You Can Start Thinking About It Now.

Han Sen looked at the reports in silence for a long time, his mind filled with countless thoughts. 

After the last conflict, he had thought that as long as he and James stayed out of each other's way, he could succeed with the Cavaliers by improving his own abilities. 

But now, it seemed he had been too naive about James and his team. 

Just because it was a pass from James, and a passive one at that, the news reports were written like this. 

Meanwhile, he, the one who actually made the game-winning shot, became a side character hidden in the corner of the news reports. 

If it hadn't been a pass from James, would the news have said that the game-winning shot was successful because James drew up the play? 

Snatching the clipboard wasn't a bad thing; nah it was the key to victory! 

James truly was a reflection of this country, using the power of the media to market himself, ensuring all the spotlight was on him. 

As for those around him, they were merely tools to achieve this goal, feeding off of him like parasites. 

And belatedly, Han Sen realized that after joining the Cavaliers, his avenues for earning [hater points] had been reduced. 

Before the draft, he had found a shortcut by targeting James's diehard fans to earn those points. 

But now that he was with the Cavaliers, that shortcut was no longer viable. 

No matter what, he couldn't publicly criticize James. 

If he actually did that, the "benching" that Ilgauskas mentioned would be the least of his concerns. Attacking a teammate for no reason could lead to him being blacklisted by the entire league. 

He had taken the 3-and-D route to ensure he'd get drafted by an NBA team, but the fact that James took an interest in him had been something he didn't anticipate—a stroke of bad luck, to say the least. 

Han Sen let out a long sigh. 

He vented his emotions internally, but the frustration remained. 

No, he couldn't just sit and wait for things to happen; he had to respond. 

James used the media to control the narrative— did that mean Han Sen had no options? 

Or… why couldn't he do the same? 

Although his current influence couldn't compare to James's, he still had the backing of the Eastern market. 

Moreover, the media attention he sought wasn't to go against James, but to publicize his own achievements and raise his profile. 

Take this game-winning shot, for example. What he wanted was for the media to report that he made the game-winning shot, that he saved the Cavaliers. 

With that thought, Han Sen remembered someone.

He picked up his phone and called Theus, the assistant coach of the Grizzlies. 

From him, Han Sen got the phone number of Jamal Khalil, the ESPN reporter who had interviewed him after the Michigan State game. 

That's right, the same reporter from his post-game interview back then. 

Han Sen arranged a meeting time and place. 

Two days later, the day before the Cavaliers' away game against the Raptors, the two met at a café in Toronto. 

After exchanging pleasantries, Han Sen got straight to the point, knowing Khalil was a no-nonsense type from their previous interview. 

"I want you to be my exclusive reporter, covering my news." 

Khalil was visibly surprised, but he didn't give an immediate answer. He stroked his chin and pondered for a long time. 

As an ESPN reporter, he had, of course, seen the post-game news reports about the Cavaliers and the Magic. 

Anyone who watched the game would find those reports absurd. 

But as a journalist, Khalil wasn't surprised. 

Ever since Nike signed that historic $90 million, seven-year contract with James before he even entered the league, this kind of thing had been inevitable. 

That contract had been widely underestimated. At the same time, Kobe Bryant's contract with Nike was only $9 million per year, and Kobe had already won three championships by then. 

This only meant one thing: Nike saw James as the next "Jordan" to expand their brand's influence. 

As for Han Sen... 

Khalil glanced at him. 

Han Sen remained calm, waiting quietly for his decision. 

Han was indeed an interesting person; Khalil had sensed that during the NCAA interview. 

Later, when he was selected at the edge of the lottery, it had stunned Khalil for an entire year. 

Including his debut, where he completed a 3+1 game-winner. 

And then, of course, there was his big mouth. 

To the average person, that might seem like a flaw, something that would attract negativity. But from a media perspective, it was a natural source of material. 

There was definitely a lot to dig into with Han Sen. 

"I'll agree, but I have one condition," he said, finally speaking up. 

"Go ahead." 

"If any part of your story involves going against LeBron, I won't report on it. I don't want to lose my job," Khalil admitted frankly. 

Han Sen nodded and extended his hand toward him 

The two shook hands, sealing the deal. 

Just as they did, the waiter brought over the coffee they had ordered. 

Indeed, working with people like him was straightforward. 

They drank their coffee and discussed some details of their future cooperation. 

Once they had talked it through and finished their coffee, they prepared to leave. 

"Do you know Brian Windhorst?" Han Sen asked as they stood up. 

Khalil nodded. Of course, he knew him— James's personal agent and a star reporter at ESPN. 

"Have you ever thought that one day you might become a reporter with more influence than him?"

He was taken aback. He hadn't expected Han Sen to ask such a question. 

He shook his head. Unless Windhorst willingly let go of his grip on James, no one could surpass him. 

"Well, now you can start thinking about it," Han Sen smiled confidently. 

"Because one day, I will become a player with more influence than LeBron." 

Khalil was shocked. 

But for some reason, hearing such an outrageous statement from his mouth made him briefly consider the possibility. 

Maybe it was because the mere fact that Han Sen had made it from the second-division league to the NBA in this current environment was already a kind of miracle. 

Of course, once he snapped out of it, he figured it was just one of those bold claims that overly confident rookies make out of ignorance. 

"Well, I'll be looking forward to it," Khalil said with a polite smile. 

Han Sen smiled and said nothing more. Time would provide the answer. 

... 

In the game against the Raptors, the Cavaliers made no changes to their starting lineup, with Varejao still starting at power forward. 

Winning could cover up a lot of things, including lineup changes. 

'I won, so why should I keep making adjustments?'

This was the mentality of many Cavaliers fans and, of course, James as well. 

The result? The Cavaliers lost to the Raptors 91-101. 

James put up 26 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists, but had 4 turnovers. 

Varejao played 24 minutes, missed all five of his shots, and only scored 1 point from free throws, grabbing 4 rebounds and committing 5 fouls. 

The Cavaliers' overall shooting percentage was just 34.9%. 

Han Sen was one of the few bright spots besides James. He played 28 minutes, shot 4-of-8 from three-point range, scoring 14 points along with 3 rebounds and 2 steals. 

On the Raptors' side, Bosh had 21 points and 16 rebounds, while Bargnani scored 28 points with 5 rebounds. 

The offensive issues caused by the Cavaliers' lineup remained, and their defense in the paint was overwhelmed. 

The next day, ESPN reporter Khalil published a news article that sparked widespread discussion. 

The headline read: "Han Sen's Game-Winner Saves the Cavaliers from a Two-Game Losing Streak."