Link On and Off the Court

The Memphis Grizzlies weren't looking reassuring today. Halfway through the first quarter, the Pacers already led them by six points.

At the broadcast table, TNT's Jeff Van Gundy and Chris Webber kept making jokes. "The Memphis Grizzlies' roster is really something."

"Zach Randolph, whom nobody wanted; Mayo, whose arrogance outweighs his talent; Gay, who thinks he's a superstar; and the lukewarm Gasol Jr... Just look at these guys! If the Grizzlies want to make the playoffs, they need to add some real talent to their roster." Seeing Gasol Jr.'s shot miss again because of Hibbert, Webber couldn't help taking a jab at the team.

"Improve the roster? Well, actually, the Grizzlies have done just that. They brought Link to Conseco Fieldhouse today. Let's hope this rookie, who signed a ten-day contract with the team, can help the Grizzlies through this rough patch. Ha ha ha!" Van Gundy's words carried more than a hint of mockery.

Last season, the Grizzlies had failed to make the playoffs. Their roster had barely changed this year, so naturally, nobody expected them to improve much.

A washed-up Allen Iverson had been the Grizzlies' biggest-name signing in years. Like the city of Memphis, the Grizzlies were always looked down on.

As Webber and Van Gundy were joking around, Daniel Granger's pull-up midrange jumper caught Rudy Gay off guard. The Pacers scored again, stretching their lead to eight.

"Damn it!" Lionel Hollins cursed, got to his feet, and called a timeout.

If the Pacers pushed their lead to ten early, that would put the Grizzlies in a bad spot. They were a team built around defense, after all. If their defense fell apart, so would the game.

"And Hollins has called a timeout. But, if you ask me, I don't think the Grizzlies have any decent answer. They've lost their last three games. They haven't been playing well lately, and I doubt they can suddenly turn things around."

Webber shook his head. To him, the Grizzlies were a bottom-feeder team.

The moment the game paused, Link hurried over. He was eager to get involved because Hollins had said he'd get a spot in the rotation today. And now, it was about time.

After Rudy Gay came off the court, he sat on the bench and asked a staff member for a towel and some Gatorade. But he paid little attention to Hollins, who was down on one knee drawing up a play.

O.J. Mayo tilted his head. He'd scored six points in the first half of the quarter, which seemed to have him feeling pretty good about himself. Losing wasn't his problem anyway. The Grizzlies were a "garbage team," so all he had to do was put up stats.

The starters could ignore the coach's instructions and zone out, but bottom-of-the-roster players like Link couldn't afford to.

Anyone who watched the NBA knew the scene: during a timeout, while the coach pleaded and talked himself hoarse, the stars stared off into space. Meanwhile, a few players in warm-up jackets, with dry foreheads and zero minutes played, gathered around the coach, looking as diligent as could be.

Without them, half the coach's timeout speeches would fall flat...

Hollins had been talking for a while when he realized Gay didn't seem to care. Whenever Gay got like this, he went into chucking mode. If he got lucky, he could bury the other team. But most of the time, it was the Grizzlies who paid the price.

Hollins suddenly stopped, then waved behind him without turning around.

"Link, get ready to go in!"

At last, Rudy Gay looked at his coach. Unfortunately for him, it was already too late.

Link glanced at his teammates in surprise, then squeezed through the outer edge of the group to stand beside Hollins. Gay and Sam Young both glared at him, but Zach Randolph stepped in to smooth things over.

"Relax, man. Listen to what the coach says. If you run to the wrong spot out there, I'll deal with you." Randolph squeezed Link's shoulder as he spoke. On the surface, he was "threatening" Link, but he was really sending a message to Gay and Sam Young.

"Link's with me."

"Listen, Link. I need you to guard Daniel Granger. I'm not asking you to shut him down, but don't let him get easy shots. Funnel him toward the paint; Zach and Marc will help you. On offense, run the plays like you did in practice. If you get an open three and miss it, I'm taking you right back out!"

Hollins gave Link a quick rundown, and Link nodded solemnly. Hollins trusted him to execute the plays better than Gay.

"BEEEEEP!" The piercing buzzer rang out, and the Pacers fans erupted in cheers.

At that moment, Link felt goose bumps rise all over his body. He'd played three games for the Rockets, but being called in at a crucial moment was nothing like playing during garbage time.

He took a deep breath, touched the words "Rest in peace, Zeke" by the edge of his shoe, then stepped onto the court!

