Chapter 908: Zack and Link Disappear Again
After playing in Brooklyn, the Memphis Grizzlies headed toward Portland without stopping.
This season, the Grizzlies have not played back-to-back games more frequently than in previous years, but they have played extraordinarily many consecutive away games.
Just after playing against the Nets in New York, I immediately turned around and headed to Oregon.
Grizzlies VS Trail Blazers, first in the West VS third in the West. Such a duel naturally attracted the attention of many fans and media.
Although the Trail Blazers' record of no more than double-digit losses has been broken, they are still one of the most powerful teams in the West.
There are not many teams that can cause trouble to the Grizzlies, and the Trail Blazers are considered one of them.
There was a crowd outside Portland International Airport, and Grizzlies players caused quite a stir wherever they went.
After seeing the Grizzlies players, the outside of the airport suddenly became ablaze.
Although the Grizzlies generals have just finished playing the game against the Nets, they seem to be in good mental condition.
Iguodala, Jimmy Butler, Conley, Gasol, Tobias Harris, Tony Allen, Vince Carter, Dellavedova and others appeared one by one and stepped onto the ball. Team bus.
The reporters still pointed their cameras at the airport exit, and the Grizzlies still had two heavyweights who didn't show up!
As a result, except for head coach Dave Joger, there was no one behind.
Continuing from last night’s press conference, the reporters looked confused again.
Why are there no Link and Randolph!
Forget about not attending the press conference, could they just stop coming to the game?
"Wait, Coach Dave, where are Link and Randolph!?"
Reporters immediately surrounded Joger, and the originally peaceful order at the scene was completely disrupted.
Joger seemed to have expected such a scene, so he was very calm when he was surrounded by reporters.
"Link and Zach had to go back to Memphis to deal with some personal matters, so they didn't come with us. But you don't have to worry, I guarantee that Link and Zach can make it to the game against the Trail Blazers tomorrow night.
"
Qiaogel answered lightly, nodded, and then pushed aside the crowd and walked onto the bus.
The reporters were stunned. Randolph and Link were dealing with private matters?
Combined with Randolph's recent poor performance and Link's previous expectations for Randolph, reporters couldn't help but wonder.
Could there be a conflict between Link and Randolph?
As we all know, Link is a competitive person, just like Jordan and Kobe. And the most intolerable thing for people like them is teammates who are passive and slow on the court.
They are not only strict with themselves, but also with their teammates.
They work very hard on the court and demand the same from their teammates.
Randolph's performance in doing everything slowly these days clearly cannot satisfy Link.
Just like that, just two hours after the Grizzlies players arrived in Portland, rumors were spreading on the Internet.
"Zach Randolph may be traded? He did not arrive in Portland with the team!"
"Inside news: Link is forcing the management to deal with Zach Randolph, so he will not participate in the game against the Trail Blazers."
"Will the defending champion be disintegrated from within? There are suspected conflicts in the Grizzlies locker room."
"The bromance is officially over! Link and Randolph are going their separate ways!"
It's mid-January, which is the peak period for mid-season trades. And Randolph has always been a frequent subject of mid-term trade rumors. Almost every year, he is included in the "suspected to be traded" list by the media.
But this time, the news seemed particularly real. Before a player is traded away, there will be all kinds of abnormal behavior.
In the afternoon, the rumors began to intensify.
A Nets reporter said that Link and Randolph were suspected of having a heated argument on the bus after the game in Brooklyn.
Combined with the fact that both of them were absent from the press conference yesterday, people felt that it was a bit strange.
NBA rumors are sometimes so "brainless" when spread.
In the imagination of fans and reporters, Randolph and Link are now anxiously awaiting the trade at home.
But in reality, Randolph and Link were standing together in the same room.
At this time, during the incident in a hospital in Memphis, the two were talking and laughing. They were not like the "enemies" described by the media at all, and naturally there was no discord at all.
On the hospital bed in front of Link and Randolph, a black woman was half-lying.
Although she was ill in bed, she had a smile on her face and seemed to get along well with the two young men.
"...Okay, mom, don't make any more embarrassing stories about me when I was a kid. Link, everything you heard tonight, you have to pretend you haven't heard it since you walked out of this door. Do you understand!?" Randolph Eyes widened.
