Hearing Nikola Jokić talk about his simple dream of a quiet life, Han Sen couldn't help but recall a news article he'd read in his past life. The story ntioned that after leading the Denver Nuggets to their first-ever championship, Jokić had briefly considered retirent.
Back then, Han had rolled his eyes, thinking Jokić was just being dramatic.
Who wins a title and imdiately considers walking away? Han had wondered.
After all, human desires never stop growing. One championship only makes you crave another. First, you chase a second ring, then a third — and before long, surpassing Jordan becos the ultimate dream.
But now?
Han realized that everyone's aspirations are different. Not everyone was driven by legacy or records.
For Jokić, it wasn't about building a dynasty. It was about earning his money, winning a ring, and stepping away to enjoy the simpler pleasures of life.
Still, fa cos with strings attached. Once you beco a star, your choices are no longer entirely your own.
There are expectations. From the team. The fans. Sponsors. Contracts.
Even for regular people, youthful dreams often get crushed by reality. The spontaneous road trip you planned in your head? It's more likely to be a trending video on social dia than sothing you actually do.
But that was all in the future.
Right now, Nikola hadn't earned enough to walk away.
Han leaned back, watching Jokić's relaxed deanor as he sipped his wine.
Maybe his love for horse racing was the key to motivating him.
---
"Wait, you're into horse racing?" Han asked, raising an eyebrow.
Nikola's face instantly brightened. "Of course! It's the best sport in the world!"
Han smirked, swirling his wine. "You? On a horse? I don't know, man... I'm not sure that's fair to the poor animal."
Nikola burst out laughing, shaking his head. "No, no, no. We don't ride the horses. It's different."
He leaned forward, his eyes lighting up as he explained. "In Serbia, we do harness racing. You sit in a little cart behind the horse and guide it. It's all about strategy and timing."
Han's eyes lit up with interest. "Like chariot racing?"
"Exactly!" Nikola bead. "It's a tradition in my hotown."
Han nodded, picturing it. "Alright, how about this — when the season ends, we'll go to Serbia, and you'll take to one of those races."
Nikola blinked, caught off guard. "You'd really co?"
"Why not?" Han shrugged. "Think of it as my way of paying you back for coming to Cleveland early."
Nikola's grin widened, but then his expression faltered, his smile dimming.
Han noticed imdiately. "What's up?"
Nikola sighed, scratching the back of his head. "I don't have a horse. I was going to use my rookie contract advance to buy one... but I needed that money for rent."
Han tilted his head, a mischievous grin forming. "Tell you what. If we win the championship this season, I'll buy you the best horse in your hotown."
Nikola's eyes widened. "You serious?"
"Dead serious," Han replied, extending his fist. "We win it all, and you'll have a horse that's faster than anyone else's."
Nikola bumped fists with Han, his grin returning. "Deal, Boss."
Han chuckled, watching the excitent in Nikola's eyes. For all his calm, composed deanor on the court, the kid lit up like a firework when talking about his passions.
And that, Han realized, was what made Jokić special.
It wasn't about the stats, the fa, or even the rings.
Nikola Jokić would go far because he knew what he wanted.
And he never pretended to be anything else.
---
On Christmas morning, Han woke early to catch a flight to Los Angeles with so teammates, including Jokić, Tucker, and mbers of the coaching staff.
As they flew toward LA, a piece of news was spreading like wildfire across social dia.
The Christmas ga had been heavily promoted by the league's marketing machine, and the buzz was at an all-ti high.
Naturally, LeBron Jas, one of the main stars of the showdown, was a key focus in dia interviews.
One particular question brought up Han's earlier remarks about superteams.
LeBron's response? It set the internet ablaze.
"I've never played for a superteam," LeBron said. "I don't agree with that label. Before I joined the Heat, they were a 47-35 team. It's the sa with this Lakers squad. There's no superteam here."
Social dia exploded.
"You didn't join a 47-win Heat team. You joined a 47-win team PLUS Chris Bosh."
"Funny how you ntion the team's record but conveniently leave out your teammates' stats."
"If it wasn't a superteam, how were you bold enough to say you'd win more than seven titles?"