"Kid, come back!" Link had barely taken his first step when he heard assistant coach Elston Turner yell. Then he heard a burst of laughter from the stands.

"Huh?" Link turned back, confused. He'd thought his entrance looked pretty cool.

"What are you doing!? You forgot to take off your warm-ups! Get them off, and relax!"

At Turner's words, Link realized he'd forgotten to take off his warm-up jacket and pants...

Well, his first appearance for the Grizzlies had gone spectacularly wrong.

"Ha ha ha! That may be the most embarrassing entrance I've ever seen. Link, the Chinese-American forward who signed a ten-day contract with the Grizzlies, was so nervous he forgot to take off his warm-ups. Does Coach Lionel Hollins really think a player like that can make a difference?"

Van Gundy and Webber burst out laughing at the broadcast table. On the Pacers' bench, Jim O'Brien wore a mocking smile, too.

After laughing, Jim O'Brien turned to George. "See? I told you. A guy like that won't have any impact on the game!"

Link felt a little embarrassed at first, but once he took off his warm-ups and saw the number zero on his chest, he quickly settled down.

As soon as he stepped onto the court, his eyes changed. The humble, goofy look vanished, replaced by a fierce intensity. Eighty percent of the people in the arena had no idea who Link was or where he'd come from.

But the moment they saw his yellow skin, the thought that he must be weak had already crossed their minds.

Daniel Granger thought the same way. Even Rudy Gay hadn't been able to stop him today. Now they'd put in some unknown yellow-skinned rookie, who'd be good for nothing but giving him easy points.

But Larry Bird, sitting in a luxury box, didn't share the majority's opinion. He narrowed his eyes, eager to see what Link could do.

Bird was among the twenty percent who knew something about Link. He knew this undrafted number zero was no ordinary player.

"The Grizzlies are on offense, still taking their time. Conley's controlling the ball steadily. He really is a young point guard with an old head on his shoulders."

As Webber spoke, Conley crossed half court. Link immediately moved to the right wing beyond the three-point line to give him an option.

Following the play, Conley passed the ball to Link. Granger didn't crowd him. He didn't think there was any need.

Of course, Link wasn't about to take the ball and challenge Granger one-on-one. Granger was still an All-Star-level player.

The Chinese-American number zero lobbed the ball to Randolph in the post, then cut without the ball!

"Cut!" Granger scoffed. The cut was simple to read. He stayed close to Link, denying him any room to receive a pass. As expected of an undrafted rookie!

But the moment Link stepped into the paint, he suddenly reversed course and darted back beyond the three-point line! At the same time, Mayo and Conley started moving around, drawing the Pacers' attention.

Randolph passed the ball back to Link, who caught it right beyond the three-point line and immediately raised it to shoot!

"Cute trick!" Granger took two long strides toward him. He had to admit that Link's change of direction was sharp, but a move like that wouldn't beat him.

Granger stretched out his long arms and leaped high. Nothing was more satisfying than swatting a rookie's shot into the stands.

But as Granger hung in the air, waiting for Link to shoot, he didn't see the ball coming toward him. Instead, he saw a sly smile spread across the Chinese-American number zero's face.

The last player to see that smile was Jon Brockman. Link had already made a believer out of him.

"Pump fake! Link only faked the shot! He's driving, Granger's beaten, and the other defenders are tied up. The lane to the basket is wide open!"

No sooner had Van Gundy finished speaking than Link leaped for a layup. Roy Hibbert rushed over to block him.

But in midair, Link—whose body had grown lighter and quicker after his upgrade—managed to twist for a reverse layup and avoid the block, dropping the ball through the hoop. It wasn't a pretty move, but it worked.

As the ball left his hand, Hibbert crashed into him and knocked him down. The moment Link hit the floor, he heard the referee's sharp whistle.

"The basket counts, and he'll get one more! Link has drawn a chance for a three-point play in his very first possession! This... Hollins's substitution has paid off right away!"

After scoring, Link lay on the floor, pumping his fist. Randolph pulled him up, and Link shot Hibbert a fierce look through gritted teeth.

In practice, Link had used almost the exact same move to fool Randolph. Now Hibbert had become the second big man to fall for it.

Only then did the crowd realize that this yellow-skinned guy might not be someone to mess with. He wasn't soft. He was a real tough guy!

A real Grizzly!