: 2: Players at the bottom of the food chain

　　 "The discharge procedures have been completed, and the doctor said that you have no problems at all. Let's go, we will have a game the day after tomorrow."
　　 That afternoon, when Link had accepted the fact that he had become a professional player from an ordinary graduate, a tall and sturdy black man walked into Link's ward.
　　 Hearing the tone of the caller, he seemed to be very familiar with Link. Link thought carefully through the memories and figured out the relationship between this guy and himself.
　　Zike Upshaw, a professional player as unknown as Link, an ordinary NBA development league senior player. He was also undrafted. He has played in the Development League for three years, but he still hasn't been favored by any NBA team.
　　 But just like most people, Upshaw still has not given up his dream and is still full of yearning for the NBA. Therefore, I still stay in the big dyeing vat of the Development Alliance.
　　 In the Oklahoma Blues, Upshaw and Link are also very good friends. As a yellow-skinned, when Link first joined the team, he was somewhat excluded by everyone. But Upshaw alone is extremely friendly and enthusiastic towards Link.
　　 When I heard that Link hadn't found a house to rent in Oklahoma, Upshaw very grandly invited Link to his house for a few nights. Nowadays, Upshaw often invites Link to eat at his house.
　　 If you want Link to evaluate, Upshaw is a really good person. This may be related to his years of experience as a low-level professional player.
　　 As a player at the bottom of the food chain in professional basketball, Upshaw knows the difficulty of each developing league player. Therefore, he can be regarded as sympathetic to Link.
"What's wrong, buddy? Are you stupid? So I have said that it is not a good thing to be too hard during confrontation training. Don't worry, the team has already paid for your medical bills. You don't have to worry about the cost of calling an ambulance yesterday. "Upshaw smiled and patted Link on the shoulder.
　　 In the United States, the cost of emergency medical care is very expensive. It costs thousands of dollars to take an ambulance. This is another reason. After being sent to the emergency room by an ambulance, the examination fee in the emergency room is still more than three times that of the regular department. After seeing an emergency, tens of thousands of dollars is definitely inevitable.
　　 Link also remembers a joke he heard in his previous life, saying that it was an American college student who suddenly fainted on the road. And the last thing he said to everyone before he completely lost consciousness was: "Don't call an ambulance!"
　　 But now where Link is thinking about the ambulance, he is trying to adjust to the good friend he suddenly got.
　　 "Thank you for picking me up, Zike." Linke didn't know what to say, so he could only say thank you to this teammate who worked hard to pursue his dream.
　　 "We two need to talk about this? Let's go, go to my house for dinner this afternoon, my mother bought some good chicken thighs, you have a good taste tonight."
　　Upshaw said, and walked outside the ward with his arm around Link's shoulder. He is still a little unaccustomed to Upshaw's enthusiasm, but having a friend is not a bad thing.
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　　Walking down the streets of Oklahoma, Link was full of curiosity about everything around him.
　　 Although Oklahoma is not a big city, when he was a fan in his previous life, Link also jokingly called Oklahoma "Oklahoma" like everyone else.
　　 But as a person who "goes abroad" for the first time, everything in Oklahoma is enough to make Link dazzle.
"I said, why are you weird today?" Upshaw noticed Link's anomaly and frowned and asked, "Yesterday you obviously fell into a faint during training, but after all the tests, you did nothing. No. It shouldn't be, the inspection was wrong, right."
　　 Upshaw said, touching the back of Link's head with his hand.
　　 "I'm okay, Zike. I just feel like I slept for a long time." After being silent all the way, Link quickly removed Upshaw's hand. If he doesn't say anything, I'm afraid it will be exposed.
　　 If it is discovered that his soul does not actually belong to this body, it is estimated that the Pentagon will send someone to drag Link away and slice it.
　　 The two chatted without a word, and finally walked into a seemingly dilapidated neighborhood. This is Upshaw's home, where he grew up, an unremarkable dark corner of Oklahoma City-Calvin District.
　　 When he was in China, the American cities that Link remembered were all prosperous metropolises. But to be honest, the situation in Calvin District is not comparable to China.
　　 The roads in Calvin District are very old and bumpy everywhere. In the alley, countless homeless people gathered together, staring at the passing pedestrians with desperate eyes. A few guys in loose clothing are trading secretly on the streets, as long as there are walls, they will always be filled with graffiti.
　　 Although it is the first time to come to the United States, as a person living in the era of the information explosion, Link has never eaten pork and has seen pigs run.
　　 There is no doubt that he is in a poor black neighborhood. If it wasn't for Upshaw by his side, Link didn't even know if he could still walk safely on the road.
　　 On the border of Calvin District, a two-story building that looks very miniature is the home of Zeke Upshaw. Next to the house is a basketball court surrounded by barbed wire and only half the size of a court. According to Upshaw himself, that's where his basketball originated.
