Chapter 102: The Decision I
The date didn't quite match what Han Sen knew. There were two key pieces of information here.
First, NBA free agents have a 'freeze period'—a time when players can negotiate with teams but can't officially sign until the period ends. This period initially lasted one month, but after several changes, it was set to 13 days starting in the 2004–2005 season.
Second, Han Sen vividly remembered the details of LeBron's famous 'The Decision I'. It made such waves that he recalled almost everything, particularly the date—it happened on July 9.
Now, LeBron had pushed the decision to July 13, the last day of the freeze period.
Was this move meant to add more suspense?
Or had something else changed?
Han Sen had no idea.
However, he hopped on social media to see how fans were reacting.
And well... he was burning with envy.
LeBron was already getting slammed with hate.
"You really think you're Jordan? I'm a Kobe fan; your decision means nothing to me!"
"Don't insult Jordan. Jordan always respected the fans. Only a media darling like LeBron would treat fans like this!"
"I can't hold it in anymore. Just got smashed in the Eastern Conference Finals, now you're making a decision? Deciding what, to run away?"
"Why are you complaining? LeBron is performing a live show for you, and you're not even grateful!"
"LeBron: 'Stop arguing. I'm announcing I'm taking my talents to the WNBA!'"
...
Sure, LeBron still had some supporters, but they were completely drowned out by the overwhelming hate.
This scene was surprising to Han Sen because, from what he remembered, LeBron only got trashed after the decision, not before.
But thinking about it carefully, such an unprecedented stunt wasn't something a normal person would think of.
At the end of the day, no matter how much the media praised him, he was still just an athlete.
People liking you is their choice.
But this—LeBron and his team had, through this method, taken away the fans' freedom, forcing them to focus on him.
It wasn't because his influence was unmatched, but because his choices genuinely could change the landscape of the league.
Of course, he wasn't the only one capable of such a thing. Players like Wade and Nowitzki could have similar effects in free agency.
For instance, Wade joining the Lakers, or Nowitzki joining the Magic, could also make waves.
But LeBron was the only one who chose to make such a move.
This reminded Han Sen of the origin of the infamous "Who is your daddy?" meme.
Why did the Nuggets have such a strong grudge against the Lakers after winning the championship?
Was it because they were being overly proud?
The answer was no—it was because after the Nuggets won, LeBron almost immediately made headlines by hinting at retirement, forcefully shifting the spotlight onto himself.
Even back when, the NBA was focused on promoting Kobe's back-to-back championships, but once LeBron dropped that bomb, hardly anyone paid attention anymore.
Thankfully, Kobe wasn't as petty as the Nuggets. Otherwise, he might have clapped back with a "Where are you, my brother?" to mock LeBron for failing to make it to the Finals—potentially spawning another viral meme.
The more Han Sen watched, the more envious he became.
If only he could rent out his system to LeBron—he'd be skyrocketing right now!
Hmm?
Just then, a brilliant idea flashed in Han Sen's mind.
If the date change didn't ultimately alter anything, LeBron would still end up going to Miami and forming the Big Three, just like in Han Sen's memory.
And at that time, LeBron would still be ripped to shreds online.
He could already foresee that the hate LeBron was getting now would pale in comparison to what was coming.
Han Sen couldn't rent out his system to LeBron—his system didn't have that function—but what if he spoke out in support of LeBron when the storm hit?
It was a reverse logic, but one thing was clear—he'd definitely be hated too.
But wasn't that exactly what he wanted? Something that would make the entire internet, or at least the majority of basketball fans, hate him?
The thought excited Han Sen.
The amount of hate he could harvest from this would likely surpass what he needed to exchange for [Iron Bones]!
Suppressing his excitement, he began thinking carefully.
To make his plan work, he had to ensure that LeBron's decision wouldn't change.
If the date shift caused LeBron to stay with the Cavaliers, all of his plans would go up in smoke.
But given his rocky relationship with LeBron, there was no way LeBron would listen to his advice.
In fact, if LeBron heard his voice, he'd probably hang up right away.
So, was there any way to make sure LeBron heard him, even if he didn't want to?
Han Sen looked at his phone, opened social media, and started typing.
After a few moments, he posted:
"LeBron, don't let loyalty ruin you."
If Han Sen were still with the Cavaliers, he absolutely wouldn't have been able to post something like this.
But now, after being traded away—without even requesting it, after playing phenomenally in the playoffs—he was in the perfect 'victim' role.
His post quickly gained traction.
The first target of criticism became the Cavaliers' management, who had failed to provide LeBron with a 'true All-Star' teammate after all these years.
Next up was the city of Cleveland itself, a place no star players wanted to go. If LeBron had been drafted by a major city, he'd have won championships already.
Finally, the Celtics' Big Three got their share of criticism. If it weren't for them, the Cavaliers would've won a title by now.
The type of people supporting Han Sen's post was clear.
These LeBron fans likely already knew he was leaving Cleveland.
After all, last season's roster was as good as it got.
Sure, the Cavs added Mayo and Thabeet this year, which improved their depth, but was it better than the previous trade for Jamison?
LeBron fans knew better than anyone that 'LeBron can't win a championship with the Cavs'.
They just didn't want to admit it out loud because leaving after failing to win would destroy LeBron's reputation.
But now, Han Sen had given them the perfect 'reason'.
Linking LeBron's departure to the idea of 'loyalty' was bound to resonate with them!
Seeing how many LeBron fans supported his post, Han Sen knew his message would likely reach LeBron's ears.
In this situation, his strained relationship with LeBron actually worked to his advantage.
After closing social media, Han Sen called Wade.
Thomas had already gone to Miami the day before, and Wade and Bosh were also there now.
Just like they'd discussed during the All-Star break, Wade and Bosh had already decided to play together.
Of course, just because they were in Miami didn't mean they were set on joining the Heat—teams like the Knicks and Nets were still options.
Han Sen's call was mostly an excuse to join Wade for some training.
After all, no matter how good their relationship, Wade wasn't going to share his free agency plans outright. Maybe something would slip during practice.
Wade was still running training sessions in Miami with the usual crew, and even though he had opted out of his contract to become a free agent, he didn't seem too concerned.
But once Han Sen arrived in Miami, he could tell Wade was excited.
Basketball isn't a one-man sport. After back-to-back first-round exits in the playoffs, Wade was frustrated. For someone who won a championship and Finals MVP in just his third year, it was suffocating.
But now, with the chance to team up with Bosh, Wade was eager to chase another title—no matter which team they ended up on.
"Han, if you were still in Cleveland, Chris and I would consider the Cavs too," Wade casually mentioned after practice.
"Too bad I don't have a say in that," Han Sen replied with a regretful expression.
Of course, he knew Wade was just being polite.
He didn't actually think Wade would leave the Heat, given his old-school mentality. Players like Wade were driven by loyalty—just like when Kobe said he'd leave the Lakers in 2007, he really just wanted the team to improve.
Now that Bosh was confirmed to be leaving Toronto to join the Heat, Wade's wishes were fulfilled.
"DW, have you heard about LeBron's 'Decision'?" Han Sen asked, watching Wade carefully.
Wade nodded, but his gaze shifted slightly.
That confirmed to Han Sen that LeBron had already spoken with Wade about forming the Big Three.
"I remember when Barkley joined Hakeem and Drexler on the Rockets," Han Sen continued, making Wade and Bosh look at him curiously.
"If LeBron joins you guys, you'll definitely be better than them—you're younger and have the potential not just to win titles but to build a dynasty."
Han Sen wasn't exaggerating. In fact, he might have been understating it. Back when the Heat formed their Big Three, people thought they'd dominate the league for the next decade.
"Don't you want a championship?" Wade asked, noticing Han Sen wasn't including himself in the picture.
"Of course I do. Who doesn't? But I'm still young, and besides, I'm in the West. That place is..." Han Sen trailed off, shaking his head.
Wade and Bosh both chuckled. The Western Conference had been a battlefield for years.
"LeBron's reached out to us," Wade admitted.
"But we all hesitated. We knew that doing so would bring a lot of criticism, and once we did it, there would be no turning back."
Forming a superteam wasn't originally their idea. Like in the All-Star Game locker room, LeBron only decided to join them later.
Hearing Wade's words, Han Sen could guess that LeBron's delay in announcing his decision was probably to enhance the show's effect.
"It truly is a path with no way back. It all depends on whether you want more championships or how you want to win them," Han Sen said. His purpose for coming here was to find out why LeBron had delayed the announcement, giving him a chance to put his own plan into motion.
However, since Wade had helped him even before he entered the league, as a friend, he couldn't help but offer some advice.
"Thank you, Han," Wade said gratefully, sensing that Han Sen was genuinely looking out for him.
...
Time passed quickly, and July 13th arrived.
That day, all of America tuned into ESPN. According to real-time statistics, the audience had already reached 10 million before the show even began. Based on projections, that number would peak at an unprecedented 30 million during the show's climax.
This number far exceeded the size of the basketball fan base, with many viewers simply being curious onlookers.
From a journalistic standpoint, 'The Decision' had already been a huge success.
Han Sen was still in Miami, and Wade hadn't received any further contact from LeBron. At that moment, no one knew what LeBron would choose.
So, like the rest of the audience, the three of them sat in front of the TV with snacks and drinks, quietly watching the show.
They all looked quite tense. After all, LeBron's decision would have a massive impact on them.
Finally, the show began. LeBron sat across from an ESPN reporter on what looked like a hastily assembled stage, with a group of kids and a few media personnel in the audience, witnessing this historic moment.
Among them was Kanye West—the same guy who had once interrupted Taylor Swift at the VMAs.
Honestly, the set looked pretty amateurish.
But you couldn't really blame ESPN—nobody had ever done something like this before, so there was no blueprint to follow.
Especially when the show started, that sense of awkwardness became even more pronounced.
They began by stacking up goodwill. All proceeds from the show were going to be donated to a charity called the Boys & Girls Club.
They also introduced the club, which helps young people across the country by providing guidance and education to ensure that every child graduates high school, makes future plans, demonstrates good character and citizenship, and lives a healthy lifestyle.
It was actually a pretty cool organization.
Those kids in the audience were probably from the club.
Then came the awkward small talk.
How does it feel to be a free agent? What have you been thinking about this summer? How many people know your decision? When did you make your decision? They even asked LeBron if he still bites his nails.
At this point, Han Sen and the others had stopped watching and were chatting among themselves.
In essence, the so-called 'Decision' really boiled down to just one sentence.
But ESPN had set aside an hour for that one sentence.
It felt like watching someone set up a poker game for an hour before the action started.
And to be honest, even the host and LeBron seemed to sense the awkwardness. But they had to fill that hour somehow.
Finally, just as Han Sen was about to get up and go to the bathroom, the moment arrived.
"LeBron, what's your decision?"
LeBron smiled his signature smile on TV and said:
"This fall, man, it's tough, but I'm taking my talents to South Beach and joining the Miami Heat."
"Miami Heat? Is that a decision you made this morning?"
"Yes, I made that decision this morning."
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