章 99: Farewell.
In this trade, the Cavaliers received an established rising star, a highly talented second overall pick who hadn't gotten many opportunities in his rookie year, and a full-sized 3-and-D guard who seemed like he could replace Han Sen.
It could be said that the Grizzlies went all in for Han, taking on the gaping maw of the Cavaliers' demands.
As a result, the trade sparked widespread ridicule.
"The Grizzlies passed on Evans, Curry, and Harden last year and chose Thabeet instead, and now they're giving up so much for Han. Why didn't they just use their second pick last year to select him?"
"I bet the Grizzlies' management only watched that playoff series where Han Sen played against the Celtics. Sure, he played well, but that was just three good games!"
"The Cavaliers just made a killing. LeBron has no reason to leave now— this is the most successful trade they've made in the past decade!"
"I love Danny Ferry. He's a severely underrated GM. Trust in LeBron, he will definitely bring a championship to Cleveland!"
"Williams, Mayo, LeBron, Jamison, Thabeet— what a terrifying lineup. The LeBron era is finally coming!"
"Are the Grizzlies a side account for the Cavaliers?"
"With the way the Grizzlies play, I'd say Han won't even last half the season before he's out with a season-ending injury. This trade is bound to go down in history… in a bad way."
...
Before the draft even began, Han had already received a call from Ferry, informing him of the result.
Initially, the Cavaliers had struck a deal with the Pacers to trade him for the 10th pick, Paul George. But in the end, the Grizzlies made an offer that was too good to pass up.
So Memphis became Han Sen's next destination.
Regarding this outcome, Hansen could only describe it as mutual.
The Grizzlies had been eyeing him for a long time.
When he first heard the details of the trade, he was stunned.
He had thought that the Grizzlies would only offer Mayo and a first-rounder, but he didn't expect them to part with Thabeet as well.
Even though hindsight would show Thabeet to be one of the biggest busts in NBA history, at the time, he had only played one season and had barely seen any playing time.
It was clear: the Grizzlies truly valued him.
As for the idea that they should have just used the second pick on him in the first place, that was nonsense.
Let's be honest, no sane person would consider picking a player projected to go late in the first round with the second overall pick.
And as for the Grizzlies, setting aside their chances of winning a championship, they were a nightmare matchup for LeBron.
With their black-and-white interior duo, plus Han's lockdown defense on the perimeter, if they could get out of the West... the thought was too good to even imagine.
In fact, Han Sen could hardly wait to face LeBron in the regular season.
So right now, Hansen was watching his haters pile on while simultaneously looking forward to the new season. It was double the fun.
Of course, he also had to pack up and prepare to leave Cleveland.
Having lived there for nearly a year, there were plenty of things to pack up and, naturally, people he needed to say goodbye to.
And this time, he planned on heading to Memphis in a special way.
He first went to the team's locker room to deal with his belongings.
David Griffin accompanied him once again.
"Honestly, I hate to see you go," Griffin said, a hint of regret on his face as they walked toward the locker room.
"I'll be back," Han replied, a hint of eagerness in his eyes.
Even though when he returned, he wouldn't be a Cavalier anymore, he was sure that when he stepped foot on this court again, his desire to win would be at its peak.
Griffin, noticing Hansen's expression, gave a helpless smile.
Truth be told, he really liked Han Sen— interesting personalities were rare.
"Keep this as a memento." Griffin handed Hansen the nameplate from his locker.
Initially, Griffin had assumed Han Sen was one of LeBron's guys, which was why he had subconsciously placed him near LeBron.
He hadn't expected him to clash with LeBron so much afterward. This nameplate had witnessed it all.
After packing his things, Griffin even helped carry Han Sen's stuff to the arena's entrance.
Han Sen hadn't driven his car into the underground garage this time.
"Thanks," he said as he prepared to leave.
After the locker incident, he had been biased against Griffin.
But from their limited interactions, he realized that Griffin was actually a decent guy.
Before getting into the car, he couldn't resist glancing back.
On the front of the arena was a poster of the Cavaliers' starting five: Williams, Han Sen, LeBron, Jamison, and O'Neal.
The Cavaliers never updated their posters quickly enough.
He pulled out his phone and snapped a picture.
For better or worse, this was the journey of his rookie year.
After leaving the arena, Han drove to Malone's house.
He had even prepared some gifts.
This season, Malone had protected him a lot.
Without Malone, his situation could have been far worse.
But what Hansen hadn't expected was that after a brief chat, Malone told him he was leaving too.
So to keep even the slightest chance of retaining LeBron, were they willing to part ways with even someone as fair and impartial as Malone?
Hansen was just about to speak.