　　 "Mom, I'm back! And Link, thank God, his head is unscathed." Upshaw shouted outside the house before he even entered.
　　 Soon, a short and chubby black woman opened the door, wearing an apron and a kind smile on her face.
　　 "I said, God will bless Link. Come over, kid, let me see. God, when Zick told me you fainted yesterday, I was so scared."
　　 Upshaw's mother looked at the back of Link's head with concern, and then hugged it. Although this made Link a little embarrassed and at a loss. But he, who is unfamiliar with his life, felt a touch of warmth in his heart.
　　 Yes, Link in the previous life lacked parental care since he was a child. He hasn't experienced the feeling of home for a long time...
　　 After entering the door, Link looked around. From the old broken sofa and messy living room, you can see that Upshaw’s family is not rich either.
　　 Upshaw’s father was in jail because of flour. His mother, the kind lady just now, pulled Upshaw and his sister to grow up.
　　Although Upshaw is now a professional player, there is no doubt that an NBDL level player cannot bring much improvement to the family's economic conditions.
　　 is different from the lowest annual salary of NBA stars of several hundred thousand dollars, and the total salary cap of the development league team is only 200 thousand dollars. Compared with the NBA, it is a drop in the bucket.
　　 Upshaw, as a "veteran" with three years of experience in the development alliance, this year's salary is $19,500. That's right, not 1.95 million, nor 195,000, but 19,500! One year!
　　For comparison, the average annual salary in the United States is $40,000! So although they are called professional players, the income of Upshaw and Link can only be regarded as the middle and low class in the United States.
　　 "Link, tomorrow's training, you should be fine?" While Mrs. Upshaw was busy in the kitchen, Zike and Link started chatting on the sofa.
　　 "Uh... to be honest, there is a problem." Link smiled awkwardly, although he played less than $20,000 a year in the NBDL. But the current situation is that Link is very likely to be unable to afford even this bowl of rice with an annual salary of $20,000.
　　 Link was a basketball enthusiast in his previous life. Yes, but the level of basketball is a real scene of a car accident. At the university, he couldn't even enter the college team. So now that a crappy self appears in the body of a professional player, can he play professional basketball? Link expressed suspicion.
"what happened?"
　　 "I...I just came out of the hospital, and I don't know if I can keep up. Otherwise, after dinner, will you accompany me to the next stadium to warm up?"
　　 Link actually wants to see if he can play basketball before tomorrow’s training. If not, it's better to be a gardener with the daddy of this world as early as possible...After all, as an older rookie who has played in college for four years, Link is 22 years old this year. He can't waste all his youth in the development alliance.
　　 There is a rare chance to start again. Of course Link does not want to live in poverty anymore. Dreams are good, but people always want to have a meal. It is not a problem to spend so much on the basketball dream every day.
　　 "Okay, I will accompany you to exercise after dinner. But in my opinion, you should have no problem." As for Link's proposal, Upshaw naturally readily agreed.
　　 "Hey hey..." Link had to cover up his nervousness with a hypocritical, slightly embarrassing laugh.
　　 Playing basketball with a professional player? It is estimated to be overturned.
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　　 New book issue, UU Reading www.uukanshu.com will open a separate paragraph for everyone to talk about. Ask for recommendation, ask for recommendation, ask for recommendation, this is a priority, I don't need to repeat how important these data are in the new book issue. You guys don't have to vote for me in the future, but in the new book issue, please leave the votes to me.
　　 Because of these data, I have the opportunity to be recommended. If the recommendation is good, the results will naturally be affordable. When the grades are up, I personally will definitely be able to write more happily. I won't say anything that I write entirely for dreams of this kind of bullshit. Writing is of course my hobby and dream, but like Link, people always want to eat.
　　 Then talk about the update, the new book term can only guarantee two changes, because the number of words required for the sports classification is very small now. If there are too many words updated every day, the book will be on the shelves within a few days of opening. Once it’s on the shelves, I will always miss a lot of recommended opportunities.
　　 Many readers have said that someone so-and-so is just like opening a new book. However, the reader base is always there, and there are many collections without recommendation. But I am different, I have to accumulate bit by bit in the new book period. Therefore, I have to extend the new book period as much as possible, only two changes a day, I hope you understand. The two shifts are at 12:30 and 17:30 every day, and generally do not change without accident.
　　 But the recommendation votes will not make everyone vote for nothing. On the day of the shelves, it is tentatively scheduled to start 5 times (tentatively, there may be more), and one chapter will be added for every 5000 recommendation votes, and there is no cap. If you want to watch me explode on the day it was put on the shelves, then take the ticket and kill me. I just stayed up the vigil and gave you liver out. My updated old friends know that they dare not say too much, but there are definitely a lot. After it's on the shelf, enough bags.
　　 I think of so much for the time being, let me tell you what else I think of later. Thank you for your patience and reading, thank you for your support.
　　 Finally, please recommend, please recommend!