The No.1 Anti-Fans in Basketball-Chapter 70 A Year’s Agreement

"I can’t promise you right away, but I think it should be possible."

Ferry’s response stunned Hansen.

He couldn’t help but be curious about what instructions Ferry had received from James.

"Han, can we talk about some things that we’ll forget once we leave this room?" Ferry continued.

Hansen nodded, perhaps the answer to the question was in the following conversation.

"Do you think there’s a high chance that LeBron will leave Cleveland if he can’t win the championship this year?"

Although Hansen had prepared himself, Ferry’s words still caught him off guard.

"100%." Since it’s a forget-at-the-door conversation, he had no reservations.

"Yes, I think so too, of course, this is just my personal opinion," Ferry added a layer of protection for himself,

"Also, from my personal perspective, I think he has fought for this team for seven years and has done enough for the fans of this team and this city."

It was clear that the relationship between Ferry and James was more than just general manager and player.

Of course, what Hansen didn’t know was that Ferry and James both came to the Cavaliers the same year, and they had weathered the storms of the Cavaliers together.

"But if he chooses to leave, he will find it very difficult to become a legend. As the Chosen One, he would have to leave as a failure."

Ferry was still reflecting, while Hansen couldn’t help but laugh again.

The Chosen One was supposed to be a symbol, but now it had become shackles, how ridiculous.

"So, he needs that championship," Ferry said bluntly because he saw from Hansen’s attitude that it wouldn’t be so easy to keep him.

"That’s what he needs, not me," Hansen was equally blunt.

Winning a championship in his rookie season would have been great, but after all he had been through, he had no interest in "helping LeBron win a championship."

Ferry glanced at Thomas, and from Thomas’ previous questions, it seemed that Hansen was more concerned about opportunities and room for growth than about winning the championship.

He then turned his attention back to Hansen: "But you need the stage, don’t you?"

"What I can tell you is that if there is a trade, the team will definitely send you to the West, but it will be to a bottom-dwelling team."

What Ferry was talking about was the bottom-dwelling team, the kind that Thomas had mentioned earlier.

Clearly, Hansen’s performance in the practice game today had made the Cavaliers wary of him.

"You know how important the playoff stage is for a rookie, it’s where they can really make a name for themselves."

Is there really that much difference in ability between players as people imagine?

Take Grizzlies’ Zach Randolph and San Antonio Spurs’ Tim Duncan, for example, you don’t think they are comparable, but many times they can explode against each other.

That’s the importance of the stage, Duncan appears in the playoffs year after year, but Randolph has only been in the playoffs once in his career, giving people the impression that he’s just stats-padding on a bad team.

There are many such examples, like Pierce and Big Gasol, although they could barely lead their teams into the playoffs, they were the type without any real impact. However, as they made it to the finals and even won championships, their status in the League skyrocketed.

That’s the stage, for most players, it’s not the championship ring that attracts them, but the subsequent economic benefits that stage can bring.

Champion players signing new contracts usually get a substantial increase.

Hansen had to start thinking.

Going to a bottom-dwelling team, he would get more opportunities and be able to put up better numbers, there was no doubt about that.

But this was no different from why "Hansen" had chosen to go to Barry University in the first place.

He talked big, and no one paid attention; he put up great numbers, and the data was considered meaningless; to earn even a bit of hate value, he had to rack his brains.

But staying with the Cavaliers, he could easily earn hate value and, moreover, the team could give him everything he wanted.

The only problem was James.

"I won’t try to foster a relationship with LeBron off the court, I’ll only maintain professionalism on the court," Hansen stated.

"No problem."

"At the press conference, I can choose to refuse to answer questions related to LeBron," those questions Windhorst asked were really nauseating.

"That’s entirely your prerogative."

"If targeted incidents continue, or your promises are not fulfilled, I will still request a trade."

"Your concerns will not happen again."

Hansen also paused because he knew that no matter what he said, Ferry would agree.

At that moment, Thomas nodded at Hansen.

His initial thought was to help Hansen gain more rights.

However, Hansen didn’t nod right away because he thought of something else.

He would set those conditions based on the premise that he would only be teammates with James for one season, for as a transmigrator, he knew that James was about to leave Cleveland.

But if the Cavaliers won the championship, would James still leave?

Theoretically, Nike was behind James, and Nike needed him to move to a big city to enhance his personal influence.

But it was hard to rule out the possibility that James might stay.

For instance, signing a short contract and trying to fight for the championship with the Cavaliers one more time, if he failed and then left, that would be truly "having no regrets about this city."

That was very possible because James’s team had always been creating such a persona for him.

But that result was not what Hansen wanted.

"I have one final request."

"Tell me," Ferry said with joy on his face, for he knew he was close to completing the task James had left him.

"If LeBron decides to stay next summer, I’ll request a trade, and it has to be to the team of my choice."

Ferry was stunned for a moment but quickly understood.

Hansen was not an American, so his thinking was different from Americans. He wouldn’t say, like James did, that everything in the past was a misunderstanding for the sake of interest.

James’s actions had stayed with Hansen, so the only thing that made Hansen make his decision was the stage he mentioned.

"Okay," Ferry agreed after some thought.

It wasn’t just because James said, "I need this year’s championship," but also because of Hansen’s character.

If the Cavaliers didn’t win the championship and James left, Hansen’s character could be the new focus of the team’s development, especially since he was backed by the East Market.

If the Cavaliers won the championship and James stayed, he could totally trade for another or more players willing to follow James. Especially since if they won, Hansen’s trade value would rise further.

"Empty promises mean nothing." Hansen didn’t trust the integrity of these NBA general managers. As a transmigrator, he knew too many instances of broken verbal agreements.

"And what do you want?" Ferry asked.

"Write it down in black and white. If the team can’t keep their promise by then, I’ll choose to expose everything that happened at today’s practice match and the agreement we reached to the media. You know I can do it."

Ferry was stunned. He didn’t expect a rookie like Hansen to be so meticulous.

He couldn’t help but glance outside the room. Carrell had said he was adjusting equipment earlier—did adjusting equipment take so much time?

"This has never happened before," Ferry said with a troubled expression when he turned back.

"Then today will be the start," Hansen said with a firm attitude.

"Fine!" Ferry finally agreed, clenching his teeth. He had to complete the task given by James no matter what.

So, the two who were chatting just moments ago had someone bring over paper and a pen, writing up a written agreement.

The gist was that Ferry would ensure Hansen’s promised team status, and in a year, if James chose to stay, he would trade him to his desired destination.

After signing the contract, Hansen asked Carrell to go ahead, and he went upstairs with Ferry.

Ferry didn’t take Hansen directly back to the training hall but to the general manager’s office.

After signaling for Hansen to wait at the door, he went in.

Before long, he came out again, followed by James.

"I think I owe you an apology first. We’ve had some misunderstandings," James said to Hansen with a smile.

The classic "misunderstanding."

Hansen was also smiling, with a hint of playfulness in his eyes.

Because he thought of the scene where James knelt down on the Celtics’ home court.

Nike probably didn’t expect their "Chosen One" to be someone who could "bend and stretch."

After leaving the general manager’s office, Hansen went back to the locker room. He reeked and needed to take a shower and change clothes.

By this time, the Cavaliers’ people had long dispersed. However, when Hansen entered the locker room, he saw someone.

"Dante, what are you still doing here?" Hansen was somewhat surprised to see Conningham.

"I just saw Ferry taking you to the general manager’s office," Conningham said as he stood up, his face showing reluctance. "Are you really leaving?"

Hansen shook his head.

"Not leaving?" Conningham was overjoyed for a moment but then reined in his emotions. "They still refuse to let you go?"

"Dante, wait for me to shower first, then let’s go have dinner and talk slowly." The locker room was obviously not the place to discuss these things.

After showering, the two went to a café and found a private room. Hansen told Conningham the ins and outs of everything, except for some details that he couldn’t share.

He had nothing to hide from Conningham.

"My relationship with him is now like Kobe and O’Neal in the Lakers’ later periods," Hansen finally used a vivid example.

Essentially, NBA players share a colleague relationship—the majority of what fans believe is just what the League needs to propagate. The classic example is the Rockets’ "MM duo"; in fact, Yao and McGrady’s relationship was pretty average.

A façade of harmony, right?

What does it matter if they can’t stand each other, or ultimately if they can’t win the championship? As long as the stage is big enough.

"Damn, that’s badass!" However, Conningham’s focus wasn’t on that.

Hansen beats up James and then James apologizes to him? And the Cavaliers are willingly offering him a team position?!

That’s just unbelievably crazy!

Thinking back on Hansen’s performance on the court and his trash talk that could go down in history, he silently made a decision.

Hansen, as the boss—he was solidly behind him!