Chapter 141: I Did It On Purpose.
Beating the Thunder—was that enough?
Obviously not.
Even though the Thunder are strong, it was still just the first round.
To take this team far, the conference semifinals aren't enough for Han Sen.
After the press conference, Han drove Swift out for a cruise.
Oklahoma City isn't a coastal town, but its mild year-round climate makes it perfect for nighttime drives.
Besides, Han was in high spirits—not just because his team advanced, but because after all those dunks tonight, his [All-Dunks-Except-the-Tomahawk Package] had finally reached its limit!
Double joy—life was good.
This time, Han wasn't driving Swift's car; he had Rondo rent a convertible.
While cruising, Swift leaned against the seat, staring quietly out the window.
"Got a song stuck in your head?" Han guessed. He'd heard her talking about writing a single earlier, but nothing had come of it yet.
"I don't really want to write, but it's hard to ignore people who love you pushing you to do it," Swift chuckled.
She had just finished a world tour last summer and released her new single, Mean, in March. She was already a hardworking artist.
But being a top artist is like being a writer with demanding readers; they never stop pushing.
Just like Swift said, they push you because they care, and that's what makes it tough.
She could ignore the haters, but not her fans.
"Well, if you're stuck, I could try helping you brainstorm," Han offered, glancing over with a teasing smile. "I got a few ideas up my sleeve."
As someone from another time, Han still remembered quite a few songs—especially after subscribing to Swift's music service.
Stealing someone else's song wouldn't be cool, but giving Swift her own song back? That shouldn't count, right?
"Han," she called out.
Han stopped the car and turned to her. Swift pulled him in for a deep kiss.
When they pulled away, she pressed her forehead against his, "I know you want to help, but I've got this."
Her reaction was honest; after all, who asks a basketball player to write a song?
Han realized he'd overstepped and dropped the topic. Even if he did give her a song, she'd probably suspect he copied it from somewhere.
Scenes like that only work in novels.
After the drive, they headed to their hotel.
While Swift took a shower, Han joined her with a cheeky grin.
"Aren't you tired?" Swift raised an eyebrow, clearly not expecting his sudden entrance.
She had been courtside, watching Han play his heart out in the most intense game she'd ever seen.
Not to mention, Han was the offensive focal point—she felt tired just watching him.
Han stepped into the shower and pulled the glass door shut. "Nope," he said, wrapping his arms around her waist. "This is just part of the cool-down routine."
"Your routine is exhausting," Swift replied, shaking her head but not pulling away.
"Well, the shower is one of the best places to find inspiration," Han said with a smirk, as he leaned in.
Swift sighed, exasperated but clearly amused. "You're unbelievable."
As she found herself pressed against the glass, the image in her mind was that of Han dunking over Westbrook with one hand.
Ah, the boundless energy of an athlete.
...
The next day, Han woke up to a message from Thomas.
The 'HS Terminator Edition 1' sneakers sold like hotcakes last night.
After that exhilarating Game 7 and securing Memphis' first-ever playoff series win, Han's popularity surged.
This phenomenon perfectly proved the saying: "Even gold in the trash will shine."
Swift was still fast asleep after last night's events. Han got up, grabbed a cigar and lighter from the nightstand, and stepped out onto the balcony.
He'd been on edge with all the close games, but now he could finally relax.
Sitting on the balcony with his cigar, Han started to catch up on league news.
The first thing he checked was the ongoing playoff matchups.
While the Grizzlies and Thunder were battling in Game 7, the other matchups had already completed their first games.
The Hawks continued their Cinderella run, defeating the Bulls 103-95. They looked like they might keep the upsets coming.
The Heat won 99-90 against the Celtics. The game wasn't as close as the score suggests, as the Heat led by 14 points entering the fourth quarter.
Wade dropped 38 points, James Jones scored 25, LeBron had 22 points, 6 boards, and 5 assists, while Bosh finished with 7 points and 12 boards.
Han watched the game highlights and noticed a big change in the Heat—a complete shift in strategy.
Previously, Spoelstra tried to adjust the offense, aiming to improve their half-court sets.
When those attempts failed, he switched gears, focusing on defense.
He reinstated Joel Anthony as the starting center, utilizing various zone defenses to maximize Wade and LeBron's defensive range and gain early momentum through high-pressure defense.
