The Bit Player Yearning to Usurp the Throne

The Memphis Grizzlies were undoubtedly the most successful team of the season—bar none.

Following Dave Joerger's Coach of the Year award and Link's Defensive Player of the Year award, the Grizzlies had now added an MVP to their haul.

For one team to win three individual honors in a single season was unquestionably a tremendous achievement.

Compared to the MVP, Link's earlier Defensive Player of the Year award no longer seemed all that surprising.

Once the media dug up the fact that Link was, after Hakeem Olajuwon, Jordan, and Garnett, the third player to win both MVP and Defensive Player of the Year, fans were no longer surprised by it.

After all, Link had been making history all season long. Every few days, he would become the first—or yet another—player in NBA history to do something or other. Fans had long since grown used to it.

And it was not just the fans. Link's opponents had also become accustomed to his greatness. Chris Paul, for instance.

A few days earlier, when Link won Defensive Player of the Year, Paul had still been furious. But now, after Link became the first unanimous MVP, Paul had instead come to terms with it.

The guy had already won so many honors. What was one more MVP?

So Paul was remarkably calm tonight. He did not care what other award Link had won, nor did he care what history Link had made.

He had focused all his attention on crushing the Grizzlies!

The Los Angeles Clippers had recovered from the painful defeat in the previous game. Taking down the defending champions remained their top priority.

Link was indeed great, but neither he nor the Grizzlies were invincible. In the last game, the Clippers had been only inches away from victory.

Tonight, the eyes of