After selecting Jayson Tatum with the 5th pick, the Kings quickly followed up by drafting Donovan Mitchell with the 10th pick.
With that, the Kings suddenly had a trio of rising stars: Mitchell, Tatum, and Domantas Sabonis.
If this were the world of One Piece, it'd be like having Ace, Zoro, and Hawkins on the sa crew.
If they still can't make sothing out of that lineup, the Kings might just be rotten to the core.
The draft soon moved to the Cavaliers.
Holding the 22nd pick, they selected Kyle Kuzma from the University of Utah.
From Han Sen's perspective as soone who's "seen the future", there were arguably better options available—like Jarrett Allen from Texas or OG Anunoby from Indiana.
But the decision to pass on them for Kuzma was simple: Kuzma's ceiling wasn't the highest, but he was NBA-ready.
After trading for Wade last season, the Cavs were deep into the luxury tax. Without making trades, their free agency options were limited.
In that context, drafting an imdiate contributor made perfect sense.
Still, the pick surprised many. What Han didn't expect was how quickly social dia lit up after the selection.
Even Anjali handed him her phone to take a look.
"The Cavaliers just drafted the next 'Han Sen.'"
The quotation marks around his na piqued Han's curiosity.
When he opened the post, he stared at it for a mont—then burst out laughing.
Longti fans might rember that before his own draft, Han never thought he'd end up in Cleveland.
In fact, chasing 'hater points', he once made this infamous remark:
"Dwight Howard averaged 5.3 fouls per ga in that series, fouled out in three of the six gas, and the Magic still eliminated the Cavs 4-2."
A classic stat-based jab.
That comnt made him public enemy #1 among LeBron fans—and set the stage for all the drama that followed when he was drafted by the Cavs.
Now, eight years later, the Cavs had drafted another LeBron hater.
Because right after Kuzma was picked, fans dug up an old tweet of his from 2012:
"LeBron's from the East, decided to go South, his hairline went North, but his mom went West. LOL!"
In just one tweet, he roasted The Decision, LeBron's hairline, and the whole 'Delonte West' saga.
Honestly, compared to that, Han's old jabs looked like child's play.
This dude was pure.
Of course, none of this had much to do with Han personally.
After all, if Kuzma had been a Han hater and still got drafted by the Cavs—that would've been ironic.
But that kind of thing might've happened years ago, back when Han talked big before backing it up.
Now? He'd delivered on every bold claim. There was nothing left for haters to latch onto.
---
After the first round wrapped up, Han and Anjali left Brooklyn.
A few days later, they showed up—dressed to the nines—at Basketball City at Pier 36 in Manhattan for the 2017 NBA Awards Ceremony.
Han arrived fashionably late.
The mont he walked in, caras zood in, and the crowd erupted.
As the "Jordan of this era", Han's presence turned heads wherever he went.
His seat was near the front, but as he made his way through, countless people stood to greet him.
So familiar faces, others unexpected—like Dwyane Wade.
After exchanging pleasantries, Han didn't make it to his assigned seat. Instead, he joined Jokić's table.
Jokić had just rushed in from a horse racing event, cutting it close to attend the ceremony.
Now, the NBA Awards were structured like the Oscars—three finalists for each category.
Jokić was a finalist for Most Improved Player.
No sooner had Han sat down than Jokić started venting about almost skipping the ceremony to stay at his horse race.
But when Han asked about the race, Jokić's face lit up instantly, like flipping a switch—his grin stretching from ear to ear.
This year, Jokić hadn't ridden himself; he'd hired a pro jockey.
A professional rider plus the best horse money could buy? They dominated the finals.
When their conversation wrapped up, Han moved to his assigned seat.
This year's host wasn't the usual TNT crew—it was Canadian entertainer Aubrey "Drake" Graham.
The league clearly wanted soone charismatic to keep the energy high for their first-ever awards ceremony.
anwhile, the TNT crew—Shaq, Chuck, Kenny, and the ever-underrated Ernie Johnson—provided live comntary.