Spoelstra clearly knew his stuff, but this strategy wasn't entirely new.
Coach K used the same approach with the Redeem Team to bring the US back to the top.
But such a strategy requires star players, and only the Heat have that luxury right now.
In the final series, the Mavericks faced the Lakers.
Contrary to expectations, the heavily criticized Mavericks pulled off a narrow 96-94 win over the Lakers.
Kobe went 14 of 29 from the field for 36 points, but only Gasol and Odom joined him in double figures, while five Mavericks scored in double digits.
Han scrolled through social media, seeing Kobe fans discussing the game.
"The Lakers just had an off night from three. They only made five total, and Kobe hit four of them. This won't happen again."
"The Mavericks just overachieved. Dirk will choke next game—you know why he's called soft? He's never won!"
"Relax, it's just one game. The Lakers will still win this series 4-1."
When Han saw that last line, he slapped his knee, realizing he missed a marketing opportunity.
This was the infamous "Lakers' 5-4 comeback over the Mavericks" series!
He'd been so wrapped up in his own intense games that he forgot such crucial moments.
But remembering his previous remarks, Han knew this was a golden opportunity to farm Kobe fans' hate.
He quickly put down the cigar and fired off a social media post.
"I said it before: this Lakers team isn't making the Finals. I'm predicting a Mavericks sweep."
Immediately after posting, he received a wave of backlash from Kobe fans, which only increased.
Honestly, if Han weren't from the future, he'd probably have believed the Lakers could still pull off a comeback before they went down 0-3.
After all, even a dying camel is bigger than a horse. The Mavericks' past playoff failures didn't exactly inspire confidence, especially with Caron Butler out for the season.
So yeah, his comment was sure to draw hate. And with similar remarks before, Kobe fans were used to hating on him.
Watching his hate points soar, Han couldn't wait for the next season.
As he kept making a name for himself, opponents would keep targeting him, so the next goal had to be upgrading his ball-handling or passing skills.
"Keep it coming, haters!"
Han continued browsing social media until he saw that the league had just handed out an award.
Not the MVP—that had already been awarded during the first round.
LeBron lost Stern's love this year, and the GOAT of vote-getting stumbled against Rose.
And it wasn't just a little stumble.
LeBron received only four first-place votes and finished with a 16.59% vote share, even lower than Howard's 20.44%.
By comparison, Rose dominated with 113 first-place votes, winning decisively with 37.57%.
The award in question was Rookie of the Year.
Blake Griffin, with his season averages of 22.5 points, 12.1 rebounds, and 3.8 assists, won convincingly.
Back at the All-Star Game, Han had planned to make the young Griffin his second major hater.
So naturally, he couldn't miss this chance.
"John Wall should be the Rookie of the Year. Griffin stole the award as a second-year player."
Han sent out his second post, giving Kobe fans more fuel to hate him.
No, not just Kobe fans—Griffin fans too.
That 20-10 stat line was something only five players in history had achieved: Shaq, Mourning, Duncan, and Brand—all big names.
And with his explosive playstyle, Griffin had already garnered a strong homegrown fanbase.
Now Han was getting hated on by a 'mixed double'.
Or maybe even a triple.
After all, he'd just eliminated the Thunder, and some of their fans were also coming at him.
Oh, what a wonderful morning!
Later that afternoon, after a single day of rest in Memphis, Han joined his team on a trip to San Antonio.
As a lower-seeded team, the Grizzlies had to start all their series on the road.
The matchup against the Spurs was no exception.
When they arrived at the hotel in San Antonio, Han noticed a few fans—one of whom seemed familiar.
It wasn't the person that looked familiar, but the jersey.
"Fxck Han Sen"
Last season, when he was still with the Cavs, he'd seen similar reactions in Boston.
Except now, the "LBJ" on those jerseys had been replaced with his name.
In Chinese, no less.
They really put in the effort.
Han gave them the finger. The fan was stunned, clearly not expecting an NBA player to be so direct.
But Han wasn't holding back—this series against the Spurs was personal.
The Spurs fans were sure he'd ruined Popovich's career, but Han still hadn't settled the score over Gay's season-ending injury!
If Gay had been able to play, even with Hollins' poor decisions, the Grizzlies would've likely swept the Thunder instead of taking it to seven games.
So now, Han was ready to let his game do the talking.
