The Lakers' new season officially tipped off here at the Pepsi Center in Denver!
Link paced back and forth in the tunnel, his excitement practically boiling over.
The house lights suddenly went dark, leaving only the spotlight focused on the entrance. The arena DJ drew out his voice in a highly dramatic way to begin introducing the visiting team.
"First out on the floor... your Los Angeles Lakers!"
A huge wave of boos instantly swept through the arena.
"From Ohio State, the six-foot-nine forward... Brian Cook!"
"From St. Joseph's University, the six-foot-six guard... Sasha Vujacic!"
One name after another was read with a similar reaction from the crowd, until that name was called...
"From Lower Merion High School, a three-time NBA Champion, the six-foot-six shooting guard... Koooooobe... Bryaaaaaant!!!"
The volume peaked, reaching a decibel level high enough to seemingly blow the roof off, a mix of deafening boos and cheers.
Kobe ran out expressionless, high-fiving his teammates.
Then, the DJ's voice returned to a regular pace for the final name.
"And... the six-foot-seven guard... Link!"
Aside from a handful of fans, the sound was sparse. To the Denver crowd, this was just an insignificant face on the deep bench.
In contrast, when the home team was introduced, the roar of the crowd was like a tsunami, combined with explosive arena music that made his eardrums throb.
Link sat on the very end of the bench. He instinctively squeezed his knees together; his palms were already sweaty from the nerves.
The feeling was so foreign, yet so real.
This was the NBA.
It wasn't a broadcast on TV or a video game anymore—it was a real live game, and the overwhelming excitement was making Link feel dizzy.
The game started quickly, with the Lakers winning the tip.
Kobe's killer instinct was evident from the very first possession.
The Nuggets' backcourt players were noticeably undersized, and they had absolutely no way to deal with Kobe.
By the end of the first quarter, Kobe was already 6-for-10 from the field, plus three free throws, scoring 16 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 steal.
Yet, the Lakers still trailed the Nuggets 21-27.
This season, the Nuggets had a strong frontline with Kenyon Martin and Marcus Camby, plus offensive maestro Carmelo Anthony, giving them excellent depth and mobility. The Lakers' defense was being consistently carved up.
Aside from Kobe, the other Lakers struggled to score consistently against the Denver defense. Smush Parker and Lamar Odom tried to carry some of the load, but their efforts were largely ineffective.
In the final moments of the first quarter, Parker even committed a boneheaded turnover, which the Nuggets turned into a full-court, buzzer-beating layup, pushing the Lakers' deficit to eight points.
The second quarter began, and the Lakers' offense remained stagnant.
When Kobe was off the floor, the team looked like a headless chicken—no one could initiate the offense, and no one could draw defensive attention. They were forced to scramble for tough, low-percentage shots.
Phil Jackson stood on the sidelines with his arms crossed, looking unhappy. With the lead threatening to grow, he was forced to sub Kobe back in after resting him for just two minutes.
Kobe stepped up once again. First, he used a simple screen at the top of the arc, took a lateral step, ignored the closing defender, and drilled a pull-up three-pointer.
On the next possession, the Nuggets missed, Kobe secured the defensive rebound, and took the ball up himself, attacking the lane aggressively.
After absorbing contact from the help-side defender, Martin, Kobe used his incredible core strength to contort his body mid-air for a reverse layup.
The ball banked in with sharp backspin from an impossible angle.
"And One!" The referee's whistle blew.
Kobe walked to the free-throw line without expression and calmly sank the extra point, scoring six straight points! He single-handedly wrested the momentum back for the Lakers.
But the shift didn't last long.
The Nuggets immediately adjusted, doubling Kobe harder and forcing the ball out of his hands. The rest of the Lakers were shooting cold, unable to capitalize on the open looks.
By halftime, the scoreboard read 48-58, with the Lakers heading into the locker room down by 10 points.
Link had sat on the end of the bench the entire first half. The coach never called his name, so he could only watch the action.
The atmosphere in the locker room during halftime was heavy. Kobe stared at the stat sheet without saying a word.
The Zen Master emphasized defensive rotations and rebounding, but he didn't seem to have a magic fix for the offense, only repeatedly stressing the need to shoot open shots with confidence.
The second half began, and Kobe's scoring barrage showed no sign of slowing down.
He had fully entered Mamba Mode, finding a way to put the ball in the basket regardless of the defense thrown at him.
The game turned into a Kobe personal scoring showcase. By the end of the third quarter, Kobe had put up a dazzling stat line: 37 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals!
Despite his heroics, the Lakers still couldn't close the gap.
With 3:12 left in the game, the Nuggets called a timeout, leading 98-87—the Lakers were still down by 11!
And yet, Link still hadn't gotten a minute of playing time.
The timeout quickly ended, and the Nuggets had the ball. Andre Miller controlled the ball steadily, signaling his teammates to spread the floor.
Miller was relatively large for a guard with excellent lower-body strength. He quickly sensed that Parker was tired and used a simple change of direction to squeeze past him by half a step.
Parker, whose defensive focus was waning, panicked and tried to trip him up with his knee.
The veteran Miller caught the move, immediately let out a yell, and fell to the floor in an exaggerated performance.
"Beep..." The referee's whistle blew, as expected.
"Uh oh..." A bad feeling immediately rose in Link's heart, and Kobe's face turned absolutely purple with rage.
Sure enough, after reviewing the play, the referee assessed Parker a Flagrant 1 Foul. The Nuggets were awarded two free throws and possession of the ball!
A deafening cheer immediately engulfed the court, contrasting sharply with the dejected look of the Lakers players.
The Zen Master abruptly stood up on the sideline, his face pale. After that play, the score was only going to widen, and the outcome of the game was becoming increasingly certain.
He yelled something in Parker's direction, then decisively turned to the bench and scanned the players.
Link had good size, height, and wingspan. Although his athleticism was lacking, Miller wasn't known for his speed, so Link could match up with him.
"Link!" His voice was commanding and final. "Go in for Smush. Guard your man, and run the offense!"
The opportunity had actually arrived!
Even if it was practically garbage time!
Link took a deep breath, tossed off his warmup jacket, and strode toward the scorer's table.
During the dead ball, the substitution was completed. Parker walked off with his head down, not even acknowledging Link with a high-five.
"Lakers sub: Number 2, Link, replaces Number 1, Smush Parker," the arena announcer reported flatly.
Link stepped onto the court and moved to his defensive position. Miller sank both free throws, giving the Nuggets the ball back, and the Lakers were trailing by 13 points.