Chapter 62: Kobe Is Not the Best Player in the League.
Han Sen was prepared to lose his starting position, but in the following back-to-back games against the 76ers, he still appeared in the starting lineup.
Of course, his treatment on the court remained the same— he still didn't have many opportunities to shine.
It seemed that James was still intent on keeping Coach Brown in charge.
After all, where else could you find such a compliant coach?
While other coaches were labeled as "run-and-gun master," "Zen master," or "tactical genius," Brown was known as the "nanny coach".
Although Han Sen didn't receive what could be called fair treatment, this outcome was still better than what he had expected.
At least by staying on the court, he still had a chance to fight for opportunities.
Taking responsibility, counterattacking, and tackling tough challenges... although these tasks were difficult, they weren't bad for him at this stage.
After all, he urgently needed these experiences to improve his abilities.
However, not everything was the same as when they played against the Celtics.
The biggest difference came in the fourth quarter, where Han Sen's rotation time became unusually erratic.
As the starting shooting guard, he would be sent onto the court at the beginning of the fourth quarter, play for six minutes, and then sit out the rest of the game.
At first, he thought it was just a coincidence, but after several consecutive games, it became a pattern.
Even after Khalil published an article on ESPN titled "Why the Team's Best Defensive Player Can't Play in Crunch Time," nothing changed.
This strategy was insidious.
In basketball, both the team and the players need to play a solid 48 minutes.
But for the fans, unless it's a high-profile matchup, most of the time, they're only interested in the beginning and the end of the game.
Especially during the decisive moments at the end, that's what the fans love most.
But now, Han Sen couldn't even get on the court during those moments, which greatly reduced his exposure to the fans.
As a result, Han's clutch moments— like his game-winning buzzer-beater against the Magic in the season opener— also had no chance to be showcased.
And the fans' reactions weren't as strong as before, as his overall playing time hadn't significantly decreased despite the altered rotations.
From November 15th to the 23rd, over a week, the Cavaliers played two back-to-back games, including the Celtics, for a total of six games. They achieved a 5-1 record.
The only loss was to the Mavericks, while the wins were against non-playoff teams like the Bucks, 76ers, and Kings.
It was like a peaceful southern scene— everything seemed fine.
Han Sen was always left sitting on the bench during the crucial moments, feeling rather helpless.
If the Cavaliers weren't planning to use him properly, why not just trade him?
Surely James didn't have a love-hate relationship with him, did he?
Was he really that important to James?
On December 23rd, Han Sen celebrated his 21st birthday in Cleveland.
The next day, he boarded a plane to Los Angeles with the Cavaliers.
After boarding the plane, James' trainer opened a box, revealing the gift James had prepared for his teammates— custom-made noise-canceling Beats headphones.
The headphones looked expensive, and James' photo was even on the packaging.
It appeared to be a product he was endorsing.
Han Sen put on his eye mask, unboxed the headphones, and began to rest up.
The "23 VS 24" narrative was something Stern had been hyping since 2008, but despite all his efforts, it had never materialized.
(Kobe's jersey number is 24 while LeBron wears 23.)
Finally, unable to stand it any longer, he arranged it for the Christmas Day game.
So, it was predictable that this game would garner unprecedented attention.
When they arrived in Los Angeles, it was already late at night. Unlike his teammates, who went straight to rest, Han Sen stayed in the hotel lobby for a pre-game interview with Khalil, who had arrived ahead of time.
By the next morning, a report titled "I Don't Think Kobe Is the Best Player in the League" had made headlines.
Since Kobe had led his team to a championship earlier that year, his status as the best player in the league had been widely recognized.
So, just the title alone was enough to grab attention.
"I don't think Kobe is the best player in the league because last year's Lakers championship lacks substance," Han Sen said in response to a question about how he planned to face the league's best player.
"They were pushed to a Game 7 by the Rockets. If Yao hadn't been injured due to Kobe's collision, the Rockets would have won that series."
His first argument was about the buzzer-beater.
