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belamy20
The All-Star Weekend hype faded fast.
For the next week, the Lakers had no games. The guys finally got a breather from the grind.
Their bodies recovered from the back-to-back hell, but their heads stayed wired. A different kind of tension was creeping in.
The trade deadline was just four days away.
The practice facility felt quieter than usual. Conversations happened in low voices, like everyone was waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Especially Andrew Bynum.
The kid's face had been tight with worry for days. The rumors about him weren't even rumors anymore—they were basically public.
The Nets' star point guard, future Hall of Famer Jason Kidd, had demanded a trade. The Lakers were one of his preferred destinations.
Kobe had made it clear in interviews and private talks—he wanted to team up with the legendary floor general. The basketball IQ of a wizard paired with Kobe's killer instinct? That was some serious pull.
The Lakers' offer was on the table: Kwame Brown, Jordan Farmar, Vladimir Radmanović, and two second-round picks.
But the Nets wanted more. They were holding out for Bynum as the centerpiece.
Kobe was all for it.
Management wasn't. They didn't want to give up a young, high-upside center for a 34-year-old point guard. The talks had stalled.
Other familiar names kept popping up in the headlines too.
Pau Gasol was getting heavy interest from the Chicago Bulls.
Mike Bibby looked like he was headed to Cleveland.
Andrei Kirilenko seemed to be drifting away from Utah.
The locker room felt heavy.
Bynum finished practice and bolted first, barely saying a word.
Role players like Chris Mihm and Brian Cook were grinding extra hard, like they were trying to prove they still belonged.
Even steady Luke Walton kept zoning out.
"Listen up," Kobe said one day during a break, cutting through the thick silence.
"Once you put on this uniform, the only thing you worry about is winning the next game. Everything else? That's Mitch's problem."
The words eased the tension a little, but they also admitted the rumors were real.
Link just nodded. He knew exactly how this was going to play out.
Kidd would stay in New Jersey until February of next season, when he finally got shipped to Dallas.
Gasol would shock the league and land with the Lakers at the start of next season.
Bibby would eventually head to Atlanta.
In the grand scheme of 2007, this trade deadline was all thunder, no lightning.
The real earthquake was still brewing—waiting for summer.
Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen. Three aging superstars about to link up in Boston.
That blockbuster deal would reshape the entire league.
It would also set the stage for LeBron to team up with his buddy Dwyane Wade in Miami in 2010.
That summer would officially kick off the era of superstars forcing their way onto superteams.
Right now, it was just the quiet undercurrent.
February 22nd, 3 p.m. The deadline clock finally hit zero.
After practice, the locker room TV was on. Everyone gathered around.
The sports anchor sounded almost disappointed as he wrapped up the day.
"—In the end, every major rumor fizzled out. The Nets kept their commander Kidd. The Grizzlies held on to Gasol. Sacramento's Bibby is staying put…"
"The only real move? Future Hall of Famer Chris Webber cleared waivers after buying out with the 76ers and signed with the Detroit Pistons as a free agent."
The Lakers locker room let out a collective sigh of relief.
Especially the guys who'd been caught in the rumor mill.
The tight atmosphere loosened up right in front of everyone's eyes.
Bynum still wasn't smiling, but the deep crease between his eyebrows finally relaxed.
Phil Jackson strolled in, clapped his hands once, and pulled every eye his way.
"Alright, the soap opera's over," the Zen Master said, his voice calm as he scanned the room.
"From here until the playoffs, this is our roster. No more noise. No more rumors. We lock in on every single game."
Link didn't rush out after practice.
He stayed behind and pulled up the System interface in his mind.
With All-Star Weekend behind him, he could finally pour 100 percent of his focus back into training.
[Mission: Defense (Advanced)]
[Objective: Complete 2,500 reps of Steal Reaction Training, 2,500 reps of Block Timing Training, 2,500 reps of Shot Contest Training, and 2,500 reps of Help Defense Footwork Training]
[Progress: 6,500 / 10,000]
He'd been chipping away at this beast for almost two months.
At this rate, he'd finish right before the playoffs started.
Link took a deep breath and dove straight into the drills.
The numbers on the panel ticked up slowly.
[6,523 / 10,000]
[6,537 / 10,000]
[————————]
After nearly a week off, the Lakers were back at home to host their next opponent.
"Milwaukee. The Bucks," Brian Shaw said, tapping the whiteboard.
"Mediocre record, but their star is Michael Redd—one of the league's deadliest shooters."
Kobe nodded, eyes flat. Redd was his guy tonight. The man was averaging 26 a night and sitting top ten in the league in scoring.
"And inside," Shaw continued, "they've got Andrew Bogut—the 2005 No. 1 overall pick. Averaging a double-double, strong presence on defense, and he's a solid passer too."
Bynum grunted in acknowledgment. He'd been quiet lately.
When Bogut's name came up, Link's eyes narrowed slightly while he took a sip of water.
It wasn't competitive fire.
It was pure disgust.
The feeling came from deep in his soul—memories that didn't belong to this timeline.
The dirty plays. The trash talk. The open disrespect toward fans.
Link set the bottle down. His fingertips felt cold.
In his previous life, he'd hated the guy and could only rage online like every other keyboard warrior.
Now he finally had the chance to settle the score on the court.
"Link, you'll start on Ruben Patterson," the coach said, pulling him back. "Might have to switch onto Mo Williams at times too."
"Mo's got nice one-on-one moves. Ruben's physical on defense—stay sharp."
"Got it," Link answered, his voice a little harder than usual.
A nasty little idea was already forming in his head.