Michael Jordan's proactive relinquishing of power and rotational rests ensured his health and Stamina.
In the following 4 games, Michael Jordan only played 2 home games, scoring 36 points and 29 points respectively, with a shooting percentage exceeding 5%. Furthermore, in the 3 games after his return, Michael Jordan averaged 2 Steals per game.
Before his return, Michael Jordan's average Steals were only 0.7.
To be honest…
Only with ample Stamina, Michael Jordan was still the 'charmingly preserved' Michael Jordan.
On the other hand.
Link wasn't idle either. Besides games and playing poker with his girlfriend, he further refined his personal skills.
He had made significant progress in all aspects.
Shooting & Finishing:
[Three-Point Shot] base attribute +2, increased to 89 (93); [Mid-range Shooting] base attribute +3, increased to 96 (96); [Close-Range Shot] base attribute +2, increased to 91 (93); [Free Throw] base attribute +5, increased to 91 (91); [Post Fadeaway Jumpshot] base attribute +2, increased to 85 (88);
Defense & Playmaking:
[Ball Handling] base attribute +1, increased to 94 (96); [Steal] base attribute +2, increased to 87 (87);
Physical & Athleticism:
[Jumping Height] base attribute +2, increased to 71 (74); [Stamina] base attribute +2, increased to 9 (94);
In addition to attribute improvements…
Several badges also received upgrades.
[Ball-Handling Steal Master] upgraded from 'Silver' to 'Gold'.
[Needle Threader] upgraded from 'Silver' to 'Gold'.
[Hop Step Master] upgraded from 'Silver' to 'Gold'.
[Relief Passer] upgraded from 'Bronze' to 'Silver'.
The improvement of badges and attributes transformed Link's influence on the court.
On April 1, 2022, the Washington Wizards' team practice.
"Michael, calm down!"
"Link, calm down... calm down..."
"Don't fight, both of you!"
Link and Michael Jordan had an intense matchup during practice, leading to a conflict.
"Shit, you damn rookie, do you dare say your Steal just now wasn't a foul?" Michael Jordan, held back from behind by Randolph, angrily pointed at Link.
"Michael, I swear to God, that play of mine just now was absolutely not a foul!"
"You just got stripped by me twice in a row... hehe... don't be such a sore loser."
Link spread his hands, a look of disdain on his face.
"FUCK, that was a normal defensive move. Your little tricks are even more disgusting than that Isiah Thomas guy..." Michael Jordan cursed angrily.
Link's defensive moves were indeed not small, but Michael Jordan was stripped in 2 out of 3 consecutive possessions, and nearly stripped in another. This made Michael Jordan start swinging his arms and elbows while on offense.
Link, who was elbowed in the chin, then gave Michael Jordan a jab to the chest.
The two, unwilling to back down, started fighting because of this.
Teammates and coaching staff also joined in to break up the fight, and only then did the Link-Jordan duo stop.
"Damn rookie, what's gotten into him lately? Even if a dog walks by him, he wants to pickpocket it." Michael Jordan thought angrily.
Link's 'Steal' attribute improvement recently, along with [Ball-Handling Steal Master] and [Death Coil] both being 'Gold Badges', had transformed his 'Steal ability'. Once he latched on, the ball-handler was like someone wearing handcuffs and ankle chains, unable to move an inch.
After team practice, the coaching staff gathered the players and went to the 'Video Analysis Room'.
Assistant coach Larry Drew used slow-motion replays to analyze the Washington Wizards players' shortcomings in games.
When talking about Link…
Larry Drew hesitated for a moment.
The scene on the screen showed Link letting go of Michael Jordan to double-team Randolph with Laettner. The position of this double-team was incorrect; once Randolph passed the ball out, Link would have no way to recover on defense, but Link successfully disrupted Randolph's pass out of bounds.
From the result, it was undoubtedly 'perfect', but it was too 'risky' and involved an element of luck.
However, Larry Drew swallowed the words he wanted to say. It wasn't that Link was the core cornerstone of the team and he didn't dare to speak the truth.
Rather, he felt…
Link had the qualification and the ability to take risks with help defense.
Besides this, Larry Drew did point out other issues with Link's offense.
"Link, you have elite-level shooting. You don't need to drive to the basket excessively."
Link was influenced by 'Michael Jordan' – no, to be precise, by the young Michael Jordan. Link wasn't particularly reliant on Mid-range Shooting; he preferred and enjoyed the physical confrontation of driving to the basket, as well as the joy of disrupting the opponent's defensive formation.
Sitting next to Link, Michael Jordan, upon hearing this comment, showed a satisfied smile and subconsciously patted Link's shoulder, as if saying: "Good job, kid!"
Although the two often had conflicts on the court, it was only limited to the court. Off the court, Michael Jordan still acted very much like an 'older brother'.
…
…
Time came to April 3, 2022, the Washington Wizards' 75th regular season game.
The Washington Wizards traveled to Portland.
On the plane, Link, holding 'The Washington Post', suddenly said to Michael Jordan beside him: "Michael Jordan, beg me!"
"Cough cough!"
Michael Jordan, who was drinking coffee, nearly spat it out.
"Shit! rookie, what kind of crazy stunt are you pulling now?" Michael Jordan said with a playful curse.
Link handed the newspaper he was reading to Michael Jordan.
Michael Jordan glanced at it, his expression changed slightly, and he took it.
Looking at the huge headline.
"Scottie Pippen: Michael and I were never friends!"
Scottie Pippen, the strongest second-in-command in NBA history, and the most undisputed second-in-command.
Despite being a future Hall of Famer, holding 6 championship rings, and a historical superstar.
Among all historical superstars, Scottie Pippen was not 'well-regarded'.
The reason was simple: he was not the team leader.
Scottie Pippen also desperately wanted to prove himself, that he could still win championships after leaving Michael Jordan.
Additionally, to elevate his own status, he didn't shy away from subtly criticizing Michael Jordan.
After reading Scottie Pippen's interview news, Michael Jordan didn't get particularly angry. Instead, he said lightly: "Link, you'll have to work hard tonight then!"
To prepare for the playoffs, Michael Jordan would not play away games until the end of the regular season.
But for his former little brother, who was now backstabbing him, Michael Jordan didn't want to indulge him.
After speaking…
Michael Jordan told Link all of Scottie Pippen's playing characteristics and habits.