The No.1 Anti-Fans in Basketball -
Chapter 263 - 154 You Are My Idol!
Chapter 263: Chapter 154 You Are My Idol!
The day’s training had ended, and Hansen headed to the locker room to change clothes after his shower, as Tois led Faried in.
Deep, dark skin, long dredge-like dredlocks, bulging muscles, and that distinctive patchouli scent upon entry, Faried was the epitome of the NBA’s stereotypical African American player.
Faried was not considered a star in "history", but Hansen had some recollection of him.
For the most part, Faried played with the Nuggets and due to his explosive physical prowess, earned an impressive nickname: the Orc.
Not Jay Chou’s kind of Orc, but in the sense of having a beast-like physicality.
Seeing Hansen was also there, Tois called Faried over to greet him.
Faried smiled cheerily during the greetings, which made him seem quite likable.
But when Tois took him to his own locker, Faried frowned, "I need to change my spot."
After the previous season ended, many of the Grizzlies’ fringe players left, and several lockers became vacant; the team assigned him one next to Randolph’s.
This scene was all too familiar to Hansen, similar to his experience with the Cavaliers, where most teams arrange for rookies to serve the team’s big shots.
But it seemed Faried wasn’t too happy about it.
Reliving this scenario, Hansen couldn’t help but chuckle.
It appeared that this guy wasn’t as obedient as he seemed, harboring a bit of a troublemaker trait, just like Hansen in his earlier days.
However, Hansen, of course, wasn’t going to worry about such matters; after all, he didn’t need a rookie to carry his shoes for him.
After changing, he left the locker room.
The draft was at the end of June, and July 1st was quickly approaching.
Rondo had already rented a gym, UA arranged for a videographer, and his training camp was all set for the lockout to begin.
However, due to the uncertain status of the lockout, not many players had confirmed to train with him over the summer.
Among those he had invited, only Conningham, West, Battier, James Johnson, and Tony Allen were coming—old comrades, all of them.
He wasn’t in a rush, though, because once the lockout indeed hit, the situation would be completely different.
Time flew, and on July 1st, after three hours of last-ditch negotiations, the labor and management sides still failed to reach an agreement, and the league officially entered a lockout.
After the lockout, players would not receive salaries, teams could not negotiate with or sign players, and trades were prohibited.
Furthermore, players were not allowed to use the team’s training facilities for any reason, and teams could not hold any summer training camps, exhibitions, team meetings, or coaching sessions.
In a nutshell: For NBA players, a lockout meant unemployment.
On this day, Hansen received numerous phone calls.
Curry and Harden both said they would join him in Memphis for training.
Faried called as well—the Orc would never be enslaved, unless room and board were included.
Durant... Durant still refused to come.
There was one person who showed up uninvited, and Hansen was completely caught off-guard.
That person was none other than the "Cavaliers’ new future" touted by Grant—Kyrie Irving.
How did Irving find out about the Hansen Training Camp?
Because Seth Curry, Curry’s younger brother, was the same one who got schooled by everyone during Hansen’s tryout in Charlotte.
Last season at Duke, he was Irving’s backup, and the two had a rock-solid relationship.
Irving’s first impression to anyone was that he was extremely handsome.
Before, Hansen thought Guy was among the better-looking Black players, but Irving surpassed him easily.
Or you might say, Irving fit perfectly into East University’s aesthetic.
And with his shaved head, though both were Black, Irving presented an extreme contrast to Faried’s demeanor, with a vibe akin to the boy-next-door.
Put him in a suit, and he’d look quite the scholar.
Hansen was curious about Irving’s arrival.
After all, with Grant’s remarks, even if Irving didn’t hold any animosity toward him, he should have maintained a distance.
Yet Irving didn’t just show up; he greeted Hansen with enthusiasm and even admiration, which was slightly disconcerting for him.
They had no prior interaction.
Even Conningham didn’t behave like that when he saw Hansen.
But, since he was here,
It worked out just fine, as they were one player short for a full-court game, saving Hansen the trouble of scouting for more players.
After a warm-up, the Hansen Training Camp officially began.
The UA staff had set up their cameras on the sidelines.
They divided the ten players into two teams, Team A and Team B, by random combination.
Team A: Curry, West, Hansen, Conningham, Faried
Team B: Irving, Tony Allen, Harden, Battier, James Johnson
Rondo wasn’t needed for photography this time and acted as a temporary referee on the sideline.
Faried won the jump ball for Team A.
Hansen indicated for Curry to take the lead without asking for the ball.
Curry and Conningham executed a pick-and-roll and he launched a three-pointer.
Swish!
He scored on the first attempt.
Although Curry had not made a name for himself like Hansen, his career three-point shooting percentage of 44% during the first two years was historically impressive, securing his footing in the league.
Then, Irving turned and shook Curry to score a responding three-pointer.
The kid’s competitiveness was strong.
Curry’s attempt to drive was disrupted by Allen’s interference, and Johnson protected the defensive rebound; Team B launched a fast break.
During the fast break, Irving performed a behind-the-back dribble to get past West, then drove to the frontcourt to face Hansen’s attempted block; he glided in the air for an elaborate up-and-under layup.
Though the shot ultimately missed, his top-notch ability to integrate with the ball was plain to see.
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