After so playful banter and even a shoutout to the BIG3 league [1], the awards finally kicked off.
Each award had its own presenter.
The first was Rookie of the Year, presented by Grant Hill.
The finalists?
- Joel Embiid (76ers)
- Malcolm Brogdon (Bucks)
- Jaylen Brown (Nets)
The winner?
Jaylen Brown.
Brown had averaged 17.8 points and 5.7 rebounds in 30 minutes per ga for Brooklyn, shooting 45.1% from the field and 36.2% from three.
In history, Brown had been drafted by the Celtics and struggled for minutes. But in Brooklyn? Opportunity knocked.
Embiid's stats were flashier—20.2 points, 7.8 rebounds—and he was one of the few rookies in recent years to average 20 .
But he only played 31 gas due to injuries. That limited sample size cost him the award.
Next up: Sixth Man of the Year.
Wade could've been a contender, but his ti in Chicago was spent as a starter, not off the bench.
The award went to Lou Williams of the Houston Rockets.
Lou averaged 18 points per ga as the sixth man, thriving in his role.
The highlight?
Before heading to the stage, Lou hugged both of his girlfriends.
Yep. You read that right.
One was Ashley Henderson, his high school sweetheart and mother of his two kids.
The other? Rece Mitchell, whom he'd been dating since 2014.
The kicker?
They weren't fighting—they were best friends.
Lou Will wasn't just a Sixth Man.
He was a life MVP.
---
After the Sixth Man of the Year award, the stage was set for the NBA's Best Teammate Award.
Unlike other accolades that celebrate individual stats and performances, this one symbolized league-wide recognition—no nominees, just a direct selection.
When the presenter was revealed, the crowd erupted.
Kobe Bryant.
The announcent of the winner made it clear why Kobe was chosen to present this award.
The recipient? Dwyane Wade.
The league's forr premier shooting guard presenting an award to the man who had long been considered the second-best two-guard of their era. A fitting tribute.
Wade ascended the stage, accepting the trophy from Kobe. Their heartfelt embrace drew waves of applause and cheers from the audience.
This ceremony had its fair share of critiques—fans grumbling about the league waiting until the season's end to present regular-season awards, calling it redundant. But monts like this? They silenced the critics.
Wade's award was well-deserved. Among active players, few embodied the spirit of a true teammate more than he did.
Following the emotional high of Wade's award, the event shifted to fan-voted categories: Best Assist, Best Block, Best Dunk.
Han Sen and Nikola Jokic took ho the Best Play award for their seamless pick-and-roll against the Warriors, capped by Jokic's slick pass to JR Smith for a thunderous windmill dunk.
After these lighter segnts, the ceremony entered its halfti break.
As the first chords of "The Nights" played, the arena's LED screens lit up with a montage.
Han Sen's attention was imdiately drawn to the footage—nostalgic clips of young Kobe, Ray Allen, Allen Iverson, Peja Stojakovic, Dirk Nowitzki, Vince Carter, and Stephon Marbury flashed across the screen.
A tribute to an era Han had never shared the court with, yet one that resonated deeply.
The montage shifted, showing these legends in their twilight years and retirent monts—a poignant reminder of ti's relentless march.
Then ca the live performances.
Much to Han's mild exasperation, the lineup was dominated by rap acts.
Yet amid the performances, Jas Harden unintentionally stole the spotlight.
His reaction to Nicki Minaj's set—wide-eyed, visibly smitten—instantly beca a viral mont.
It was well-docunted gossip fodder in Han's past life. Nicki even referenced it in her song "Ball For ":
"My looks got 'em shook, like Jas Harden drooling over ."
At least Han had songs written post-breakup; Harden just needed a glance.
As the ceremony resud, the first award of the second half was the NBA Sportsmanship Award.
It went to Kemba Walker, with John Wall presenting.
The irony? They were often mistaken for each other—one of the NBA's many "face-blind" duos. The league surely did that on purpose.
Next up was the Lifeti Achievent Award.
