.

Since it was so close, Link only had to walk about twenty minutes to reach the arena. At first, not hearing Upshaw's car horn every morning felt strange. But now, after playing one game, Link had gradually gotten used to life in Houston.

As a bottom-tier player, Link was only somewhat known among Chinese fan circles. What does "bottom-tier" mean? Guys who could walk down the street a hundred meters from the arena without sunglasses and still not worry about being recognized.

Only die-hard fans who bought season tickets, who noticed which benchwarmer sneezed a few times, chugged a few Gatorades, or waved a towel a certain number of times, would vaguely know who they were.

That's the bottom tier of the NBA, and Link was one of them.

So for the first couple of days, Link's walk to work was basically uninterrupted. The only exception was yesterday, before the game, when an old lady said Link looked familiar and asked if he played football or boxing...

But today, walking down the street, Link felt something was off. People around him seemed to be staring, whispering nonstop.

Being discussed on the street wasn't a comfortable feeling. Link even thought for a moment he'd put his clothes on inside out.

Then, near the Toyota Center, a little boy on his way to school chased after Link for an autograph, and Link finally realized—he hadn't dressed wrong. He'd actually become famous!

The boy asking for an autograph was a typical American kid, blond hair and blue eyes. Before, only Chinese people would ask Link for his signature.

After the autograph, the boy's father warmly shook Link's hand and said politely, "Keep it up, Link!"

Link was stunned again. An American fan could actually say his nickname? He hadn't played that long yesterday—how had he become this famous overnight?

He didn't know that most of them had gotten to know Link through the Top 5 plays.

Once the little boy succeeded in getting an autograph, a crowd of fans surged in from all sides. In the blink of an eye, Link was surrounded, packed in tight. Lost in the crush, Link felt a bit overwhelmed.

Back in the G League, he'd dropped triple-doubles and double-doubles without getting this famous. But after less than two minutes in the NBA, his recognition had completely changed.

A day ago, walking down the street, Houston fans wouldn't have given him a second glance. Today, he was the center of attention.

With no other choice, Link obliged the fans' requests for autographs and photos. Luckily, morning crowds in America weren't as dense as in China—otherwise, Link would never have escaped.

Dashing into the Toyota Center's underground parking lot, Link ran right into Jordan Hill.

Since Link had only joined the team a few days ago, he wasn't very close with his Rockets teammates. If he had to name someone he got along with best, it would be Jordan Hill. After all, Link had helped Hill make the Top 5 yesterday, and during the game, Hill had pulled Link up after he fell.

They weren't exactly friends yet, but there was mutual goodwill.

"Got mobbed by fans? You're the first NBA player I've seen waltz into the arena without sunglasses or a car, bold as brass, hahaha."

Seeing Link's disheveled appearance, Hill laughed without any restraint.

"I thought nobody knew who I was." Link spread his hands. He never imagined he'd one day become a star with all eyes on him.

Yeah, a "star" who'd only scored 5 points, grabbed 2 rebounds, and dished 1 assist.

"Because of Yao's influence, Chinese players are always welcome in Houston. Plus, your performance yesterday was outstanding. So you're definitely already well-known, Link. Oh, and thanks for the pass you gave me yesterday. During training today, we can try a few more of those alley-oops."

Jordan Hill said, patting Link on the back. Link instantly felt that the team atmosphere in the NBA was a whole tier above the NBDL.

Of course, that also depended on the team. This current Houston Rockets squad, with veterans like Scola and Battier around, was still relatively united. A few years later, when Howard showed up, it wouldn't be the same.

Following Jordan Hill, Link turned left and right into the training facility. Seeing the bright wooden floor and NBA-level basketball hoops, Link's hands itched.

The support of the fans, the affection of his teammates, and a decent performance on the court... Link suddenly felt that his Rockets career seemed to be starting to pick up.

Of course, Link still had to figure out how to avoid the overly enthusiastic fans tomorrow morning.

This was truly a happy kind of trouble he never would have dared to imagine before.