Although there had been signs, when Hansen was really elected as a starter, he still faced many doubts.
After all, the voting this time was significantly influenced by fan votes because of their adulation.
As the person involved, Hansen inevitably was asked about this issue during a media interview.
"Do you think the result is unfair?" The reporter’s question was quite direct.
"Yes," Hansen’s answer was shocking.
Just as the reporters were puzzled by Hansen’s unconventional response, Hansen already spoke up discontentedly,
"Why wasn’t Zack selected? His performance this season was better than Paul Gasol’s, and Blake Griffin is in one of the worst teams in the West. It’s unfair."
After Guy was injured, the Grizzlies’ record dropped but was still the fifth in the West.
If it weren’t for Hansen’s off-court support to be elected as a starter, he probably wouldn’t have made it to the reserves at all. In other words, the fifth team in the West not receiving an All-Star slot, now that’s blatant injustice.
And it wasn’t just him deflecting the topic, because Randolph had never been selected for the All-Star game before this, and this season was his best chance.
Shortly after Hansen’s interview, the criticisms about his selection had significantly decreased.
Not because of his response, but because Swift announced on social media that she would perform during the NBA All-Star halftime show.
This meant that those fans who voted for Hansen would indeed watch this year’s All-Star game!
Even the NBA’s official website reposted this news; Hansen had helped the NBA with a decent promotion.
After confronting the reporters, Hansen no longer cared about the All-Star matters.
Compared to that, his current focus was still on training with Allen.
With Guy out for the season, he was inevitably going to take on more offensive responsibilities and needed to improve urgently.
Despite the Grizzlies being fifth in the West, in the grander scheme of the West, a losing streak could easily knock them out of the playoff race.
After the training session ended that day, Hansen and Allen sat resting by the court.
Although the two had little interaction before, their communication naturally increased after training together.
"Tony, have you ever tried changing your shooting form?" Now that they were on better terms, Hansen naturally began to care about some of Allen’s matters.
You’d think with the same name Allen, he doesn’t need to be a sharpshooter like Ray Allen, but at least he could make open shots, not force the team to play 4 on 5.
Also, he observed that Allen’s shooting form was peculiar; he would lift the ball over the back of his head, making his entire shooting motion look like he was throwing a shot put.
"I already missed that chance," Allen had indeed tried before.
"After I tore my knee ligament in 2007, I knew I couldn’t go back. I tried to change, but it was too late." Read complete versıon only at 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭•𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚•𝕟𝕖𝕥
"You had a ligament tear?" Hansen was surprised.
A ligament tear, that’s a career-destroying injury,
This was the first he had heard of it, not because he had a memory slip, but players like Allen seldom made an impression; he knew him only as a top-notch defender.
"In my youth, I always fantasized that there was a superstar button inside me, only to be brutally punched by reality."
Allen said this with a look full of reflection.
Before Jimmy Butler, Allen was a representative figure who advanced from community college to the big league.
Due to poor academic performance, he started his basketball career at a college called Butler County Community College, later transferring to Oklahoma State University.
In his senior year, he managed averages of 16 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 2.1 steals, leading his team to the Final Four, becoming the Jordan of his own story.
But because of poor ball-handling and not being tall enough for his position requirements at that time, he wasn’t highly regarded.
If not for Doug Rivers, he might not even have been a first-round pick.
But even after being drafted by the Celtics with a first-round pick, Rivers always saw him as a "defensive spearhead," with miserably few minutes of playing time.
He always thought he had no chance, until the game against the Lakers; facing Kobe, he got fouled out within 8 minutes, almost breaking the NBA’s quickest foul out record, realizing then that the superstar button didn’t exist.
After that, during the following summer of his sophomore season, he gave up his illusions and focused on intense training, defense, rebounds, and fast breaks, improving on what he was already good at.
Then he experienced a breakout; he scored 30 points against the Nuggets and followed up with six straight games scoring 20+ points.
This surprised Hansen again; if someone had told him before his time travel that Tony Allen could score 20+ points in six consecutive games, he would have thought that person was playing him out in a 2K game.
"I remember during that game against the Magic, the commentator called me ’little DW.’"
Allen mentioned this with a slight smile, probably the fondest memory of his career.
But quickly, his facial expression turned painful, likely recalling a past he did not want to relive.
He had twisted his left knee during a dunk attempt in an offensive round already stopped by a referee, which turned out to be unnecessary.
He initially thought it was a minor issue, but the diagnosis was a torn knee ligament.
Although it fortunately did not end his career, it severely weakened his athletic abilities, lateral movement, vertical leap, and dynamic talent thereafter.