LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 259: The Magician.
Before Han Sen's time travel, the Lakers hiring J.J. Redick as their head coach was seen as a bold move. However, the Warriors had already set the precedent with a similar gamble.
Steve Kerr, the Warriors' new hire, came with a decorated resume as a player—three rings with Michael Jordan's Bulls and two more with the Spurs. Post-retirement, he became a successful TNT analyst and even spent three years as the Suns' GM. Yet, Kerr had zero coaching experience.
Interestingly, his contract size revealed the Warriors' belief in him, especially compared to Mike Malone's deal. This breed of coaches isn't about intricate tactics but rather grand strategic philosophies.
Such coaches are typically paired with strong assistant coaches, and the Warriors brought in Alvin Gentry as Kerr's lead assistant. Gentry, though less famous, boasted a rich coaching history, starting as an assistant with Gregg Popovich in 1989. His standout achievement was leading the aging 2009–10 Suns to the Western Conference Finals.
Veteran fans might recall Gentry's high praise for Han Sen during his Suns tryout. He even defended Han publicly when his minutes were limited during his early Cavaliers days. Gentry's coaching evolved over time, eventually embracing the fast-paced "Seven Seconds or Less" offense under Mike D'Antoni.
If Kerr's hire was puzzling, Gentry's addition signaled the Warriors' intention to go all-in on offense.
Han Sen was one of the few who took special interest in this news. Historically, similar coaching experiments often failed—names like Jason Kidd, Steve Nash, and Chauncey Billups came to mind. These legendary floor generals, supposedly tactical masterminds, often struggled as coaches.
The Warriors, though, were an exception—a unique product of Stephen Curry's brilliance colliding with shifting league rules.
Rondo, listening to Han's analysis, seemed puzzled. Few expected Kerr's hire to matter much. Even within the Warriors, grumblings arose as anonymous players voiced their support for Mark Jackson.
Nike didn't see the Warriors as a threat either. But when the season tipped off, the Warriors would soon redefine "surprise."
As Han and Rondo discussed, Cavaliers GM David Griffin arrived for a visit. He had pressing matters to address, particularly the upcoming press conference.
Han's return, combined with the Cavaliers' trades and signings, promised a lively event. Griffin also updated Han on Nikola Jokić's situation.
Since drafting Jokić, the Cavaliers had been closely monitoring the Serbian prospect, even sending scouts to evaluate him. The findings were troubling: Jokić was overweight—practically a "walking gas cylinder"—and his skills were still raw.
Despite his flaws, Jokić's physical tools (6'11" height, 7'3" wingspan) and passing ability evoked comparisons to Arvydas Sabonis. Still, Griffin admitted the Cavaliers would never have used a first-round pick on him if not for Han's insistence.
The current plan was to keep Jokić in Serbia for another year, focusing on weight management and skill development. Bringing him stateside prematurely could jeopardize both his growth and the team's championship aspirations.
Han suggested signing Jokić and training him in Cleveland, but Griffin cautioned against it. A contending team couldn't afford a roster spot for someone so unready. Injuries were inevitable, and a struggling Jokić might be cut or traded prematurely—a scenario reminiscent of Darko Miličić's mishandled NBA entry.
Reluctantly, Han deferred to Griffin's judgment. He knew history wouldn't change overnight, and rushing Jokić could backfire.
Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, the Lakers held a press conference for LeBron James and their other new additions. Alongside James stood Channing Frye, Anderson Varejão, Carlos Boozer, and Wayne Ellington. Unsurprisingly, LeBron stole the spotlight.
"I've always been a fan of Kobe. He's one of the greatest players of this era. Teaming up with him is incredibly exciting," James told reporters.
He continued, "We've already discussed the upcoming season in detail—even down to tactics. We're both eager to get started."
When asked about leadership dynamics, LeBron smiled. "That's not an issue. We'll each play to our strengths and focus on winning."
NBC's reporter couldn't resist stirring the pot: "What's your take on Han's social media post saying 23 + 24 < 77?"
Feigning ignorance, LeBron dodged initially. But after the reporter explained, he responded thoughtfully, "Han might not yet understand the importance of a great team. The Grizzlies had four or even five All-Star-caliber players—that was the key to their success. In Cleveland, he won't have that luxury. He'll learn how hard it is to win there."
Two days later, the Cavaliers' press conference at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse eclipsed the Lakers' event. The return of Han Sen brought a media frenzy and throngs of fans outside the arena.
Since his Cleveland return, Han had kept a low profile, focusing on training. Fans hadn't seen him yet, making this event even more anticipated.
The Cavaliers had also quietly added veterans Shawn Marion and Joel Anthony, packing the stage with new faces. But once the press conference began, there was no question who the real star was—Han Sen.
...
"What does it feel like to return to the Cavaliers?"
The first question came from a reporter from the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Before answering, Han Sen glanced at Mo Williams and Delonte West sitting next to him, as well as Karl Malone by his side, and then smiled.
"It feels like I never left."
This line truly reflected Han Sen's feelings about returning to Cleveland, drawing a round of applause from the audience.
Today, besides reporters from major sports media outlets, there were also many local journalists in attendance.
"What's the Cavaliers' goal for the new season?" a reporter from Yahoo asked.
