Basketball System: Hate Makes Me Unstoppable

After redeeming the [Magician] talent, Han Sen immediately initiated a new session of his summer training camp.

Familiar faces like Curry, Harden, Irving, and Westbrook all returned.

For them, it wasn't just about where they trained but about training alongside Han Sen.

Oddly enough, the truth was that they got more opportunities to compete and improve their skills at the camp than during an entire season.

Especially when they played against Han Sen, they always benefited significantly.

Irving was the first to arrive, and he was brimming with excitement.

The moment he saw Han Sen, he ran up like a kid, enthusiastically high-fived him, and bumped shoulders.

"I finally understand what you meant when you said that last year!"

Irving was ecstatic, but Han Sen looked puzzled. He had said so many things that he couldn't remember what he told Irving.

"You said, 'Keep working on improving yourself, and one day, things might change.'" Irving reminded him.

Han Sen paused for a moment, then broke into a smile.

He had just said it casually to encourage Irving when he was feeling down, but fate had given it a completely different meaning.

Yet, in hindsight, it wasn't wrong—because the Cavaliers' fortunes were indeed about to change.

This year's training camp wasn't just filled with familiar faces; there were plenty of newcomers as well.

Klay Thompson, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Andrew Wiggins, Zach LaVine, Aaron Gordon, Kristaps Porziņģis, Emmanuel Mudiay, Devin Booker—all joined the camp.

Most of them were rookies or sophomores, with even a few NCAA players included.

Even Ding Yanyuhang and Zou Yuchen, who had participated in the "Foundation Project," made their way there. (TL/n: For details about the project, check chapter 231.)

Han Sen's training camp was gaining recognition, and inviting these newcomers was also part of UA's expansion strategy.

Previously, UA had pursued Irving and Harden but met resistance:

Irving was seen by Nike as their next-generation brand icon. Harden's demands were enormous.

So, UA shifted its focus to betting on rising stars. Of course, this strategy had Han Sen's approval.

Passing isn't just about the passer; it's also about the receivers.

With elite teammates, even a slightly off pass could be salvaged.

But with rookies, the passer had to be more precise and time everything perfectly.

Halfway through the training camp, UA executives approached Han Sen to discuss their betting strategy.

They intended to place a major bet on Andrew Wiggins.

Wiggins was the key trade piece for Han Sen's move to the Cavaliers and had a natural connection to him.

In Memphis, Wiggins replaced Han Sen's position—not his level of play, just his role.

If he could even make an All-Star appearance, UA's third star would be secured.

Han Sen hadn't paid much attention initially, but the mention of Wiggins in relation to a shoe endorsement brought back some memories.

Wiggins was a good player, but not a good brand ambassador.

He had a history of signing with Adidas but wearing Nike, or endorsing Anta while sporting Adidas.

Han Sen offered UA two alternative recommendations: Klay Thompson and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Thompson's four-year rookie contract with Nike would expire next summer. Giannis had a meager $10,000-per-year deal from Nike for his first four years.

Both were not only future stars but also reliable endorsers.

Especially Thompson, who was the epitome of a dedicated brand ambassador.

If UA could secure even one of these two, it would significantly expand their market reach.

By late August, the training camp concluded after a month of intense work.

The effects of the [Magician] talent were evident, especially in Han Sen's fingertip control. He could now execute passes with a theatrical flair.

During this period, Han Sen also inexplicably gained hundreds of thousands of [hater points].

He hadn't made any provocative statements, done anything controversial in public, or been the subject of much criticism on social media.

This left him baffled.

It wasn't until the camp ended, and he and Curry embarked on the UA China Tour, that things became clear.

At a fan event, someone brought up questions about the movie Wolf Warrior.

It turned out that back in late July, the movie was scheduled for release on April 2 of the following year, and its first teaser trailer had dropped.

The director had spent seven years working on this project and had high hopes for it.

To maximize promotion, the teaser included a clip of Han Sen.

The result? Instant controversy.