"Don't overthink it, it's not because of you. I just want a better platform," Malone said, always perceptive.
"Where to?"
"New Orleans. They've invited me to be their lead assistant coach."
"Congratulations, then."
During his time with the Cavaliers, Malone had only been the second assistant coach. Becoming the lead assistant meant he was one step closer to being an NBA head coach.
"The Hornets and Grizzlies are both in the Southwest Division, so we'll face each other four times a season," Malone said with a smile.
In other words, even though they wouldn't be on the same team next season, they would still see plenty of each other.
Han Sen stood up and hugged Malone. Away from Cleveland's gloom, they both had bright futures ahead of them.
After leaving Malone's house, Han had planned to visit Jamison, but Jamison had already returned to his home in Shreveport, so they only spoke over the phone.
Once all that was done, Hansen was ready to do what he had planned last: driving from Cleveland to Memphis.
Although the Grizzlies were part of the Western Conference, Memphis was actually a central city, less than 1200 kilometers away by car.
If he drove nonstop, he could be there in a day.
But he wasn't in a rush. He wanted to enjoy the scenery along the way.
It was a symbolic way to say goodbye to the past and embrace the future.
Two days later, after getting plenty of rest, Han woke up early, ready to set off.
However, to his surprise, when he got up, he saw a crowd gathered outside his villa.
He wasn't sure what was happening, so he sent his security guard out to ask. It turned out they were fans there to bid him farewell.
The Cavaliers had officially posted a farewell message for him on their website the day before, and fans had shown up the next day.
He hadn't expected this at all.
But after heading downstairs and seeing the fans' sad faces— and when someone hugged him, crying— he was deeply moved.
In his year here, he had gained quite a few haters, but he had also won over a lot of local Cleveland fans.
For fans who asked for photos or autographs, Han Sen obliged.
He even went back into his house, grabbed some of his old shoes and jerseys, signed them, and handed them out to the fans.
Once he had said goodbye to the fans, Han got into his Rolls-Royce Phantom and left his villa behind.
Before officially setting off, he took a detour to pick up Cunningham.
This guy insisted on being his bodyguard on the trip, and Han Sen had no choice but to agree.
When he arrived, Cunningham was squatting by the roadside. Because of the delay with the fans, he must have been waiting for quite a while.
Instead of honking, Han lowered the window and called out to him.
When Cunningham looked up and saw him, he immediately grinned and ran over.
"Why do you have such a huge bag?" Han asked, puzzled, as Cunningham approached.
"It's a tent. I just bought it. I know a great camping spot," Cunningham said as he stuffed the bag into the back seat.
Han couldn't help but laugh and shake his head—this guy sure thought of everything.
With Cunningham keeping him company on the road, Han wouldn't feel bored.
And when he got tired, Cunningham could take over driving for a while.
They weren't in a hurry, so they took their time, snapping pictures of the scenery and enjoying the journey.
Of course, he didn't post any of the photos online. With so many haters around, he didn't want to stir up any more trouble.
Soon, they reached the camping spot Cunningham had mentioned. It was on a mountain, but it was a managed campsite, so it was very safe.
The weather was clear that day, and by nightfall, they were lying outside their tent, enjoying the cool June breeze and gazing up at the stars.
For Han, who had crossed into this world, this slower pace of life was certainly unique.
And Cunningham had brought plenty of food and drinks, even some bug spray.
This guy really knows how to enjoy life.
"I'm having second thoughts. Is it too late to take you with me to Memphis?" Hansen said with a smile.
"Really, boss?" Cunningham, not expecting this, got excited and sat up immediately.
"I was just joking. Didn't I say before it's better for you to stay here?" Han Sen almost couldn't hold back his laughter when he heard Cunningham call him 'boss' again.
Originally, Han had thought about taking Cunningham with him when he left.
If he had been going to a weaker team, he would have done so, and Ferry would likely have agreed.
But now, he was heading to the Grizzlies, where the competition for the frontcourt was fierce, and there was absolutely no chance Cunningham would start.
So, rather than bringing him along, it was better for Cunningham to stay with the Cavaliers and develop.
With O'Neal leaving, and Ilgauskas likely to follow James out the door, Cunningham would definitely get more playing time.
Even if James didn't leave, Cunningham would still fit in just fine.
Cunningham sat back down, feeling a bit dejected.
"Don't worry, boss. I'll carve out my own place in the league, just like in this starry sky. There will always be a corner that's mine."
Han Sen shook his head.
This guy could really get poetic.
However…
He also looked up again, a look of anticipation on his face.
In this vast starry sky, there would also be a wide space that belonged to him.
---
This is the last chapter of volume 1. New volume next release. Leave a review, let me know your honest thoughts so far!
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