"Holy crap..."
"Browsing a nightclub while reciting NBA rules unlocked the personality badge—[Strongest Commander]."
"Now, by using the'stare-down defense,' I've unlocked an essential badge for ball handlers—[Relief Passer (Bronze)]."
"Should my next step be getting involved with the Kardashians? It's just... I really don't like 'public transport' like that..."
Link thought to himself.
[Relief Passer (Bronze)] Description:
1. Slightly increases a player's success rate when Passing while in mid-air.
2. To upgrade to the next stage (Silver), 30 effective mid-air passes must be completed.
Relief Passer is also known as the 'Buck-Passing Master.' If a shot or layup path is blocked while in mid-air, one can perform an extreme 'pass-off.' Of course, having 'Relief Passer' doesn't mean a hundred percent success rate in Passing it off, but it increases the success rate of such desperate passes.
So far, Link has averaged 4.8 turnovers per game, 2.5 of which were caused by these desperate 'buck-Passing' attempts.
Furthermore...
If the pass is thrown well, the teammate catches it comfortably, which also benefits the teammate's subsequent offensive move.
Michael Jordan usually complained quite a bit about his poor 'buck-Passing' passes.
On the other hand, Link also noticed Ricky Davis on the bench. Like a naughty child who had made a mistake, he was being scolded mercilessly by Cavaliers head coach John Lucas and other assistant coaches, to the point where he didn't even dare to raise his head.
After the scolding, Ricky Davis sat down, asked a ball boy for a towel, and covered his head with it.
"Damn..."
"Cry! Cry!"
Link thought secretly.
About 2 minutes later...
Ricky Davis, under the towel, finally couldn't help but sob.
"Oh..."
Link felt a sense of relief in his heart, feeling completely refreshed.
The system's voice rang in his mind again.
"Ding, congratulations to the Host for completing the random mission—Tremble, Ricky Davis!"
"Mission Description: Ricky Davis is shedding tears of regret under his towel."
"Mission Reward: Random superstar sparring partner card x1; 500 Goat points!"
[Goat Points: 502/31,202] (PS: To draw the next player template, a total of 80,000 Goat points must be accumulated.)
Immediately after...
Link opened the random superstar sparring partner card.
[Superstar (James Harden 22-23 Season sparring partner card)] x1!
"A Nets-era Harden sparring card?"
"Hehe, not bad. But based on my previous experience, in the alternate dimension of the superstar sparring card, the sparring partner doesn't lose Stamina. If I start a 100-point match with him now, my win rate is almost zero..."
"After all, Nets Harden is a top-tier isolation specialist. With infinite Stamina, I can't beat him."
"Previously, I played 100-point matches against superstars and superstars to get stronger quickly, which involved some gambling... but now, I don't need to gamble on probabilities. Once I've improved my rebounding and post-up play to the next stage, playing a 100-point match against a perimeter star will basically be a sure thing."
Link thought to himself.
...
...
After the game.
Players from both sides exchanged friendly hugs and greetings.
To be fair, Ricky Davis was quite resilient; he didn't just retreat to the locker room after losing the game and being humiliated.
Ricky Davis also shared a hug with Link.
"Buddy, remember not to cry next time we meet," Link said kindly.
"Screw off... you damn rookie, I wasn't crying," Ricky Davis said, pretending to be tough.
Link couldn't help but laugh: "Man, you're pretty good at faking it."
Under Link's direct gaze, Ricky Davis's heart skipped a beat, thinking: "Impossible, when I cried, I made sure not to make a sound. No, it's impossible for anyone to have heard."
On the other hand.
After the game, news of the matchup between the two teams swept across America.
[The Washington Supernova exploded for 21 points, 20 assists, 8 rebounds, and 3 Steals, leading his team to a 110-75 victory over Cleveland with a massive 35-point lead. Ricky Davis, who claimed before the game he would lock down Link, had a dismal performance, recording only 0 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 0 Steals, 0 blocks, and 4 turnovers.]
[The young King led his army to defeat Cleveland, as Link became the youngest player in NBA history to hold a 20+20 record. This battle also made Link Cleveland's 'Public Enemy' overnight. He is the most hated star by Cavaliers fans, bar none. As a sports wasteland, when will Cleveland welcome its Chosen One?]
[Chosen One Link once again showed fans worldwide why he could sign the largest sneaker contract in NBA history with Nike before even entering the league. He is now fully qualified to compete for the title of the strongest number one draft pick in NBA history, constantly marching toward greatness...]
[The Washington Wizards' own Shaquille O'Neal: tonight, besides Link and Michael Jordan reaching 20+, another rookie, Brendan Haywood, also recorded 20 points along with 13 rebounds and 3 blocks, effectively defending Washington's paint.]
...
...
This week, the Washington Wizards had 4 games, and the next 3 were scheduled very tightly.
Three days later, the Washington Wizards would Host the Orlando Magic.
Before that...
In terms of skills, Link focused on improving his post-up offense. Physically, he remained dedicated to training his explosive power.
It had to be said...
With sufficient potential, training really progressed by leaps and bounds.
[Post Fadeaway Jumpshot] base attribute +4, rising to 74 (88); [Post Hook Shot] base attribute +3, rising to 77 (88).
[Explosive Acceleration] base attribute +4, rising to 79 (90); [Explosiveness] base attribute +2, rising to 70 (84); [Jumping Height] base attribute +1, rising to 63 (74).
Facing the Magic once again.
This time, the Magic Team had clearly done a lot of pre-game preparation. They didn't dare let Darrell Armstrong, the small guard standing barely over 1.8 meters, defend him, as Link's current ability could completely devour him whole.
The Magic only had one strong point: McGrady.
But the Wizards had two...
In their last encounter with the Magic, the Wizards made a last-minute comeback, but this time the situation was quite different.
"Oh, no, you damn rookie, you almost poked me in the eye." After McGrady blew past Hamilton in one step, he faced Link's help defense and forced a layup. Link intended to block the shot, but McGrady's Explosiveness was too damn fast; he tried to block the ball but almost poked McGrady's eye instead.
"Tracy, stop complaining like a girl."
"This is a basketball court, not... a kindergarten."
Link turned the tables, criticizing McGrady instead.