Received Dwight. Howard's call, which surprised Link a little.

After all, Howard is one of Link's enemies. When Howard was in the Rockets, the two sides had a bond.

Trash-talk on the court was light, and there were even a few physical altercations between Howard and the Grizzlies players.

At that time, Howard was very angry, not only scared Link, but also Kobe, Garnett and others, who were very high in the league at that time.

Link has never been a generous person, so he didn't have much of a crush on Howard until now.

So even though the Grizzlies are in dire need of a quality blue-collar center right now, and even if there are not many people on the free agent market anymore, Link and Grizzlies management have never considered Howard.

It's just that I didn't expect that Howard actually took the initiative to send it to the door.

Link was still hesitant to answer the call, but he answered it anyway when he remembered Howard's low profile this summer.

Let's listen to what he's going to do first, and if it doesn't work, just hang up.

"Hello?"

"Link, I thought you wouldn't answer my call, great!" On the phone, Howard seemed very pleased.

"What's the matter?" Link's attitude is still cold, and his attitude towards Ross is completely different.

"Hahaha, I've just heard gossip that you're looking for a center. Link, I can help you, really! ”

"You can't help me, Dwight. Besides, the recruitment is a matter for management, you don't need to call me. Link pouted, it was a "sales call".

"I know Grizzlies management won't sign me if you don't nod your head. Let's meet, Link. Anywhere, I can go to Memphis to find you. I can do anything, pick-and-roll, defense, rebounding, I don't even need the ball. I'm dead from the previous one, Link, and I just want a chance. ”

Howard licked another good lick at Link, which even made Link think that it wasn't Howard who was talking to him on the phone.

What was Howard like before? Conceited, self-esteem, unpleasant speech. Starting with the Lakers, through the Rockets, Hawks, Hornets and Wizards, he's had problems in the locker room on every team.

Such a "locker room cancer", you expect him to speak well?

But at this time, Howard put his posture super low.

These days, Link has also seen a lot of Howard-related news on the Internet.

He has apologized for the incident with Kobe Bryant back then, and also said that he only wants to focus on the game or something.

In short, the attitude has completely changed 180° from before.

But on second thought, this guy still has a bunch of illegitimate children waiting for alimony. If he can't find a job this season, he'll probably go crazy.

Is Howard really ripe? Link didn't know.

But under the oppression of life, it is indeed easier for a man to mature.

"Link?" Seeing that Link didn't reply for a long time, Howard asked again.

"I'm not a place to play happy basketball, and next season we're aiming for four in a row, which is a tough goal, and the guys who don't want to win can't find their place here. So, Dwight, go somewhere more relaxed, Memphis isn't for you, I'm serious. Link eventually turned Howard down.

The Grizzlies' locker room atmosphere has been very good over the years, and this is the basis on which the Grizzlies were able to build two dynasties, and Link didn't dare to risk breaking that atmosphere.

After Link finished speaking, he was just about to hang up the phone, but he heard Howard's deep voice: "I just want a chance to redeem, Link." I know you don't like me, and I won't call you if I want to go somewhere more relaxed. Believe it or not, I want to win now, and I know Kobe Bryant now. I can do anything to win. Really, if you don't believe me, you can even sign a non-guaranteed contract with me first, and if I don't do something well, you can lay me off at any time. ”

Link, who was just about to press the hang up button, suddenly hesitated, and Howard's posture was too low. As a former superstar, now even non-guaranteed contracts are acceptable?

Non-guaranteed contracts are generally signed only by undrafted and development league players, and even a mediocre ordinary rotation player will never be willing to accept a non-guaranteed contract.

To put it bluntly, a non-guaranteed contract means that the team can throw you away whenever they want to throw you away like garbage, and lay you off at almost no cost.

"I won't believe you until you prove it, Dwight. Get in touch with your manager and management, and they'll set you up for interviews and tryouts. ”

"What!?" Hearing this, Howard was difficult to restrict.

Link promised himself!?

"If you don't hear it, forget it, so be it." After Link, he finally hung up the phone.

He didn't like Howard, and he still doesn't.

But Howard's mindset has changed dramatically this summer.

Link believes that people change, let alone a man in his 30s.

See what that guy can do, and it's never too late to make a decision.

All preconceptions aside, Howard is a brilliant blue-collar center. Although his strength is far from his peak, his playing style is not very suitable for this era of space.

But after all, the foundation is there, and it's still good to do some dirty work on top of the bench time.

The key is whether Howard is willing to do the dirty work. This is the crux of the matter, and it is also the reason why he has been abandoned again and again before.

People obviously only want to sign a senior blue-collar worker, but Howard regards himself as the core.

It's weird to fit into the team.

It's called to block and dismantle and not play, and it's not happy if you don't have the ball, who is used to you now?

But what if Howard was willing to accept his role?

Link didn't continue to think about it, anyway, let's see how that guy does after that.

After all, there are almost no high-quality center forwards who can still be signed now.

※※※

If you want to know what real life's ups and downs are, look no further than Dwight. Howard's experience.

He entered the industry in 2004 as the last high school player in NBA history and played all 82 games as a starter in his rookie season.

Due to his explosive style of play and likable personality, he immediately became a popular player.

He grins at anyone, even his opponents, every day.

played Superman in the slam dunk contest, which made Howard's popularity skyrocket. Everyone loves this player who plays well and has a funny personality.

In addition to his character and popularity, Howard's strength is also unquestionable.

He led the team to defeat James' Cavaliers and reached the Finals, and is a man who personally destroyed 24vs23.

After leading the team to the finals that year, he was also known as the only player in the league who could replace James alone.

At his peak, he averaged 22.9 points, 14.1 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game, and was named the best defensive player for three consecutive years and was selected to the best team five times.

During the period when Yao Ming and O'Neal disappeared, he was definitely the league's No. 1 center.

Such a guy, according to the regular script, should win the championship in a certain year, and then go to the peak of his life from then on.

But that's not the case, after joining the Lakers in the 12-13 season, Dwight . Howard has changed.

Howard's ongoing injuries, good and bad commitments, and the league's quietly "small-ball revolution" have left him falling out of the league's elite.

However, he doesn't have a clear understanding of this, and he still considers himself a big-name star. He was unwilling to put down his body and change himself, but complained about others.

After leaving the Rockets, he changed teams four times in three years and lived a life of upheaval. His inconsistent performance has put many teams off against him. His poor relationship with his teammates has him being thrown around.

In the end, after only playing 9 games last season, it was reduced to the point of having no ball to play.

That's Dwight. Howard's career is a perfect illustration of what it means to jump off a cliff.

Truth be told, Link didn't expect much from Howard. He thinks that the guy licked so badly just to find a cash cow so that he could continue to earn child support from his illegitimate children.

However, when Howard came to the Federal Express Arena for personal training the afternoon early, Link noticed that the guy seemed to be serious this time.