Time flew by amidst the grueling schedule.
After a low-key New Year's with friends, Link quickly threw himself back into the grind.
The Lakers traveled to Seattle, blowing out Ray Allen and the SuperSonics. But they followed it up with a tough road loss against the Pacers.
Over the past month, the Lakers' record had its ups and downs, but the overall trajectory was pointing up. Currently, the team sat at 21-17, good for fifth in the Western Conference.
The Mavericks were pulling away from the pack, sitting comfortably at the number one seed. Meanwhile, the Lakers were only 1.5 games behind the fourth-seed Houston Rockets.
Since the Christmas Day shootout, Link had been on an absolute tear. He averaged 23.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.3 assists for the month, with rock-solid shooting splits from the field and beyond the arc.
His production took a massive load off Kobe's shoulders. Kobe's scoring dipped slightly to 29.7 points per game this month, but his rebounds and assists ticked up.
Off the court, the All-Star voting and league awards were heating up. Yao Ming had leapfrogged Kobe to take the number one spot in the West, making him the current leading vote-getter in the entire league.
Link held steady at seventh among Western Conference frontcourt players, trailing Amar'e Stoudemire by a razor-thin margin.
Steve Nash and Gilbert Arenas took home Player of the Month honors.
With the playoffs slowly creeping closer, Link adjusted his training focus.
> [Task: 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: 4,746 / 10,000]
As a legendary coach once said: Offense wins games, defense wins championships. Especially in the postseason, Link knew he'd be tasked with guarding elite perimeter threats like Tracy McGrady, Manu Ginóbili, and Carmelo Anthony. Elite defense was non-negotiable.
---
February 4, 2007. The Lakers were gearing up for a road game against the Washington Wizards.
It was a long flight to DC, and the vibe on the team plane was light and relaxed.
"So, Link," Jordan Farmar poked his head over from the row behind, "how's life dating a supermodel?"
A few chuckles rippled through the cabin. Half the team immediately eavesdropped.
Link, who had been watching game film with his headphones on, looked up. "How's what?"
"Link, you lucky bastard!" Sasha Vujačić chimed in. "Those magazine girls are top-tier. I couldn't even dream of it!"
"Seriously, man, have Isabella set me up with one of them!" Vujačić said, green with envy.
"Stop talking nonsense," Link laughed, shaking his head. "Trust me, Sasha, you'll end up with someone even better."
Link suddenly remembered something funny. In his original timeline, Vujačić would go on to date tennis goddess Maria Sharapova. Even though they didn't work out long-term, it was a legendary piece of NBA gossip.
"Really?" Vujačić looked skeptical.
Link just smiled and let it go.
Andrew Bynum leaned over. "So, can we bring plus-ones to the next team party? I gotta see if she looks even better in person than in the magazine."
"Alright, alright, knock it off," Luke Walton interrupted with a laugh. "Leave the kid alone. Let's talk about something real."
He looked at Link, suddenly serious. "The third round of All-Star voting closes tomorrow night. You're sitting at seventh for Western Conference frontcourt!"
The cabin went quiet for a second. This was way more interesting than gossip.
Link shook his head. "If I'm not in the top three, the fan vote doesn't matter. The coaches pick the reserves."
"But the coaches are definitely going to look your way," Lamar Odom analyzed. "Your production this season speaks for itself."
"I agree," Farmar nodded. "Plus, with your Chinese-American background, the league definitely wants you in that game."
Bynum started counting on his fingers. "Yao, KG, Duncan, Dirk, Melo—those guys are locks. That leaves two spots for you, Marion, Amar'e, and Boozer."
"I think you've got a real shot," Bynum said after a moment of thought. "Tomorrow's game is huge. Ball out and get some style points with the coaches."
Right then, Phil Jackson turned around from his seat.
The Zen Master's gaze swept over the players, and everyone instantly shut up.
Jackson looked directly at Kobe. "Tomorrow against the Wizards—don't forget, Gilbert dropped 60 on your head last time."
Kobe's expression darkened instantly. It had been over two months ago. December 17th.
The Lakers hosted the Wizards, and Gilbert Arenas had completely hijacked the Staples Center, exploding for 60 points to steal the win, out-dueling Kobe's 45.
"Agent Zero" was playing out of his mind this season. He was currently averaging a terrifying 29.3 points per game, sitting second in the league in scoring right behind Kobe's 31.7.
Knowing Kobe, tomorrow was going to be a cold-blooded revenge game. And the Zen Master was just pouring gasoline on the fire.
"I'll handle it," Kobe said flatly, pulling his headphones back over his ears.
Jackson nodded and shifted his eyes to Link. "Link. Kobe's got Gilbert. Your assignment is Caron Butler. Caron is a tough cover. Make sure you know his tendencies."
"Understood," Link nodded seriously.
Kobe was going to bring 200% focus to this matchup. If anyone else slacked off and ruined the game, there would be hell to pay.
A moment later, Jackson looked back at Link.
"As for the All-Star game... If you make it, it's a validation of your play. If you don't, it doesn't mean a thing." Jackson paused. "Plenty of great players in this league have been snubbed from the All-Star team, but they ultimately won rings."
The plane fell completely silent.
Link looked back out the window. The All-Star Game... it would be a lie to say he wasn't looking forward to it. It was the dream stage for every NBA player.
But he knew the Zen Master was right. The All-Star nod was just a bonus. In competitive sports, championships were the only currency that mattered.
---
When Link stepped onto the hardwood at the Verizon Center, there was a restless, electric energy in the air.
The Wizards fans vividly remembered what had happened just a couple of months ago. Their franchise star, Gilbert Arenas, had played like a god, dropping 60 on the Lakers!
Tonight, they were hungry for an encore.
The atmosphere in the Lakers locker room was the exact opposite. Kobe's face was an emotionless mask. Everyone geared up in complete, focused silence.
Jackson's final pre-game adjustments were short and to the point: Kobe was the primary defender on Arenas—lock down the head of the snake. Link's job was to suffocate Washington's second blade, the strong and versatile Caron Butler. For everyone else: control the glass, play solid defense, and don't hesitate to shoot when open.
The clock hit 8:00 PM. Game time!
Link followed Kobe out of the tunnel. The road crowd immediately showered them with boos. A few fans violently waved signs that read "Gilbert 60 Points" right in Kobe's face.
Kobe's expression grew even darker. Tonight in DC, it was going to be a bloodbath.
Before tip-off, Arenas and Kobe locked eyes near center court. Arenas wore his signature provocative smirk; Kobe remained deadpan.
Link, meanwhile, spotted the Wizards' starting point guard right away. Smush Parker!
Parker had been traded to Washington midway through last season. He'd missed time with an injury but had recently returned to the lineup. This was the first time the two of them were sharing a court since the trade.
Even though Link didn't consider Parker a threat anymore, the nasty glare Parker was giving him made it obvious: the bad blood was still very much alive.
Tweet! The referee blew the whistle, and the arena instantly exploded!