Nike originally had their eyes on Raven for his jumping ability, but when they learned that UA was deeply interested in Wiggins, they entered the competition.
UA also played their cards well, and Nike eventually secured Wiggins with a five-year, $15 million contract, well above market value.
Meanwhile, UA turned around and secured Raven with a four-year, $4 million contract.
This deal not only undercut Nike but also didn’t affect their pursuit of Klay Thompson next year.
At this moment, the photographer’s lens quickly shifted to the shoes Hansen was wearing.
They were a pair of striking sports shoes with a black tongue, white laces, a black upper, and a white sole, but the most unique part was the white stripe that extended to the back of the shoe. Here, the stripe widened, and on both sides, there were two eye-like black triangular blocks, resembling a panda face.
These shoes had not been seen before, much less worn by Hansen.
Why wasn’t Hansen wearing his HS series, instead opting for these new shoes?
Not only the fans on the scene but also numerous fans watching the live stream were filled with curiosity after seeing the close-up of the shoes.
As UA’s leading endorser, Hansen naturally wouldn’t wear another brand’s sports shoes, so they began to check UA’s official site.
Their search quickly yielded results; these were UA’s new "HS Panda Series," but they hadn’t been officially released yet and were only available for limited pre-order.
Then quickly, not only did pre-orders explode, but the social media buzz also surged.
UA’s hunger marketing campaign was quite successful.
The scene moved to the opening ceremony, and both teams’ starting lineups were announced.
Cavaliers: Irving, Hansen, Tucker, TT, Hawes
Grizzlies: Conley, Wiggins, Guy, Randolph, Little Gasol
Little Gasol tapped the ball back to the Grizzlies’ half, and the focus match kicked off.
With Hansen out, the Grizzlies’ main attack shifted to the inside.
Little Gasol received the ball in the low post, spun around, and hooked it in.
Although Hawes was good at blocking, it was still tough for him to stop a peak Little Gasol.
Hansen didn’t start the game as a ball handler.
The ball-handler role exhausts physical stamina significantly, so letting his teammates play first, taking over when they couldn’t find an opening, was the best strategy.
At that moment, the Cavaliers’ offensive position on the court had Tucker in the weak side corner, Hansen at the 45-degree angle, Hawes at the top of the arc, and TT anchored at the base, stretching the space significantly.
Irving decided to take on Conley one-on-one.
Although Conley’s defense was stout, Irving’s ball handling and dribbling skills were superior. After a series of dribbling moves and a quick prayer, he successfully bypassed Conley’s defense.
But at that moment, Randolph retreated early to under the basket.
Facing Randolph, Irving chose to accelerate, slip past him, and attempted a reverse jelly layup.
It was a beautiful move, but unfortunately, the angle was slightly off, and the basketball hit the rim and bounced off, secured by Randolph.
Conley advanced the ball to the frontcourt, and the Grizzlies continued with a set play. Follow current ɴᴏᴠᴇʟs on 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵✶𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖✶𝓷𝓮𝓽
This time Randolph, after receiving the ball, went one-on-one against TT. Using his weight to overpower TT, he spun to attack, drawing Hawes to help defend, and then passed the ball to Little Gasol who dunked it easily.
Cheers erupted from the Grizzlies fans in the arena.
The disparity in inside strength between the two teams was quite evident.
In the next play, Irving opted for a pick-and-roll with TT.
After setting the screen, TT quickly moved to the basket. Although his style was that of a typical blue-collar player, he had averaged around 12 points over the past two seasons, showing he had some offensive skills.
However, the Grizzlies made a decisive move as Randolph and Conley immediately doubled Irving.
Irving, trapped, revealed his weakness in passing; although he tried to lob the ball to the basket, the angle was clearly too much.
Finally, TT couldn’t catch the ball, and the Cavaliers’ offense ended in a turnover.
"TT can’t shoot, so he’ll keep cutting inside, and they’ll keep double-teaming you; you need to pass earlier," Hansen reminded Irving as they retreated.
The Grizzlies, with their championship core still intact, were experienced and knew exactly what to do on the court without needing the coach’s reminders.
In contrast, the Cavaliers were relatively young and lacked experience in high-level matches, something only games could build.
The Grizzlies continued with the low post offense, this time returning to Little Gasol.
Joerger was well aware of Hansen’s perimeter defensive skills, so tonight’s strategy was a full assault, sure that the Cavaliers’ inside was vulnerable.
Hansen chose this time to collapse and help defend.
His timing for help defense was perfect, trapping Little Gasol and cutting off his angle of attack. However, cleverly, Little Gasol raised the ball over his head.
At the same moment, Wiggins quickly cut in from midfield.
Little Gasol tossed the ball his way.
Hansen turned to help defend, but Wiggins had already taken off.
In that moment, Wiggins demonstrated why he was hailed as the greatest talent after James.
Not only could he jump high, but his explosive speed was also exceptional, and his body was incredibly fluid.
After Wiggins executed a powerful tomahawk dunk, the FedEx Forum erupted in excitement.
Even Heisley, who had returned to the VIP box, excitedly jumped from his seat and swung his fists in the air.
How would the Grizzlies function without Hansen? They still had Wiggins!
Just as the Grizzlies could rise quickly after trading for Hansen, now with Wiggins, they could replicate that miracle!