The woman half-lying on the hospital bed in front of her was Zach Randolph's mother, Maya Randolph. She suffered a heart attack a few days ago and was admitted to the hospital.
And this is the reason why Randolph has been so distracted recently.
Like most black children in the slums, Randolph has been dependent on his mother since he was a child.
Without a father, Mei Ai raised four children alone with government relief funds and hard-working hands.
Although Randolph has gone through many detours, Meai still has a lot of positive influence on Randolph.
He chose to marry his girlfriend the summer before last because he hoped that his woman and children would not have to repeat his old path.
He knows better than anyone how difficult it is for a woman to raise a child alone, and he doesn't want his child to be without a father since childhood.
Randolph's relationship with his mother was excellent, and he knew very well that without this woman's efforts, he might have died on the streets when he was in high school.
For Randolph, Meiai is undoubtedly one of the most important people in his heart.
So after Mayai was hospitalized for a heart attack, Randolph had been very anxious. Because this sudden heart attack was so serious that it almost killed Mei Ai.
After Link learned about this on the bus yesterday, he decided to go back to Memphis with Randolph to visit Mei Ai.
Therefore, neither he nor Randolph appeared in Portland today.
While chatting just now, Mei Ai revealed many embarrassing things about Randolph's childhood.
Generally speaking, when a mother is with her child whom she has not seen for a long time, she likes to talk about the child's childhood.
Even though her child has turned into a mature man, in her eyes he will always be the troublemaking little naughty boy.
"Hahahaha, Link, don't be afraid of him. After I am discharged from the hospital, you will often come to our house as a guest. I still have a lot of things about him that I haven't told you. The blueberry pie I made is very delicious. Zach used to be the best I like it. We can eat and chat at the same time." Mei Ai ignored Randolph's "threat", and she was happy to have Link as an audience.
"Okay, Mei Ai. But you have to have a good rest. The doctor said you have to go to bed early now. Recover as soon as possible, and I can eat the blueberry pie you made as soon as possible." Link pointed at the wall. The clock, at this time, was already ten o'clock in the evening.
"Okay, Zach, go ask the nurse to measure my blood pressure. After the measurement, I should rest." Mei Ai nodded and said to Randolph.
"Wouldn't it be nice to just ring the bedside bell?" Randolph said, and was about to get up and ring the bell, but was stopped in time by Mei Ai.
"Sometimes this bell doesn't work. It's safer to go to the nurse's station and call it in person."
Seeing his mother's persistence, Randolph could only obey.
After the "big black bear" turned around and walked out of the ward, Mei Ai set her sights on Link.
Link instantly understood that Mei Ai had deliberately sent Randolph out just now.
"Link, thank you very much for coming to see me with Zach. He has caused you a lot of trouble recently..."
"How could that be? Zach is no longer a problem."
"Don't lie to me. I watch sports news every day. Don't think that I am an old lady who knows nothing. Zach is a good kid. He may have done wrong things before, but that was in the past. I don't want to ...Don’t want to see the media say that about him. You are the leader of the team, Link. Tell Zach, don’t worry about me and play hard. Although those reporters are attacking him, every word seems to It's a knife that pierces my heart. Please, Link, cheer up Zach."
Link nodded solemnly, "Don't worry, Mei Ai, Zach is very strong. He will recover quickly, and you must actively cooperate with the treatment and recover as soon as possible. I guarantee that Zach will be able to eliminate the misunderstanding soon."
When the two of them said this, Randolph walked into the ward with the nurse.
After taking the blood pressure, Mei Ai started to rest, and Link and Randolph also left the hospital.
Early the next morning, they had to catch a plane to Portland.
The two walked downstairs to the hospital and stood for a while in the cold January wind.
Several taxis passed by, but neither Link nor Randolph stopped them. They are like two human statues, only not fully realized.
"Otherwise... let's go for a walk? It's very cold." Link rubbed his hands and breathed inside.
Randolph hesitated for a few seconds, then nodded slightly.
Memphis is very quiet at night, eerily quiet, and it always makes people feel unsafe.
But sometimes, this peaceful night is also very suitable for solving troubles...
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