"Championship."
Although Han's personality was well-known by now, the familiar response still caused a stir in the room.
It wasn't just the crowd. Even those onstage couldn't help but turn to Han.
J.R. Smith, in particular, had a look on his face that seemed to say: Are we really going this bold?
This Cavaliers roster didn't exactly scream "championship contender." Even making it to the Conference Finals would already be considered a huge success.
But for Han, saying anything less would be unacceptable—especially when the opportunity to rack up hater points presented itself so perfectly.
After all, if they didn't win the championship in the end… wouldn't that just bring in even more hater points? Han didn't care about tags like "words with consequences." He wasn't Jordan, after all, pretending to be some kind of deity.
"LeBron said your success hinges on having an exceptional team. He believes you'll realize how hard it is to lead a team to victory with the Cavaliers. What's your take on his comments?" a TNT reporter followed up.
In a way, LeBron's words reflected the hard-earned wisdom of someone who had been through it all.
"I think he's never understood one thing: only when you're strong enough can the people around you become exceptional. When that happens, the team naturally follows suit. If you're not strong enough and still want to succeed, the only option is to chase after an exceptional team."
Before joining the Bulls, Dennis Rodman was nearly discarded by the league. Before Pau Gasol went to the Lakers, he was a perennial playoff underachiever, swept three consecutive years.
LeBron's Cavaliers and Heat teams were championship favorites before the season even started, yet he still ended up with nobody wanting to team up with him.
Han's reply was blunt and unapologetic.
"You posted '23 + 24 < 77' on social media. Are you saying the LeBron and Kobe pairing is inferior to you alone?" asked an ESPN reporter.
Hearing this, Han broke into a laugh.
Since he made that post, his hater points had already surged to 1.4 million, though he still needed a bit more to unlock his desired talent.
And now, without even trying, someone had handed him an assist.
"I've beaten Kobe and LeBron—twice each in sweeps. Do losers huddling together suddenly become winners? I don't think so."
His response caused an uproar in the room.
Han's tone made it clear he didn't take the Kobe-LeBron duo seriously, which was outright disrespectful.
The upcoming Cavaliers-Lakers matchup wasn't just going to be a highly anticipated game—it was bound to explode.
Especially with Kobe's personality, he would definitely be gunning to tear Han apart.
After the press conference, Han didn't immediately leave the arena.
When he saw the large crowd of fans gathered outside, he asked Griffin to make arrangements and set up an autograph and photo session on the first floor.
For over two hours, he signed for everyone until they all left satisfied. Only then did Han and Chris Rondo leave the arena.
Getting into the car, Han couldn't help but shake his hand to relieve the soreness.
"You didn't have to sign for everyone. There were reporters present; picking a few for show would've been enough," Chris suggested.
"Chris, if I didn't want to be here, even if the Grizzlies traded me, I could've refused to report."
This scenario, though outside the official rules, had happened more than once.
Steve Francis refused to go to the Grizzlies. Derek Fisher refused to play for the Rockets. Andre Iguodala didn't want to play for Memphis either.
Rules are rules, but a player's willingness can significantly influence trades.
After all, if you're a GM and you know the player you're trading for won't play for you, would you still go through with it?
Though this kind of move is extreme and might hurt a player's public image, as Han pointed out, if he truly didn't want to return, he could have chosen otherwise.
The implication of his words was clear—he stayed for Cleveland's fans.
Just like his "I'm back" social media post, it was directed at Cleveland.
Even after building a dynasty in Memphis, only Cleveland's fans gave him a sense of home.
After leaving the arena, they didn't head straight back to their place. Instead, they went house hunting.
Cleveland's real estate prices weren't high, and Han's requirements were simple: the location had to be close to the arena, and the surrounding environment needed to be safe and pleasant.
As for the house's design? He didn't care—he planned to tear it down and rebuild anyway.
Han wasn't like many black players with a large entourage of relatives to support, nor did he have illegitimate children. He wasn't particularly interested in investments either. For him, money in the bank was just numbers.
As a professional athlete with a controlled diet, the only areas he indulged in were housing and cars.
When he used to see Shaquille O'Neal renting lavish mansions, he was envious. This time, Han decided to design his own dream home.
By late July, after another half-month, Han's hater points had reached the 1.9 million he needed.
That's when he unlocked the talent [Magician].
Compared to improving his three-point shooting, he prioritized enhancing his passing skills.
[Magician]: Significantly boosts passing vision, fingertip control, body balance during passes, and overall passing accuracy and stability.
When it comes to the NBA's all-time best at each position, the least controversial pick is Magic Johnson.
His 6'9" (2.06m) height as a point guard gave him unparalleled passing vision compared to other guards.
Not to mention his innate passing talent—his passes weren't just imaginative but incredibly precise.
It was no surprise the system named the talent after him.
At 6'7" (2.01m) in shoes, Han's compatibility with this talent was also extremely high.
-End of Chapter-
Translator's notes: Han is 6'6'' (1.98m) barefoot. The previously mentioned height of Han being 6'8'' (2.03m) is not wrong. Shoes can easily add one or two inches. However, I assumed he was still growing which is definitely wrong.
Also, kinda late to ask this but which unit do you guys prefer for height, or do I just include both?