An extreme patriotic movie featured a Chinese basketball star who had never represented the national team.

If that wasn't worth criticizing, what was?

And that was just the trailer. Once the movie hit theaters, Han Sen was sure to face another wave of intense criticism.

Initially, Han Sen saw the movie as a way to capitalize on its controversy for some extra [hater points].

But now? He had hit the jackpot.

The China Tour's Chengdu leg was carefully planned, including a visit to the panda base.

Although the schedule was tight, even Anjali joined the trip.

UA learned from past mistakes and kept the itinerary private this time.

However, upon arriving at the panda base, everyone was stunned—even Han Sen.

The outdoor activity area wasn't home to one, two, or three pandas—it wasn't even just seven!

It felt like pandas were everywhere.

The Memphis Zoo had risen to the top of national rankings with just two pandas, but here, pandas seemed almost common.

Anjali couldn't put her camera down.

With the staff's arrangement, they even witnessed a feeding session.

Watching pandas munching on bamboo was somehow more satisfying than eating their own meals. Seeing it live? They could watch all day.

Later, they were allowed to take photos with the pandas under the staff's guidance.

This wasn't part of the original plan, but it thrilled everyone.

The trip was worth it.

After the panda base, they participated in fan activities before heading to Jiuzhaigou.

Han Sen had two unfulfilled wishes in his previous life:

Seeing pandas in Chengdu. Visiting Jiuzhaigou for its breathtaking waters.

In his last life, caught in the rat race, he never found the time.

Now, he checked both off his list.

There's a saying: "Once you've been to Jiuzhaigou, no other water will impress you."

It perfectly captured the beauty of Jiuzhaigou.

Han Sen had braced himself for awe, but standing before Five Flower Lake, he was still struck speechless.

The vivid blue, indigo, and green hues of the water, combined with calcified materials, algae, and submerged trees, created a surreal scene.

It wasn't something filters or editing could replicate.

Curry was so excited he let out a high-pitched squeal like a kid.

The U.S. had its fair share of stunning landscapes, but they paled in comparison to this.

In that moment, Han Sen made a decision.

After retirement, the first thing he'd do was travel across this vast and beautiful homeland he never got to see in his past life.

...

On the flight back to the U.S. from their China tour, Han Sen and Curry sat side by side.

This time, rather than feeling drained, the trip had left them exhilarated.

They ended up talking about the upcoming season.

Curry hadn't been aware of Nike's supposed grand plan before, but after listening to Han's analysis, he realized the mission he carried on his shoulders.

"I'll beat every one of them." Surprisingly, Curry was extremely confident, leaving Han Sen—who had planned to give him some motivational words—at a loss.

"In our country, there's a book called Romance of the Three Kingdoms. There's a phrase in it that goes, 'Zhou Yu's clever scheme to stabilize the realm lost both the bride and the army.'"

"What does that mean?"

"No matter how well you plan, when you meet a stronger opponent, you'll end up losing everything."

"I'll make sure to read it." Curry seemed genuinely interested in picking up some reading.

When Han Sen returned to Cleveland, the Cavaliers' new season training camp was just around the corner.

On the first day of training camp, the entire Cavaliers roster showed up, and Han Sen even spotted the team's lead assistant coach.

One look was all it took to confirm—it was Coach Lue.

Malone was a solid head coach in terms of tactics, but his motivational skills left something to be desired. It was clear the coaching staff had brought in Tyronn Lue to fill that gap.

Before the training camp even began, Lue was already flexing his motivational chops with a stirring speech.

To summarize, he spoke about what a great opportunity they had and how meaningful it would be to bring a championship to a city that had never tasted success in the four major sports leagues.

Han Sen had been in the NBA for five years and heard his fair share of pep talks.

But even he couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement after listening to Lue's speech.

It had to be said—Lue had surpassed his mentor, Doc Rivers, in this regard.

And before training began, when Lue was chatting with Han Sen, he dropped a line that stuck in Han Sen's memory.

"You know, I'm actually half Chinese myself."

Han Sen was puzzled at first—Lue's mixed-race features clearly indicated a black heritage.

But what Lue said next made him laugh.

"Because my last name is Lue."

For reference, the Cavaliers had signed Lue for a four-year, $6.5 million deal, the highest assistant coach salary in NBA history and nearly as much as head coach Malone's.

But at that moment, it seemed worth every penny. Lue's social skills were proving to be an excellent bonding agent for a team with many newcomers.

The first day's training was relatively light, focusing on off-ball drills, defense, and shooting.

It was more about getting players reacquainted with the rhythm after the offseason.

After practice, Han Sen rounded everyone up for some American-style one-on-one games.

Basketball might be a complex sport, but in some ways, it's straightforward.

When joining a new team, earning respect doesn't come from flaunting credentials like "I've been in the league for 20 years" or "I'm the all-time leading scorer."

Most players in the NBA will think: What does that have to do with me?

What they care about is simple: if you're better than them, they'll listen to you.

That's the law of the competitive jungle.

And proving you're the best is even simpler—just dominate everyone in one-on-one games.

It was one of the reasons LeBron James struggled to command Kyrie Irving's respect back in the day.

Not only did he avoid one-on-one matchups, but he'd also deflect with phrases like, "Basketball isn't a one-on-one sport." Of course people wouldn't buy into that.

The one-on-one games went smoothly. Han Sen's skill level was so high that he could dominate most players without breaking a sweat.

But when it was J.R. Smith's turn, a little drama unfolded.

Starting with the ball, J.R. was on fire, sinking a three-pointer right off the bat.

He followed that up with a mid-range turnaround jumper despite Han Sen's defense.

Then, stepping back from another drive, he drained a three-pointer, making it eight straight points under Han Sen's defense.

After nailing his second three-pointer, J.R. got hyped and started yelling, "Who can stop me?!"

His teammates looked on, amused—J.R.'s confidence was almost too much.

But his show didn't last long.

Once Han Sen got serious, he answered with a resounding 15-0 run to end the game.

He began by blocking J.R.'s shot straight-up, then bulldozed past him for a vicious dunk.

From there, Han Sen unleashed his full repertoire: drives, footwork, post moves, fadeaways, and three-pointers.

And he didn't stop with his game—he also unleashed a barrage of trash talk with every move.

His teammates couldn't get enough. The gym filled with whistles and cheers, the energy reaching a fever pitch.

For a team with many rookies and average talent, confidence had been sorely lacking.

But Han Sen's championship declarations, combined with his dominant performance, made it impossible not to believe in the dream.

After the games, as players started heading back to the locker room, Mo Williams stopped Han Sen.

"They asked me to come back, saying they wanted to prove something. Honestly, I didn't care. I only came back because they offered me the best deal."

Williams had been a Cavaliers staple, but on that old team, his bond with LeBron was stronger than with Han Sen.

After all, Williams had been a no-name in Milwaukee before joining LeBron and making an All-Star appearance.

"But now, I'm glad I made this choice. Compared to LeBron, you have a better chance of leading us to achieve the impossible."

Han Sen nodded and extended a fist. Williams bumped it in return.

Han Sen hadn't interacted much with Williams in the past, but it was clear Williams was pragmatic.

And dealing with pragmatic people was always straightforward.

Back in the locker room, Han Sen sat at his spot, taking in the scene around him.

Kyrie was deep in discussion with Williams about ball-handling techniques, both fully engrossed.

Spencer Hawes was sketching a haircut design for Andrea Bargnani, who was laughing uncontrollably at the clumsy drawing.

P.J. Tucker was showing off a pair of limited-edition sneakers, bragging that he had brought an entire box of them to Cleveland.

Tristan Thompson was fiddling with a camera while Sergey Karasev leaned in curiously to watch.

It was a typical locker room scene, but to Han Sen, it exuded a kind of vitality he hadn't felt in a long time.

-End of Chapter-