O'Neal didn't take Han Sen to a nightclub but instead invited him to his house.
Even though O'Neal, like Han, had just arrived in Cleveland this season, where he lived was worlds apart from his place.
Han's was just a residential house, while O'Neal's was truly a place to enjoy life.
This mansion, over a thousand square ters, was the epito of luxury and extravagance.
There were five luxury cars parked in the garage alone.
And this was just O'Neal's temporary residence.
Having money is truly wonderful.
O'Neal led him to the living room, then went down to his basent to retrieve a bottle of his treasured liquor.
When Han saw the bottle, his eyes lit up.
Because it was Wuliangye! (A famous Chinese liquor)
In O'Neal's large hands, it looked like a bottle of oral dicine.
"I got this from Yao," he explained the origin of the bottle.
Han Sen suddenly understood. He rembered reading news reports about Yao Ming gifting Wuliangye to his teammates, and figured Yao must have casually handed one to O'Neal back then.
Co to think of it, O'Neal and Yao Ming beca close after their on-court battles, and now they had a pretty good relationship.
After pouring the drinks and having the servants bring out so snacks, the two n started chatting.
They first talked about Yao Ming as a mutual connection, then about Miami, where O'Neal had lived for nearly four years.
As the alcohol started to take effect, they lazily reclined on the sofa and began discussing the events of the evening.
"You were a bit impulsive. Varejão is, after all, LeBron's closest teammate," O'Neal turned his head and said.
Does one need to consider the owner before hitting the dog?
Han Sen couldn't help but chuckle.
What O'Neal said wasn't wrong, but the issue was that he didn't even respect the 'dog's owner'.
It wasn't about individual skill; it was about the mories that his transmigrator-self had about LeBron.
Brotherhood basketball, hotown basketball, father-son basketball;
Six-step layups, seven championships, relinquishing control;
The Decision I, II, III; crowning himself king, life's disappointnts, the shocking kneel-down;
Not participating in coaching selections, not interfering in the draft, lowering his salary...
Han Sen's dislike for the 'BOAT' was not without reason.
Seeing his reaction, O'Neal put down his glass and sat up straight.
"When I first got to Miami, I had conflicts with Dwyane (Wade). We failed that season, but we eventually chose to reconcile, and the following year we succeeded."
O'Neal was using his experience to guide him.
Han Sen also put down his glass at this point.
"Shaq, why did you co to Cleveland?" Han didn't continue the conversation, instead asking O'Neal a question in return.
"Championship. That guy now has the sa number of championships as ," O'Neal, tipsy at this point, spoke from the heart.
Let's not pretend that O'Neal and Kobe had truly reconciled just because they shared the All-Star MVP last year. There were too many past conflicts, and that infamous comnt, "Shaq did it too," wouldn't be so easily forgiven.
The so-called reconciliation was rely the league's way of creating fairy-tale stories for fans.
O'Neal's subtle diss of Kobe at the press conference, and his reason for joining the Cavaliers, was very real.
"What I'm doing is also for a championship," Han Sen said, sitting up straight as well.
O'Neal was a bit puzzled. He had just advised him not to clash with LeBron and Varejão for the sake of winning a championship, yet he was now saying that his conflict was for the championship?
"Shaq, didn't you feel uncomfortable at the beginning of tonight's ga?"
O'Neal nodded. If Brown hadn't subbed in Han later, he wasn't sure how the ga would've turned out.
"Do you think things will improve when LeBron returns?" He asked, locking eyes with him.
O'Neal frowned.
Today, Brown had replaced Moon with Han Sen, improving the spacing on the court. But it was absolutely impossible for Brown to sub Han in for LeBron.
The answer was obvious.
"Not only will it not improve, but it will get worse," He answered for O'Neal.
"LeBron has an enormous desire for the ball. When he's on the court, the Cavaliers can't play the way they did tonight."
O'Neal rubbed his head— Han Sen's words were giving him a headache.
