A year ago, on January 2, the defending champion Lakers, who were still in their prime, were faced by the difficult Memphis Grizzlies.

That was the first time Kobe Bryant played against Link, and the first time he felt the magic of that undrafted pick.

At that time, Link came off the bench and scored 13 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists to help the Grizzlies win a big victory. While Link's stats aren't impressive now, at the time, Bryant was already surprised by Link's ability. After all, he's just a draft loser. Moreover, it is still a draft that has just been abandoned by the Rockets.

After that, the time came on February 7. This time, the Lakers managed to get revenge on the Grizzlies. But Link put up a performance of 18 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists, and in just one month, he has improved even more than last time!

And then there's January 8 this year. At this time, Kobe Bryant was already quite familiar with Link, and Link had become the new darling of the league. He not only led the Grizzlies to win the Lakers, but also cut down the all-around statistics of 17 points, 8 assists and 6 rebounds.

Bryant is delighted with Link's progress and believes that all who work hard deserve to be rewarded.

But no matter which game it was, Link's performance and statistics did not surpass Kobe. Link surpasses Kobe? It sounds like a magical thing that couldn't be more magical. In front of Kobe, Link can score more than ten points and show an all-round performance, which seems to be a victory. As long as he can do this, the media will not hesitate to use good words.

But beyond Kobe? The media and the fans are not extravagant. In their opinion, against a player like Kobe, not being beaten is a victory. Moreover, Link has been constantly improving, and every time he faces Kobe, he is gradually getting better.

As a result, just over two months later, today, on March 12, Link had 38 points, 12 assists, 6 rebounds and 1 block. Without warning, Link defeated Kobe Bryant from statistics to performance! He was no longer satisfied with gradual progress, but suddenly took a big step forward, which scared everyone!

From the first time Kobe Bryant met Link to today, in just one year and two months, that No. 0 has undergone earth-shaking changes.

The thought of this made Kobe's heart ache. He witnessed Link's growth, but it can also be said that he became the backdrop for Link's growth.

"The Lakers might be going to give up the game, and sure enough, Mike. Brown replaces Kobe. Bryant, he didn't want Kobe Bryant to take any more risks. This year's regular season is very intensive, and avoiding injuries is the best way to achieve long-term goals. But the game ended in such a way, Kobe Bryant must have been very unwilling. ”

Hubi. Brown said, wiping his sweat. The moment Bryant stepped off the court, Brown Sr. felt relieved. The war is finally over, and most importantly, the Grizzlies are the winners.

For Grizzlies fans, this is undoubtedly a happy ending. The Grizzlies managed to avoid a losing streak despite Guy's injury. And Link also gave Grizzlies fans a reassurance with his outstanding performance.

Now, everyone is convinced that the Grizzlies won't fall because of injuries and won't be finished because of Randolph's form decline.

Because, they have Link.

Seeing Kobe Bryant go down, Hollins also took Link down. When Link walked off the court, the entire fan cheered for Link.

Seeing this scene, Kobe Bryant, who was sitting on the bench, couldn't help but sigh that the Grizzlies finally ushered in their true soul.

This team, from now on, will no longer be confused.

"Well done, I knew I could trust you."

"What am I talking about? Just untie the shackles and you'll be able to fight better! ”

"You're handsome today! Believe it or not, the ball you shook down Bynum in the second quarter will be on TV for a month! ”

On the bench, Link was praised by his teammates, and he was also very accommodating in hugging his teammates, completely losing the ruthlessness he had just been on the court.

This guy put away his desire to win again and hid it in the bottom of his heart. But I believe that from now on, no one will dare to easily release the "demon" in his heart.

In the end, the Lakers lost 106-116 on the road. As long as the Grizzlies score more than 110 points in a single game, then it means that this game is unusual. Today, everyone knows what makes the game unusual.

Link's 38 points and 12 assists are really eye-catching! It was the second-highest score Link has ever scored this season after a 40-point triple-double against the Bulls.

Kobe Bryant was speechless, this is the second time this season, allowing a Chinese to score nearly 40 points...... And the two of them are both surnamed Lin.

These are the two guys who can be featured in Time magazine.

After the game, reporters rushed to the pitch. Bynum, Bryant and Link are the three most popular players today.

Bynum obviously didn't want to be so "popular", and he just wanted to go back to the locker room and hide at this time. Despite a big double-double of 24 points and 16 rebounds, Bynum didn't feel like he was doing well today.

There's no way, who let him sit directly on the ground in the second quarter, and his mentality collapsed later. These two points are enough to make his big two pairs today dull.

"Shake down? No, it's just that the ground is so slippery that I slipped. ”

"What? You see my ankle twisted? No, no, no, no...... What an ankle terminator,. ”

"I repeat, I wasn't shaken, I just slipped!"

Bynum defended vigorously in an interview, but everyone could see whether he slipped or fell. The more he defended, the more journalists loved to let him look foreign.

On the other hand, Kobe's mood is much more stable. But there is no doubt that he can only be Link's foil today.

"I've said a long time ago that Link has the ability to carry a team. But sadly, the Lakers didn't become Link's misery. ”

"Yes, Link played very well today, his back skills are very mature, and his cross-step pull-up mid-range shot is even ranked in the top three in the league. I don't deny that he's good, but I'm still disappointed in the loss. ”

'We're going to win more games and today's defeat hit us hard, but it's not the end of the world.

Kobe Bryant was calm on the surface, but his words revealed an unwilling emotion. Originally, I wanted to regain the revenge of defeat in the All-Star training heads-up in the official game. Unexpectedly, today was won by Link again.

With Kobe's character, just thinking about it will tell how aggrieved he is.

However, although Kobe Bryant is competitive, he also agrees with the strong. He's probably one of the few players who can't help but smile when blocked or scored by a well-connected star.

So after the game, Kobe Bryant still hugged Link in a friendly way, and also patted Link on the shoulder meaningfully.

In the eyes of some fans, this is just a courtesy. But in Hubi. In Brown's view, this seems to herald the beginning of a new generation in the league......

Pierce, Ray. Allen, Garnett, Kobe, Nowitzki, GDP, Nash...... This group of guys who have been calling for more than ten years in the league have gradually withdrawn from the ranks of top stars. James, Wade and other players began to dominate the league.

And Link and them sat in the position of James and them.

The situation of this alliance may change dramatically in the past few years. Today, it's just a reflection of this megatrend.

I just don't know what role the Memphis Grizzlies will play in the league in the future.

Will they be rulers or challengers?

Meanwhile, in the luxurious box of the Federal Express Arena, the gray-haired Grizzlies owner Michael Brown. Haisley, too, made a difficult decision.

The Grizzlies will change more dramatically than people think.