For his first day of practice, Link got to the facility a solid half-hour early.
In the locker room, he already had a temporary locker, where a neat Lakers practice uniform was waiting.
Staring at the familiar purple and gold, an indescribable surge of excitement rushed through him. In his previous life, he was just a pickup-game warrior; now, he was actually putting on a Lakers jersey.
Link headed straight for the empty court to warm up.
After putting up about a dozen sets of shots, the other players started trickling in.
"Hey, Link, good morning!"
Luke Walton walked over and greeted Link. He had watched Link's tryout yesterday and was very impressed with that last-second play.
Parker, however, still had a stone-cold look on his face, clearly still stewing over the game-winner from the day before.
Link didn't let it bother him. He was ready for players like Parker—more ego than talent, and looking down on everyone.
Besides...
Link narrowed his eyes. In his mind, Parker was already his direct competition.
To stick with the Lakers, he absolutely had to beat Parker out!
Kobe Bryant was the last to arrive. He looked cold and serious, walked straight toward the bench without making eye contact, and sat down next to Coach Jackson.
His arrival instantly sucked the air out of the room, turning the previously relaxed atmosphere heavy. Everyone instinctively quieted down and stopped chatting.
That's the aura of a franchise player, Link thought, impressed.
This was the 2005 Kobe—coming off tough times, desperate to prove himself, demanding of his teammates, and obsessed with winning.
Once everyone gathered, Head Coach Phil Jackson gave a brief, low-key introduction of Link, the new face. The Zen Master, who had seen it all, wasn't going to get too excited about a player on a ten-day contract.
"Alright, today's practice will focus on offensive sets and scrimmaging. Shaw, you take the lead."
"Got it, Coach!"
During the tactical drills, Link was laser-focused, trying hard to memorize every complex route drawn up on the whiteboard.
His advanced basketball knowledge from the future gave him a deeper understanding of these plays. Often, as soon as the assistant coach called out a set, he could immediately move to the correct spot.
This caught the attention of Assistant Coach Brian Shaw, who was running the drills. He knew that the Zen Master liked smart players.
After more than an hour, Link had most of the Lakers' playbook down pat. His movement on the court was fluid and confident, nothing like a rookie.
"Very nice!" Shaw gave him a thumbs-up.
Link smiled humbly.
However, when it came to the team scrimmage, the harsh reality hit him again.
He was assigned to the second unit, guarding Devin George, the team's swingman.
George was strong and experienced on defense, and the constant physical contact made every single off-ball movement incredibly difficult for Link.
A few times, he managed to get open using a screen, but the moment the ball hit his hands, George's long arms were right in his face. Link was forced to change his shot, and the result was clank after clank.
During a particularly intense box-out for a rebound, George gave him a gentle bump with his shoulder. Link felt a massive force, stumbled, and nearly lost his balance and the ball.
"Rook, this is the NBA. You're too soft!" George tossed the jab back as he ran down the court on offense.
Link gritted his teeth but didn't talk back.
He knew his lack of explosive athleticism and physical strength was his biggest weakness.
By the end of the scrimmage, Link's stats were terrible; he was practically invisible.
"Don't get discouraged, Link," Trainer Smith walked over and clapped him on the shoulder. "Your shot feels great, and you pick up the plays quickly. But you need to get bigger and faster."
"I understand, Mr. Smith. Thank you," Link nodded earnestly.
After showering and changing, Link didn't leave right away. He returned to the empty gym alone.
In yesterday's tryout, Parker relied mostly on speed. Today, against Devin George's standard NBA body, Link's disadvantages were painfully obvious.
Link briefly reviewed the day's play before calling up his system panel.
$$
\begin{array}{|l|}
\hline \textbf{Host: Link} \\
\hline \text{Age: 21, Height: 6'6" (1.99m), Weight: 194 lbs (88kg)} \\
\text{Wingspan: 6'10" (2.08m), Body Fat: 8.6\%} \\
\hline \text{Overall Rating: C-} \\
\hline \text{Currently Unlocked Skill: Focused Shooter Lv1} \\
\hline \cdots \\
\hline \textbf{Athletic Rating} \\
\text{Speed: C-, Agility: C-, Strength: D+, Vertical: D, Balance: B-} \\
\hline \cdots \\
\hline
\end{array}
$$
In Link's ratings, the Athletic Rating was the most glaring issue; it was nowhere near NBA level.
He focused on the system's task list.
Available Training: Open Three-Pointer (Intermediate), Mid-Range Shot (Basic), Ball Handling (Basic), Athletic Ability (Basic)...
After a moment of hesitation, Link chose Athletic Ability (Basic). The system's cold voice immediately sounded in his mind.
[Task: Athletic Ability (Basic)]
[Content: 100 sets of full-court sprint layups, 100 sets of resistance band lateral slides, 100 sets of deadlifts, 100 sets of balance ball drills, 100 sets of vertical jump testing.]
[Progress: 0/500]
Link gasped when he saw the requirements.
That workload was absolutely killer—the training from hell! But with the season opener against the Nuggets in Denver just two days away, Link was running out of time. He had no choice but to push through.
Link gritted his teeth, changed into his practice gear, and stepped back onto the court to begin his personal war against his limits.
The next few hours were a brutal battle against his body.
Link felt like his legs weren't even his own. His muscles were burning with soreness, and his fingers were shaking.
The moment he finished the very last set, Link completely collapsed onto the sweat-soaked floor, every breath stinging.
The system notification rang in his mind.
[Congratulations, Host. Task complete. Reward: Speed +10%, Strength +10%, Agility +10%, Vertical +10%, Balance +10%. Skill Unlocked: Stamina Boost Lv1]
[Stamina Boost Lv1: A small increase in energy recovery speed and fatigue tolerance (Passive Skill)]
Link's eyes lit up.
Stamina was the core competitive advantage in basketball. Superstars like Kobe and LeBron all had incredible endurance. In the tense, final moments of a close game, when both sides are exhausted, the winner is determined by whose stamina holds up best!
Even better, the system's overall rating had gone up slightly after the training.
[Overall Rating: C]
Just as Link was celebrating his improvement, he noticed another figure in the training facility.
It was the same cold, arrogant, chiseled profile. The powerful muscles and long frame created a beautiful, athletic look, and the slender calves hinted at massive explosive power. Every shot was mesmerizing, like watching a ghost of Michael Jordan.
Sometime during Link's grueling session, Kobe Bryant had come into the gym!