Wait, how could Jas know about him?
"You might not be aware, but LeBron and Steph are both from Akron. They were even born in the sa hospital. Steph is a fan of LeBron, and LeBron has gone to NCAA gas to watch Steph play. They are closer than you'd think," Thomas, who seed to know quite a lot, explained.
Han Sen smiled helplessly. He had forgotten all about the 2016 Finals and the whole "Akron sons are destined to win" thing.
Even though Han Sen didn't know exactly how Jas and Curry communicated, it was likely that LeBron knew about him because of Curry.
And considering that he could defend, shoot threes, and had a "clutch" attribute, if he were in Jas' shoes, he would pick himself too.
As for the draft pick, Jas was the "King" of Cleveland, and his opinion was as good as an imperial decree to the Cavaliers' managent.
Especially with Jas having a player option next sumr.
Perhaps the Cavs' GM simply asked who they should select with the 30th pick, but once LeBron gave his input, the Cavs would do everything to make it happen.
"This is a good thing for you too. Opportunities are scarce on championship-contending teams, but if LeBron has his eye on you, you'll get more chances," Thomas tried to reassure him.
Yeah, right!
Han Sen almost turned into Neji Hyuga, rolling his eyes instantly.
For most people, if the team's star paid them this much attention, they would be sold on the spot.
But Han Sen had no interest in being so kind of bodyguard.
As soone who had thoroughly read the "BOAT" quotes, he knew exactly what kind of person LeBron was.
Befriending soone like that ant you wouldn't even realize when you'd been betrayed.
"Cleveland's market might be small, but they're a hot team right now, with plenty of attention," Thomas, unaware of Han Sen's resistance, kept trying to ease his concerns.
Han forced a slight smile. Thomas had done all he could as his agent.
However, what Thomas said did give him an idea.
The reason he made those comnts on social dia earlier was to target LeBron fans.
If he went to the Cavs, wouldn't that bring in plenty of haters too?
...
After the draft, Han Sen returned to Miami.
After LeBron, Cavs GM Danny Ferry contacted Thomas to inform him of the upcoming schedule.
In a week, the Cavs would hold a press conference for Han Sen and Cunningham to welco them to the team. Around July 10th, they'd head to the Las Vegas Sumr League, and training camp would start in late September.
This ant Han Sen needed to head to Cleveland soon to find a place to live.
He packed up his things in Miami, and said goodbye to his teammates.
He bought a small gift for each teammate.
The past year at Barry University had been morable, especially his ti on the school team.
Most of the players knew they wouldn't make the NBA and recognized Han Sen as the only one with a shot. Instead of causing friction, the team had banded together around him.
While a second-division championship might not an much to NBA scouts, it was a sweet mory for everyone on the team, including Hansen.
However, much to Hansen's amusent, his teammates weren't as interested in the gifts as they were in getting his autograph.
Rondo, in particular, ca prepared with not just jerseys and shoes, but even two pens for signing.
"You can't sell autographs," Hansen was baffled by Rondo's antics.
"You can't now, but you will later!" Rondo pulled out a cap from his bag as well.
This guy had quite an eye for investnt.
Later that evening, Hansen took the team out for a night of fun.
Most of his teammates were busy "working out" million-dollar deals with girls, leaving just Hansen and Rondo in the private room.
Hansen pulled out a big item from his bag- a Canon EOS 7D cara, which he had promised to give Rondo earlier. It had cost him over a thousand dollars.
Rondo was so touched that he cried, knowing his artistic journey would now reach new heights.
"You're not seriously planning to beco a photographer, are you?" Han Sen couldn't help but ask, seeing Rondo's reaction.
"Of course not, it's just a hobby," Rondo carefully put the cara away.
"What are your plans then?" He was curious, as Rondo's situation reminded him of his past self.
The dream of basketball without an NBA destiny.
"Lawyer," Rondo said, suddenly sitting up straight.
Han Sen imdiately thought of Thomas, his agent, who used to be a lawyer.
That profession could last a lifeti and lead to other paths. In the U.S., it was a solid choice.
But, since Rondo was a guy, he couldn't go down the "edgy female lawyer" path.
"Did I look the part just now?" Rondo laughed and relaxed again.
"Here's to your success," Han raised his glass.
The day after the party, he flew to Cleveland.
When he arrived at the Cleveland airport, his emotions were mixed.
In his past life, fans had compared Cleveland to Tieling, a small town in China.
Now that he was here, he realized they were right.
Unlike Miami's skyline of skyscrapers, Cleveland's high-rises were few, giving the city an abandoned, post-industrial vibe.
No wonder it was considered a sports desert. Sports and economics were closely tied.
On the bright side, the greenery was nice, and as a port city, the air was fresh.
On his way to the stadium, he noticed another benefit of the city— no traffic.
It really did seem like a great place to retire.
Hansen found a reasonably priced apartnt near the arena.
Despite being Ohio's second-largest city, Cleveland had less than 400,000 residents, living up to its nickna, "The Village".
After settling in and retrieving his shipped luggage, he headed to the arena.
There were so things he needed to finalize before the press conference.
The Quicken Loans Arena was one of Cleveland's landmarks, but it looked a bit rundown, especially with fewer visitors during the offseason.
A large billboard featured Jas holding the ball, flanked by Ilgauskas and Mo Williams.
Not long after the draft, the Cavs had traded for "The Big Shaq" O'Neal, so the billboard hadn't been updated yet.
Once inside, Han Sen found Cunningham waiting in the office.
They had t during the draft and quickly struck up a conversation.
Shortly after, Ferry arrived.
The first thing they needed to settle was jersey numbers for the new season.
Choosing a number was simple: as long as it hadn't been retired, you could pick it.
But realistically, you also had to consider the numbers worn by current players, unless you could convince them to give it up.
For example, LeBron's 23 was untouchable.
Unfortunately, Hansen's NCAA number, 17, was taken by Anderson Varejao.
Varejao wasn't on the billboard, but he'd been with the Cavs for five years, so Han Sen had to choose another number.
Once they picked their numbers, Ferry gave them a tour of the arena's second-floor facilities, including the practice court, gym, and dical room.
They didn't go to the locker room since their lockers hadn't been assigned yet.
Two days later, they collected their jerseys from Ferry's office and headed to the press conference.
To his surprise, a lot of reporters showed up.
At Ferry's request, they stood in front of the caras holding their jerseys for photos.
As soon as they sat down, a reporter imdiately asked Hansen a question.
The reason? His choice of number.
"Why did you choose number 77?"
Although the NBA doesn't have a rule about number ranges, it's uncommon to see players choosing such high numbers.
Hansen's choice wasn't entirely unpredictable, though. He had worn 17 in the NCAA, and 77 was simply 17 with an extra stroke.
Hansen leaned forward, bringing the mic closer, and spoke calmly:
"God has 100 points worth of basketball ability. He gave 23 to Michael Jordan, and I'm taking the remaining 77."
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