It didn't take long for people to realize that the biggest 'LeBron hater' might actually be LeBron himself.
Han saw the headlines after landing in Los Angeles.
He shook his head. LeBron could've responded to the question in a thousand different ways. This? This was the last thing Han expected.
When the Cavaliers held an open practice session at the arena, reporters naturally asked Han for his thoughts on LeBron's comnts.
Han's initial response was asured.
"I think even kids know what a superteam is."
Then, he elaborated with a sly grin.
"If we're talking about a team's strength from the previous season, sure, maybe they weren't a superteam then. But when you add top-five and top-ten players like D-Wade and Chris Bosh? That's a superteam."
Han paused, letting the reporters hang on his words.
"So... is LeBron saying he was just a role player back then?"
The reporters erupted in laughter.
It was classic Han — logical, cutting, and just provocative enough to fuel the dia fire.
As expected, the headlines that followed were sensational.
"Han Says LeBron Was Just a Role Player."
The buzz around the Christmas showdown reached new heights.
By the ti the Cavaliers arrived at Staples Center, the arena was packed to capacity.
When Han stepped out from the tunnel, he was greeted by a wave of boos.
He shrugged it off and glanced across the court toward the Lakers' side.
Kobe and Love were both warming up, their expressions tense.
Han couldn't help but smirk.
LeBron's comnts had put his own teammates in an awkward position.
Take Kobe, for example.
He had begrudgingly joined a superteam, sacrificing his farewell tour to try for one last championship. Now, LeBron's dismissal of the superteam label made that sacrifice seem aningless.
Han figured that Kobe's retirent announcent last season had been influenced, at least in part, by LeBron's unpredictable antics.
This Christmas ga wasn't just a basketball ga anymore.
It was a battle for legacy.
And with LeBron's controversial comnts fanning the flas, Han knew one thing for sure:
Staples Center was going to be an absolute cauldron.
---
After the prega ceremonies, both teams' starting lineups were announced.
Cavaliers: Kyrie Irving, Han Sen, P.J. Tucker, Tristan Thompson, Kevin Garnett.
Lakers: Matthew Dellavedova, Kobe Bryant, LeBron Jas, Kevin Love, Timofey Mozgov.
Amid the cheers from the crowd, Mozgov tapped the ball back toward the Lakers' half, and the ga was officially underway.
The Lakers' first possession saw LeBron and Mozgov run a pick-and-roll, with LeBron charging aggressively toward the basket.
Cleveland's defensive strategy was to double-team him, but LeBron's speed caught them off guard. He split the defenders and soared into the paint, slamming the ball ho with both hands to put the Lakers on the board first.
The Cavs' opening possession was initiated by Kyrie, but his shot missed the mark.
Dellavedova wasn't an elite defender, but having played for the Cavs last season, he knew their tactics and Kyrie's tendencies well.
Love grabbed the defensive rebound, and Han imdiately moved to block LeBron's transition.
After all, who knew LeBron's fast-break instincts better than soone from Cleveland?
But Han underestimated LeBron's physicality. Without the ball, LeBron bumped Han out of position, creating space for Love's signature outlet pass.
Catching the ball in stride, LeBron charged down the court like a freight train, finishing with a trademark tomahawk dunk.
Han gave chase from behind but couldn't catch up in ti.
What the hell? Is LeBron on sothing?
Han hadn't been following LeBron's stats this season, but the numbers didn't lie. LeBron's offensive efficiency was at an all-ti high.
For whatever reason, he was playing the best basketball of his career.
After completing the dunk, LeBron flexed his biceps, showing off his strength as he turned to Han with a smirk.
The Staples Center crowd erupted.
The sun was shining again. The rain had stopped. LeBron felt like he was back on top of the world.
The Lakers opened the ga with a 4-0 lead, with all four points coming from LeBron. Given Han's prega comnts about LeBron being a 'role player', the energy in the arena was electric.
As the Cavs pushed the ball up the court again, chants of "Defense!" echoed throughout the arena.
Han took the ball from Kyrie outside the three-point line, facing a locked-in Kobe Bryant.
Han held the ball in one hand, taking a asured step forward. When Kobe leaned in, Han planted his foot, pulling the ball back to force Kobe to overcommit.
