The Grizzlies’ first opponent after the trade deadline was the Thunders.
Since it was a home game, the team could take it easy.
They also held their final training session on the morning of the game day.
The training session looked no different from yesterday, yet it felt significantly different.
Hansen was still playing the role of the "Villain" or "Expeller", but the Grizzlies players’ desire to compete had clearly intensified.
The championship title no longer held as much allure for them, but Hansen had kept them together, not for the championship, but for Hansen himself, and they were determined to give this season one more push.
Hansen breathed a sigh of relief after sensing this change.
Basketball is a team sport. Despite his explosive stats this season, Hansen knew that, just like in the season opener, one person couldn’t win against the Heat alone.
But now, he truly had confidence.
Although two-thirds of the season had already passed, it was still difficult for the Grizzlies’ teammates to return to their form of last season, but their chances were much greater than before.
Just like the 2022 Warriors, or the 1998 Bulls.
Fortune comes doubly, right after training, the Anti-Fans System finally reached the 1.5 million that Hansen wanted.
Thanks to Jordan, and thanks to those in the United States who still stubbornly criticized him for not joining the national team.
When he got home to rest, Hansen opened the Anti-Fans System, and then he redeemed a First Gear dunking talent.
After grasping the concept of "Simplicity," Hansen’s approach to redeeming talents became clear, aiming to make his scoring more straightforward and effective.
Returning to the essence of basketball, it’s about running faster, shooting more accurately, and jumping higher.
The last time Hansen redeemed a dunking talent, it was to make his mid-range shots harder to defend.
Jumping higher and staying in the air longer enhance both offensive and defensive capabilities significantly.
However, when Hansen found the dunking talent in the First Gear, he was clearly taken aback.
The NBA had many great dunkers, and every fan had a different opinion on who the best dunker was.
Some believed Jordan was the best because he was famously known as "Air Jordan", and AJ is an abbreviation for Air Jordan;
Some would say Carter, whose nickname "UFO" changed people’s perception of dunking before his injury, saving the NBA’s viewership;
Others might choose Zach Raven, who deserved the title "best dunker in history" with his physicality and flexibility;
Some supported Griffin, who could execute the true meaning of "Power Aesthetics";
Even others thought the question belonged to James, because while others’ dunks were all flash, in terms of "real battle dunk king," it had to be James. Dıscover more novels at 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡•𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚•𝙣𝙚𝙩
For Hansen, his answer wasn’t any of these, because the truly great dunkers were not in the NBA.
There are many dunkers in the NBA, but merely dunking, even with flair, won’t get them into the NBA, like the "Goat" Earl Manicourt with his double dunk or "White Jordan" Jordan Kilgannon with his scorpion tail dunk, these street dunkers were the true gods in the dunking field.
But the name of this First Gear dunking talent...
"Just Winning Dunk Contests."
Was just brutally straightforward.
It easily reminded one of James’s famous quote: "As long as I participate in the dunk contest, I can win the championship."
As for whether I can win the championship, see if I participate.
But considering the consistent style of the Anti-Fans System’s naming, this seemed quite reasonable.
"Significantly enhances jumping, hang time, body flexibility, and in-air combat talents."
The description of the talent was also very clear, covering both showmanship and practicality in dunking, even more comprehensive than the name of the talent.
That evening, during the pre-game warm-up, Hansen invited Carter to play a dunk version of "PIG" with him.
This is a basketball game popular in the United States, where one person mimics another person’s shooting style, with the winner earning the right to shoot first, and the one who fails three times becomes the pig, the loser.
This unique warm-up method not only excited the Grizzlies players but also fully engaged the emotions of the fans present.
It was essentially the Grizzlies’ internal dunk contest.
Hansen attempted many challenging dunks like off-the-backboard through-the-legs and 540° turn dunks; there were successes and failures, but what was evident was that, although he had just acquired the talent, he already felt like he was playing in a higher airstream.
Eventually, with a leap-over-Faried between-the-legs dunk, Hansen crushed the former wave Carter on the beach.
After the match, the two laughed and fist-bumped, bringing the atmosphere in the venue to its peak before the game even began.
This was definitely the most entertaining pre-game warm-up the Grizzlies had had in years.
Seeing how much the fans loved it, Hansen even thought this tradition could continue.
The chances to participate in dunk contests were too few; having a dunk contest every day was conducive to improving talent.
And it also greatly enlivened the atmosphere at the venue, killing two birds with one stone.
After the opening ceremony, the starting line-ups were announced.
Thunders: Westbrook, Afflalo, Anthony, Ibaka, Little Lopez
Grizzlies: Billups, Hansen, Guy, Randolph, Little Gasol
Conley, suffering from a finger injury, could have played through the pain, but the coaching staff decided to let him rest for safety.