By the time Link walked out of the UCLA lab, it was already early evening. He hurried straight to the airport to meet up with the team.
Amy's analysis had been extremely professional. What Link received wasn't just the usual system stats—it was a far more detailed and precise physical evaluation report.
It broke down everything: which core muscle groups were underdeveloped, which joints were under excessive stress and needed load management, and more.
As Link flipped through the report, he couldn't help clicking his tongue in admiration.
You really had to give it to the U.S.—sports medicine here truly was at the cutting edge of the world.
With this level of protection for athletes, it was no surprise that the league was the best in the world.
And with Amy as his medical consultant, Link felt a lot more confident about the road ahead in the NBA.
---
That night, the entire Lakers team boarded the charter jet for their road trip.
With the low roar of the engines humming in the background, Link leaned back in his comfortable seat and scrolled through the latest sports news.
The league had just announced the first month's awards and recognitions of the new season.
As expected, Player of the Month honors went to two dominant big men:
Shaquille O'Neal in the East and Tim Duncan in the West.
Shaq averaged 26.8 points, 13.5 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks, leading the Heat to the top of the Eastern Conference.
Duncan, meanwhile, posted an all-around stat line of 21.6 points, 11.7 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 3.2 blocks, with the Spurs sitting comfortably in first place.
As for Kobe Bryant, even though he was averaging a ridiculous 35.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.7 steals, leading the entire league in scoring—
The team's record dragged him down, and he lost out to Duncan in the first month's voting.
In All-Star voting, Kobe had also been temporarily overtaken by Tracy McGrady, sitting second among Western Conference guards.
Among frontcourt players, Yao Ming continued to dominate the vote by a massive margin.
Asia's enormous fan base, combined with the All-Star Game being hosted in Houston that year, gave him a huge boost.
Yao was even in the conversation for overall vote leader.
Link read with great interest. Back then, the media environment wasn't nearly as toxic—no clickbait outrage, no manufactured drama.
The NBA was stacked with elite teams and superstar talent, each shining in their own way.
Then, while watching the league's Monthly Top 10 Plays highlight reel, Link suddenly saw a very familiar clip.
It was from the season opener.
At the final moment, he had stripped Carmelo Anthony, then fired a long outlet pass to Kobe, who finished the fast break with a game-sealing dunk.
The play was replayed from multiple angles, the commentator's voice bursting with excitement.
"Number five on the NBA's Monthly Top 10 Plays—rookie Link with the clutch steal, Kobe Bryant throws it down on the break to seal the win!"
Link was fully absorbed when, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Kobe sitting beside him, frowning at a portable DVD player.
What was playing wasn't an NBA game—but footage from a European league.
A tall white big man was dismantling defenses with pinpoint passing and smooth shooting.
"Marc Gasol?" Link whispered instinctively.
"You know him?" Kobe raised an eyebrow when he caught Link's reaction. Instead of turning it off, he tilted the screen toward him.
Link's heart skipped a beat.
Of course he knew him.
A future All-Star center. An NBA champion. One of the key pieces in the trade for Pau Gasol.
But at this moment, Marc should still be playing in Spain.
Trying to stay calm, Link replied, "A little. Isn't he Pau Gasol's younger brother?"
"That's right." Kobe nodded, tapping the screen.
"The scouting department's been tracking him for a while. They think he's a hidden gem—worth taking a shot on with a second-round pick."
A second-round pick? Link thought.
Marc Gasol's future impact would be nowhere near that cheap.
In many ways, his shooting range, playmaking, and screen-setting were even better suited for the three-point-heavy era to come.
Link immediately understood what Kobe was getting at. The Lakers didn't have many trade assets right now—they were trying to strike gold in the draft.
"But…" Kobe changed tone, "Phil doesn't like him. Marc's more of a high-post hub—doesn't really fit the triangle offense."
"Besides, we already have a pretty good big man."
Andrew Bynum.
Link knew exactly who Kobe meant.
Objectively speaking, Bynum was a solid center.
A top-10 pick with great size, wingspan, and athleticism. A former All-Star starter. Once dubbed the "next Shaq."
But his flaws were obvious too.
Immature mindset. Too easily distracted. Once he left the Lakers and lost Kobe's discipline, his career collapsed fast.
Compared to that, Marc Gasol was far more professional.
It was a delicate moment.
Link didn't know how much of a butterfly effect his presence would cause—but he knew that anything he said could influence Kobe, and indirectly, the team's decisions.
"Andrew's talent is obvious," Link said first, giving Bynum his due.
"Physically, he absolutely looks like a franchise center. But…"
He paused, choosing his words carefully.
"Marc's basketball IQ and playmaking are elite. Maybe he could give us more flexibility tactically… who knows?"
Kobe glanced at Link, feeling like this kid always spoke with layers hidden beneath his words.
"Let Kupchak worry about that stuff," Kobe said, shaking his head.
He turned off the DVD player and closed his eyes to rest.
Link also cleared his thoughts, pushing all those future possibilities aside.
Just like Kobe said—drafts and roster construction were management's problems.
For him, the most important thing right now was playing well in every game ahead.
---
After landing, the Lakers rested briefly before facing the first opponent of their road trip the next day:
The New Orleans Hornets—the franchise that would later become the Pelicans.
At this point, rookie Chris Paul was already showing incredible talent and floor leadership.
His chemistry with David West was beginning to take shape.
Still, against a prime Kobe Bryant, the Hornets looked a little raw.
The Lakers held a slim lead throughout the game.
Kobe was once again the most reliable scorer on the floor, shooting 11-for-22 and finishing with 28 points and 5 assists.
Lamar Odom added a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds.
Off the bench, Andrew Bynum chipped in 6 points and 6 rebounds.
In the end, the Los Angeles Lakers escaped with a hard-fought 98–90 road win over the Hornets.
Link's performance that night was solid but unspectacular.
The Hornets clearly game-planned for him, staying tight on defense and denying him many clean looks.
In 18 minutes, Link went 3-for-5 from the field, 1-for-3 from deep, scoring 7 points, grabbing 2 rebounds, and adding 1 assist.
The numbers didn't jump off the page, but in limited minutes he executed the game plan and held his own defensively without making costly mistakes.
With a win in hand, the Lakers regrouped briefly—then headed straight into the night, on to their next road destination.