Basketball System: Hate Makes Me Unstoppable-Chapter 396: True Intentions.

On June 22nd, the 2018 NBA Draft took place in Brooklyn.

Han Sen, still on vacation, tuned in to catch the event live.

As expected, the Phoenix Suns held the first overall pick, and just like in his memories, they wasted no time selecting big man Deandre Ayton.

It was the same logic teams used when selecting Karl-Anthony Towns or Anthony Davis—when in doubt, take the dominant big man.

After seeing how Markelle Fultz struggled last season in Chicago, teams were once again prioritizing "safe picks" in the frontcourt.

Ayton had dominated at Arizona, averaging 20.1 points, 11.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.9 blocks per game—Shaq-like numbers in the NCAA. But for the Suns, this wasn't just about talent—it was about course correction.

After years of whiffing on big men like Alex Len and Dragan Bender, Phoenix had finally returned to a traditional franchise centerpiece.

Then came the Sacramento Kings at No. 2.

And they picked Luka Dončić.

Han wasn't surprised.

The Kings had always been the type to take the flashy, expensive pick instead of the "right" one.

Now? They were officially playing the "survival of the fittest" game Han had joked about before—stacking up talented young players and seeing which one became the true king of the roster.

Other notable picks included Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who was taken 11th by the Hornets but was immediately traded to the Clippers.

As for the Cavaliers?

At pick No. 30, they selected Bruce Brown.

When Han saw the pick, he felt something... odd.

Cleveland's roster was starting to look suspiciously Denver-esque. If only they had drafted Jamal Murray too...

Then again, Cleveland already had a Murray—Dejounte Murray.

---

Because Han had been completely off the radar, the NBA world was starving for any clue about his free agency decision.

Superstars switching teams usually led to at least some leaks—a hint about potential destinations, whispers from team sources.

But with Han?

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Nothing.

No rumors. No leaks. No inside sources.

So, on June 28th, when he finally appeared in public at the NBA Awards show, the attention on him was unreal.

Han had once again been named an MVP finalist, but this year, the award went to James Harden.

And honestly?

Han had no complaints.

The Houston Rockets finished with the best regular-season record, and Harden had put up ridiculous numbers. It was a well-earned MVP.

But one player who did stand out?

Nikola Jokić had made the All-NBA Second Team.

If he kept improving at this rate, a First-Team selection next season wasn't out of the question.

After the awards show, reporters swarmed Han, eager to get any clue about his next move.

Instead of asking directly, they disguised their questions cleverly.

"Are you looking for a big-market team, or is location not a factor?"

"Are you more interested in joining a rebuilding team or a title contender?"

They were fishing.

Han, as expected, gave vague answers, but that didn't stop the media from overanalyzing every word.

By the time the awards show ended, reports were already out:

"Han Sen prefers a big-market team but is not looking to form a superteam."

That alone was enough to send fans into a frenzy.

New York? Los Angeles?

The fanbases of those cities immediately went into overdrive.

If Han wanted a big market, then their teams had the clear advantage—not just because of location, but because of what came with it. Franchise stability, global branding, endorsement deals, and the kind of media attention that only New York and L.A. could provide.

---

After the awards, Han returned to Cleveland.

No sooner had he landed than Dwyane Wade and Derrick Rose came to visit.

Han wasn't the only Cavalier set to enter free agency.

Wade had decided to return to Miami for one final season.

For most players, returning to a franchise after years of tension would've been impossible.

But Wade?

He was the NBA's nicest guy.

It was in his nature—just like when he had tried to convince Kyrie Irving not to badmouth Cleveland after leaving.

As for Derrick Rose?

He wasn't here to discuss free agency.

He was here to say thank you.

Han had given him a championship ring, something he never thought he'd have.

And Rose's gift?

A bouquet of 16 roses.

Not an expensive gift.

But from Derrick Rose, it was deeply meaningful.

Just like when he had gifted Shaquille O'Neal a similar bouquet years ago—sometimes, meaning outweighs monetary value.

Han smirked as he accepted the flowers.

"Any idea where you're heading this summer?" he asked.

Rose's response surprised him.

He wasn't staying in Cleveland.

He was heading to Minnesota.

Because of Tom Thibodeau.

Han couldn't hold back his curiosity.

"You don't hate Thibs?"

After all, if it weren't for Thibodeau's relentless overuse of Rose, his downfall might not have happened so soon.

Rose shook his head.

"Hate? No. I thank him."

"Without Thibs, I wouldn't have been MVP."

Han paused, slightly caught off guard.

It was the classic question—would you rather have a long, quiet career or a short but legendary peak?

Rose had made his choice.

And he didn't regret it.

Most fans pitied him, assuming he wished he could change history.

But the truth?

Rose had no regrets.

"Then I wish you luck," Han said.

He had already cemented his legacy—surpassing Jordan, achieving everything he had set out to do.

And for Rose?

Winning a championship with Cleveland had been enough.

Now, going back to Thibodeau, trying to rewrite the ending of their story?

Maybe that was his way of making peace with the past.

And Han?

Han suddenly remembered Rose's iconic 50-point night in Minnesota.

Maybe this wasn't a bad move after all.

---

After spending two days in Cleveland, Han Sen traveled to New York, where he rented an estate to begin meetings with the teams he was interested in.

Thomas had already compiled requests from all 29 other teams—yes, even the Pelicans had submitted a meeting request. Han only needed to provide Thomas with the final list of teams he wished to meet.

The final list included: the Knicks, Nets, Lakers, Clippers, Celtics, 76ers, Bulls, Warriors, Heat, and Kings.

