Wallace moved quickly, arranging a trial for Hansen the same day they finished talking, and then secured a one-year, minimum salary contract with West.
Though it was for a year, since the season was already into its latter half, the actual amount of the contract was roughly just over four hundred thousand US dollars, a small price to pay.
Moreover, Wallace dared to sign West because he had Hansen.
Hansen’s ability to handle problematic players was strong, not to mention West initially joined the Grizzlies with Hansen.
Hansen also met West on the day of the signing.
If West appeared somewhat haggard during their initial months in Memphis, by this time, his decline was visibly pronounced.
Hansen seemed to understand why West, with mental health issues, could end up on the streets not long after leaving the NBA.
A person with mental health issues, once they lost their goals, was like a lone boat adrift at sea, having lost their drive in life.
So in some sense, by signing West at this time, the Grizzlies were extending a hand to him.
When he saw Hansen, a glimmer of light broke through the despondence in West’s eyes.
Perhaps for him, Hansen was one of the few islands he could see in the vast ocean.
Hansen also went up to give him a hug.
"Good to have you back," Hansen patted West on the back.
West nodded vigorously, Hansen could feel his body shaking slightly.
West’s addition was a great complement to the Grizzlies.
Though Livingston was in good form, he had an injury history, and Joerger was conservative with his use during regular-season games.
Plus, Livingston didn’t have an outside shot, which became a target in some games; West could step in to solve that problem.
Of course, most importantly, after joining the Grizzlies, West did not exhibit any locker-room-disrupting behavior.
Wallace’s gamble paid off; as long as Hansen was there, West’s negative factors would not surface.
Time swiftly moved to late March.
The Grizzlies were still firmly holding the top spot in The West, but competition among other Western teams heated up to a boiling point.
The West was basically divided into two groups; the Grizzlies, Lakers, Spurs, and Nuggets had nearly secured the top half.
In the lower half, the Mavericks, Warriors, Clippers, Thunders, Rockets, and Jazz were engaged in a frenzied battle for the six playoff spots.
The most attention-grabbing was the Thunders.
While James’ arrival brought in a windfall off the court for the Thunders, they struggled to solve the compatibility issue between Westbrook and James.
Westbrook had already conceded, but Carrell’s article about "James opting out of his contract in 2014" made him reconsider.
The Thunders’ team atmosphere could only be described as a mess by now.
This was causing them to fall behind in the playoff-positioning race.
Without some change, James’ first season traveling to The West would inevitably miss the playoffs.
Not reaching the playoffs at his peak would be a severe blow to his reputation.
It was during this time that the Thunders faced the Grizzlies for the third time this season.
Since they were not in the same division, this was their last encounter of the season.
The game took place in Memphis.
Even at the end of the season, the attendance rate at the FedEx Forum remained high.
Memphis’ basketball market growth still needed time, but it was significantly better than San Antonio’s.
During pre-game warm-ups, the camera focused on James, whose expression was deeply solemn.
Hansen wasn’t surprised by the possibility of James missing the playoffs.
After all, in the "history" he knew, the competitiveness of The West could take Lebron, the previous year’s "Thanos James," and relegate him to "CBA teammate" level the next year.
Not to mention James also had the infamous history of four "Top 75" players missing the playoffs.
Though James was younger and at his peak now, it was normal for the Thunders, riddled with internal problems, to fall behind given the hellish level of this season’s Western Conference.
Everyone knew the solution was to resolve the internal discord.
But that was precisely the issue they couldn’t solve.
Hansen even felt that if they really missed the playoffs this season, the Thunders might not want to trade James, but James himself would likely request a trade.
After all, if Nike’s top endorsement fell into a ditch and stayed too long, it would truly stink.
The game quickly began, and surprisingly, the Thunders were in fine form tonight.
By the end of the first quarter, they matched the Grizzlies blow for blow.
In the second period, with James staggering his play, they momentarily gained a double-digit lead.
Seeing this, Joerger called on Hansen and Little Gasol early.
Once on court, the Grizzlies’ quality at both ends of the floor quickly improved, with Hansen’s successive scoring helping to narrow the gap.
It was then that James increased his drives to the basket, and the frequency of whistles on court followed suit.
Ultimately, Stern had only given James a bit of discipline the season after "The Decision," and afterwards, his favorable officiating returned.
Nevertheless, this still didn’t stop the Grizzlies’ momentum in catching up.
This season Stern had switched his disciplinary focus to the Grizzlies; however, unlike James, the Grizzlies showed their adaptability, already accustomed to playing under such officiating.
Of course, the fans’ jeering was non-stop and grew louder, as they were about to overtake the lead. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹·𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗲·𝗻𝗲𝘁