I Shoot Better Than Your Boy!
Rondo closed the door and asked curiously, "Are you watching porn?"
Hansen quickly shook his head. "Who watches that stuff in broad daylight?"
He waved Rondo over.
"The media didn't cover our game, so I checked Facebook, and this is what I found."
Rondo leaned in, curious, and when he saw the offensive comments, his breathing quickened.
"These people are going too far!"
"Tell me about it," Hansen sighed.
"I know you're doing all this to boost the team's morale. Don't worry, tomorrow, I'll give it my all to create opportunities for you. We'll show them what we're made of!"
"Thanks, man. Why don't you join me? I'll take you out clubbing tonight." Hansen expressed his gratitude.
Previously, "Hansen" hadn't really socialized much with his teammates. Now, he aimed to strengthen those relationships, something that wasn't difficult for someone like him, who had lived in the U.S. in his past life.
---
On the night of the season opener, the 6,000-seat Northridge Arena was nearly packed.
As Barry University's players entered, they were visibly excited to see such a large crowd for the first time at their home court.
However, their excitement soon turned to mixed feelings.
Aside from Barry students, a large number of outside fans had shown up, many holding Curry-themed posters.
It was clear that most of the crowd had come to see Curry.
Hansen even spotted quite a few Chinese fans.
Miami is home to Florida's largest Chinese community, and they, too, were here to support Curry, albeit in a unique way.
He noticed one of their posters, which read, "Hansen, you're a b*tch," in both Chinese and English.
This instantly reminded Hansen of that news story from his past life about the Auntie Lu who, despite knowing Chinese, would still curse in broken English at fellow countrymen.
He gave them a polite middle finger.
The group enthusiastically returned the gesture in English.
See? His Hater Points were going up already.
After a brief warm-up, the starting lineup was announced, and both teams were introduced.
Davidson College: Stephen Curry, Max Gosselin, Bryant Barr, Andrew Lovedale, and Steve Rossiter.
Barry University: Chris Rondo, Han Sen, Will Atkinson, Dan Schiam, and Aaron O'Neal.
Although there was a significant gap in height and physique between the two teams, Barry University at least had Rondo and O'Neal, giving them a "name advantage."
The game kicked off quickly, with Rossiter easily winning the tip-off for Davidson.
Curry dribbled up the court, and the crowd erupted in cheers.
Barry University was getting the same treatment as the LA Clippers.
But Curry didn't go for the shot. Instead, he organized the play.
Davidson's off-ball screens created a quick opportunity. Although Barr missed his shot, Rossiter grabbed the offensive rebound and scored on a second-chance putback.
The gap in strength between the two teams was apparent from the very first play.
"You're finished. I'll lock you down tonight," Gosselin taunted Han as they matched up.
Theus had called it. Davidson's players weren't going to stand idly by while Curry was insulted.
Han moved without the ball, but Gosselin stuck to him tightly, allowing no space.
The two were similar in size, making it hard for him to break free.
However, O'Neal moved up for a high pick, and Han used the screen to slip out to the three-point line. Rondo then threw the ball to him. His pass wan on-point.
The late-night clubbing from the night before had worked- his teammates were solidly behind him.
Han caught the pass, bent his knees, jumped, and snapped his wrist.
The ball spun perfectly through the air, tracing a flawless arc...
Swish!
The shot was smooth as silk, and the crowd was momentarily stunned.
Especially Barry's own students. While "Han Sen" hadn't played any official games for the school yet, he had played pickup and practice games.
"Han Sen" had always had some three-point range, but never as clean as this.
It wasn't their imagination. Hansen had spent all summer refining his shot, adjusting his form to make it more "textbook".
Curry continued orchestrating the offense, and Lovedale scored an easy floater in the paint.
Barry's size disadvantage made it tough to challenge Davidson defensively.
Han kept moving off-ball, and O'Neal came up for another screen. This time, Gosselin anticipated it and disrupted the play, leaving Han with no room to shoot after the pass.
"You won't make another basket tonight!" Gosselin barked like a goblin.
Han signaled for an isolation, then started dribbling.
He made a hard right-side drive, then quickly stepped back, retreating to the three-point line.
Gosselin was a step behind.
Swish!
Han Sen's three-pointer pierced the net again!
Theus couldn't help but pump his fist in excitement.
"All my hard work over the summer has led to this moment," he thought to himself.
He hadn't lied to Theus.
"You know, your defense isn't even as tight as the girl I hooked up with last night," Han taunted Gosselin with a look of pity.
Trash talk?
He had heard far worse than anything Gosselin could come up with.
The crowd began to cheer for Barry University.
They didn't know why, but they could clearly feel that Han Sen was different tonight.
Curry finally attempted a shot. Working with Gosselin, he launched a three-pointer from a meter beyond the college arc- NBA range. Clearly, he was already preparing for the next level.
But, unfortunately, his shot didn't fall.
O'Neal finally lived up to his namesake, boxing out Rossiter and securing the defensive rebound.
Barry University pushed the ball on the fast break, and Hansen sprinted ahead to the three-point line. He took a pass, dribbled upcourt, and, seeing Gosselin chasing him, abruptly stopped and pulled up for a three-pointer.
The ball, following the momentum, flew toward the backboard.
Bang!
It hit the board.
Missed?
Nah.
The ball bounced off the backboard and straight into the hoop!
4-9!
Davidson called an immediate timeout!
Despite the clear talent gap, Barry University had taken an early lead, thanks to Han Sen!
The crowd roared in approval, this time not for Davidson!
As Han Sen left the court, he raised both hands, encouraging the crowd to cheer even louder.
Was he getting carried away?
After all, with the bold comments he made before the game, the worse he played tonight, the more people would trash him.
But he wasn't.
Han Sen understood the psychology of haters perfectly.
If he played poorly tonight, he would only generate a small amount of Hater Points.
Once the haters had trashed him, they'd move on and forget about him.
As always, it takes skill to get hated. Who would waste their breath on a scrub?
That's why tonight, he not only couldn't afford to play badly- he had to play his very best.
Only by doing so would he make the haters feel like they'd been slapped in the face, and in response, they would go even crazier with their hate.