Bab 20: Draft Promise.
Jordan's face showed pain, but he didn't make a sound. Instead, he seized the moment when Han Sen got distracted and slapped the basketball away. However, after swatting the ball, he couldn't stay on his feet and squatted down.
Han Sen was startled.
Although he wanted to gain some [hater points] and win the game, he didn't mean to injure Jordan.
He hurried over to check on him.
Bickerstaff also quickly came to their side.
After some communication, Jordan stood back up.
What surprised him was that Jordan indicated the game should continue.
Now Han Sen was unsure about the situation. Jordan wasn't the type to fake an injury when he was about to lose.
However, since Jordan insisted, he had no choice but to continue.
Han Sen passed the ball. After a quick feint, Jordan jumped and took the shot.
He didn't expect Jordan to be so decisive, and since his attention wasn't fully on the game, he didn't provide much interference.
Jordan's shot was sharp and clean.
But after making the shot, Jordan's face contorted in pain once more.
This time, he signaled for the one-on-one match to be interrupted and asked for Bickerstaff to come over.
In the end, Jordan left the gym with the help of others.
Han Sen stood there, watching Jordan disappear, stunned for a while before snapping out of it.
Most people had already left the gym, and he was about to leave as well.
At that moment, Bickerstaff returned.
"It was an accident," he explained as he saw Bickerstaff approaching.
"I know," Bickerstaff smiled and patted Han Sen on the shoulder.
"Before Michael got in the car, he asked me to tell you not to worry about it. Injuries are unavoidable in basketball games, and he wants you to focus on your future workouts."
Hearing this, Han Sen felt a little disoriented. For a moment, he couldn't figure out what kind of person Jordan truly was.
...
After finishing his tryout in Charlotte, he returned to Miami to prepare for his tryout with the Heat.
However, before the Heat's tryouts even began, American entertainment media outlet TMZ broke the news that Jordan had fractured two ribs during a tryout with the Bobcats due to a collision with Han Sen.
Yes, they even named him.
In fact, after the tryout, Bickerstaff had specifically asked those present not to spread the news.
But TMZ offered too much money.
Moreover, with so many people there that day, it would be difficult to track down the leaker even if someone did spill the beans.
The direct result was that when Han Sen showed up for the Heat's tryout, reporters from several major sports media outlets swarmed in.
Seeing this, he couldn't help but laugh.
With his current low profile, media attention was a good thing for his draft prospects, but he hadn't expected it to come in this way.
After all, the news of Jordan being injured by Artest back in the day was also well-known.
So, was the god of basketball's weak spot actually his ribs?
The reporters surrounded Han Sen, a scene usually reserved for NBA stars.
The questions poured in, mostly asking about the details of Jordan's injury.
Han Sen knew there were too many witnesses that day, so lying wasn't an option. He had to answer truthfully, with a bit of artistic flair.
"He grabbed me, and I tried to use my right hand to push his arm away, but my elbow accidentally hit his chest."
He first described the event briefly and then added,
"I was upset about accidentally injuring him, but Michael, after breaking his ribs, came back and made a crucial shot before leaving."
After Hansen finished, the reporters looked at each other, their expressions indicating they weren't surprised.
That was exactly what they expected Jordan to do.
Was Jordan's shot crucial?
Obviously not. Whether Jordan was injured or not, Han Sen would have won the one-on-one game.
But that wasn't important.
After all, being a decent person is about timing.
If he bragged about beating 46-year-old Jordan, it would only make him look petty.
Plus, he had gained over 200 [hate points] from that one-on-one game with Jordan.
So, giving Jordan face was also a way to create opportunities for himself to gain more haters in the future.
After the interview, he turned his attention to the Heat tryouts.
This time, most of the players trying out with him were projected second-round picks.
This was because the Heat didn't have a first-round pick this year, only two second-round picks at 43 and 60.
Han Sen saw many familiar faces, including Danny Green, who had also attended the Bobcats tryout with him.
He also spotted Chase Budinger.
Budinger was a dual-sport talent, named the national volleyball player of the year in high school, and shared the McDonald's All-American Game MVP with Kevin Durant that same year.
He eventually chose basketball because it was more lucrative. He was Yao Ming's teammate during his time with the Rockets, and after earning enough in the NBA, he switched back to volleyball, even representing the U.S. in beach volleyball at the Olympics.
Green, Budinger, and himself... it seemed the Heat were looking for backup guards for Dwyane Wade.
Because Han Sen had been swarmed by reporters before the tryout, he became the center of attention during the workout.
The players matched up against him were clearly more excited.
Not only was the intensity of their defense higher, but their actions were also more aggressive.
This wasn't for Jordan's sake; second-round prospects have uncertain draft outcomes, and since Han Sen now had more attention, beating him would naturally bring them some of that spotlight.
However, their heightened excitement didn't fluster him. In fact, it only made his skills stand out more.
To put it bluntly, he wasn't hyped up by media or connections. He didn't have a famous basketball father but instead had real ability.
His lower draft prospects were only due to coming from a second-division league, but his performance at the Bobcats tryout had already proven his skills.
He wasn't any worse than the other late-second-round prospects.
The Heat were currently in the playoffs against the Hawks, so the coaching staff wasn't at the tryout.
However, there was someone present with even more authority than the entire coaching staff: Heat president and general manager, Pat Riley.
Han's performance made it hard for Riley not to take notice.
After the tryout, he was invited to Riley's private office by his assistant, Andy Elisburg.
Once Andy left, only Riley, who was lounging in his chair, were left in the room with him.
Hansen hadn't experienced this kind of situation before, especially with Riley in front of him, making him a bit nervous.
"DW mentioned you to me. He said your defense isn't bad."
Riley's opening line immediately put Hansen at ease.
Wade and he had used each other as practice partners, often trash-talking during training.
He hadn't expected Wade not only to introduce him to his agent but also to speak highly of him to Riley. Wade was turning out to be quite the good guy.
However, as Han was feeling sentimental, Riley's next words shocked him.
"Since DW vouches for you and you performed well today, we're going to select you with the 43rd pick."
Was this... a draft promise?
And a guaranteed 43rd pick?!
Typically, it takes more than one round of tryouts to finalize decisions.
For example, after his stellar performance at the Bobcats tryout, the feedback was that there would be a second tryout.
But Riley just made the decision like that?
"Do you like the city of Miami?" Riley seemed not to notice Hansen's reaction, crossing his hands in front of him as he smiled.
"I do." There was no reason to hide it.
Hansen had lived in Miami for almost a year. While it wasn't as bustling as New York or Los Angeles, it was still one of the top cities in the U.S.
Plus, Miami had pleasant weather, and as a coastal city with world-famous beaches, it was indeed a great place to live.
You could see this from the many wealthy people who chose to settle there.
"Are you looking forward to joining the Heat?" Perhaps noticing Hansen's expression, Riley added with a smile,
"You can be honest. Whatever you say won't change the commitment we've already made."
Hansen wasn't sure what Riley's intentions were. Despite Riley's friendly demeanor, his reputation as a "master strategist" preceded him.
"Before my tryouts started, my agent secured tryouts with over ten teams for me. I chose a few, and the Heat was one of my target teams." He carefully responded.
Riley raised his interlocked fingers, lightly tapping his upper lip.
After glancing at a file on his desk, he looked up again.
"Can I take that as you wanting to join the Heat?"
"Yes."
Riley lowered his hands, pushed his chair to his desk, and looked at Han seriously.
"We're interested in you, and you want to join us, so I hope you can cancel your remaining tryouts to ensure you'll join us."
At this, Han Sen finally felt like things were falling into place.
The draft promise came with conditions.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone