Chapter 183: Barkley’s Walk of Fame.
The next day, when Han Sen woke up in his hotel, he found that he'd gained tens of thousands of hater points overnight.
Checking his social media, he realized his comments section was swamped.
Upon closer inspection, he couldn't help but laugh in exasperation.
Durant, instead of sleeping, had stayed up late using a burner account to trash him.
Didn't he have better things to do, like finding a few friends to party with?
However, these hater points didn't actually come from Durant, since the system only counted one person's points, no matter how many accounts they used.
As a celebrity, Durant could contribute a bit more, but only to a maximum of 1.5 times the usual amount.
Most of the hater points actually came from Kobe's hardcore fans.
"You ruined Kobe's chance to surpass Jordan, you know that?!"
Better late than never.
If the Lakers had lost in the Conference Finals, Kobe's fans might have accepted it. After all, Paul was either choking or on his way to choking in clutch moments.
But being eliminated in the Conference Semifinals was something they couldn't accept.
"Only knows how to complain about calls," "relies on teammates in clutch time," "if it wasn't for Paul's injury"...
Han Sen noticed that they were just repeating the same old stuff over and over. Compared to Durant's comments, these were pretty unimpressive.
At that moment, Scarlett woke up and headed to the bathroom for a shower.
Han Sen was still scrolling, but then he heard a knock on the glass.
Looking up, he saw Scarlett leaning against the glass door, her eyes glistened under the soft morning light, a mischievous smile playing on her lips.
She tilted her head, gaze lingering on Han as she murmured, "Feel like joining me?" Her voice was low, inviting, and it echoed softly off the bathroom walls.
Han Sen was no stranger to this, but unlike Swift, this time the invitation came from Scarlett herself.
He looked back at Durant's comments, then at Scarlett, and finally at the bathroom.
Hmm, something about this felt a bit off.
With a slight grin, he set his phone down and stepped forward.
"Well," he said, voice tinged with amusement, "early bird gets the worm."
...
The day after the Grizzlies' Game 7 win over the Lakers, the latest TNT broadcast hit an all-time high viewership.
Compared to kissing a donkey, a streaking stunt was a much bigger deal for TV.
Fans had been waiting for almost the entire series, over a week. They were all eager to know if Barkley would honor his bet.
At the beginning of the show, Shaq tried to offer Barkley an out. If Barkley would let Shaq dunk on him during the live broadcast, he could move his streaking location from the Walk of Fame to the beach.
But Barkley, stubborn as ever, refused to back down.
In the end, he agreed to head to Hollywood the next day to fulfill the bet.
You had to hand it to Barkley – he was a commentary genius, turning a simple bet into an ongoing series.
Later in the show, they immediately started a new round of predictions.
The Conference Finals matchups were now set: the Thunder versus the Grizzlies in the West, and the Heat against the Celtics in the East.
In the East, there was little suspense.
Even with Bosh sidelined, the Heat had dominated, and with Bosh returning soon, the Celtics—who'd just survived a grueling seven-game series against the 76ers—were unlikely to put up much resistance.
The consensus was that if the Heat didn't wrap it up in six games, it'd be a disappointment.
In the West, things were different. The Grizzlies and Thunder had gone to seven games last year, and although Memphis now had Rudy Gay, the Thunder's James Harden had significantly improved (winning Sixth Man of the Year).
Predicting the winner was tough.
In a funny turn of events, both Barkley and Shaq picked the Grizzlies, swearing they wouldn't change their minds.
Instead of making another bet, they started predicting the series score.
Their guesses were pure entertainment.
Barkley guessed 4-1, while Shaq went all the way with 4-0.
To them, the Thunder were no match for the Grizzlies.
Regardless of the accuracy of their predictions, they'd definitely cranked up the show's entertainment value.
As the TNT trio pulled in viewers with their antics, the league also announced the season's final awards – the All-NBA Teams.
To everyone's surprise, Han Sen not only made All-Defensive Second Team again, but also made the All-NBA First Team!
It was unexpected not because Han Sen didn't deserve it—he was fourth in the MVP vote—but because he wasn't part of the Nike camp, a spot that theoretically should have gone to Chris Paul.
But it highlighted the 'recency effect' in media voting.
In theory, All-NBA teams were supposed to be based on the regular season, but when voting happened during the playoffs, it was hard not to be swayed by postseason performance.
If Paul hadn't choked in a crucial moment, the spot would've been his.
But since he and Han Sen had faced off in the same series, it was like comparing chocolate with something far less appealing.
After seeing the results, Han Sen posted on social media.
This time, it wasn't to get hater points; instead, he spoke out for Marc Gasol.
"Marc deserves to be on the All-Defensive Team."
Even putting aside Marc's playoff performance, his regular season averages of 9.2 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game should've secured him a spot.
But this year's voting results were strange overall.
Tyson Chandler, who had already been named Defensive Player of the Year, didn't make All-Defensive First Team.
Meanwhile, LeBron James made both First Teams this year.
Since Han Sen had training that afternoon, he flew back to Memphis at noon.
In the locker room, he ran into Rudy Gay, who handed him a card.
"A membership card?" Han Sen inspected the sleek card.
"It's for a new nightclub in Memphis. I've been there – the quality is top-notch," Gay said, leaning in.
Han Sen glanced at Gay. For someone with a wholesome image, especially with a serious girlfriend, it was surprising.
It just proved that asking guys to control themselves was like asking them to defy nature.
Han Sen accepted the card.
In his years in America, he knew that refusing a gift from someone meant a loss of face.
"Want to go tonight?" Gay followed up with an invite.
"Rudy, we're about to start the Conference Finals. Let's focus on the game." Han Sen advised, still recovering from Scarlett's 'training session.'
Gay looked disappointed, but Han Sen had a point. They'd fought hard to beat the Lakers, and they couldn't afford to get complacent now.
...
The next day, the Grizzlies flew to Oklahoma City for Game 1.
This time, all eyes were on Hollywood's Walk of Fame.
True to his word, Barkley went streaking in broad daylight.
What's more, he did it live, filling the Walk of Fame with people.
When the broadcast started, everyone realized that Barkley was indeed wearing no shirt or pants, but he'd strapped a skirt of palm leaves around his waist, covering his lower body.
Before he started, he explained his attire was inspired by Native American culture.
This was unexpected but understandable; after all, if Barkley had really run naked down the Walk of Fame, he'd probably have to quit TNT for good.
Still, it was quite something to watch, especially when he started running, and his weight caused the grass skirt to break apart. He had to clutch it while running, making for a hilarious sight.
Being on the Walk of Fame, a Hollywood hot spot, his run immediately went viral.
The media reported that Barkley's run had given him the highest engagement of his broadcasting career.
Who cares about hate? He'd kissed a donkey before, so he wasn't bothered by this at all.
Thanks to Barkley's stunt, views on the previous TNT episode spiked, and their predictions about the Grizzlies-Thunder series trended on social media.
Naturally, this infuriated Thunder fans.
"Charles Barkley is a clown—a guy who's never won a championship but acts like a big shot on commentary."
"Does Barkley even understand basketball? Isn't TNT just paying him because he's willing to kiss donkeys and streak down the Walk of Fame?"
"Does he dare to bet with me? If the Grizzlies win 4-1, I'll eat dirt upside down, but if they don't, he has to. Does he dare?"
It was funny that Thunder fans only criticized Barkley. Shaq's prediction of a sweep was even bolder.
This was the difference between having a championship ring and not.
Though Barkley always felt Shaq lorded his titles over him unfairly, a ring for a star was like money for regular people.
Having one changed how others viewed you.
The discontent wasn't just from fans; Thunder stars Westbrook and Durant commented at an open practice.
"They're just doing it for show," Westbrook said, his tone controlled. "They forget we beat the Spurs to make the Conference Finals."
Despite his intensity on the court, Westbrook was surprisingly level-headed off it.
Durant, however, was more direct.
"They're right about the five games, but we'll be the ones winning in five. They don't realize how strong we've become."
Just days ago, he'd battled late into the night, and now he was ready to crush Han Sen.
...
On May 28th, the Grizzlies and Thunder tipped off Game 1 of the Conference Finals at Ford Center in OKC.
The arena was packed, a sea of blue.
It was the Thunder's first Conference Finals since moving to OKC, and the fans' passion was higher than ever compared to last season.
During the pre-game warm-ups, the camera briefly panned over to the Grizzlies.
On screen, the Grizzlies players appeared calm and confident.
This was a familiar sight.
Yes, the Mavericks had shown a similar demeanor when facing the Grizzlies last year.
Both teams shared a common trait: they had each defeated the Lakers, considered the season's strongest team.
