Link would occasionally make mistakes on high-difficulty passes that penetrate dense defenses, such as nutmeg passes, but compared to players his age, he was significantly better. Part of this was thanks to the "Thread the Needle (Bronze)" badge.
Back on the court, Link first delivered a pass, then successfully double-teamed Lamine Kook on the defensive end, helping the Dream Chasing Warriors stabilize the situation.
Lamine Kook was anxious to catch up and perform in front of the media and scouts; additionally, his Passing Vision was mediocre. Faced with Link's swift and aggressive double-teaming, he was easily stripped of the ball.
With a "Swish!", Chris Bosh received Link's kick-out pass at the Free Throw line and nailed an open mid-range jumper.
74 to 61. The Dream Chasing Warriors Team's lead had reached 13 points, with 9 minutes and 1 second remaining until the end of the game.
Reasonably speaking, overcoming a 13-point deficit in this time wasn't impossible.
But Lamine Kook and his teammates were extremely anxious, especially after Link returned to the court.
Lamine Kook drove from the wing at the three-point line. After getting past Josh Smith by half a step, Link, who was waiting in anticipation, came over to help defend. This time, Lamine Kook didn't try to finish himself but chose to pass.
But in the next instant, Lamine Kook was stunned. Link seemed to have guessed his intention; before even reaching his original spot, he suddenly turned back to defend. The guard who received the ball was once again smothered by Link's defense, leaving him with no good shooting opportunity.
Ultimately, he was forced into a shot clock violation.
"His defensive instincts are really good."
"Yeah... he completely read the opponent's mind."
"However, Lamine Kook really doesn't know how to pass. His Passing intent is too obvious, not deceptive at all."
The scouts in the stands began discussing again.
As the game progressed, Lamine Kook's stock continued to fall.
In contrast, Link's was steadily rising.
More and more scouts were becoming interested in Link.
This even included scouts from the NBA's Washington Wizards, Dallas Mavericks, and New York Knicks.
...
...
*Beep!*
With 3 minutes left in the game and trailing by 17 points, Lamine Kook, while retreating on defense against Link's ball-handling advance, kept initiating body contact. Once, twice—the movements became increasingly excessive. Finally, the referee couldn't take it anymore and called a defensive foul on Lamine Kook.
"Shit!"
"WTF!"
Drenched in sweat and desperate to catch up, Lamine Kook lost his cool and roared at the referee.
The referee immediately slapped him with a Technical Foul.
His teammates quickly pulled him away to calm things down.
"This kid's ball protection skills are quite good."
"Despite being a big point guard, his handle is very solid. Even with Lamine Kook's fouling, he couldn't force Link into a turnover."
"The pity is that his athletic talent is truly mediocre."
"Mm, that's true, but word is Link is still growing taller. As his body develops, his athleticism will surely jump to another level."
"If we at UCLA get him, it would definitely be a super cost-effective investment."
"Yeah."
...
...
*Beep!*
Having lost his head in the heat of the defeat, Lamine Kook committed another foul while pressing Link tightly.
The referee's whistle blew.
Lamine Kook continued to grumble, spewing profanities.
Having had enough, the referee ejected Lamine Kook from the game directly.
This left the head coach of the Black Storm on the sidelines looking helpless, throwing his hands up.
"Idiot, what a massive idiot. Doesn't he know how many people came to watch him play today?"
"Media, scouts, and even some live TV broadcasts."
"Such immature behavior could very well ruin his professional prospects!"
As he was being escorted out, Lamine Kook shouted at Link on the court: "Kid, I'll remember you! Hmph, don't let me run into you on the court in the future!!!"
Link was naturally not afraid of his threats and even used a gesture to further provoke him.
Link cupped his left hand to his ear, making a listening gesture.
"Dammit!"
"Shit!"
"Fuck!"
Lamine Kook was so angry that spit flew everywhere.
At the same time, Link's progress for the "genius nemesis" task reached 1/5.
"Hehe!"
"This feels great!"
"By the time the training camp is over, I should be able to get quite a few system rewards from this one task alone," Link thought to himself.
Link thought to himself.
...
...
The game ended.
101 to 78!
Facing a seeded player of the ABCD Training Camp, they secured a crushing 23-point victory over the Black Storm team led by Lamine Kook.
After the game, more than three on-site media reporters swarmed Link like locusts.
"Link... congratulations on your comprehensive stats of 22 points, 9 assists, 5 Steals, and 4 rebounds tonight," said a reporter from ESPN.
"Thank you," Link nodded with a smile.
Link's stats tonight weren't actually that stunning.
The game high was Bosh's 34 points, followed by Josh Smith's 28 points. Even the ejected Lamine Kook had managed 24 points.
Link's scoring was only the fourth highest on the court.
His assists didn't even reach double digits.
But the difference in the team's offensive flow and organization with and without Link was like night and day. When Link was on the court, the team's overall offense was orderly and extremely smooth.
However, as soon as Link sat out, the team's offense became disorganized.
Most of his 5 Steals were obtained through help defense and double-teaming, showcasing excellent defensive instincts and fundamentals.
As for the 4 rebounds, although they were all long rebounds, he "picked them up" very opportunely every time.
Almost all the scouts believed that Link had a certain knack for rebounding...
...
...
After defeating Lamine Kook!
Link truly became famous in a single battle.
During lunch, almost all the trainees were discussing this matter.
"Link is really something, he actually beat Lamine Kook!"
"A total underdog story from No. 143. I feel like after today's ranking update, he could break into the top ten!"
"I don't think that kid beat Lamine Kook; to be accurate, it was their team."
"Exactly, the two of them didn't have many direct matchups. If Link were really made to guard Lamine Kook one-on-one, he'd get the crap beaten out of him."
"Exactly..."
"Regardless, this kid from China has become a star player of the training camp through this battle. He's a true powerhouse now, no longer just a dark horse."
...
...
Link defeated Lamine Kook in the morning and then defeated the team led by Quincy Douby in the afternoon.
Coincidentally, LeBron James defeated Quincy Douby in his morning game and Lamine Kook in his afternoon game.
As the previous MVP of the training camp,
Losing two games in a row caused Lamine Kook's prospects to plummet.
As the first team in the camp to defeat Lamine Kook, Link gained immense exposure.
ESPN!
Sports Illustrated!
And even Parade all sent invitations for exclusive interviews with Link.