March arrived, and the temperature gradually began to rise.
But the temperature wasn't the only thing heating up—the regular-season race was as well.
And so was Bill Simmons's social media.
The day after Link said on TNT that he would give Simmons a hat, Simmons showed off Link's "gift" on social media, along with a simple, easy-to-understand, yet emotionally charged message.
"You damn bastard!"
For a time, countless fans reposted Simmons's update. The comments and likes on the post skyrocketed as well.
But most fans didn't sympathize with Simmons. Instead, they thought Link had done an absolutely fantastic job!
A visor—what an incredibly fitting gift!
"This is definitely the most thoughtful gift Link has ever given."
"Even Rachel would be jealous of that treatment."
"Have to say, Link really is a bastard, but he's a bastard we all love."
The matter between Link and Simmons had become a hot topic among fans, one of the biggest draws in the entire league.
In the first round of the playoffs at the end of April, no matter which team the Grizzlies faced, that game was bound to pull in massive ratings.
Not only because of the game itself, but also because Simmons would be shaving his head live at the commentary desk.
Nobody could resist a sight like that. Everyone was eagerly looking forward to it.
Whether that scene would actually happen depended on Link's performance over the final month and a half of the regular season.
At the beginning of March, the Grizzlies continued to play as smoothly as ever. From beating the Utah Jazz on March 3 to crushing the Knicks by 21 points on March 23.
The Grizzlies went unbeaten throughout March, putting together a 13-game winning streak. Including their final three wins in February, the Grizzlies had now