CHAPTER 560: CHAPTER 275: I ALWAYS STAY IN THE SUPER TEAM_2

Hansen’s words had completely dumbfounded TT.

He had intended to ask Hansen to help communicate with Garnett, hoping to reduce the scolding he’d get, but instead, Hansen ended up advising him.

"Men need dignity, but setting aside momentary pride is for earning greater respect from more people later on."

Hansen knew this might be difficult, especially given TT’s rather proud nature.

TT gave no immediate response, but after hesitating for a while, he stood up and walked toward Garnett.

Hansen’s gaze followed TT, watching as he approached Garnett.

Now, two scenarios could unfold: a quarrel or even a physical altercation could break out, or a conversation could commence.

After observing for a bit, Hansen noticed things eventually took the second direction.

Perhaps it was Hansen’s words that had influenced TT, or maybe he realized that to land a big contract, he needed to perform better; in the end, he chose to lower his head.

Whichever it was, it was a good thing, or perhaps it was an unexpected benefit of having Garnett join the Cavaliers.

Not to say that one could learn all of Garnett’s skills, but if TT could learn even a bit of defensive craft from Garnett, his ability would greatly improve.

And that would be good news for the Cavaliers.

After all, even if Jokic were to join the NBA next season, his role as a rookie in the paint would still be limited; TT would still be a key player for the team’s interior.

The game resumed after the halftime break.

Hansen started strong for the Cavaliers by backing down Bill.

On the way back, Bill continued the pick-and-roll with Nene.

This time, however, TT’s defensive choice was much smarter. Instead of lunging forward too soon, he blocked the position in the three-second zone, able to limit Wall’s layup and also interfere with his shots.

Indeed, this change proved effective as Wall’s layup, with TT’s interference, missed the basket, and TT also secured the defensive rebound.

"Nice job! Just like that!"

It was then that Garnett rose excitedly from the bench, waving his fists energetically to cheer on TT.

The expressions of those sitting on the Cavaliers’ bench were just like Hansen’s had been in the locker room.

Compared to Garnett’s trash talk to TT in the first half, this was such a stark contrast.

It was hard to imagine someone behaving this way in the same game.

However, after seeing this, Hansen knew his earlier judgment had been correct.

Garnett wasn’t playing the villain as he had before; over his career, he had actually become one.

This type of villainy wasn’t about being bad, but rather a form of obsessive competitiveness.

Similar athletes included Jordan and Kobe, whose harshness towards teammates most of the time was for their improvement, to win games.

They would scold teammates immediately when problems arose and also cheer them on when they did well.

In their worldview, there were no coworker relations or social niceties on the court; all actions aimed for victory.

Put simply, they were workaholics.

You wouldn’t want to encounter them at work, but they truly could make your department better.

It was after confirming this point that Hansen could understand why Garnett chose to come to the Cavaliers at the trade deadline.

His nature hadn’t changed with age; he hadn’t become laid back.

"History" had dictated he had no choice with the Brooklyn Nets—they needed competitiveness, and he could no longer offer what the contract demanded; aside from going home, he had no choice.

But now, with a chance to join a competitive team, naturally, he would take it.

The Cavaliers scored 50 to the Wizards’ 35 in the second half, eventually winning with ease, 104 to 89.

Hansen’s performance was hard to limit, so as long as they improved their defense to restrict the opponents’ offense, the Cavaliers could claim victory.

It was a good start, and after the trade deadline, the team went on to consecutively defeat the Hornets, 76ers, and New York Knicks, achieving a four-game winning streak.

While the opponents weren’t particularly strong, this was the benefit of being in The East, and winning games was always good.

Their next match was a tough one against the Lakers, their second encounter of the season.

It was this game that Malone finally decided to let Garnett play.

With the season entering its final month, he needed Garnett to start blending with the team.

This time, because it was an away game, they arrived in Los Angeles a day early.

The team held an open training session, which attracted quite a number of journalists.

When the training ended, they all crowded around.

Irving, who had performed well in the last Christmas battle, Garnett, who was having his debut with the Cavaliers tonight, and head coach Malone were all interviewed by the journalists.

Of course, Hansen was also among them.

However, the first question the journalists asked wasn’t related to tomorrow night’s game.

"What would you like to say about Bosh’s situation?"

The biggest news in the League after the trade deadline wasn’t the performance of the teams that made trades, but the unfortunate situation involving Bosh.

He was found to have blood clots in his lungs during the examination after the All-Star Game, and on February 22, just a few days ago, the Rockets announced that Bosh was out for the season.

"I pray for him and hope he can recover soon."

Hansen sent his blessings to Bosh, despite the fact that he didn’t have much interaction with him, but nobody would wish for such unfortunate things to happen.

Though he knew that with this condition, Bosh was not far from retirement.

"Social media says that KG joining the Cavaliers is teaming up; what’s your take on that?"

"I’m lucky because I’ve always been on super teams," Hansen’s reply caught the journalists off guard.

"When I was in Memphis, they also said there were five All-Stars there."

Hansen’s answer amused the journalists, as no one outside considered the Grizzlies a championship team anymore.

"Will you participate in the Slam Dunk Contest again?"

"Yes, I will participate in next year’s Slam Dunk Contest."

"Are you sure this time?"

"Tell LeBron, I’ll be waiting for him at the Slam Dunk Contest."

James set the pace for Hansen during the All-Star Weekend, and now Hansen directly called him out by name.

This statement also sparked hot discussion before the game.

After all, the League had officially announced a new voting mechanism, and Hansen’s demands were met; he had no reason to miss next year’s All-Star Game.

And this public challenge put James on the hot seat.

If James said he wouldn’t go, it would mean he was chickening out, but if he did go, he wasn’t that sure he could win against Hansen.

However, given James’s character of kneeling due to dissatisfaction with rulings, it was highly likely that he would choose to ignore Hansen’s invite.

Of course, there was also the possibility that Nike would consider the commercial battle and decide to have him participate.

At this point, James probably regretted his loose lips because although Hansen was not one to quibble, he never let a grudge go unavenged.

The following evening, Staples Center had a full house.

The Cavaliers had been on a winning streak since the trade deadline, and the Lakers weren’t doing badly either; after losing first, they’d just pulled off a three-game winning streak.

Mozgov’s arrival provided the Lakers with rim protection, and their defense had clearly improved.

During the pre-game warm-up, the camera frequently focused on Hansen.

The Cavaliers had been on a winning streak before and after the All-Star Weekend, which propelled them to second place in the East.

It was worth noting that the Cavaliers hadn’t made the playoffs in the past four years, but this season Hansen fully demonstrated his ability to lead the team.

Also, his personal statistics this season were extremely exaggerated, with an average of 32 points, 6.1 rebounds, 9.2 assists, 3.1 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game.

Whether in terms of records or statistics, he was definitely the number one player in the League.

In front of the camera, Hansen not only looked relaxed, but during the warm-up, he even showed off a self-ally-oop between-the-legs reverse slam dunk, stirring up the crowd.

The fans thought he was once again inviting James to the Slam Dunk Contest.

But in fact, Hansen’s excitement had nothing to do with that; the Slam Dunk Contest was just for fun.

He was excited because, after the game against the Pacers, his "Magic" had finally reached a bottleneck.

And tonight, at Staples Center, was a great opportunity to show off.