During the ABCD Training Camp, Link, who had fused with Green's player template, obtained corresponding player badges through 'nut-kicking' and 'poking eyes'. Therefore, after fusing with Durant's template, Link felt that he could also obtain badges by 'creating alt accounts to troll haters' and 'betraying his team'.
Upon arriving at the training camp, Link saw Coach Leonard having the second team act as sparring partners for the first team, preparing for the Texas 4A High School Championship at the end of the month.
The High School Championship is similar to the playoffs but uses a single-elimination format, much like NCAA's March Madness.
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"What? Link, are you sure? You really want to join the second team?" Head Coach Leonard looked at Link with some surprise.
"Yes." Link nodded with firm eyes, and even found a good reason for his 'betrayal': "To stand out in the championship, it's not just up to me and Chris Bosh; it requires everyone's strength."
Leonard frowned, pondered for a few seconds, then broke into a relieved smile, saying, "Hmm, Link, it seems your experience at this training camp has truly matured you."
"Captain, are you sure you want to stay with the guys from the second team?"
"Yeah, Captain, when you lose, don't hold it against us, okay?"
"Exactly, if you get heated, don't elbow us, hahaha!"
"Captain, he actually betrayed us! Hehe, we can't miss the chance to beat him up."
The first team players couldn't help but joke with Link at this moment.
Although Link was not a native American player, he had considerable prestige at Lincoln High School thanks to his exceptionally high basketball IQ and diligent training attitude. In addition, Link's family background was better than most players, and he also liked to treat people to meals, which gave him good popularity within the team.
Link rolled his eyes at them and angrily said, "Get lost, let's start quickly!"
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The moment the game began, the system's voice echoed in Link's mind.
"Ding, congratulations Host for unlocking the hidden badge quest—Successful Betrayal!"
"Ding, rewarding Host with a new badge—[First Step Master (Bronze)]!"
[First Step Master (Bronze)] Description:
1. Increases the Speed of your first step initiation, Explosive Acceleration +3.
2. To upgrade to the next stage (Silver), you need to complete 30 effective first-step breakthroughs in official 5v5 games.
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"Whoa!"
"I'm truly a genius, I didn't expect betraying the team could actually make me stronger?"
"Hehe, then according to this, if I go home and create an alt account to argue with haters, I'll probably get new badges too."
Link was a little excited at this moment.
This unconventional betrayal not only didn't violate the education he received since childhood but also made him stronger. Most importantly, the newly acquired [First Step Master (Bronze)] increased Link's initial Speed, compensating for the deficiency in his Explosive Acceleration ability.
After the game started, the stronger first team took the initiative. After a simple pass and cut, Bosh received the pass under the basket and completed a two-handed dunk.
But Link quickly responded.
After receiving the ball outside the Three-Point Shot line at the top of the arc, facing the first team's substitute Point Guard, he performed a simple triple-threat jab step, took a step with his right foot, and with a "Dong!" sound, suddenly burst into Explosive Acceleration, lowering his center of gravity.
"Oh, no!"
"My eyes aren't playing tricks on me, are they!"
"Our captain actually blew past Porter in one step!"
This not only startled his teammates watching from the sidelines but also left Coach Leonard dumbfounded.
"What kind of joke is this?"
"This first step can already rival some quick and agile guards!"
"It seems... Link... his Ball Control ability has improved again."
Link, with his improved first step, saw a qualitative leap in his offensive threat. Previously, he needed to rely on rhythm and strength to push past opponents, which was a challenge for both Stamina consumption and breakthrough efficiency.
After driving to the free-throw line, Link used a quick stop-and-go Ball Control rhythm to observe the first team's defensive positioning. If Bosh played sag defense, he would directly punish with a mid-range shot.
If Bosh stuck to him, he would connect with the big man under the basket.
"Besides his improved Ball Control ability, this kid's Ball Control rhythm, game reading ability, shooting, and Passing accuracy have all made visible progress," Leonard said, his face flushed with excitement after seeing Link's transformation on offense.
"This kid... even if he can't make it to the NBA in the future, going to an overseas basketball league, or returning to China to play is definitely possible."
The next moment.
Link once again used his on-ball defense, Death Coil, to Steal the ball from the first team's substitute Point Guard. Furthermore, he immediately dribbled down the court on a fast break, facing the chasing defender without any panic, simply executing a reverse layup to easily score 2 points.
"Captain's defense... it actually made me feel suffocated!"
"Yeah... Porter, that guy, feels like his soul has been stolen by the captain... haha, like a zombie."
Top-tier defensive awareness among high school players, excellent static talent, and average athletic talent, for the school team's substitute players, it was indeed like a nightmare.
Link, having 'betrayed' to the second team, battled the stronger first team into the decisive stage with his individual ability, and ultimately completed a buzzer-beater with a Duncan-esque 45-degree bank shot.
After hitting the game-winner, Link, besides roaring, even more pretentiously than Jimmy Butler, shouted: "You brats, you need me too much! Hahaha!"
In response, the entire first team instinctively lowered their heads, including Chris Bosh.
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However, after the game, what disappointed Link was that there was no Goat value reward for the internal 5v5 training game. Nevertheless, it wasn't a complete loss; the data from the internal training game could be used to upgrade badge levels.
Currently, all of Link's badges are 'Bronze' quality. Before competing in the championship, he needed at least three to five'Silver' badges.
"Link... come with me!" Head Coach Leonard asked Link to come to his office.
Upon arriving at the office, Leonard directly asked Link about his future career plans.
"Coach, after the latest national high school rankings come out tomorrow, if all goes well, I want to take my talent to the NBA!" Although Link was as cunning as a fox in front of scouts and media, he still trusted Coach Leonard.
Leonard paused slightly, then said in a deep voice, "The NBA draft deadline is before May 2nd. You can totally wait until after the high school championship to participate, but you just finished the ABCD Training Camp, and your popularity is extremely high... if you register in April, the media might be hyping up other people by then, which would be very unfavorable for your draft stock!"
"Hmm." Link nodded.
Leonard's consideration was very thorough. To put it plainly, he currently had massive traffic, his status as an international player, the MVP of the training camp, and even a dedicated documentary film crew.
Announcing early would keep him in the media spotlight, and any outstanding performance in a game would be extensively covered, all of which would increase his draft stock.
Additionally, if things didn't go smoothly, he could withdraw his draft application before June 2nd.