The day before the playoffs, link and Grizzlies arrived in Oklahoma City, where link''s career began.
He had a real connection with Oklahoma City. He first became a real professional here, and now he is about to make his first playoff trip here.
Link''s feelings for the city are very special. His short experience here has laid a solid foundation for him to become an NBA player.
"I love this city, Zach." Sitting on the team bus and looking out of the window at the familiar street view, link and Randolph started talking.
"It won''t be long before you like it." Randolph closed his eyes, apparently resting, but his mouth returned to link.
These two days, Randolph''s serious appearance really made link a little unaccustomed.
"Why?"
"Because this is the home of thunder, link. In the playoffs, home fans are 100 percent behind their team. There''s nothing here but blood and blood. So, you won''t like it. " Randolph opened his eyes and looked like an old player imparting experience to the recruits.
But in fact, Randolph has played in the playoffs once. In the 01-02 season playoffs, Randolph played only one minute in garbage time, without any data, which can be ignored.
He officially played in the playoffs in 2002-03. Randolph played seven times with the Blazers in the playoffs, averaging 13.9 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. However, eight years have passed since that experience.
"Come on, you didn''t get booed when you went there. It had nothing to do with whether you were away or not. For you, where is it not bloody? " Link waved his hand, young Randolph, not to mention in the away game, it is estimated that there are fans booing him at home, after all, that guy is too bad!
It''s not bad performance on the court, but professional attitude and off-site reputation.
Randolph glared at link and continued to shut his eyes. Most of the time you talk to that kid, you get trapped in the pit.
Link laughs and laughs, but it''s Randolph who will be the best Grizzlies in the playoffs this year.
Tony Allen won the championship, but he couldn''t score. Battier has participated in all three of the Grizzlies'' playoffs and played three playoffs with the Rockets. But after all, he''s old here and you can''t expect Battier to kill the game.
As for the rest of Conley, Gasol, Mayo, like link, are playoff starters.
Randolph''s playoff experience, resume and strength are really important to the Grizzlies.
But link still disagrees with Randolph''s words. He believes that in Oklahoma City, at the Chesapeake energy stadium, not all fans support the thunder team.
This city is not only bloody
In the afternoon, after the training at Chesapeake energy stadium, the Grizzlies entered the free time.
It''s free play, but in fact most players choose to go back to the hotel directly. Oklahoma City is a place where Grizzlies are unfamiliar and can''t find a place to play. And this place, which is ridiculed as "Russian village", has few places for entertainment, like Memphis. Unless it''s a nightclub prince like harden, there''s no place for fun.
And with the playoff debut coming tomorrow, the players definitely want to stay in shape. Therefore, returning to the hotel to rest seems to be the only choice for the Grizzlies.
"Link, what would you like to eat tonight? Boiled chicken breast or boiled beef. By the way, I''ve brought my Xbox 360, play games with me tonight, I... "Randolph was talking while dressing in the dressing room, but he looked up and swallowed half of what he said.
Because he found out that link didn''t seem to be in the dressing room at all! Said a lot, all in the dialogue with the air!
"And link?" Randolph asked his teammates with a confused face. The others just spread out their hands and shook their heads.
"It''s like leaving as soon as the training is over. But I don''t know where he went Tony Allen shrugged. It seems that he and Randolph are the only players in the game tonight.
Moore cemetery in Oklahoma City is located in Moore Town, the southern suburb of Oklahoma City.
In April 2010, the terrible Moore tornado hit here. At that time, a 3 km wide tornado swept through the area with the power of more than 300 km. All the places where the tornado passed were razed to the ground, countless houses collapsed, two schools and a hospital were turned into ruins, and cars were crushed into scrap metal like toys.
Moore cemetery has also been devastated, but with the joint efforts of local residents, it has returned to its usual calm.
Because of the tornado attack only a year later, so every day a lot of people come to the cemetery. After all, those who died in the tornado are sleeping here.Link stands in front of a simple cross tombstone with a bunch of flowers in his hand. Unlike most, the person he came to visit was not killed in the terrible tornado, but in a basketball game.
"Zick, long time no see." Linck didn''t want to make the atmosphere so sad, so he laughed at the tombstone and bent over to put the flowers beside the tomb.
"It''s a nice place, and it''s lively. You shouldn''t be bored. By the way, what is this? Yes, NBA playoff tickets! Man, we''re going to play the playoffs, NBA playoffs! God, can you imagine that? It''s crazy. "
"I said, I will carry our dream and go on. I made it to the NBA, to the all star, to the playoffs. The playoffs start in Oklahoma again, so you have to come and see Zick. Zach Randolph said there''s no way I''m going to have fans in Oklahoma City, but I know you''re going to support me. Ha ha ha ha, do you know Zach? It''s the villain whose career is almost over. His name is very similar to you, and he is just as nice to me. If you can, I really hope you can know each other, and you will like him. If you can...
"OK, I don''t want to talk to you. Watch, I''ll continue our dream in Oklahoma City. This is where our dreams begin, not where they end. "
With that, link stood up and faced upshaw''s mother, Martha.
"Boy, Zick must be very happy to have you here. To tell you the truth, if you''re busy, you don''t have to run so far. "
"I wish he were happy, Martha. It''s OK. It doesn''t delay my training and competition. By the way, how was her grades? " Link''s "she" refers to upshaw''s sister, of course.
"It''s very good. The final test report card is basically a. I think she can go to college, link. Thank you for that. I don''t know what to do if he''s a girl who''s staying in that shabby neighborhood all her life...
"I didn''t do anything, Martha. Their two brothers and sisters can be so excellent, because you are an excellent mother. Of course... I have to thank you too. When I was in Oklahoma City, your family took good care of me. You treat me like your own son. "
Link recalled the time when he went to the upshaw''s house to eat, drink and even sleep on the sofa. Seriously, without the warmth of upshaw''s house, link might have given up his dream of professional basketball in the cruel environment of the Development League.
"Well, here are five playoff tickets. I asked someone to buy them for me and give them to you. Let''s go and watch the game, with Zick. Not every year, I have a chance to come to Oklahoma City to play the playoffs. I hope that when I play in Oklahoma City... I can have you on the sidelines. In this way, I will be much more at ease. " Link said, putting five tickets into Martha''s hand.
These are five front row tickets behind the bench. According to the official pricing, the lowest price of each ticket is 5000 US dollars. Five, that''s 25000 dollars. In terms of the family conditions of the upshaws, they certainly could not afford to spend.
"I can''t take your tickets, link. It''s too expensive!"
"If you don''t take them, I''ll just throw them away. Go to the scene and watch the ball. I''ll cheer you on. " Link forced the ticket into Martha''s hand.
Martha didn''t give up. She was smiling and blushing. "You''re going to get God''s favor, son."
"I don''t want God''s help, because I''m enough with you." Link looked up at the sky. In April, near summer, the sky was cloudless and blue, just like the beginning of his career - blue.
This time, Randolph was really wrong. Oklahoma City is not only bloody, but also sincere tenderness.
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