Counterattack.

UA (Under Armour) isn't considered a big brand, and since their owner comes from the NFL, most of their partnerships have been with the NFL league.

In basketball shoes, they are virtually unknown.

However, the offer they made to Han Sen was for 4 years and 8 million dollars, which was higher than the offers from Nike, Adidas, and others.

They also promised to make him the core spokesperson for their basketball shoes.

Though they haven't signed any other players, what matters is their commitment.

So, when Thomas found out that Han wanted to sign with UA, he strongly advised against it over the phone.

Even if he didn't sign with Nike, he could go with Adidas, Jordan, or even Reebok.

Signing with a small brand for shoes would negatively affect a player's overall promotion.

It could even hurt his chances in awards selections.

But as before, Thomas couldn't convince him otherwise.

Because Han Sen was a time traveler.

Putting aside his own plans, he knew UA was a brand set to soar in the future.

And it wouldn't be entirely due to Curry, because by 2014, UA's sales had already surpassed Adidas to become the second-largest sports brand after Nike.

In 2014, while Curry was an emerging star, he hadn't yet reached top-tier superstar status.

UA as a brand had a lot of potential for growth.

Thomas worked out the contract details, and after the Cavaliers' Western Conference road trip, Han Sen would head to UA's headquarters in Baltimore for a visit and to officially sign the contract.

The day after playing against the Thunder, the Cavaliers flew to Phoenix for a game against the Suns.

The Suns have been the most surprising team in the league this season. Last season, they didn't make the playoffs, but as of now, they lead the league with a 6-1 record.

The biggest change to their roster compared to last season was losing Shaquille O'Neal.

And Nash was already 35 years old, with the once-formidable "run-and-gun" squad having lost key players like Diaw, Marion, and Raja Bell.

Like the Pistons in the East, they seemed like a team in decline.

Their biggest transformation came from their head coach, Alvin Gentry. He retained the team's run-and-gun system, incorporating fast wing play, corner spacing, V-cuts for perimeter shots, and long-range shooting, but also injected a defensive identity, making this Suns team strong on both offense and defense.

It looked like a precursor to the future Warriors team.

In this game, Han Sen lost his starting position, and his playing time was reduced to 18 minutes.

Just as he expected, not accepting LeBron James' goodwill meant standing in opposition to him. There was no middle ground.

Nash relentlessly targeted O'Neal in this game, and under his system, the Suns displayed smooth teamwork.

The Cavaliers ultimately lost the game 105-111.

In the post-game press conference, Suns head coach Gentry spoke about the key to the game.

"I don't know why they didn't use Han more. He played incredible against OKC, holding KD in check while scoring 20 points. That was unbelievable."

It's rare for a rival coach to actively mention a rookie and call him a key to the game.

However, considering that Gentry liked Han Sen during the Suns' pre-draft workouts and repeatedly recommended him to Steve Kerr during the draft, this made sense.

He must have regretted not being able to coach Han Sen.

But Gentry wasn't the only one confused— besides a few inside the Cavaliers' organization, no one knew the real reason.

After the Suns game, the Cavaliers quickly traveled to Utah for a game against the Jazz.

This game was almost a repeat of the Suns game, with the Jazz dismantling O'Neal's defense using pick-and-roll plays.

The difference this time was that Brown benched O'Neal in the second half, but Boozer, a former Cavalier, wreaked havoc in the paint.

In the end, with Deron Williams scoring 25 points and 10 assists and Boozer adding 28 points and 12 rebounds, the Jazz defeated the Cavaliers 107-103.

Han Sen still wasn't in the starting lineup and played only 19 minutes.

After two consecutive losses, the Cavaliers returned to Cleveland with a 5-4 record.

Around this time, ESPN's Khalil published an article titled "On Mike Brown's Player Management," which sparked widespread debate.

Han Sen, having anticipated his reduced playing time, wasn't going to sit idle.

Though he couldn't directly attack LeBron, he did as he had before— targeting those around him, this time choosing Brown.

"I don't know what happened. I'm healthy, and my stamina is great."

The article began with an interview between Khalil and Han Sen after the Cavaliers' game against the Jazz.

Using this quote, Khalil expanded on his headline, discussing Brown's player management issues.

From Brown's stubborn insistence on using Varejao as a starter at the beginning of the season, nearly resulting in two losses, only for Han Sen's game-winning three-pointer to save them, to him delivering a stellar performance against the Thunder, only to mysteriously be benched and have his playing time slashed, leading to two straight losses.

He also mentioned former Cavalier Sasha Pavlovic, who was the team's best 3-and-D player and a key regular-season rotation member but averaged only 8 minutes per game in the previous season's playoffs.

"Mike Brown's player management has no principles. It's all based on his mood. If he continues this way, the Cavaliers could repeat their past failures."

Though the article didn't directly blame Brown, the tone was heavy.

With LeBron's player option coming up next year, the Cavaliers had to win the championship this season, or else LeBron might leave.

Now, Brown's player management was being linked to the Cavaliers' title chances, creating massive public pressure.

After returning to Cleveland, Han Sen resumed normal training, arriving an hour earlier than everyone else to hit the weights.

LeBron didn't show up today—no one knew where he was.

He had just started his workout when someone stormed into the gym with purpose, heading straight toward him.

Seeing that it was Brown, Han knew why LeBron hadn't come today.

"Morning, Coach," He greeted with a fake smile.

"You complained to ESPN about your playing time?" Brown ignored the pleasantries and immediately questioned him.

"Seems like it," Han replied casually, knowing that even if he hadn't directly complained, there wasn't much of a difference.

"Why did you do that?" Brown was clearly displeased with Han Sen's attitude.

"To get more playing time," He said with a caring tone as if Brown didn't know the obvious.

Brown, however, was too flustered to realize this was the most obvious answer.

"I'm asking why you had to say it to the media. Couldn't you just tell me privately?" Brown stepped closer, almost gritting his teeth now under immense media pressure.

Looking at his anxious face, Han Sen coolly replied, "Would that have worked?"

From the time LeBron changed his training schedule without Brown saying a word, to Varejao starting even though everyone knew it was a bad decision because he was LeBron's buddy, Brown hadn't had the courage to change the lineup.

And now, after Han Sen had just put in his best performance yet, scoring a career-high, he was benched and his playing time reduced just because he didn't accept LeBron's goodwill.

Could Brown be trusted to make decisions?

"Look, this isn't about whether it would work or not. You have to understand something— team issues are always solved internally. No one goes to the media with them!" Brown was getting desperate.

"Fine. Internal resolution, huh?" Han said, standing up and lifting a dumbbell while looking down at Brown.

"So tell me, who the f*ck made you bench a player that just scored 20 points and helped the team win, only for the team to lose two games in a row after that? Dare to say it?"

"You! You've lost your mind!" Han Sen's towering presence made Brown instinctively take a step back.

"If you can't even maintain basic fairness, then trade me!"

Han shouted, then tossed the dumbbell aside and walked out of the gym without looking back.