Twenty-Six: The Troubles of Happiness

The top five of the NBA on December 6, as usual, made most fans watch with enthusiasm.

But what surprised most people is that on today's top five balls, there is a figure that is extremely unfamiliar to many fans. Moreover, it appeared twice.

The first is the fifth place in today's top five balls. The little-known yellow-skinned player threw off McGrady and cut to the basket perfectly, and then under Monroe's block, he completed the split and dunk sideways.

From getting out to cutting to the final dunk, the whole set of moves was done in one go. I don't know, I thought it was Yao Ming getting shorter. After all, it's been too long since the NBA had a yellow-skinned player staged a scene like this.

After that, the second place of today's top five, the yellow-skinned Chinese appeared again.

This time he didn't even have luck with the ball, not even a single step. He just threw a blocked basketball on the perimeter and completed an alley-oop with Jordan Hill.

And the essence of this ball is precisely the temperament of strolling in the courtyard. If you don't have a strong ability to read the game, you can't pretend to do whatever you want.

It is very difficult for a star to occupy two seats in the daily top five at a time. After all, there are so many games in the NBA in one day, and there are countless wonderful scenes. The probability of picking 5 of them from the same person at the same time is too low.

But today, Link did it. Oh, by the way, it's just that many fans who watched today's top five still don't know that the Chinese who suddenly appeared is called Link.

After most fans searched the Internet, they found out that he was just an undrafted draft! At present, he signed a 10-day short contract with the Rockets, and the last game was his first appearance on behalf of an NBA team!

In an instant, all the fans exploded. Before you know it, Link's popularity has begun to soar...

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5 points, 2 rebounds and 1 assist. When Link opened his eyes on the bed, the first thing that came to his mind were these numbers.

This is his first statistic in the NBA.

Yesterday, Josh Smith scored 34 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists, Carlos Boozer scored 29 points and 12 rebounds, and the Pacers did not have 7 players in double figures.

Compared with these data, Link's 5 points, 2 rebounds and 1 assist are not worth mentioning at all.

But even so, the Chinese player still became a sweet pastry.

First, Link played less than two minutes, and it was garbage time. Secondly, as an undrafted draft pick, Link participated in the official competition for the first time, and he was able to occupy two of today's top five seats, which was already very difficult.

Although the data is not gorgeous, Link is still quite happy, at least it gave him a good start.

After getting up and picking up the phone, Link found several unread text messages. The text messages were from Upshaw, George and some college classmates.

Link focused on the text messages from Upshaw and George, both of whom were sincerely happy for Link.

Link smiled. It turned out that there were a lot of people standing in front of the TV last night just to watch him play.

He did not know why Adelman suddenly decided to replace himself, but what he knew was that he certainly did not disappoint Adelman.

Next, Link has two more games to play. Whether to go or stay after these two games, Adelman's evaluation will play a decisive role.

Thinking of this, Link jumped out of bed as if he had been beaten. It was only when he was sweating in the gym that he felt safe.

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Link's house, not far from the Toyota Center, was arranged for him by the Rockets.

The rent for these ten days is also borne by the Rockets.

Because of the close distance, Link can walk to the arena for only 20 minutes every day. At first, he wasn't used to hearing Upshaw's horn every morning. But now, after having played one game, Link has gradually adapted to life in Houston.

As a low-level player, Link is basically only famous among Chinese fans. What is a bottom player? Those are the guys who can walk on the street 100 meters away from the arena without wearing sunglasses without worrying about being recognized.

Only those die-hard fans who bought season tickets, sneezed on the bench a few times, sipped a few Gatorades, and waved a towel a few times know a little about them.

This is the bottom player in the NBA, and Link is one of them.

Therefore, for the first two days, Link was basically undisturbed on his way to work. The only time was before the game yesterday, an old grandmother said that Link looked familiar and asked him whether he played rugby or boxing...

But walking on the street today, Link felt something was wrong. Everyone around seemed to be watching him, and they kept whispering.

It's not very comfortable to be discussed on the street. Link once thought that he was wearing his clothes and pants upside down.

It wasn't until near the Toyota Center that a little boy who was going to school chased Link to ask for his autograph. Link didn't realize that he was not wearing the wrong clothes, but became famous!

The little boy who asked Link for his autograph was a typical American kid, blond and blue-eyed. In the past, basically only the Chinese would ask Link for an autograph.

After signing the autograph, the little boy's father also kindly shook hands with Link and said politely, "Keep going, Link!"

Link was surprised again. How could an American fan say his nickname? I didn't play for a long time yesterday, how did I become so famous overnight?

This guy doesn't know yet, most of them actually know Link through the five best balls.

After seeing a little boy's successful autograph, a large number of fans swarmed around in an instant. In the blink of an eye, Link was surrounded by water. In the crowded crowd, Link suddenly felt a little overwhelmed.

In the past, he scored triple-doubles and double-doubles in the G-League, but he was not so famous. But in less than two minutes in the NBA, his popularity is completely different from before.

A day ago, he was walking down the street, and Houston fans wouldn't give him a single glance. But today, he has become the focus of attention.

There was no other way, Link had to satisfy the fans' requests for autographs and group photos one by one. Fortunately, the crowd density in the United States in the morning is not as high as that in China, otherwise it would be strange that Link was able to escape today.

After running into the underground parking lot of Toyota Center, Link happened to meet Jordan Hill.

Since Link has just joined the team a few days ago, he is not very familiar with the Rockets teammates. If I had to say who Link had a better relationship with, it was Jordan Hill. After all, Link helped Hill score five of the best goals yesterday. During the game, Hill also lifted Linkla, who fell to the ground.

Although they are not friends, they have some good feelings for each other.

"Being besieged by fans? You're the first NBA player I've ever seen to walk into the arena without wearing sunglasses or driving, hahahaha."

Seeing Link's disheveled appearance, Hill laughed unkindly.

"I thought everyone didn't know me." Link spread his hands, and even if he beat him to death, he could not have imagined that he would one day become a high-profile star.

Well, a "star" who only scored 5 points, 2 rebounds and 1 assist.

"Because of Yao's influence, Chinese players are always welcome in Houston. Also, you did a great job yesterday. So, you must be well known, Link. By the way, thank you for the biography you gave me yesterday. The ball. In practice today, we can try a few more alleys like that."

Jordan Hill said and patted Link on the back. Link instantly felt that the team atmosphere in the NBA was more than one level stronger than that in the NBDL.

Of course, it also depends on the team. The current Houston Rockets are still united due to the presence of veterans such as Scola and Shane Battier. Waiting for Howard to come in a few years, but that's not the case.

Following Jordan Hill, Link turned left and right into the training hall. The sight of the bright wooden floors and NBA-level basketball hoop made Link's hands itch.

The crowd of fans, the love of his teammates, and his good performance on the court... Link suddenly felt that his Rockets career seemed to be starting to improve.

Of course, Link now has to figure out how to avoid the overzealous fans tomorrow morning.

This is really a happy trouble that he could never imagine before.