17 points, 10 assists, 6 rebounds, and 2 steals—the next day's newspapers had to use a long string of numbers just to list Link's stats.
His outstanding performance naturally earned praise from plenty of media outlets. Although Link's numbers were hardly jaw-dropping compared to those superstars who soared through the air and did the impossible, they were more than impressive for an undrafted player.
Harden, the third overall pick matched up against him, had only scored 8 points, hadn't he?
Link did not yet know that, far away in China, many media outlets had placed news of him on their front pages. Although Link was not Chinese, Chinese fans had not seen a yellow-skinned player put up truly convincing numbers on an NBA court for a long time since Yao Ming went down with injury.
At the time, Yi Jianlian was struggling in Washington, averaging just 5 points per game. Now, a yellow-skinned player who could put up 17 and 10 had suddenly appeared. Naturally, Chinese fans were thrilled.
In short, after the game against the Thunder, no media outlet would bring up Link's $2 million contract again. He had proven through his actions that he was worth the price—perhaps even more than that.
Of course, in the eyes of Link's agent, Jeff Austin, Link's value had long exceeded a mere $2 million. Never mind the price of Link's next contract that summer; even now, plenty of lucrative endorsement offers had already come knocking.
Naturally, those offers included invitations from Nike, Adidas, and Jordan.
Ever since Link signed an official contract with the Grizzlies, all three major shoe brands had contacted Jeff Austin. Link had possessed some fame before, but he had still been a "temporary worker," and the three brands could not be sure he would remain on the