Basketball's No. 1 Anti-Fan

Chapter 101 Memphis

After spending two and a half days, stopping and starting along the way, Hansen and his friends finally arrived in Memphis.

Before entering the city, they could already see the landmark building of Memphis from afar.

The Memphis Pyramid Stadium is a 98-meter-high glass pyramid. It briefly served as the home court of the Grizzlies from 2001 to 2004.

In fact, the most interesting part of Hansen's rookie season was going to different cities, staying in different hotels, and enjoying different scenery. It felt like he was exploring new things every day.

He was impressed by the pyramid stadium at the time.

After all, even looking around the world, Scorpion Shit is the only one who can make a stadium into this shape.

This is also related to the history of their city.

Many names of American cities come from their colonial history. For example, eastern cities are generally related to Britain. Cleveland comes from a county in Britain. Western cities are generally related to Spain.

The name Memphis is taken from an important city in ancient Egypt.

On the outskirts of present-day Cairo, there are still remains of the pyramids of Memphis.

There is no way. The United States’ own history is too short, so it can only come up with this kind of hodgepodge.

Of course, it is not just the Pyramid Arena that attracts people's attention.

Similar to Cleveland, Memphis is also a port city, but it is adjacent to a river rather than a lake. It is built on the banks of the Mississippi River and the mouth of the Wolf River.

And unlike the industrial desert like Cleveland, there are obviously many more skyscrapers here, and it looks like a modern metropolis at a glance.

Although it still can't be compared with Miami, the economy here is obviously much more prosperous.

After entering the city, Hansen could see a lot of things related to rock and blues music on the roadside.

He even saw some street signs with old photos of Elvis Presley.

"Memphis, the hometown of Elvis Presley, the birthplace of rock and roll!" Cunningham couldn't help but exclaim when he saw those photos.

Black people have a natural racial talent for music, and the same is true for black Americans, because most of their ancestors came from West Africa, which is the home of music.

Therefore, the status of black musicians among black people will also be very high.

Han Sen also loved listening to rock music in his previous life. Old songs like "Glory Days" were always on his playlist.

Coming to Memphis, he can get some enjoyment in terms of hearing.

Han Sen drove directly to a villa in the suburbs.

Before he left Cleveland, he had Rondo go to Memphis to find him a place to stay.

The villa is not small, with an outdoor swimming pool and an outdoor court in the backyard. Of course, the most important thing is that the surrounding isolation fences are high enough and have their own alarm system, so the safety factor is very high.

The thing about Memphis that is least as good as Cleveland is its public safety.

48% of the city's population is black.

"Boss, I really suggest you go get it." After arriving, Cunningham made a gun gesture to Hansen.

Han Sen listened to the advice this time and decided to get a gun license in a couple of days, then get one and put it in the master bedroom.

As long as he doesn't show off by being the "Memphis Gun King" like Morant, self-defense should be a problem.

The day after Hansen arrived in Memphis, someone came to visit him.

It was none other than Chris Wallace, the general manager of the Grizzlies.

He also brought someone, the team's assistant coach, Reggie Toews, Hansen's former head coach at Barry University!

Han Sen still felt unfamiliar when he came from one city to another, but when he saw Tois, that feeling of strangeness instantly disappeared.

"Coach!" He went up and gave Tois a big hug.

Tois patted Hansen's shoulder, his face also flushed.

Because Han Sen found a new job in the NBA, he didn't expect that they would be reunited in the same city a year later. It was really God's arrangement.

After a brief reminisce, they sat down and Rondo made coffee for them.

"With you, I am confident about the playoffs in the new season." Wallace looked confident after taking a sip of coffee.

The Grizzlies' lineup last season was not bad, with the twin stars Mike Conley and OJ Mayo on the outside, the black and white duo of Gasol and Randolph in the inside, and an all-around small forward Rudy Gay. But in the end they didn't even make the playoffs.

This result is unacceptable to both management and fans, and change is necessary.

The Grizzlies are now a defensive team, so this "change" will naturally be towards defense.

Trading Mayo for Hansen improves the perimeter defense, while also acquiring West who has good defensive ability to increase the depth of the bench. This is an improvement in the lineup.

"Are you also surprised by the amount we paid for you?" After putting down the coffee cup, Wallace looked at Hansen with a smile.

"That's enough to buy an All-Star player." Han Sen was indeed a little confused. Wallace didn't know he had a system.

In other words, what Wallace saw was actually the same thing that Ferry saw.

"When Danny told me about Thabeet, I was a little hesitant. The kid was still a possibility, so I asked someone for their opinion."

"Oh?" Han Sen was even more surprised. Who else could directly influence the thinking of an NBA general manager?

That person must not be the owner of the Grizzlies, because bosses generally don’t give advice, they only want results.

"Logo, he told me you were worth the risk."

Logo refers to "Logo Man" Jerry West, who served as the general manager of the Grizzlies from 2002 to 2007, and Wallace succeeded him.

"He knows me?" Han Sen didn't expect West to know him. You know, West is also a Riley-level figure in the league, but they had no intersection before.

"He originally predicted that the Cavaliers would be eliminated by the Celtics. So when he learned that the Celtics were eliminated 1-4, he went to watch the game video and got to know you."

Han Sen looked at Wallace in surprise. It sounded like Wallace and West knew each other very well.

Wallace's interpersonal skills are somewhat extraordinary, as he can curse at Ferry in public and maintain a close relationship with the former general manager.

But what Wallace said did come true: Just do good things and don't worry about the future.

If he hadn't played that series as hard as he could, he wouldn't be here.

"There aren't many people who can make Logo have a prediction bias. He said that your innate fearlessness is the most valuable."

Han Sen felt a little embarrassed after being praised by Wallace.

Sure enough, after arriving in a new city, it takes some time for your face to adapt and regain its thickness.

"Let Reggie take you to the locker room tomorrow. The team will hold a press conference for you in two days. After that, there will be nothing else to do."

Unlike last offseason, Han Sen is no longer strong enough to play in the summer league.

Hansen nodded, and after seeing Wallace and Tois off, he also started contacting Thomas and Khalil.

Now that we have arrived in Memphis, new business and publicity should follow sooner rather than later.

It's time to officially start his Grizzlies career!
The next day, Toews took Hansen to the FedEx Center, the current home of the Grizzlies.

Compared with the Pyramid Stadium, the appearance of the FedEx Center is much more plain.

If you look down from the air, it looks like a big disk.

This simple design echoes its name.

Like the East, most NBA stadiums are named after sponsors, and Memphis is the headquarters of FedEx. This is a modern stadium that can accommodate 1 people and is the largest investment in the history of Memphis.

And after it was built, the Grizzlies were its only users.

After all, the Grizzlies moved from Vancouver, and after moving there, they greatly boosted the local economy.

The government will naturally give strong support to such "financial sponsors".

This was not Han Sen's first time here, but it was his first time observing the stadium up close.

When he reached the second floor, he felt like he had come from the countryside to the city.

In comparison, Quicken Loans Arena is indeed too old in every aspect.

When he entered the locker room, Han Sen finally no longer felt like he was entering a bathhouse.

The black and white tones, the glass window design, and the large TV placed right in front give it a very modern feel.

Tois led Hansen to his closet, which was located in the inner corner.

The closet originally belonged to Mayo, and his nameplate is still there.

Judging from his position in the locker room, Hansen's status in the team is not low even though he is a new player.

Excluding Randolph and Gay at the locker room door, the rest are him and Conley, whose status is higher than Gasol Jr. (Marc Gasol).

This time the starting point is much higher than in Cleveland.

"I heard about your experiences in Cleveland. Don't worry, the situation here is different. There are many young people on the team and they want to perform better."

Tois's words made Hansen feel like he had arranged a scout for the Grizzlies in advance.

With him around, many things become easier.

But just as Han Sen was about to organize his closet, he remembered something.

He was not traded to the Grizzlies alone. Logically, West should have reported here today as well.

Just then, Toyes' phone rang.

Toyes went out to answer a phone call.

After Hansen finished organizing his wardrobe, Toyes led West to the locker room.

It looks like this guy is late.

Hansen hadn't seen West since the end of the season. When he saw him again, West had dark circles under his eyes, messy hair like straw, and looked extremely haggard.

As soon as the Cavaliers lost the game, the "Friends' Mom Gate" incident was exposed by the media.

Although James responded quickly and clarified that it was a rumor, West still suffered unprecedented cyber violence.

It can be said that West has had the most difficult time in the league during this period of time.

Hansen smiled and walked over to give West a big, warm hug.

"It's all over." He patted West on the back.

Just like he said in front of the media that he could like Swift, even if the rumor was true, there was no rule in this world that two single people couldn't fall in love.

Even if the timing is not so appropriate, it should not be used as a tool to distract fire and endure such a huge cyber violence.

To take a step back, there are so many NBA players who still play and perform well after their loved ones become sick or even pass away. They are professional players.

What neither Hansen nor Tois had expected was that West actually cried on Hansen's shoulder.

That was the suppressed emotions released in an instant.

……

Two days later, the day before the 2010 free agency opened, the Grizzlies held a press conference for Hansen, West and Daniel Orton (2010 No. 28 pick).

Hansen got his No. 77 jersey with the Grizzlies, while West gave up his No. 13 jersey and returned to his No. 2 jersey from his time with the SuperSonics.

"Han, please keep a low profile at the press conference later." Wallace pulled Han Sen aside and reminded him as they went to the press conference.

The last time Hansen "exploded" in Cleveland, although it has been a year, the remarks on No. 77 are still resonating.

Even though Hansen played a good series, it was obviously far from matching that statement.

He was really afraid that Han Sen would do something big again.

You know, he's already under enough pressure for this deal.

Han Sen nodded in understanding.

When he entered the press conference, Han Sen saw a sea of ​​black people, which meant that quite a lot of people had come.

This is not because the Grizzlies' next season is so exciting, or because Hansen's status is already high enough to reach the All-Star level.

But the deal the Grizzlies made to get him was too unexpected.

This was originally a press conference for new signings, but as soon as it started, all the reporters' questions were directed at Wallace.

This was the first time Wallace appeared in public after the Hansen trade.

Why make a deal like that?

Why did you choose to give up on Thabeet after only training him for one season and before giving him any chance?

Since you were so optimistic about Hansen, why didn't you make more efforts and select him last season?
Han Sen couldn't help but frown as he listened.

These reporters are all dressed in professional attire, but they are actually not much different from those netizens who spew shit on social media.

Who doesn't know how to do things after the fact?

But he soon calmed down.

Maybe it was because it concerned him and he felt too involved in the situation. Aren't these reporters always like this?
At least, there aren't any Windhorsts here in Memphis.

Well, but there's Khalil.

At this time, Khalil, who had already switched to TNT, was sitting there leisurely in the crowd.

He was waiting for Han Sen's signal.

Finally, Han Sen on the stage coughed, gave the reporters an apologetic smile, showed the humble quality of a Dongda University student, then picked up the water bottle in front of him and began to drink water tactically.

Seeing this, Khalil raised his hand to ask questions.

After a while, Khalil was called.

The advantage of being a reporter for big media outlets like ESPN and TNT is that your presence will be stronger in the eyes of the staff.

"We know that the Grizzlies have missed the playoffs for four consecutive seasons. Is your goal here to help the team get to the playoffs?"

After Caryl asked the question, before Hansen answered, Wallace nodded with satisfaction.

This kind of question has a preset point, and the preset point happens to be the team's goal. This reporter from TNT is very good at handling things.

Han Sen put down the water bottle in his hand, straightened his body, and said seriously:

"No, my goal is to bring a championship to the Grizzlies."

(End of this chapter)