But they were true.
"So to solve this problem, either LeBron needs to beco a great three-point shooter, or..." he paused for a mont, "...we need a power forward who can stretch the floor."
After Han Sen said this, O'Neal's forehead began to sweat.
He had caught the subtext in his words.
Varejão, with his complete lack of shooting, was clogging up the offensive space. His presence on the court would inevitably lead to irreconcilable problems between him and LeBron.
In the end, the situation O'Neal would face with the Cavaliers would beco the sa as last season with the Suns.
The Suns had to choose between a seven-second offense or O'Neal. The Cavaliers would face a similar choice: LeBron or O'Neal.
But the difference was that LeBron's position in Cleveland was unshakable. The outco wouldn't be a balance; O'Neal would gradually be marginalized.
He might even be pushed out of the starting lineup.
Wiping the sweat from his brow, he looked at Han again.
This 21-year-old kid was seeing things way ahead of his ti!
Of course, O'Neal didn't know that these were things Han Sen had witnessed in his previous life. Playing LeBron and O'Neal together had been awkward, to say the least.
"But the Cavaliers don't have the kind of power forward you're talking about," O'Neal reminded.
"They do— Dante Cunningham," Han said, bringing up a na that had been overlooked.
"He's just a rookie."
"He played all four years in college; it's more fitting to call him a 'veteran rookie.'"
O'Neal rubbed his chin, thinking it over for a long ti.
He could tell Han and Cunningham were on good terms.
Han wasn't wrong, but it was clear he also had his own motives.
By bringing up Cunningham, Han was essentially extending an invitation—inviting O'Neal to join him in pushing Varejão out of the starting lineup.
But him taking down would inevitably lead to conflict with LeBron.
So was this why he had asked him earlier why he ca to Cleveland?
To make him weigh his options and choose a side?
O'Neal couldn't help but look at Han Sen again. Like Malone, he felt he couldn't quite see through this young man anymore.
"LeBron's contract expires next sumr. The Cavaliers' only goal this year is to win a championship. Even if Dante could start, the front office would worry about his lack of experience. They'll find a way to trade for a stronger stretch-four," Han Sen added another factor to O'Neal's ntal scale.
"You're right. For the sake of a championship, Varejão must be removed from the starting lineup," O'Neal said, picking up his glass again.
Han followed suit, and after clinking glasses, they downed their drinks.
Late into the night, O'Neal had gone to bed, but Han remained in the living room.
His mood was rather good.
The things they had discussed earlier were sothing he had originally planned to bring up later, after LeBron and O'Neal had actually experienced problems shing on the court. That would have made it easier to convince O'Neal.
But tonight, O'Neal had unexpectedly invited him over, and with the alcohol flowing, the conversation naturally veered toward that topic. Since the opportunity presented itself, why wait?
Besides, his goal of pushing Varejão out of the starting lineup was just the most superficial layer.
Making Cunningham a starter would weaken their interior defense, triggering a chain reaction that would require a strong periter defender.
This would increase Han Sen's chances of making the starting lineup— or at the very least, increase his playing ti.
Of course, that was only the second layer.
Whether or not Varejão was pushed out, the Cavaliers would eventually realize the problems between LeBron and O'Neal and, like in history, push Varejão out and trade for a top-tier stretch-four like Antawn Jamison.
So the third, deepest layer of Han's plan was sothing he had intended from the start: to unite with O'Neal.
O'Neal wasn't like Malone, especially at this stage of his career. After all the ups and downs he had gone through, he had beco quite shrewd.
He wouldn't oppose LeBron just because he liked or admired Han Sen.
Especially considering that O'Neal had brought up Wade earlier. If he could yield to Wade, why wouldn't he yield to LeBron?
But people are inherently selfish. When their own interests are hard, their passive defense chanism kicks in.
As long as O'Neal joined him in pushing out Varejão, he would naturally be in opposition to LeBron.
And naturally, they would be united.
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