Start of 2011-12 Regular Season.
Wade pressed his lips together, saying nothing, but he'd already made his stance clear.
What else could he do?
"So that's it? You're just gonna let him take the top spot? They set you up, man, and you're ready to just roll over and give up your spot as the franchise player?"
Han Sen couldn't help but feel frustrated for Wade.
Getting tricked in plain sight and then giving up the top spot on the team—anyone would be fuming.
Wade let out a weary chuckle. "Do I have another option, though? I hold my ground, and LeBron slacks off. Heat goes from championship contender to a mess waiting to happen."
"That's if you cave. He's got a bad game—what, he's gonna drop 8 points every night?"
Wade froze, caught off guard by the bluntness.
"And who's saying LeBron can't be traded? He's got no no-trade clause," Han pointed out. "Come on, man. Why can't you be the one calling the shots around here?"
Han Sen only dared say this because Wade was a friend who'd helped him a lot; otherwise, it could easily come off as instigating trouble.
The way he saw it, Wade was there first, alongside Bosh. They didn't ask for the big three; it just happened.
But if they didn't click, changes weren't impossible. And if Riley had to pick? Wade knew he'd pick him.
Besides, LeBron's value on the trade market was undeniable, and Riley could probably get something solid for him.
"Or don't even take it to Riley. Just stand your ground. Sooner or later, LeBron's team will get the hint and ask for a trade themselves. The 'Chosen One' can't go title-less and play second fiddle. Nike would throw a fit before they'd let that happen."
"I already told you—we don't have an option," Wade shook his head.
LeBron had made that big statement about winning "not seven…" championships. If they bailed after one bad season, they'd be a laughingstock.
"Wake up! He has no way out, not you." Han Sen couldn't understand why Wade was tying his fate to the others like this.
Was it really a case of an outsider seeing more clearly than those in the middle?
"Do you realize that if you give in now, when your contract's up, they might just trade you?" Han Sen pressed.
It wasn't just because he knew how things would play out.
The NBA was a business, after all.
If your stats drop and your performance wanes, why would they pay you a max contract? Because of your sacrifices?
In a league driven by money, those sacrifices might be worth a few pennies.
That's exactly why LeBron's so obsessed with stats; numbers are cash to him.
Wade sighed. "Someone's gotta sacrifice for the title, Han. It's how Shaq made way for me."
"Why can't it be LeBron? Just because he's too shameless to back down?"
If it were anyone but Wade, he wouldn't even bother wasting this many words.
Wade didn't reply, and Han read the look on his face. He understood LeBron, alright—Nike wasn't going to let LeBron step back.
Han sighed, leaning back. "You want it? You fight for it. But if you don't—don't act surprised if you get the short end of the stick."
If Wade wasn't going to fight for himself, there was no point in pushing.
Thinking about what Wade would go through in the future, Han Sen couldn't help but feel it was a bit deserved.
Sacrifice isn't the issue, but it depends on who it's for.
Sacrificing for someone who openly manipulates you? That's like falling for a con artist—you're bound to get sold out eventually.
---
With Wade joining, the quality of the training camp games improved significantly, and Han Sen's passing drills saw faster progress.
During this time, Han Sen also started to like Kenneth Faried more and more.
The guy could really jump, making alley-oop passes effortless for Han Sen.
If Faried was near the hoop, Han could lob it up without even looking, and Faried would be there.
Meanwhile, the continued NBA lockout was stirring real anxiety among players.
The last lockout had been in 1998, thirteen years ago, so only a few players had experienced one, leaving most unprepared.
With ongoing negative reports from labor talks, players were starting to feel more pessimistic.
Some even began exploring overseas options—not just to stay in shape, but also because basketball has a limited shelf life, and missing out on peak earning years could be costly.
Rumors were flying around.
Like Garnett possibly heading to Turkey, or Kobe to China's CBA.
At this time, Thomas came to Han Sen with an offer from a Chinese CBA team.
Because Han was from China, they even included an "NBA opt-out clause," allowing him to return if the NBA season resumed.
Thomas saw it as an opportunity.
After Han's performance in the Western Conference Finals, his popularity in the U.S. had grown, but in China, it had exploded.
Han Sen declined.
His reason was simple: quality of play.
The CBA's level was too low. Playing there would be like heading to a street court.
Besides, he was currently focused on his passing drills, and there was no better place for it than the training camp.
There was also another reason he didn't say out loud: he knew the Chinese CBA players too well. If a foreign player does well, it's expected.
But him being one of their own? There'd be plenty waiting to take him down in a game.
People don't just want others to suffer; they can't stand it when someone they know is doing too well.
Time continued moving forward. The first episode of UA's footage from Han Sen's camp was released, sparking fan discussions.
As Han predicted, during this dead period, fans were hungry for any news.
Unexpectedly, the first episode's main focus became Kyrie Irving.
His performance against the NBA pros surprised everyone.
"He's already locked in for Rookie of the Year."
And what stood out even more than his skills? Irving went to Han Sen's camp!
Grant's comments were backfiring.
Fans began to question Irving's social awareness since he'd openly defied his team's GM.
Either way, Han Sen's training camp had attracted significant attention during the lockout.
---
While that was making waves, the Drew League was also gaining attention.
