Basketball's No. 1 Anti-Fan

Chapter 328 That's the Road We Traveled Here
After the training camp lasted for half a month, Jokic also returned to Cleveland from Serbia.

He wanted to continue enjoying life in Sombor, but Hansen wouldn't allow it.

A poor worker was dragged out of the land of comfort by his boss again.

Sure enough, although Sombor’s best horses were obtained, it came at a price.

When Hansen was in Sombor, he knew that Jokic actually had training.

But that kind of training intensity can only help people maintain their condition, so as not to gain weight when they return from the offseason, and it cannot help improve their strength.

This time, when Jokic was called back, Hansen specially found a trainer to help him improve the quality of his pick-and-roll.

The Cavaliers' opponents this season are stronger than last season, and Jokic needs to improve faster.

Time flies, and it is early September in a blink of an eye. The season training camps of various teams have started one after another.

The first day of the Cavaliers' training camp seemed a bit lazy, and the players seemed to have not yet recovered from the long offseason.

It’s a common problem for defending champions. After you win the championship, laziness will always find you like afternoon sleepiness.

And after the training camp started, there was always a feeling that something was missing, and later it was discovered that it was Garnett who was missing.

In the past two seasons, training camps were always filled with Garnett's trumpet-like trash talk, but this year it disappeared with his retirement.

However, Han Sen doesn’t have to be the villain like he did back then, because Malone has already played that role.

From the fact that people shout “who is your daddy” during parades and rallies, you know that this guy is not as easy to mess with as he looks.

At this time, it would be more appropriate for him and Lu to stand together, one with a black face and the other with a red face.

On the team's tactical level, one change that can be clearly felt this year is that Malone has made tactical additions to the one-star and four-star system.

There are Jokic's support tactics of holding the ball at the top of the arc and the three-point line, as well as Jokic's pick-and-roll tactics.

The purpose of adding these tactics is, on the one hand, due to Jokic's outstanding performance in the playoffs last season, and on the other hand, to make it more difficult for opponents to target him.

Jokic performed well in training.

Passing is his strong point. As for the pick-and-roll, Jokic trained with Hansen this past summer, and the quality of his pick-and-roll has improved significantly.

Moreover, Jokic's personality quickly attracted Deron's attention, and he also took the initiative to share his pick-and-roll experience with Jokic.

Some people are just naturally likable, there's nothing you can do about it.

Time flies, and it is already early October.

The teams have finished their training camps one after another, and the annual media day is approaching.

The Warriors, Cavaliers and Celtics are the most watched teams on this media day.

The focus of the Celtics' media day was Durant.

Durant has been spending the past offseason confined to the training hall, even giving up his favorite activity of surfing the Internet.

His body looks noticeably stronger this season.

“Why did you choose Boston?”

The first question asked by the reporter is also the issue that the outside world is most concerned about.

The Rockets can't get rid of Bosh, but both the Warriors and the Spurs seem to be better options than the Celtics.

"I like the championship culture here. Danny showed me the championship banners hanging in the arena. No one knows how to win the championship better than them."

"Why don't you go west, I mean, in the east you will have to face Han," the reporter asked.

"If I go to the West, does that mean I don't have to face Han?" Durant's answer was based on the truth.

"If we can't defeat Han head-on, then everything will be meaningless."

……

The focus of the Warriors' media day was James, and several core members of the Warriors welcomed James' joining.

That includes Green:
"LeBron is my brother. His goal is to win the championship. Our goal is to win the championship again. That's why we are together. We need a hearty revenge."

James reiterated what he said in the summer:

"We'll take the first one, then the second, then the third, but the most important thing is the first one, and we'll do it."

A fact that is easily overlooked is that the Lakers defeated the Warriors last season, which freed James from the burden of "surrendering to the enemy" and instead allowed him to "join you after I defeat you", which also gave him a psychological advantage when facing the Warriors.

……

On the Cavaliers side, Hansen has his own spotlight.

After leading the Cavaliers to win the championship last season, he has been considered by many media to be on par with Jordan.

When he sat down, the spotlights flashed wildly and reporters asked questions one after another.

"LeBron said in the summer that he wanted to build a dynasty, and that was also what you said before. How do you view the conflict between the two?" asked a reporter from ESPN.

“That’s not a conflict.”

Han Sen's first answer shocked all the reporters.

"He will indeed build a dynasty, but not for the Warriors, but for the Cavaliers."

Han Sen's words instantly made the atmosphere at the scene cheerful.

If it was before, reporters might have needed to use their brains, but now, because Hansen said during the championship parade in the summer that "James brought the championship to the Cavaliers", such words are understood immediately.

"Both the Bay Area and Boston have assembled strong lineups this season. Who do you think will be your biggest enemy this season?"

Both the Warriors and Celtics have a very obvious weakness: defensive problems at the point guard position.

Whether it is Curry or Thomas, they will become the opponent's breakthrough point in the playoffs.

But the Warriors' defensive system is more sound than the Celtics, so the Warriors are undoubtedly the stronger opponent.

"Ourselves."

Han Sen's answer was once again surprising, but it was consistent with his character.

As the defending champions, their bigger enemy is themselves rather than their opponents.

In the 7 preseason games, the Cavaliers achieved a record of 5 wins and 2 losses.

Ma Long used competition as training and put the added content from training into official competitions.

Although Jokic is outstanding, he still needs time to adapt in official games.

After the preseason, the league announced the season's team strength list.

The Warriors topped the list, followed closely by the Cavaliers, and the Celtics, Spurs, Rockets, Thunder, Raptors and Grizzlies ranked 3rd to 8th.

A lot of things changed after last season's finals, and Stan was forced to resign from the league.

The current list basically reflects the paper strength of each team in the new season. In fact, the approximate ranking of this list should have been determined in the summer, and the league also formulated the new season schedule according to it.

The three opening games scheduled for the first day are: Cavaliers vs. Celtics, Warriors vs. Lakers, and Knicks vs. Bulls.

Each game has a different focus, but they are all very interesting.

As the defending champions, the Cavaliers' opening game will naturally be played at home.

Hansen's training camp was previously held at the team's new training center because Quicken Loans Arena was undergoing renovations over the summer.

The renovation cost $1.4 million, and now the Quicken Loans Arena looks brand new compared to before.

In terms of the external structure, the original poster display area in front of the stadium, which was the place where Han Sen complained several times about the untimely replacement of posters, has been installed with the most advanced oversized LED electronic display screen.

When there are no matches, different posters and advertisements will be displayed there in a scrolling manner; during matches, the matches will be broadcast directly there.

For this purpose, the municipal government also cooperated with the stadium to carry out road reconstruction.

Originally there was a four-lane road in front of the Quicken Loans Arena, but now it has been directly diverted and a huge fountain square has been built there that can accommodate thousands of people to watch the game outside the stadium.

This is just the external transformation.

Internally, the competition venue has upgraded its LED electronic screen, which is now 1.5 times the size of the original one, significantly improving the visual effect compared to before.

The number of seats in the venue has also increased to 2, and all have been upgraded to soft chairs.

As for the dressing room, the "bathhouse" has finally completed its mission. The glass windows and the ambient lights on the top give it a sense of technology.

In addition, the home team's locker room is equipped with a touch-screen electronic display, which allows the coaching staff to make more convenient and quick tactical deployments.

Gilbert has invested a lot of money, but the Cavaliers' market value soared after winning the championship last season, and various sponsorships and investments followed. In the long run, it is not a loss at all.

And more importantly, the Cavaliers are just one of Gilbert's assets. The increase in the Cavaliers' market value has increased the credibility of his investment company, and his loan business is booming.

It is no wonder why he was so excited that he knelt down to Hansen, and why he was so excited when the Cavaliers won the championship.

It was the first game after the renovation of the arena, and there was a championship ring award ceremony in the opening game, so fans flocked to the Quicken Loans Arena on game day.

The Fountain Square was also crowded with people.

The night temperatures in Cleveland in November were only in the single digits, with a chilly wind, but that couldn't dampen the enthusiasm of the fans.

An hour before the game started, the attendance rate at Quicken Loans Arena was close to 90%.

Hansen also showed up at the arena to warm up with dunks, which was what attracted the fans to come in so early.

It is worth mentioning that after the end of the preseason, the management finally decided to cut Metta World Peace, who had signed a guaranteed contract with the team, and instead kept Derrick Jones Jr., who had a training camp contract.

From a competitive perspective, this is a very surprising decision. Although Metta World Peace does not have much ability to play in the NBA now, the Cavaliers need someone to act as a "thug."

But from a business perspective, the decision is not surprising at all.

That was something Han Sen didn't know before. Jones Jr. was already famous for his dunks in high school and had a large fan base on social media, making him a veritable "Internet celebrity player."

It's all basic salary anyway, so signing him to perform for the audience and let Han Sen save some energy before the game would be a good deal.

Half an hour before the game started, the award ceremony for the championship ring was already set up on site.

Players from both sides entered the field one after another under the dimmed lights.

Looking at the golden ring in the center of the stage, the Cavaliers players could no longer contain their excitement.

The vast majority of this team is playing for their first championship.

Garnett also came to the scene. Since he has retired and no longer needs to travel for games, he has plenty of time.

The cost of the Cavaliers' rings this year is much lower than that of the Warriors, but it is the most in NBA history.

The rings awarded to the coaching staff and players are still the supreme diamond rings inlaid with more than 100 diamonds, but in addition to them, other Cavaliers staff will also receive their championship rings, even the security and cleaning staff of the stadium.

Although not all of those rings have that many diamonds.

Even outside the stadium, the team provided many replica rings to be distributed free of charge to the fans who attended.

This concretizes Hansen’s original words, “Cleveland, this is for you.”

The first person to receive the ring was Garnett.

Although he has retired, he still found the No. 21 jersey he had worn before for the Cavaliers.

When the DJ called out his name, the scene became even more lively.

Garnett also pounded his chest, roared, and did push-ups, pushing the atmosphere to a climax right from the start.

After him, the Cavaliers players received their rings one after another.

When JR came on the court, the cheers from the audience were the same level as those for Garnett, which shows how much the fans love him.

His two years in Cleveland can be described as a prodigal son.

JR excitedly did his "helicopter takeoff" celebration.

And before receiving the ring, he raised his right hand, kissed his bracelet, and then made a prayer gesture.

Perhaps only Han Sen knew what that action meant.

Jokic should be the most emotionally stable among all the people. When this guy came on the court, there were cheers from the audience, and the fans expressed their love for this little fat guy.

But Jokic just smiled, then went over to get the ring and came back.

Even when little Jones was curious, he just threw the ring to him.

This is in stark contrast to Powell's previous excitement.

Before going on the court, Irving turned around and gave Hansen a passionate hug.

When he turned around and went on stage, the cheers from the audience reached a new decibel.

Irving and Hansen were both players selected by the Cavaliers themselves, although their collaboration came many years later than expected.

The last to appear was Han Sen.

When the host read out Han Sen's name, the decibel level at the scene exploded.

The cheers inside and outside the stadium also reached their peak at this moment.

Amid cheers, Hansen received the fourth championship ring of his career from Silva.

Of course, it is also the most valuable championship ring in his career.

The Cavaliers' logo, the number 77, and the dazzling diamond light that blinds your eyes.

When Han Sen put the ring on his hand, the cheers at the scene reached their limit.

Thinking back to the big words Hansen said when he was a rookie in Cleveland, now it is no longer his black history, but the path he took to get here.

(End of this chapter)