The No.1 Anti-Fans in Basketball-Chapter 610 - 298 Trust the Process

Silva couldn’t help but laugh out loud as he sat in the stands.

The hardest part is always the beginning, and this season opener instantly lifted the level of attention for the season.

Hansen and Curry didn’t leave immediately after their handshake, instead they exchanged jerseys.

Though there was a winner and a loser, it was just a regular game, and both players scoring 50+ was certainly memorable.

They even took an interview together with the sideline reporters.

In this wave, it didn’t matter who lost or who won, what mattered was that Under Armour made a killing.

Shortly after the interview ended and he returned to the locker room, Lue came to tell Hansen and Irving to attend the post-game press conference.

"Where did Kyrie go?"

It was only when Lue asked that Hansen realized he hadn’t seen Irving since he came in.

"I just ran into him at the elevator; he must have gone back to the hotel first," Hawes said, having tried to greet Irving, but Irving ignored him.

Blown out by Curry and failing to make the last shot must have really gotten to Irving.

Since Irving couldn’t go to the press conference, Hansen quickly called Jokic to join him.

Jokic was stunned for a moment—isn’t this treatment something for his first professional game?

"Boss, shouldn’t you call Kyrie?" Jokic couldn’t help asking on the way to the conference.

"It’s fine, he’ll be okay by tomorrow." This term, "Boss," had become a common nickname within the Cavaliers, and Hansen couldn’t stop it even if he wanted to.

Jokic was taken aback. Irving had coached him in skills before, and he seemed like a pretty nice guy, so it was unexpected to see his quirky character.

But soon he no longer cared about Irving, as arriving at the press conference and seeing the thick crowd made his body tense up.

He didn’t play particularly well tonight, 7 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, and he didn’t know why Hansen wanted him to come along.

Fortunately, as soon as the conference started, all the reporters’ attention was on Hansen.

Thinking he was just going through the motions without too much overtime, his mood suddenly improved.

"What do you think was the key to the Cavaliers’ victory tonight?" asked a reporter from ESPN.

"There were many factors, excellent perimeter shooting, aggressive defense, Coach Malone’s tactics, and of course, Nikola’s performance."

Hansen listed them off expertly, and Jokic nodded along, trying to increase his sense of participation.

But when he realized the reporters were all looking at him after Hansen mentioned his name, he understood Hansen had brought him up.

Wait, why had Hansen pointed him out at the start of the interview?

He just wanted to quietly complete the process!

Luckily, he didn’t need to answer anything; just a silly smile at the camera would do.

However, it didn’t take long before he couldn’t smile anymore, as Hansen gave him a comment next.

"Nikola will become an All-Star in the future."

Hansen refrained from saying "superstar" because Jokic currently felt too laid-back to him, and saying so would put too much pressure on him.

But even just being All-Star stirred up the crowd below.

After all, aside from Hansen, Irving was the only other Cavalier linked to All-Stars!

Jokic’s eyes widened.

Just a few months ago, he was worried about whether he could play in the NBA, but now Hansen was saying he could become an All-Star!

Looking back at the past few months, it became clear Hansen had a particular fondness for him.

Even in a recent exchange with Griffin, he learned it was Hansen who suggested the team draft him.

So, why was Hansen so optimistic about him?

He didn’t understand but somehow felt guilty.

It was like a worker suddenly favored by the boss, realizing he hadn’t worked hard enough, which brought a tinge of guilt.

"There was an extra motion before your final game-winning shot; was that a tactical gesture?" asked a fan from the Bay Area.

"Tactical gesture?" Hansen was amused by the reporter’s question, realizing it could be interpreted that way.

"No, that motion didn’t mean anything."

Did showing off have any meaning?

It didn’t.

"How do you assess Stephen’s performance, and we noticed that you had a dunk contest during the game," asked a reporter from TNT.

Not only did this question amuse Hansen again, but it also brought laughter from everyone at the press conference.

"Stephen, I hope you would join me in the dunk contest," Hansen also took the opportunity to extend a sincere invitation to Curry through the camera.

...

The Riders and Warriors Battle made a great start for the 2015-2016 season, and Under Armour capitalized on the publicity through TNT and other media post-game.

But this day wasn’t just about that game.

Later on, at the Lakers vs. Bulls game, the Lakers, on their home court, demolished their opponents 128 to 98.

The Bulls’ lineup hadn’t changed much since last season, and Ross was healthy, their defensive efficiency ranked top five in the league last season.

But they just shattered upon facing the Lakers.

Sometimes you really can’t underestimate the impact of morale on a team.

The Cavaliers making it to the finals last season was not only due to Hansen’s performance but also the morale boost from Hansen’s return to the Cavaliers.

And now, the key to the Lakers thrashing the Bulls was the buff from Kobe’s retirement.

Since there was a back-to-back game the next day, the Cavaliers flew back to Cleveland the same night.

The next morning, as usual, Hansen arrived early at the arena for the first practice.

Accompanying him were Conningham and West.

After returning to Cleveland, Hansen also continued his "Breakfast Club."

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