Chapter 4: BOAT Behaviour.
Han Sen's consecutive three-pointers at the start of the game nearly sent the audience into a frenzy, and the morale of Barry University was completely boosted.
At the end of the first half, they were only trailing Davidson College by 2 points, 26 to 28.
Han Sen alone made four three-pointers and scored a game-high 14 points.
However, once the game entered the second half, the situation on the court changed.
Davidson quickly widened the gap.
The root of this change came from Curry.
In the first half, he focused on organizing, trying to transition into playing as a point guard, but he seemed to be dancing with shackles on.
However, in the second half, he switched directly into offensive mode.
Barry University had no one who could guard him.
To limit him, Theus had to mobilize the team's defensive resources to double-team Curry.
As a result, Barry University, already at a disadvantage in one-on-one matchups, saw their defense completely collapse.
Curry, on the other hand, used his offensive threat to create numerous opportunities for his teammates under the double-team.
The score quickly widened, and with 5 minutes left in the second half, they had extended their lead to more than 15 points.
Davidson College began to substitute out their starters at this point.
But Barry University did not give up, with Han Sen leading the team until the last second, ultimately losing 51 to 58.
In the post-game stats, Curry had 22 points and 10 assists, Han Sen scored a game-high 28 points, and Rondo had 10 points and 6 assists.
After the game, he attended the post-game press conference with Theus.
"Stephen Curry destroyed our defense. He's fully capable of playing in the NBA," Theus said candidly to the reporters.
The reporters eagerly took notes- this was exactly what they wanted to hear before the game.
Hearing this from him made it even more credible, after all, Theus wasn't just anyone. He was a former NBA All-Star player and had been the head coach of the NBA's Sacramento Kings before coming to Barry University.
Then, the reporters quickly turned their attention to Han Sen.
Theus had already been humbled by Curry, so what about Han Sen?
"Han, your team ultimately lost the game. What do you have to say about that?" one reporter asked directly, while the others all looked at him.
Seeing the eager eyes in the audience, Han Sen moved the microphone closer to himself:
"It's regrettable that the team lost by a close margin..."
The reporters almost couldn't hold back their laughter. A close loss? How could he say that!
Han Sen cleared his throat and continued:
"But my stats prove what I said before the game- I outscored Curry. I'm the better shooter."
The room instantly erupted.
Shameless.gif!
Yet Han Sen remained calm.
Look at you, acting like you've never seen greatness before. If this era had plus-minus stats, I'd show you some real numbers!
At that moment, Han Sen noticed a sudden spike in his system's Hater Points.
Huh?
So, besides the number of people, it also depends on how much they hate you?
But I talked big before the game and didn't see much of a rise, meaning there's a threshold for the level of hate?
"But 10 of your points came during garbage time!" a bold reporter challenged.
The reporters stopped their murmuring and all stared at Han Sen again.
It was an undeniable fact, and they were curious to see how Han Sen would respond.
"I need to correct something," he suddenly sat up straight, his expression becoming extremely serious.
"There's no such thing as garbage time in basketball. Until the final buzzer sounds, anything can happen."
"If teams give up just because they're trailing, how would you explain all the comebacks in basketball? Why would the NBA use 'Where Amazing Happens' as a slogan?"
WTF!
The reporters were stunned.
Not only them, even Theus was shocked by his straight-faced delivery of such a statement!
Still, you couldn't say Han Sen was technically wrong.
For whatever reason, Barry University did manage to narrow the gap in the final moments.
If they had a little more time, they...
Well, of course, they would NOT have been able to make a full comeback!
Though the reporters couldn't refute Han Sen's high-minded reasoning, their annoyance with him reached new heights.
The stereotype of Asians being humble and polite was thoroughly shattered by his audacity.
Han Sen just smiled.
His judgment was validated- his Hater Points were climbing at full speed now.
After the press conference ended, he headed to the gym for extra practice.
Losing tonight was expected; the gap in strength between the two teams was clear.
But it was also true that Davidson College didn't play well tonight. Besides Curry's sub-par performance, several of their key senior players from last season had graduated, and their overall strength had declined compared to the previous season.
Their ability to pull ahead in the second half was due to not only Curry's offensive adjustments but also their defensive strategy.
They went all-out to double-team Han Sen in the second half.
It was a sign of respect from the opponent but also exposed his weakness in passing.
Sometimes his mind saw the opportunity, but his hands couldn't keep up.
Fortunately, passing is a basic skill that can be trained.
Planting his feet, ball in hand, he practiced against the wall, incorporating dribbling movements. It was the most common yet effective way to train.
Dribbling left, passing to the wall.
Crossover, passing to the wall.
Behind-the-back dribble, passing to the wall.
Crossover, behind-the-back dribble, passing to the wall.
...
"Coach?"
When Han Sen finished a set and was taking a break, he noticed Theus had quietly entered the gym.
He smiled and gestured for Han to sit down for a chat.
"You've changed a lot," he said, turning to look at Han Sen.
Though he was new, Theus had done his homework, including consulting with the former coach.
Han Sen, the team's only four-star recruit, naturally became a focal point of his attention.
But his overflowing confidence on and off the court didn't match the reserved "Han Sen" described by the former coach.
"Coach, if I don't change, I won't have any chance of making it to the NBA," he said quickly.
Theus was momentarily stunned but then nodded with a smile.
However, he soon turned serious, looking at him intently:
"Do you really believe you can make it?"
This was a soul-searching question.
The last player to make it to the NBA from a non-Division I league was Devean George, and that was back in 1999.
Since the expansion of Division I, no player from Division II or III had made it to the NBA.
Moreover, Han Sen was a junior.
A junior player from a Division II school- it seemed almost impossible for him to reach the NBA.
"Of course, I'm convinced I can do it!" His tone was firm.
"If not this year, then next year! If not next year, then I'll keep pushing as a free agent!"
These words came from the heart because they were also his dream in his previous life.
In his past life, his height was a limitation. In this life, he had the height and the physical gifts, so there was no reason to give up.
It had nothing to do with having a system—the system only made him more certain of his goal.
"Alright, I will fully support you!" Perhaps infected by Han Sen's confidence, Theus also felt a surge of determination, giving him a firm pat on the shoulder.
"Keep training; I won't hold you up any longer," Theus said as he stood up.
"Thank you, Coach!" Han Sen hadn't expected him to come specifically to encourage him and was genuinely grateful.
Theus smiled and nodded before leaving the gym.
But as he walked out, he paused and turned back, peeking through the door at Han Sen, who had resumed training.
Last season, Theus had been the head coach of the NBA's Sacramento Kings, but after just one season, he was unceremoniously fired.
Afterward, he faced repeated rejections during NBA interviews, and he couldn't even secure a head coaching position with an NCAA Division I team. Ultimately, he was forced to come to a Division II league.
Such a steep decline in his coaching career was even more devastating than Han Sen's experience- almost like a death sentence for his career.
But if- and that's a big if- he could make it to the NBA, perhaps their teacher-student story could help him resurrect his career.
---
Let me explain the meaning of "BOAT": It was a nickname given to LeBron James by Pat Riley during his time with the Miami Heat, meaning "Best of All Time," similar to "GOAT" (Greatest of All Time).
However, it became a deragotary term as fans later joked, saying that boats dock at different ports, linking it to LeBron frequently changing teams.
Because of this, LeBron didn't like the nickname and preferred to call himself the "GOAT." In the book, "BOAT" is used to differentiate, as "GOAT" undoubtedly refers to Michael Jordan.
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