While Han Sen was fired up on one end, the Spurs' reaction was unexpectedly calm.
On the same day the Grizzlies arrived in San Antonio, the Spurs held their regular open practice.
During the routine post-practice interviews, Popovich was asked about Han Sen.
This was the same Popovich who had been sidelined for three months after Han 'accidentally' knocked into him.
The same Popovich who, last time, had asked, 'Who is Han?'
But now, his tone couldn't be more different.
"Han is really phenomenal. He's one of the best perimeter players I've ever seen. His shooting is just godly. I honestly don't know how to describe him. If I had to, I'd say he's the next Kobe."
When these words reached Han Sen's ears, his initial reaction was like that time on the plane when he heard LeBron call him 'my good brother'—he didn't buy it.
But on second thought, he understood.
Besides being known for his sneaky moves, Popovich was also famous for giving backhanded compliments before big games—his 'jinxes' rivaled Charles Barkley's.
You could tell from how he compared Han Sen to Kobe.
Sure, Kobe was a nightmare for the Spurs, but he also bricked a lot of shots.
When Kobe's mid-range game wasn't working, the Spurs were in for an easy win.
So, when it came time for the Grizzlies' open practice later that afternoon, Han Sen decided to return the favor.
"I said it last season, and I'll say it again—TD is the best player in the league. He's as underrated now as he was then because of his humility. This season, he should definitely get more MVP votes than LeBron."
After all, the Spurs' 61 wins were higher than the Heat's 58. If Derrick Rose could win MVP, why couldn't Duncan finish ahead of LeBron?
Han Sen's words were meant as a jinx, but unexpectedly, they gained Duncan even more support on social media.
Fans rallied, feeling it was unfair Duncan didn't even receive a single second-place vote.
But Han Sen didn't care about that. Being humble had its downsides, but it also had its perks.
If he remembered correctly, the Spurs got bounced in the first round this year.
Yet no one really used that to criticize Duncan. If that had happened to LeBron or Kobe, the backlash would've been unimaginable.
It's all double standards. Let's be real—Duncan's championships benefited from Popovich's shady tactics too.
The next night, the Spurs and Grizzlies faced off in the conference semifinals at the AT&T Center.
This arena, built in 2002, could hold over 18,000 fans, and tonight, it was packed to the brim.
Even Peter Holt, the Spurs owner, was in the stands.
He should thank Han Sen for helping him sell all those extra tickets—typically, the Spurs' playoff games had plenty of empty seats.
During warm-ups, Han Sen made a few shots and then walked towards the Spurs' side of the court.
Popovich was standing near half-court, arms crossed, watching the action.
It wasn't until Han was almost in front of him that Popovich noticed.
Han Sen was all smiles, looking completely friendly.
Popovich was taken aback, and the Spurs players who had been watching quickly turned their focus back to warming up.
They preferred to believe that Han Sen hadn't meant to knock into Popovich back then.
After all, both coaches had praised each other pre-game, so it seemed like all was good now.
As for the fans' reactions, well—does it have anything to do with the players?
Popovich didn't know what Han Sen wanted, but he believed in the old saying: Don't hit a smiling face. So, he responded with a friendly expression.
Han Sen subtly adjusted to find the right camera angle—thanks to LeBron, he had a good sense of where the cameras would be during warm-ups.
Unlike LeBron, though, Han Sen positioned himself with his back to the camera.
Once he found the right spot, he kept smiling at Popovich and then spoke.
"I did it on purpose."
It was a simple, cryptic statement, but Popovich understood instantly.
Han Sen was admitting that he intentionally collided with Gary Neal, causing his patellar tear in the regular season.
Han Sen was still smiling, but it made Popovich feel a chill down his spine.
Popovich didn't fear Han Sen for hitting him—no, it was how Han did it that scared him.
It was a blatant threat.
If Popovich dared to play dirty again, Han could do it again, maybe even more extremely, while still making it look unintentional.
Popovich felt his anger rising. He wanted to snap back with, 'Well, I took out Gay on purpose too!'
But the words were stuck in his throat.
He chickened out, realizing that Han Sen was the first player in NBA history bold enough to confront a coach like this, threatening him so openly!
When assistant coach Budenholzer walked over, Han Sen even smiled and nodded at him, like he was just here for a friendly chat.
How could you not be terrified of a guy like this?
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