Han had not made a final decision yet, but once this list was revealed, social media exploded.

It turned out the limited rumors leaked by the media were accurate—Han was indeed targeting big-market teams.

This made his departure from Cleveland seem even more logical.

After all, it was natural for players to want to play in major cities, and Han's commercial value would be maximized only in such environments.

However, some of these teams on the list completely shocked fans.

Take the Celtics, for example—was Han really looking to make his career easier by teaming up with Kevin Durant?

And worse, was he really going to join Durant's team? That seemed out of character.

Then there was the Bulls. Chicago was forever tied to Michael Jordan. No matter how successful Han might be there, he would always be compared to and overshadowed by Jordan.

And the Warriors? If Han joined them, they wouldn't just be the "Super Warriors"—they'd be the "Galactic Warriors."

It would be the real endgame for the NBA.

Compared to those surprises, the Heat were an unexpected but exciting possibility. Miami fans, having watched Han rob them of multiple championships, now had the shocking thought—what if he actually brought them a title instead?

Then there were the Kings, the only small-market team on Han's list.

Everyone knew this had something to do with Anjali, but if Sacramento actually landed Han, it would mean the long-suffering franchise finally had a chance at revival.

Of course, the happiest fans were in New York, since Han had chosen to hold his meetings there. Did this mean New York was his preferred destination?

Han's meeting schedule was announced on the morning of July 1st, and by that night, he had already received a massive influx of Hater Points.

Some fans genuinely believed he might team up with Durant, or even join the Warriors to break the league. But anyone thinking rationally knew that was impossible.

Still, the world was full of people who didn't think things through—and those people became easy generators of Hater Points for Han.

As for the fans in Boston and the Bay Area? Han had no intention of going there, so he simply didn't care about their reactions.

---

On July 2nd, the second day of free agency, Han Sen officially began his meetings.

Each team was allotted half a day, making it a five-day process, concluding just before the end of the moratorium period when he would make his final decision.

The first team granted a meeting was the Brooklyn Nets.

New Nets owner Joe Tsai and newly appointed GM Sean Marks were both present in the meeting team. As a Chinese-Canadian and the chairman of Alibaba, Tsai was fluent in Mandarin, allowing him and Han to communicate seamlessly.

The Nets' pitch to Han focused on two key aspects: business opportunities and team competitiveness.

New York had two teams, but the Knicks had dominated the city's fanbase for years despite their chaotic management. The franchise was historically a disaster, with no real hope of fixing its internal dysfunction.

The Nets, having relocated to Brooklyn, had a prime opportunity to compete with and even surpass the Knicks in popularity—especially if they had a superstar like Han leading the way.

After all, even the NBA Draft was no longer held at Madison Square Garden but at the Nets' Barclays Center.

Additionally, Brooklyn had a strong cache of young players and draft picks, allowing them to build a competitive team around Han.

The meeting went well, and afterward, Tsai spoke confidently to reporters, expressing his belief that Han would join the Nets.

New York fans immediately went into a frenzy.

In the U.S., sports fandom was often passed from father to son—Knicks fans raised Knicks fans. But Knicks owner James Dolan had been such a disaster for so long that generations of fans were growing weary of disappointment.

Dolan had no intention of selling the team, so that disappointment had long turned into despair.

If Han joined the Nets? Many of those fans were more than willing to start attending games in Brooklyn instead.

Sorry, Dad—I still love the Knicks, but my body is heading to Barclays Center.

---

The second team to meet with Han was the Los Angeles Clippers.

Compared to Brooklyn, the Clippers were in an even worse situation. Despite new owner Steve Ballmer's efforts, the Clippers still had minimal support in Los Angeles.

Lakers and Celtics fans were fiercely loyal, backed by historic legacies. Even if Han joined the Clippers, converting Lakers fans into Clippers fans would be nearly impossible.

However, Ballmer's pitch was different—he emphasized limitless investment in fans and basketball. Unlike other billionaire owners who treated basketball as a side project, Ballmer genuinely loved the game.

That passion resonated with Han.

It was one of the main reasons the Clippers were initially high on his list.

Owners like Ballmer were rare in the NBA.

"I can't say it's a 100% guarantee Han will join the Clippers," Ballmer told reporters after their meeting. "But I'd put it at 90%."

This gave Clippers fans hope while making Lakers fans uneasy—because the Clippers and Lakers were eternal rivals.

---

Then came the third meeting—with the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Lakers sent a powerhouse delegation: Magic Johnson, Rob Pelinka, and even Kobe Bryant attended.

If the Lakers wanted to make it clear they were serious about Han, they had done exactly that.

Their entire pitch had a familiar theme: MLGA—Make the Lakers Great Again.

But more importantly, when it came to commercial opportunities, the Lakers were on another level.

From media exposure to advertising, from Hollywood partnerships to global branding—the Lakers' infrastructure was elite.

After the meeting, Kobe Bryant took the lead in speaking to the press.

"If anyone can bring the Lakers back to greatness, it's Han."

And the moment Kobe made that statement, people started realizing—

Something was off.

Every team that met with Han walked away feeling confident that they had a legitimate shot.

Han's meetings were more confusing than Kevin Durant's in 2016.

And that had consequences.

No matter which team he chose, every other fanbase would turn against him.

In a way, Han was replicating LeBron's 'The Decision' controversy—only bigger.

This only became more obvious as teams like the Celtics and Warriors also became convinced they had a real chance.

And finally, on July 6th, the day before the moratorium ended, Han Sen met with his final team—the Sacramento Kings.