Maybe with the experience of this year’s playoffs, Irving and TT could improve, but that was for the next season.
However, as soon as Hansen arrived at the Chicago hotel and set down his luggage, he prepared to head to the United Center for training.
He couldn’t shut out the noise from the outside world, but his response was rather simple—if scoring 40 points wasn’t enough to win a ga, then he’d aim for 50, and if 50 wasn’t sufficient, he’d go for 60.
But just as he opened his door, he unexpectedly saw Irving standing there, seemingly wanting to speak with him.
"Perfect, co train with ." Hansen had been about to call Conningham, but with Irving there, there was no longer a need.
The two drove to the United Center.
On the way, Irving also shared the reason he was at Hansen’s door.
He wanted to help Hansen shoulder the pressure and assist the team, but he wasn’t sure what he could do at the mont.
At a red light, Hansen stopped the car, turned to look at Irving, and said with a smile, "Believe in yourself, Kyrie."
Because of his presence, the Cavaliers were under intense scrutiny, an experience Irving had never had before.
Struggling on the court and bombarded by dia off the court, most people would just wish for the season to end quickly.
At least Irving hadn’t run away; he hadn’t told Hansen to ask the team to trade him.
And changing Irving’s playing style now was impossible; the best he could do was to have more confidence.
Because from his regular-season performance, the more confident he played, the better he was.
Hansen didn’t drive directly to the subterranean parking at United Center but stopped at the above-ground garage instead.
He had been to United Center to play many tis, but he usually just rode the team bus straight into the underground parking, played the ga, and then left. He had never really looked at the statue at the entrance.
And the reason he wanted to look was because of the statue they were planning for him in mphis that sumr.
A statue involved not just the sculpture itself but also the inscription beneath it.
Since it wasn’t a ga day, there weren’t many people at the entrance of United Center.
They stopped in front of the statue.
Unlike Kobe’s sowhat perfunctory statue or Wade’s, which made one wonder, "Who the hell is this supposed to be?" Jordan’s statue was very successful.
Its entire depiction was of Jordan in his airborne, slam-dunk pose.
When the statue was unveiled, many people speculated about who was being dunked on beneath him.
So thought it was Joe Thomas, since Jordan had ascended to greatness by overcoming the tough Pistons defense;
others thought it was Ewing, because Jordan had perford a similar dunk against Ewing in ’91, recognized as one of the best dunks of Jordan’s career.
But the final design, put forth by the designer Emrani, had a higher concept—he stated that the figure underneath wasn’t any specific person but was a composite of the adversaries Jordan had conquered, representing not just a player but an era.
That’s also why the dunked-on figure lacks a distinct facial expression.
It had to be said, the designer was truly skilled, managing not to offend other stars while elevating Jordan’s image significantly.
Of course, it wasn’t just the concept he ntioned, but also the inscription beneath the statue.
The best there ever was, the best there ever will be.
Translated: Unprecedented, and never to be surpassed.
"What are you thinking now?" Hansen turned his head to look at Irving.
"Michael was a great player."
It was a reaction any normal person would have, given Jordan’s illustrious career and coupled with this impressive work—the first impression upon standing there was greatness.
"And?" Hansen continued.
"I want to be like him," Irving answered, slightly surprising Hansen, but he nodded in affirmation.
Jordan’s statue was well-known, sowhat like an epic monunt in a novel, capable of inspiring various revelations in those who beheld it.
Irving’s revelation was about ambition.
This wasn’t a bad thing, for without ambition, there’s no motive for advancent, and a player without the drive to improve is dood not to progress.
Hansen looked again at Jordan’s statue and suddenly knew what the inscription on his own mphis statue should be.
He then gestured for Irving to go into the arena for training.
"Han, were you thinking sothing just now?" Irving couldn’t help but ask curiously.
Hansen was asked by him, but he didn’t say his own thoughts.
"I want to smash it."
Hansen’s answer left Irving frozen.
"Don’t you think this statue, besides being great, also cos across as arrogant?" A strange gleam flashed through Hansen’s eyes.
Irving turned to look at the statue, rubbed his chin thoughtfully, and then glanced at the inscription.
Once Hansen pointed it out, it did seem to be the case.
The phrase "unprecedented" was sowhat acceptable because Jordan had pushed basketball to a new peak, sothing that no other player had accomplished before.
But "no one to follow," that seed a bit too pretentious. After all, who could predict the future?
Not to ntion the future, just take the current Hansen, who had just finished his fifth year in the league and had already established a Dynasty in mphis.
Hansen had a good chance to be that "successor."
Hansen said nothing more, because he knew he was far from ready to smash it.
A lesser-known fact, Jordan’s statue was erected in 1994.
In other words, it was after Jordan had completed his first Dynasty.
In fact, due to the passage of ti, most fans are more familiar with Jordan’s second three-peat.
Pippen, Rodman, Cole, Kukoci, Ron Harper.
LeBron fans would later use this period to criticize Jordan, just as they used the Grizzlies to criticize Hansen before, jeering, "Isn’t that team stacking?"
Compared to Jordan’s first three-peat, fans might not even know any of his teammates other than Pippen.
Those who witnessed the Lakers Dynasty might recall "Cobra" Grant, but you’d need to look up the others.
In fact, even if you did research, you’d find that none of the other players during Jordan’s first three-peat were All-Stars.
Jordan didn’t just create a Dynasty; he did it with a group of lesser-known players.
That’s precisely why the statue dared to bear that inscription.
The next night, Ga 3 between the Cavaliers and Bulls kicked off at the United Center.
Because of Hansen’s previous "Chicago will never revive" remark on the radio, there were many hostile comnts directed at him at the United Center.
So were even eerily familiar, like warnings for Hansen to watch his safety.
If this had happened during his rookie season, Hansen might actually have been worried, as he had genuinely been harassed by fans offline.
But now, having spent four years in mphis, this ant nothing to him.
Thibodeau continued to play man-to-man on Hansen in Ga 3.
After winning Ga 2, he saw no reason to adjust his defensive strategy.
But this ti, victory did not belong to the Chicagoans.
Because Hansen scored 55 points!
If 45 points couldn’t help the team win, then make it 55!
He set a new personal playoff high at the United Center!
Butler’s ntality finally started to waver a bit. Even with a strong ntal quality, having soone drop 100 points on you over two gas, especially in the playoffs, was just too brutal.
The fans at the United Center were almost dumbfounded.
Scoring over 40 points in 3 consecutive playoff gas!
Theoretically, after scoring 40 in the first two gas, Hansen’s physical fatigue must have been imnse.
This was playoff intensity!
But clearly, everyone underestimated Hansen and his resilience.
As the ga ended, watching Hansen sitting on the sideline drenched in sweat yet breathing steadily, Irving was deeply moved.
He didn’t understand how Hansen had done it, but he knew that when Hansen said he wanted to "smash it," he truly ant to do it.
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