Michael Harris was born in Texas on June 15, 1983. He stood 1.98 meters tall and played shooting guard and small forward. Most people weren't familiar with his name, but his story was anything but ordinary.
Like Link, Michael Harris had a strong connection to the Houston Rockets. For him, shuttling between the CBA and the Rockets had become a normal part of his career.
Whenever the Rockets found themselves in a bind, they loved signing Michael Harris to a ten-day contract. After a few of those, Harris would return to the CBA or the G League. That was why Michael Harris had also spent a brief stint with the Vipers last season.
It was during his time with the Vipers that Michael Harris, an unknown player with years of professional experience, scored 48 points—the highest single-game individual total in G League history.
Considering this was an era when three-pointers and fast-paced offense hadn't yet become widespread, a G League player scoring 48 points in a single game was no small feat.
That was why the Vipers were always so proud whenever anyone brought up the G League's single-game scoring record. After all, it had been set by one of their own players.
But today, the Vipers' pride was about to come to an end. With only three minutes left in the game, Link, the undrafted Chinese-American, had already scored 43 points. If he could score just five more, he would break the G League's single-game scoring record.
DeMarre Carroll had become the most miserable man on the court. He had spent the entire game as a backdrop to Link's performance.
Cuts, catch-and-shoot jumpers, floaters, second-chance points at the rim... Link had even thrown down a crossover drive and dunk today.
It was fair to say that Link was simply unstoppable in the G League. His touch was scorching hot tonight; whenever he took a shot, the fans could start cheering before it even went in.
Carroll had put up some resistance in the first half, but after the break, he had simply given up. He knew this was destined to be Link's night. No matter how hard he fought, nothing could change that.
And so Link's point total kept climbing. By the time everyone realized what was happening, he was already close to breaking the G League single-game scoring record set by Michael Harris!
By then, the Vipers were trailing the Blue Team by 13 points. Making up 13 points in three minutes wasn't impossible, but no one in the arena believed the Vipers could still win. They had been dominated by the Blue Team all game.
Carroll, the Vipers' leading scorer, had managed only eight points so far, thanks to Link's defense. When a team's star player was completely silenced, its chances of winning became vanishingly small.
At this point, the result was no longer in doubt. The only question was whether Link could break the G League's single-game scoring record!
"What an incredible game! Link's wearing Upshaw's jersey tonight, and he's putting on an incredible performance! His offensive talent is on full display. I'd even say he's already a highly polished scorer!"
The commentators' praise was unending. They had no idea where Link's strength came from. Was it because the Rockets had cast him aside? Or because his good friend Upshaw had passed away?
Whatever the source of his strength, everyone believed tonight would be a legendary, drama-filled affair.
On the court, Link cut along the baseline and headed for the basket. At this point, it wasn't just Carroll in front of him—even the Vipers' power forward had closed in on the Chinese-American forward. That was right: the Vipers had even resorted to double-teaming Link!
On a basketball court, just any old player couldn't expect to draw a double-team.
When he saw the defense closing in, Link didn't panic. He suddenly reversed direction and sprinted toward the top of the three-point arc.
Carroll did everything he could to stay with him, but suddenly ran into a "wall." When he looked up, he found himself sprawled against Jon Brockman. Of course, there was nothing romantic about the scene.
A well-timed off-ball screen let Link shake his defender with ease once again. He ran to the top of the arc, caught the ball, and shot without any unnecessary preparation.
The moment Link released the shot, every fan in the arena stood up and raised their arms. Celebrating before the ball went in had become the norm tonight. Link's unstoppable performance had given the Blue Team's fans tremendous confidence.
This time, the ball didn't swish through the net. It hit the front of the rim and bounced high into the air.
Just as the Vipers' players were letting out a huge sigh of relief, the ball came down again and dropped through the net. The three-pointer counted. Link had scored 46 points, just two shy of tying the record!
"Open your eyes, folks, because every moment we're watching tonight is history in the making!"