When Bill Russell took the stage, the arena fell into an awed hush.
Russell, the embodint of basketball greatness, didn't just accept the award—he owned the mont. Grinning, he pointed at the front row where several current NBA centers sat.
"I'd still kick all your asses," he joked, drawing roaring laughter.
But then his tone softened.
"This ga gave more than trophies. It gave purpose. It taught that leadership isn't about being the loudest—it's about being the one who stands when no one else will."
The standing ovation was imdiate.
After a series of smaller awards, the event moved to one of its marquee honors: Coach of the Year.
Nominees: Michael Malone, Brad Stevens, Gregg Popovich.
The winner?
Michael Malone.
The Cavaliers' first major win of the night.
Malone's enthusiasm was palpable. He hoisted the trophy above his head, radiating the energy of a coach who'd climbed the mountain.
But it wasn't just raw emotion. Malone's acceptance speech was textbook: heartfelt thanks to his wife, the front office, his players—with special acknowledgnt to Han Sen.
It was a masterclass in grace and gratitude.
The ceremony continued with more fan-favorite categories: Best Buzzer-Beater, Best Mont, and so on.
Han couldn't help but think that if these awards had existed last season, his "Countdown" ga-winning three would've been a lock.
Now, with the small awards out of the way, the stage was set for the Defensive Player of the Year—a category where Han was a finalist alongside Kawhi Leonard and Draymond Green.
The presenter? Kevin Garnett.
The choice of KG seed telling.
"The 2016-2017 NBA Defensive Player of the Year is... Han Sen."
The arena erupted.
With this win, Han Sen beca only the second player after Dwight Howard to secure three consecutive DPOY titles.
Han was genuinely surprised. Despite his stellar defense, he had braced for "voter fatigue" to derail his streak.
But Cleveland's defensive surge this season left the league no choice.
As Han took the stage, the cheers were deafening.
When they finally subsided, his opening line had the crowd laughing:
"I didn't prepare a speech because, honestly, I wasn't expecting this."
After the light-hearted mont, Han shifted focus, thanking his teammates for their defensive contributions.
The roster changes had elevated the Cavs' defense—his role remained consistent, but the collective effort was undeniable.
If Han had been DPOY-worthy before, this season only solidified it.
With awards for Wade, Malone, and now Han, the Cavaliers had not only claid the championship but a trophy case full of individual honors.
Finally, the biggest award of the night: the regular season MVP.
The finalists were Han Sen, Russell Westbrook, and Stephen Curry.
The presenter? NBA Commissioner Adam Silver himself.
"The 2016-2017 NBA Most Valuable Player is... Han Sen."
The crowd erupted once more, with many rising to their feet in applause.
This win marked a historic milestone. Han Sen beca the first player in NBA history to win the scoring title, Defensive Player of the Year, MVP, Finals MVP, and earn both All-NBA First Team and All-Defensive First Team honors in a single season.
As Han approached the stage, the ovation was deafening. He paused, soaking in the mont before speaking:
"You know, people think the first MVP is the most special—but it's not. It's the one you earn when they expect you to fall off. When they say, 'He's had his run.' But here I am."
The crowd roared.
"This isn't about proving people wrong anymore. It's about proving the belief in myself was always right. Every early morning, every late night, every ga where I didn't feel like myself—that's what this trophy represents."
A pause. Han's eyes scanned the crowd.
"I'm not here to be rembered. I'm here to be undeniable."
The arena exploded in cheers.
It was a night that cented his legacy as one of the greatest to ever play the ga.
-End of Chapter-
Translator's note:
[1] The BIG3 refers to a professional 3-on-3 basketball league founded in 2017 by rapper and actor Ice Cube and entertainnt executive Jeff Kwatinetz. The league features forr NBA players and international stars, playing a half-court, fast-paced style with unique rules, such as:
- A 4-point shot from designated circles beyond the three-point line
- Gas played to 50 points, win by 2
- Focus on physical play, resembling streetball dynamics
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