Collapsing the Underdog (Fourth Update)

Zach Randolph's grinning photo appeared on the front pages of major news portals the next day.

Naturally, his remark—"Whether it's gambling or basketball, Link is first-rate"—also set people's imaginations running wild.

Just how badly had Randolph, who used to run with the streets in Portland, lost to say something like that?

For a time, all sorts of urban legends about Link sprang up.

"Link Wins 50,000 in a Card Game! Randolph Cries After Losing Everything!"

"Jordan II? Link Actually Made the Grizzlies Lift Their Ban on Gambling Aboard Planes."

"Do All Great Players Gamble Like Their Lives Depend on It?"

Looking at all those gossip stories, Link felt like crying without tears. He had only placed a casual bet so as not to spoil everyone's fun. Who would have thought such a massive upset would actually happen?

Out of curiosity, Link later watched that game, and Wiggins and Embiid's performances had been an absolute disaster.

First of all, the 57-60 scoreline was incredibly low. Link naturally knew that the NCAA was different from the NBA, so NBA scoring standards could not be used to judge the NCAA.

But scoring only 57 points in an entire game was low even by NCAA standards.

Moreover, Wiggins went just 1-for-7 and scored only 4 points, a performance that was an embarrassment for a projected first overall pick.

In people's eyes at the time, the 2014 draft was being compared with the 1996 and 2003 drafts. Most believed that 2014 would produce another golden generation.

Yet Wiggins, the most highly anticipated player of that "golden generation," made only one field goal all game and practically vanished in crunch time. Link truly suspected that this guy had developed his habit of taking it easy back in college.

As for Embiid, he had left the game