With his new talent, [Logo Killer], Han didn't need to rely solely on threes, but it certainly made him more unpredictable.
(TL/n: Talent na changed from Kid's Blessing to Logo Killer, since the latter won out in the comnts)
The instant Kobe shifted his weight, Han burst past him.
At this level, the margin between winning and losing was razor-thin.
Han left Kobe no chance to recover, pulling up for a clean mid-range jumper near the free-throw line.
Love hesitated to contest, wary of Han's passing ability, giving Han a clean look at the basket.
Swish.
The Cavs were on the board.
Back on defense, LeBron ran another pick-and-roll, crashing the paint once more.
This ti, Garnett slid over to help, but LeBron muscled through him, absorbing the contact and finishing the layup. The whistle blew — and one.
Han had rotated over to help, but LeBron evaded his block.
Han couldn't shake the feeling.
LeBron's on sothing.
His speed, power, and explosiveness were all on another level.
Sure, people talk about off-season grind stories... but this? This feels different. He wasn't this good after getting swept last year.
Han shrugged it off.
I've got a system. If he's juicing, it's fair ga.
He motioned for a switch with Tucker and pulled Kyrie aside.
"Do whatever it takes to shake off Delly," Han instructed.
LeBron sank his free throw, starting the ga with seven straight points.
Kyrie took the ball up the court, calling for a screen from TT. Using TT's solid pick, Kyrie pulled up for a mid-range jumper over Love and drained it.
Love's offensive ga was more polished than Chris Bosh's, but defensively, he was a step slower, particularly in pick-and-roll situations.
On the Lakers' next possession, LeBron noticed Han had switched onto him.
This ti, he didn't back down.
He called Mozgov over for a screen, but Han opted to fight through it.
Seeing Han slip past the screen, LeBron settled for a mid-range jumper.
The ball clanged off the rim.
PEDs can boost your athleticism, but they won't magically improve your shooting.
TT grabbed the defensive rebound and kicked it out to Han, who pushed the ball up the floor. Crossing midcourt, Han fired a bounce pass to Kyrie on the opposite wing.
Kyrie attacked the rim, but LeBron ca charging back for one of his signature chase-down blocks.
Kyrie saw him coming.
In mid-air, he pulled the ball back, adjusted his body, and switched to a reverse layup, absorbing contact from LeBron as the ball kissed off the glass and dropped through the net.
The referee's whistle followed.
Kyrie tumbled out of bounds, pumping his fist in excitent as he sat on the floor.
Han walked over, offering a hand to pull him up, ruffling his hair playfully.
Progress wasn't instantaneous. Kyrie's growth — in both skill and confidence — had been nurtured ga by ga.
Kyrie calmly knocked down the free throw to tie the ga.
As the Lakers brought the ball up the court, Han kept a close eye on LeBron.
When he saw LeBron hesitate to call for the ball, Han smirked.
"You still don't have the guts to go one-on-one with ?" Han taunted. "Then what's the point of all that muscle?"
Translation: You're juiced up, but you still won't take ? Then why bother?
Sothing clicked.
LeBron turned and extended his hand, demanding the ball.
The Staples Center erupted in cheers.
Finally, LeBron was stepping up to the challenge.
Back to the basket, LeBron began backing Han down.
The crowd roared in anticipation.
LeBron's strength was greater than Han had expected. After a couple of powerful dribbles, he spun quickly toward the baseline.
In one fluid motion, he slipped past Han and drove to the rim.
Garnett slid over to contest, but LeBron ignored him. He'd already proven Garnett couldn't stop him.
Rising high, LeBron cocked the ball back for another signature tomahawk slam.
BAM!
Just as LeBron brought the ball down, Han soared in from behind, swatting it out of bounds with authority.
The arena fell silent for a mont before erupting in astonishnt.
Han's chase-down block was vicious.
Landing softly, Han glanced at LeBron, now fully understanding the level of his opponent.
He walked toward him slowly, locking eyes, and spoke in a cold, deliberate tone:
"You'll never win a championship."
LeBron's expression froze.
Han's words weren't a taunt.
They were a prophecy.
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