Some stars unwilling to go overseas and with no other place to play had turned to this well-known streetball league.
The advantage of the Drew League over lower-tier leagues (like the U.S. minor league) was that players weren't locked to one team and could switch it up.
Han Sen even received an invite from Kobe.
Han declined, saying those show-style games weren't much help for him.
Harden, however, accepted Kobe's invite and left the camp.
This didn't impact Han's camp since Rudy Gay, fully recovered from his injury, joined not long after.
He brought Jordan Crawford along.
Han didn't know when, but Gay and Crawford had become close—maybe they were both part of the "Anti-Hollins Team"?
Regardless, with Gay, Crawford, and Faried, Han's alley-oops were a breeze.
Forget Memphis's grind style; this was becoming Lob City!
---
By October, the training camp had wrapped up.
Three months of intense practice had brought Han's [No-Look Passing] skill to a bottleneck.
He was eager for the new season to start.
But the lockout talks continued, and no one knew when it would end.
So, Han spent his time playing with Swift and working with UA on a promotional tour in China.
It was his first time returning since going pro, and he had his doubts—China had no shortage of his haters.
But when he arrived, the airport was packed with fans holding up signs and chanting his name. It caught him off guard.
Seeing those fans clinging to fences or climbing trees to catch a glimpse, he couldn't deny the passion they had for basketball.
At one event, during the fan Q&A, someone asked about the upcoming season.
"Can the Grizzlies make it to the Finals?"
After reaching the Western Conference Finals last year, making it to the Finals seemed like the natural next step.
With no chance to declare his goals in a press conference, Han took this moment with his fans.
"I promised last summer to bring a title to Memphis. Next season—it's time."
---
When Han returned stateside, UA approached him to terminate his old contract.
They were offering him a new 6-year, $66 million deal.
Not because they were losing money, but because Han's original contract no longer matched his value, and they didn't want to risk losing him once it expired.
Han's initial UA contract had been generous—tied with Curry for the top rookie deal of the 2009 class. But Han's rise had been rapid.
Just look at Curry, still a second option in Golden State, while Han had led his team to the Western Conference Finals.
UA saw the need to lock him down early, especially after seeing Irving's camp performance and wanting to poach him from Nike.
But Nike hit Irving with a four-year, $32 million mega deal. UA had to back off.
Han accepted UA's offer after negotiating a four-year, $44 million term instead.
With that, his sneaker income pushed him into the millionaire club.
By mid-October, the usual preseason was on, but the lockout hadn't ended.
The compressed schedule meant a higher risk of injury, so Han, with Grover's help, resumed conditioning.
He would cut his weight to 96 kg and lower his body fat percentage.
The purpose of these adjustments is to reduce his physical strain, ensuring he can maintain more consistent playing time on the court while minimizing injury risks.
In short, compared to last season, he will be both lighter and more durable.
This won't be an overnight change—it'll take him about one to two months to achieve.
By November, after Thanksgiving, the league and the players, under immense pressure, finally reached a new agreement on November 26 after a marathon 15-hour negotiation.
The agreement was lengthy, but the main outcome was a redistribution of the financial "pie," allowing both the owners and NBA stars to earn more under the new terms.
It also introduced changes to some clauses, two of which are particularly noteworthy.
First, the duration and increases on long-term contracts were shortened, but with larger percentage raises, thereby enhancing the importance of Bird rights.
Second, there was a significant increase in the luxury tax, along with the introduction of a "super" luxury tax.
These two changes would have a profound impact on the upcoming free-agent market.
Of course, the new season is shortened, and key dates will change.
For example, the new season officially begins on December 8.
Unlike previous years, preseason, signing, and trading will all start at the same time. Free agency runs until the 15th, and the regular season kicks off on the 25th.
Usually, these activities take place over the summer, but now they've been compressed into a short 17-day span, especially with just seven days for the free-agent market—a huge test for team GMs.
The Grizzlies are under quite a bit of pressure too.
Among the core Grizzlies players, Gay is in his second year on a new contract, while Randolph re-signed for four years at $71 million last season.
But Conley and Gasol both need to renew this season after their standout playoff performances last year, so their contracts won't come cheap.
Even Battier's contract is up for negotiation.
The 2011–2012 season officially began on December 8.
On the very first day, two blockbuster news items shook the league.
It wasn't free-agent signings—it was trades.
First, Chris Paul formally requested a trade from the Hornets, and shortly after, Dwight Howard also submitted a trade request to the Magic.
Two of the league's top five stars requesting trades simultaneously would be a massive shock any offseason.
Both players shared one key factor: "contract leverage."
Their contracts were set to expire in the summer of 2013, but both had player options in the final year.
This meant that if their teams didn't agree to a trade now, they risked losing them for nothing next summer.
But Han Sen didn't really pay much attention to all this.
According to what he knew of history, Dwight would likely stay with the Magic as "Dwight Loyalty," and Chris Paul would end up with the Clippers to form "Lob City."
His main concern was the team's contract extensions.
He'd already made it clear that he expected the Grizzlies' management to re-sign everyone; it would be embarrassing if they didn't.
However, before any news came in about Conley and the others, another piece of news arrived:
Hollins had been fired.