For the past two seasons, the Lakers had been the ultimate 'grindstone' for others to sharpen their championship edge.
After conquering the Lakers, it was as if the championship aura had settled upon them.
On the other hand, the Thunder players looked far more serious.
Underdogs though they were, they hoped to prove the critics wrong tonight. But facing the Lakers-slaying Grizzlies, who could truly be certain of victory?
With warm-ups finished, the arena launched into the opening ceremony, and both teams' starting lineups were announced.
Grizzlies: Conley, Han, Gay, Randolph, Marc Gasol
Thunder: Westbrook, Sefolosha, Durant, Ibaka, Perkins
Ibaka won the jump ball, giving the Thunder the first offensive opportunity.
Durant positioned himself at the top of the arc, receiving the ball, and as his teammates spread out, he went for a direct one-on-one play.
Compared to the Grizzlies, the Thunder were practically the opposite: a team of solo stars in constant isolation.
Gay braced himself in a defensive stance, confident after his recent battles with Kobe.
But Durant got past him on the drive.
Speed was a limitation for Gay on both ends of the floor.
Marc Gasol moved outward to help cover, and Han Sen slid in for backup.
Unexpectedly, Durant, upon seeing Han Sen approach, passed the ball to Sefolosha.
Sefolosha didn't hesitate, launching a three-pointer that swished through the net.
The Oklahoma City crowd erupted into cheers.
The 'Swiss Army Knife' had hit a career-high 43.7% on three-pointers this season.
The Thunder's progress in both record and strength this season was reminiscent of the Grizzlies, as players from each position showed growth.
Of course, the big deal here was that Durant had passed the ball at all.
Unlike Han Sen, Durant hadn't developed his playmaking as much and remained an elite scorer.
It seemed that tonight, he was pushing himself to adapt for the win.
On the Grizzlies' offense, Marc Gasol and Randolph played a high-low game. Ibaka instinctively sagged, giving Gasol a path to drive.
But Ibaka's quickness in the paint shone as he swiftly returned to contest Gasol's shot, disrupting the Grizzlies' first scoring attempt.
Back on the other end, Westbrook ran a pick-and-roll with Ibaka, creating space with an explosive first step before taking a pull-up midrange shot.
With his stiff yet effective 'zombie jump shot,' he nailed the bucket.
Westbrook was visibly fired up, letting out an intense roar toward the sideline.
The Thunder had stormed to a perfect 5-0 start.
"Defense! Defense!"
The chants reverberated around the arena, foreshadowing the Thunder's resolve to silence the critics tonight.
The camera zoomed in on the Grizzlies players, as if searching for signs of panic.
But it found none; the Grizzlies remained as composed as ever.
Conley motioned for the play, with Marc Gasol setting an off-ball screen for Han Sen. Receiving the pass, Han Sen immediately drew a double-team from Sefolosha and Ibaka.
With his postseason average at 29+ points, and a standout performance against the Lakers, it was hard for Brooks to resist throwing extra coverage at him.
Han Sen took it in stride, smiling as he delivered a no-look bounce pass to Gasol.
Gasol drove in again, but with Perkins coming over to help, he opted for a high lob instead.
Randolph caught the pass and powered through Ibaka for the score.
It was classic Grizzlies team basketball, finally breaking their scoring drought.
As they transitioned back to defense, Han Sen and Gay shared a quick word, and Han Sen switched onto Durant.
As Durant locked eyes with Han Sen, a brief glint of menace flashed in his gaze.
But he quickly composed himself.
It wasn't just Brooks' pep talk before the game that tempered his anger; after so many bitter losses to Han Sen, Durant had learned his lesson – even a fool learns something after getting burned enough times.
Seeing Durant's restraint, Han Sen couldn't resist speaking up:
"Actually, Scarlett was planning to come tonight."
He waited for Durant's full attention before adding,
"But she was too tired last night, so I let her rest back at the hotel."
Durant's eyes darkened with murderous intent, a phantom scythe appearing behind him.
Han, I swear I'll take you down!
-End of Chapter-
All-NBA First Team: Kobe, Han Sen, Durant, LeBron, Howard
Second Team: Parker, Paul, Love, Griffin, Nowitzki
Third Team: Westbrook, Rondo, Wade, Anthony, Chandler
All-Defensive First Team: Paul, Kobe, LeBron, Ibaka, Howard
Second Team: Rondo, Han Sen, Sefolosha, Garnett, Chandler
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone