CHAPTER 566: CHAPTER 278 THE 2014-2015 SEASON CONCLUDES PART 2

In the NBA honors, the only one he really cared about was probably the Finals MVP, since winning it meant clinching the championship, and it showed that he made the biggest contribution to the team during the games.

As for the others, take the MVP for instance, O’Neal only got it once in his career, do you think he’s inferior to Malone and Nash who have won it twice?

So, the MVP this year, if he didn’t manage to grab it, it wouldn’t matter much; of course, winning it would be great, not just for the honor, but also for the Cavaliers’ regular-season record.

Getting the fourth MVP, considering his current bad relationship with the media, the pace is definitely expected to go wild, and he could probably harvest a bunch of haters as well.

Compared to that, what he was more focused on was the playoffs against the Bulls.

The Cavaliers and the Bulls were both in the Central Division. They faced each other four times during the regular season, each winning two games.

The Bulls had started the season off strong, but later, as Ross got hurt off and on, Butler suffered many games out due to Thibodeau pushing him too hard.

Now, though, Ross and Butler were both healthy again, and they were the trickiest team in the lower bracket.

While Hansen and Conningham were practicing, the Bulls also arrived at Quicken Loans Arena, holding a public training session in the training hall.

After the training, Ross and Butler, the highly-watched players, didn’t attend the interviews, but Noah stayed behind.

Last season, Noah had snatched the Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) from Hansen and was selected for the first team, marking the highest point of his career.

This season he was still on form, still able to contribute stats of 10+10+5, making him the only All-Star from the Bulls this season.

Regarding the upcoming game against the Cavaliers, he showed immense confidence.

"Many people have yet to realize, this is the first time since 2011 that we’re all healthy in the playoffs. I don’t care how the outside views it, but I think we’re the best team. Yes, that’s what I mean. As long as we stay healthy, we can beat anyone, including Hansen."

"Just like you winning the DPOY last season?"

"Yes, just like what I accomplished last season."

Because of Ross’s injuries, the Bulls, who had once amazed everyone and carried the banner of "revival," had gradually faded from public view. But Noah’s statement had turned many heads back their way.

Perhaps, the Bulls might really achieve something this year.

After all, though Hansen was strong, the Cavaliers were visibly weaker.

Apart from a sometimes outstanding but overall underwhelming top pick and an aging Garnett ready for retirement, not many would look beyond them unless they paid close attention to the team.

Perhaps JR was half an exception, but he’s remembered more for the trouble he caused.

After finishing practice, Hansen went to participate in the "Up Close with Hansen" radio show.

Initially, he’d just gone through the motions since the program took up his time every week.

However, as he participated more, he found it not only interesting but also a great opportunity to generate attention from haters.

Because the radio didn’t just attract Cavaliers fans, but also listeners from across the United States and even globally, the calls he received were highly varied.

Some were interested in his personal life off the spotlight, always a curious subject.

Others confessed their admiration on air, sharing stories about how they had his posters plastered on their walls at home.

And, of course, there were those who trash-talked him on the radio.

The chance to connect was rare, requiring a long wait and a bit of luck, even needing some disguise, but there were those who were willing to waste their shot in a conversation that could end abruptly after starting with the letter F.

"You’ll never surpass Michael! F**k Hansen!"

For instance, today started with a middle-aged Chicago fan with a tough gangster vibe.

After several calls were cut short, Hansen responded on the air.

"Chicago will never have another Jordan, and they can’t revive that past. That’s the harsh reality."

Today’s hater score was met again.

The second caller was a fan from Memphis, asking when Hansen’s statue would be erected.

"Maybe this summer."

Originally, Hansen thought Pera was just using his name to please Memphis fans, but Pera quickly got in touch and even invited him to participate in the design of the sculpture during the summer.

Although previously he had an unpleasant falling out with Heisley, Pera’s sincerity moved him, and he had fond memories of his time in Memphis, so he did not refuse.

Moreover, it was meaningful to have a statue erected before retiring.

The third caller was a Hansen fan from Los Angeles, which sounded a bit abstract, but still somewhat reflected Hansen’s current influence.

He asked Hansen how he viewed the first round against the Bulls.

Before Hansen could answer, the host reminded him of the firsthand information he had about Noah’s remarks.

"Regarding Noah, I heard about an incident between him and KG. Before he joined the league, he was a fan of KG. When he faced him for the first time, he tried to cozy up to KG, and KG’s response was ’Who the fuck do you think you’re talking to?’ That night, KG trash-talked him all night."

"So, will you trash-talk him too?" the fan asked.

"No, if he says ’hello, sir’ to me, I might go a bit easier on him."

After the radio show ended, Hansen went home to rest.

He didn’t expect that when he woke up the next day, a phrase from the show had gone viral on social media.

It was from a Cleveland fan, who was also a sci-fi buff.

He quoted from the novel "The Three-Body Problem" by Liu Da, which was a widely known sci-fi novel from East University overseas: "To destroy you is no concern of mine."

That phrase matched perfectly with what Hansen had said on the radio last night because, from Hansen’s response, it was clear that whether Noah said they wanted to defeat Hansen or whether he said "hello, sir," Hansen would lead the Cavaliers to victory.

On game day, an hour before the start, Quicken Loans Arena was nearly 80% full.

They were there because, after the All-Star game this season, Hansen had brought the pre-game dunk contest warm-up routine from the Grizzlies to Cleveland.

This not only ensured the attendance rate at Quicken Loans Arena but also served as a token of appreciation to the fans after Hansen missed participating in the Slam Dunk Contest.

Besides Hansen, the Cavaliers also had JR, nicknamed "Jordan’s Mixtape," and their matchup was very exciting.

Hansen ultimately wowed everyone with a Scorpion Tail dunk, successfully heating up the game day.

Soon, the players from both teams arrived on the court, and the opening ceremony started.

The Bulls, as the visiting team, went first: Rose, Butler, Covington, Gibson, Noah.

When Noah entered, the venue erupted in boos.

But Noah seemed quite unaffected, applauding vigorously in response to the jeers.

It was clear that, although Garnett’s harsh words were tough on him back then, they helped him mature quickly.

Then it was the Cavaliers’ turn.

The DJ hadn’t even started the introductions when the crowd’s cheers erupted excitedly.

When Hansen finally made his entrance, Quicken Loans Arena absolutely exploded.

For the past four years, especially last season, the Cavaliers had given their all, but only managed to hover around the playoff threshold.

Now, finally, they had made it in!

The starting lineup for the Cavaliers: Irving, Hansen, Tucker, TT, Garnett.

Given Bargnani’s previous lessons, Malone was very cautious with Garnett, usually having him come off the bench.

But tonight, perhaps inspired by Hansen’s comments on the radio the night before, Malone was also playing psychological games.

Since Noah was still resentful from being verbally attacked by Garnett, it was perfect to have Garnett face him right from the start.