Stepping Up.

In the Summer League, each team plays four regular games, and based on wins and point differentials, the top eight teams advance to the playoffs while the rest are eliminated. The Cavaliers ended with a 2-2 record and secured the eighth seed due to their low point differential.

Their next match, two days later, was against the first-seed team, their old rivals, the Grizzlies.

The packed schedule took a toll on the players physically, so Coach Malone gave the team a day off.

Han Sen and Cunningham decided to visit a nearby bar.

Although Cunningham was a bit undersized for a big man, his shooting range and his pick-and-roll plays with Han Sen were very effective.

Having played four years of college ball before entering the drafte, he had a mature personality, and the two got along well.

"Coach Malone is so strict," Cunningham complained.

Despite his excellent Summer League performance, averaging 18 points per game, he struggled with fouls, averaging 5.5 per game. But the Summer League allows 10 fouls for a reason: to help rookies adjust to the intensity of NBA play.

Not everyone could adapt as smoothly as Han Sen.

Every time Cunningham fouled, Malone would shout at him from the sidelines.

"He's really big on defense," Han Sen observed. Like Coach Brown, Malone had a defensive coaching mindset.

Cunningham shook his head with a wry smile.

At that moment, a woman approached Han Sen with a smile. She was a Black woman with a voluptuous figure.

Han Sen noticed her and thought that James Harden would probably be very interested, but she wasn't his type. He preferred local girls, though mixed-race were also acceptable.

The woman tried to strike up a conversation a few times, but Han Sen ignored her, which eventually led her to leave in frustration.

"We need to go," Cunningham suddenly stood up after a while.

Han Sen, confused, followed Cunningham's gaze and noticed the woman returning with a group of Black men heading their way.

It seemed like they were in trouble.

Even though they were taller and stronger, the group approaching them outnumbered them.

When they tried to leave, the group blocked their path.

And just as they crossed paths, something unfortunate happened.

"Robert, that's the guy! Number 77! The LeBron hater!"

Oh crap!

Han Sen suddenly felt uneasy.

With so many LeBron fans around, it wasn't unusual to run into a few in person.

His unease was quickly confirmed when one of the men drew a knife from his waistband.

This wasn't just a normal fan—this was a LeBron fanatic!

The people around them scattered, screaming.

In that instant, Han Sen thought of many things, most notably Paul Pierce. Pierce famously survived being stabbed 11 times in a nightclub and made a legendary comeback in the NBA.

It was a story of toughness, but no one would willingly want to be the subject of such a story.

This wasn't a movie, and Han Sen knew he might not be as lucky as Pierce.

Quickly, he grabbed a chair.

But just then, Cunningham stepped in front of him.

His stance was strange—he stared intently at the group, while his right hand made a motion like he was lifting his jacket and reaching behind his back.

Seeing this, the men paused and took a step back.

"Who wants a bullet in their head tonight?" Cunningham said, full of threat.

"Robert, that guy doesn't even have a gun!" one of the men yelled.

Robert shot a glare at the man.

This was America— how could you be so sure?

Cunningham stepped forward, keeping the same motion, and the group backed off another step.

"Let's go," Cunningham said without turning back.

Han Sen followed him out of the bar, and once they were safely outside and the men hadn't followed, he let out a deep breath.

"You're smart," Han Sen said.

If it wasn't for Cunningham, he wasn't sure how they would have gotten out of that situation.

"We're used to this sort of thing," Cunningham said, referring to Black Americans growing up in rough neighborhoods.

It was a harsh reality. Many NBA players' biographies revealed that a significant portion of them grew up in dangerous, chaotic environments.

"Do you really have a gun?" he couldn't help but ask.

Cunningham smiled and told him to feel his lower back.

When Han Sen touched it, he felt something cold and solid—it was a gun.

"This is America," Cunningham said.

After they returned from the bar, he was still shaken.

Though he had lived in the U.S. before, most of his life had been spent on college campuses.

Now, stepping into society, personal safety became a real concern.

Especially since he was actively cultivating an anti-fan base, increasing the chance of real-life confrontations.

Giving up his strategy of gaining [hater points] was out of the question, but carrying a gun like Cunningham wasn't realistic either. He didn't grow up in those conditions, and the risk of accidental discharge was too high.

For now, the best course of action was to avoid crowded places or, if necessary, hire bodyguards.

Two days later, the Cavaliers faced off against the Grizzlies in the elimination round.

The Cavaliers fought harder than they had in their previous match, but the talent gap was too big, and the Grizzlies steadily pulled ahead.

As the score widened, the Cavaliers' defense began to crumble.

In truth, this Cavaliers team was weak. The only reason they had won any games was because Han Sen and Cunningham had held the defense together, one on the perimeter and one inside.

But that system wasn't effective against the Grizzlies.

"Are you just going to let him score like that? Why didn't you foul him? Are you daydreaming out there?!" Malone shouted at Cunningham during a timeout after he allowed Haddadi to score.

Cunningham hung his head, saying nothing.

Han Sen, listening on the side, frowned.

This had become a regular occurrence since the Summer League began. Previously, he thought Malone was just pushing them hard on defense, trying to help them improve. But after the incident at the bar, he felt like Cunningham was being unfairly treated.

Cunningham, standing at only 2 meters tall, was up against the 2.18-meter-tall Haddadi. Before, he was scolded for fouling, and now for not fouling— Malone was being unreasonable.

"Coach, Dante is doing his best," Han Sen spoke up. Compared to what Cunningham did for him at the bar, speaking up here was nothing.

The other players were shocked.

Han Sen was the Cavaliers' best Summer League player, playing smart and rarely getting yelled at by Malone. In fact, Malone clearly liked and valued him for his defensive abilities.

But now, he was openly challenging him.

"He can't stop him in that position, and he's managing his fouls…" Han Sen continued.

"Shut up!" Malone was furious. A coach's authority could not be questioned.

But Han Sen didn't shut up. He stared directly at Malone and said, "If he was LeBron James, would you be acting like this?"

Malone froze.

The players were stunned.

Even Cunningham looked at him in disbelief.

Han Sen— was he always this bold?