One Hundred and One: Pure Reason (13/40)

About Zach Randolph, even if Link didn't have to look up his story, he knew it very well. After all, he's the NBA's most famous case of a prodigal son.

In high school, he stole a hand.gun from a mechanical store, was arrested and convicted of second-degree theft, and served 26 days at a youth crime center.

In May 2002, he was caught by the police for speeding, and he was imprisoned for drinking, driving, and smoking dama.

In 2003, illegally carrying a big thing, was restrained for three hours.

In 2004, he was involved in a shooting case and was also charged with assault.

In 2006, the police smelled Da Ma in his car, and after searching, they found two loaded guns.

In 2007, a woman was accused of QJ, so he had to shuttle back and forth between the stadium, the court and the police station.

In 2009, he was arrested again for drunk driving. Surprisingly, hearing that he was just driving under the influence of alcohol, people seem to think that he has restrained a lot.

After reading all the above deeds, people's first reaction should be what happened to this guy's life, not his career. It doesn't matter if the ball is good or not, this guy's life seems to be coming to an end.

Of course, Randolph's career was as chaotic as his life.

He went wild in the locker room and got into fights with his teammates. Being lazy on the training ground and missing training from time to time. Extremely selfish on the court, often throwing waves from the outside...

In the Blazers, the entire team was so suffocating, and even after he suddenly played an excellent season, the team seized the opportunity to quickly send it away at a high price.

When it came to the Knicks and the big dye vat in New York, Randolph was in constant trouble both on and off the court. The team only fell to the bottom of the Eastern Conference, so even the New York Knicks couldn't stand Randolph and quickly traded.

Then came the Clippers, and this time he didn't get any bad news -- because he was sent away in less than half a year. There may be a reason why the Clippers want to take off Griffin, who coincides with his position in the draft, but a 20+10 power forward who was in his prime was taken away by a rookie who has not yet entered the league. It's also enough to see what kind of player he was at the time.

You know, in this era of data blowout like today, the average 20+10 per game is rare data. Only a 4-position player of Duncan's level can get it, that is to say, Randolph's data is the data of the league's top inside players.

However, almost all teams ditched him without hesitation.

In this way, the time came to July 22, 2009, the Memphis Grizzlies announced that Zach Randolph joined the team.

At the time, journalists simply thought the deal was terribly interesting. Memphis, the city with the highest crime rate in the United States. Randolph, the highest crime rate player in the league. What else can I say? Simply the perfect match!

This kind of small town that cannot attract the superstar family league can only get half-baked stars like Randolph, and can only exchange results and attention by sacrificing the harmony of the locker room.

People are waiting to see what kind of blood and blood will this fat man end up going through in Memphis. Maybe he will get into even more trouble and lose his freedom forever!

As a result, everyone knows what happened after that. And this is why Link is so curious.

Randolph, who was almost dying, was reborn in Memphis?

Link stared at Randolph, sitting across from him, ready to listen to him.

"A lot of people say it's because I've become mature. Hahaha, I've always felt that I have nothing to do with the word maturity. Some people say it's because I'm in debt, so I need to play football to support my family. That's nonsense, I I have no debt at all, and I have no problems with my funds. Some people say that it is because there is nothing to play in this country place in Memphis, and I only have to play seriously. Haha, there are really few places for entertainment in this place, but It's also not the main reason."

Randolph said,

His expression became more and more serious, as if he was rummaging through his brain for some long-held memories.

"You know, I've been on a lot of teams in the league. When I was traded to the Knicks and the Clippers, I didn't even meet the owner of the team. For those teams, I was like a Tool. Try it, keep it when it works, throw it away when it doesn’t work. It’s a bad feeling for me because I think it’s a humiliation.”

"In Memphis, I was treated completely differently. I remember the day I was traded to the Grizzlies, my plane arrived in Memphis at 8:30 in the morning. At that time, the whole world said I was screwed, They said I was going to get moldy and rot in Memphis. But it's not what I imagined. Mr. Haasley, the owner of the Grizzlies, took another flight early in the morning and arrived at the airport at the same time to meet me, the team Mr. Chris Wallace, the general manager, greeted me and hugged me. This gave me a feeling that I had never felt before. They really needed me. The moment I got off the plane, I suddenly realized that this It will be my new beginning, and I will go through fire and water for it."

Randolph stared at Link, his eyes firm.

"And when I walked into the team and looked at my teammates, the feeling was even more unwavering. We were like a bunch of trash abandoned by the world, and everyone wanted us to fend for ourselves in this dark corner. I thought at the time, why not show it to those guys? Let them see, Memphis is not a garbage dump! The team here is full of fighting force. So, this is why I play seriously now. There is no media speculation. So complicated, it couldn't be simpler."

After Randolph finished speaking, he spread his hands. Meanwhile, his and Link's poached chicken breast is ready. To be honest, this staple food is very unappetizing just by looking at it.

After listening to Randolph's experience, Link smiled. Indeed, the reason this guy plays seriously is simpler than everyone imagines. However, this is also very consistent with Randolph's way of thinking. You respect me, and I will respect you.

After listening to Randolph's story, Link also seemed to understand Randolph's mood very well.

What kind of player was he before he came to the Grizzlies? Although not bad deeds, but also despised. It was almost impossible to get along in the G League, and it was just a money-making tool in the Rockets.

Only in Memphis was he treated like a true part of the team. Teammates help him, coaches trust him, fans love him. On the first day of his official signing, his teammates made small surprises for him in the locker room. After he killed the game, Memphis fans cheered and affirmed him without hesitation.

Therefore, now Link is also very willing to fight for Memphis.

Unexpectedly, I quite understand this big black bear.

"Your joining has made me more confident in the playoffs, Link. If I can make the playoffs, I believe that many teams, and many media who thought we were going to rot, will see the terrible Grizzlies. We're going to be a nightmare for other teams, no one wants to play with us. Like the photographer just said, we're a big villain."

"Yeah, there's nothing wrong with being a big villain, right?" Link nodded. In the original history, the Grizzlies could always make some bloody storms in the playoffs, but the distance from the real glory was always the same. is one step away.

But now, Link has a chance to change history. Maybe the villain doesn't have to be the losing side in the ending.

Link is very fortunate that he can have a "junk teammate" like Zach Randolph, otherwise, he would not have turned his back on this team that had almost no sense of existence in his memory before.

The Memphis Grizzlies don't have any veterans or retired players so far, but they are not good enough. Who are they?