Twenty seconds later, Link was back at it. This time, he sent Carroll stumbling with a feint. It wasn't that Link had humiliated Carroll with some flashy Irving-style dribbling; after all, Hill in the 2010–11 season didn't have that kind of mobility or ball-handling ability.
Link had fooled Carroll's balance with a simple pump fake. When Carroll charged forward with all his might, Link pulled the ball back and drove inside. Carroll, caught off balance, forced himself around, only to slip and crash hard to the floor.
As the whole arena gasped, Link charged into the paint. Facing the Vipers' center, who had come over to help, Link gently lofted a floater.
Before he'd come here, Link had watched an interview with Paul during his time with the Hornets. In it, Paul said he loved the feeling of the ball floating over a big man's fingertips when he shot a floater. Beating someone taller and stronger with a soft touch gave Paul a real sense of accomplishment.
And now, Link finally understood that feeling.
The ball sailed over the Vipers' center's fingertips and began to descend. Blocked from view by the center, Link couldn't see whether it went in. But when he heard the crowd erupt, he knew the answer.
"Forty-eight! Forty-eight! The incredible Link has tied the G League's single-game scoring record! He's completely taken over this game, turning the winter in Oklahoma City into a blazing inferno!"
As the commentator shouted, Link kissed the number zero on the front of his jersey. He knew he wasn't fighting alone.
The arena's big screen flashed a message announcing that Link had broken the scoring record. Link glanced up, lifted his jersey to wipe away the sweat, then spread his arms and continued to defend with all his might.
The Vipers swallowed hard. Link's form made one thing clear: the slaughter wasn't over yet!
Meanwhile, Morey, sitting behind his television, immediately called Carl Jones. But a sob came from the other end of the line.
"Link fired me! I got the boot!"
"Damn it!" Morey swore. Just then, Link scored again.
This time, it wasn't Link who took the shot, but Brockman. After receiving a pass from Link, Brockman took an open mid-range jumper.
He was wide open, but unfortunately, Brockman's shooting wasn't quite up to the task. His shot clanged off the rim and missed.
But Link, under the basket, seemed to have anticipated exactly where the rebound would fall. He leaped lightly and tipped the ball back into the hoop with a deft touch.
With an effortless putback, Link scored his 50th point of the game and broke the G League single-game scoring record!
"MVP! MVP! MVP! MVP!"
The moment the shot went in, every fan in the arena began chanting "MVP!" For any player, hearing a crowd cheer like that was an honor in itself.
"Enjoy it while you can. This is the highest a G League player can reach." On the sideline, Conner joined in the cheering. In that moment, he wasn't the Blue Team's coach; he was Link's fan.
With 48 seconds left in the game, Link drove hard for a layup. In the air, Carroll and the other Vipers players collided with him, sending him tumbling awkwardly to the floor.
Even so, Link's shooting motion never changed. One second before he hit the floor, he gently tossed the ball into the hoop.
At the same time, the referee's whistle blew. Link already had 52 points, and he'd earned one more free throw.
His teammates pulled Link up from the hardwood. He looked at the big screen and checked his point total. Then, as if he were thinking something over, he finally stepped up to the free-throw line.
At the line, Link's expression was calm and detached. He wasn't excited. Plenty of players went their entire lives without touching a league record, yet Link, who had already broken the scoring record, didn't seem happy.
He picked up the ball and casually tossed it off the backboard, then deliberately committed a foul to stop play. He walked straight off the court, signaling to Conner that he didn't want to keep playing. There was no doubt about it: he wanted his point total to remain frozen at 52.
At the sideline, Link crouched down and kissed two fingers, then touched the edge of his shoe with them. There, two simple words were written: Rest in peace, Zeke.
Zeke Upshaw was 26 years old, with his 27th birthday just a month and a half away. But the world would never see the next chapter of his life.
Likewise, with 26 points in each half, Link had said goodbye to his friend. The number 26 had been frozen in time that night. It would never grow again. But that night, and Upshaw at 26, would never be forgotten.
Link sat back down on the bench, draped a towel over his head, and brought his legendary performance to an end.
And Morey, watching the Vipers get slaughtered, wore a scowl.
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