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The festive energy of All-Star Weekend had already begun to fill the air on Saturday night.
All-Star Rookie Game.
Link sat courtside in casual clothes with a few familiar players. The game was lighthearted and fun. The sophomores used their smoother chemistry to control the pace. In the final seconds, David Lee caught Chris Paul's alley-oop and threw down a thunderous slam-dunk game-winner, sending the crowd into a roar.
Next came the individual events.
First up was the Skills Challenge. This year's field was stacked with future legends: defending champion Dwyane Wade, the red-hot LeBron James, rising point-guard star Chris Paul, and—to everyone's surprise—Kobe Bryant.
When Kobe's name was announced, the arena exploded in cheers.
After a quick warm-up, the players took their turns. The preliminary round results came fast: Kobe clocked 29.8 seconds for first place, followed by Wade and James, with Paul bringing up the rear. Wade and Kobe advanced to the finals; James and Paul were eliminated.
As Kobe left the floor, he shrugged at the camera with an easy grin. "Way too easy, bro!" he said, slinging an arm around Paul, who looked embarrassed after his nearly 40-second run.
Kobe still had no idea what was coming.
Link pictured the disaster ahead and had to cover his mouth to hide his laugh.
The finals started quickly.
Wade went first and held nothing back. Dribble through the cones, chest pass, layup, final dunk—everything clean in one fluid run. The clock stopped at 26.4 seconds! The crowd erupted. That time would have ranked among the best in Skills Challenge history.
Then it was Kobe's turn.
Before stepping up, he flashed the camera a confident "watch this" gesture. The first few stations were flawless—cones, layup, all smooth. But the passing station…
Disaster struck.
First attempt: too soft. The ball bounced off the rim and fell short.
Kobe snatched it back.
Second attempt: angle off. The ball clipped the side and flew out.
Scattered boos started from the sideline.
Third attempt: the ball slammed into the back of the rim and ricocheted sky-high.
Three straight failures. Time was ticking away fast.
Kobe planted his hands on his hips, staring at the tiny target with a look that was half annoyed, half amused. The entire arena dissolved into roaring laughter.
Cameras cut to the stars on the sideline—everyone was cracking up. The loudest voice belonged to Shaquille O'Neal in the front row.
"See that?! I told y'all!" Shaq bellowed, pointing at Kobe. "This dude can't pass! Never could!"
Shaq's booming voice and over-the-top expression sent the crowd into even louder cheers. LeBron and Carmelo were literally falling out of their chairs laughing.
Kobe finally nailed the pass on his fifth try. Total time: 45.8 seconds.
He walked off with a self-deprecating smile and shrugged toward Shaq. Shaq answered with a smug grin.
The hilarious moment pushed the whole night to a perfect, light-hearted peak.
In the end, Wade defended his title with a rock-solid, flawless performance.
The Slam Dunk Contest followed. Gerald Green stole the show with his jaw-dropping "blow-out-the-candle" dunk and took home the trophy.
The Three-Point Contest was quieter. Many big-name shooters had skipped it. Link had politely declined the league's invitation too. Jason Kapono from the Miami Heat walked away with the crown.
All-Star Saturday ended on a fun, relaxed high.
---
Sunday afternoon – Western All-Stars locker room.
The Western locker room was bright and spacious, lockers arranged alphabetically. Link wasn't early; when he pushed the door open, the place was already buzzing.
"Hey! Look who finally showed up!" a loud voice boomed.
Carmelo Anthony grabbed Link's shoulder and grinned. "Sleep well, Prophet?"
A few good-natured laughs rippled through the room. Clearly, Isabella's arrival in Vegas wasn't exactly a secret.
Link stayed cool, dropping his bag. "Slept great—until I walked in and heard someone running their mouth. Melo, your sources are scary good."
"Ohhh!" Melo whistled.
Just then LeBron James strolled in. He looked straight at Kobe with a mischievous smile.
"Hey, Kobe, I think you should file a complaint with the league. Did they secretly shrink the passing target or what?"
The whole locker room exploded with laughter.
Kobe picked up a knee pad and lobbed it at LeBron. "Save it, LeBron. Talk to me after you actually beat me tonight!"
The vibe was loose and warm—the magic of All-Star Weekend. Guys who battled like enemies on regular nights were now just ballers enjoying the purest form of the game.
Yao Ming ducked through the doorway, his huge frame briefly blocking the light. He walked straight to Link and greeted him in Chinese.
"How you feeling?"
"A little unreal, Yao-ge," Link answered honestly.
Duncan, Nash, McGrady, Nowitzki—every legend in the room was now his teammate.
"Relax," Yao Ming patted his shoulder. "Everyone feels like this the first time. Treat it like fun. You'll get used to it."
Link nodded. His eyes drifted across the room.
Amar'e Stoudemire was leaning against a locker, laughing with Steve Nash. When Stoudemire noticed Link looking, he turned and gave a short nod—polite on the surface, but laced with clear tension.
Link understood perfectly.
The Suns' three-team trade rumors earlier this season, plus Link beating out Shawn Marion for the final reserve spot… yeah, the "Little Tyrant" from Phoenix wasn't exactly sending him Christmas cards.
Completely normal in the NBA. Link wasn't surprised.
LeBron wandered over and slapped Link hard on the back.
"Bro! Welcome to the All-Star party!"
"Thanks, LeBron. Guess I'm guarding you again tonight!" Link joked back.
The Lakers and Cavs had already played twice this season; the Lakers had lost one.
"I won't go easy," LeBron laughed, then added with mock regret, "Man, last offseason I straight-up told Gilbert he should offer you a max deal. Dude didn't listen. Now he's kicking himself every day."
Link just smiled. LeBron's eye for talent really was scary.
If the Cavs had thrown out a $15M+ offer back then, the Lakers probably wouldn't have matched—and Link might have ended up in Cleveland.
"LeBron, that's straight-up tampering!" Kobe's lazy voice floated over.
LeBron burst out laughing and turned to Kobe. "Come on, man. Cleveland ain't LA—nobody wants to come to my city!"
He winked at Link like he was deliberately poking Kobe.
Link laughed and gave LeBron a playful shove. The guy really had a gift for clowning around.
The room slowly filled up.
Head coach Avery Johnson clapped his hands and called everyone in. His speech was short and straightforward: enjoy the game, show off your skills, stay healthy, but also take it seriously and win for the West.
"Finally," the coach looked around the room, "some of you young guys are on this stage for the first time. Don't be nervous. You earned your spot. Just enjoy the night!"
The energy shot up again. Music got louder. Players started their final prep.
Link tightened his laces and slipped on his wristbands. He didn't feel the crushing nerves he'd expected—just a steady, rising excitement.
Kobe walked over, flexing his wrists while scanning the noisy locker room.
"Remember what I told you?" Kobe said quietly.
Link looked up.
"First half? It's a show. Entertainment." Kobe's eyes swept the room. "But when the fourth quarter hits… everyone's face changes. That's when it stops being a show."
He turned and locked eyes with Link.
"If you're still out there, you go all out."
Link met his stare and nodded slowly. "I will."
The locker-room door swung open. The roar of the packed arena flooded in like a wave.
"Next up… the Western Conference All-Stars!!!"
The announcer's booming voice rolled down the tunnel.
Link stood, fell in behind a line of living legends, and walked toward the screaming lights of the court.
His first NBA All-Star Game was about to begin.