This viewpoint had been hotly debated online last year, especially because of the claim that Yao's injury was caused by Kobe.
There was a further debate about whether the injury was intentional or accidental.
"If KG (Kevin Garnett) hadn't been injured, the Lakers wouldn't have been their match either. You have to remember that even without KG, the Celtics still pushed the Magic to a Game 7."
Han's second argument was another hot topic: the Lakers had it too easy in the Finals against the Magic.
"So, who do you think is the best player in the league?"
"Of course, it's Tim Duncan."
"TD was the youngest Finals MVP since Magic Johnson. He has four championships, three Finals MVPs, and two MVPs. You can't ignore him just because he's low-key. If he played in Los Angeles, I believe he'd already be catching up to Michael Jordan."
"I know you might say that TD is getting old, but I want to point out that people have been saying that every year, yet he is still one of the top five players in the league. In fact, many people overlook that he's only two years older than Kobe."
His arguments were clear and well-supported, and while his view was unconventional, it was thought-provoking.
Of course, if you dig deeper, you can find flaws.
For instance, Han's method of determining who the best player is was entirely based on accolades.
But in reality, accolades don't directly correlate with a player's skill; they're a cumulative process that depends on factors beyond just skill, like having good teammates and playing for longer periods.
There's also the issue of injuries. Han Sen argued that the Celtics didn't win in 2009 because KG was injured, but couldn't one also argue that the Lakers didn't win in 2008 because Bynum was injured?
And when it comes to Yao's injury, if you start discussing injuries, it could become an endless conversation.
But do those details matter?
Not really. As long as the logic seems sound, it will make people think and will naturally spread.
Especially among Kobe fans— the biggest fanbase— who will undoubtedly attack him.
It's all about generating buzz.
But it's not entirely about generating buzz.
After the game against the Celtics, Han Sen noticed that his [Phantom Steps] had improved rapidly, to the point where he could almost see the bottleneck.
His talent for breaking through progressed much faster than he had anticipated.
This made him even more aware of the importance of high-quality games.
But you don't get strong opponents every night, especially in the East. So, when facing the Lakers, he had to seize the opportunity.
Especially against Kobe.
Not only does Kobe have MVP-level offensive ability, but he also has nine All-Defensive First Team selections.
And this guy is notorious for being a maniac on the court.
Even though he isn't as transparent as Durant, would he really remain indifferent to such news?
Of course, on game day, Han Sen stuck with the team, never acting like a lone wolf.
There are extreme LeBron fans, but Kobe fans are a much larger group, so the number of extreme fans will be even greater.
...
On the night of December 25th, at the Staples Center, the arena was packed.
The NBA has two arenas that never worry about ticket sales: Madison Square Garden and the Staples Center.
So, even though the Buss family, who own the Lakers, are among the league's poorest owners, as long as the NBA remains, they'll be hard-pressed to go bankrupt.
The Christmas atmosphere was strong at the arena, but certain signs stood out among the crowd.
"Fxck 77."
"77, you don't know basketball."
"Kobe is unanimously the best player."
...
As soon as Han Sen arrived at the arena, he was immediately put on the LED big screen by the camera crew, and the boos from the crowd were deafening.
This Christmas showdown was originally supposed to be Stern's grand stage for the 23 vs. 24 matchup— a battle of destinies— even with the added drama of the O'Neal and Bryant reunion. But no one expected the first person to steal the spotlight would be a rookie named Han Sen.
This made two people in the stands shake their heads: one was Stern, who had personally come to watch the game, and the other was Danny Ferry, the Cavaliers' general manager.
Being the center of attention, Han was clearly enjoying himself.
He hadn't even done anything yet, and his buzz was already growing at a rate comparable to when he scored an and-one against Tony Allen.
As expected, Kobe's 600 million fans were truly terrifying.
But just as he was reveling in the moment, he suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.
The feeling was much stronger than what he experienced in Oklahoma.
He turned his head and saw a pair of cold, snake-like eyes staring at him from a distance.
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