In fact, after Hansen had made his statement, Irving subconsciously lowered his head.
The quality of his game play was something no one understood better than himself, but Hansen’s words did not comfort him; instead, they brought shame. This update ıs available on 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵~𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖~𝙣𝙚𝙩
"You mentioned last year that you would participate in this year’s slam dunk contest, do you still feel the same way?" asked a reporter from NBC.
When this question had been posed the previous year, Hansen was still with the Grizzlies, and he had a very good reason to participate in the All-Star game hosted in Memphis.
But now, Hansen was no longer with the Grizzlies, and he had a significant conflict with Heisley.
"Why not?" Hansen’s answer reverted to being concise once more.
"I noticed that during the ring ceremony, you had an exchange with Heisley, what did you say to him at that time?" a reporter from TMZ inquired.
"I wished him a pleasant evening," Hansen responded with a smile.
It was well-known that he was a very polite player.
After the press conference concluded, Hansen and Irving returned to the locker room together.
"Thanks, Hansen, for all the things you said for me," Irving expressed his gratitude to Hansen.
"Just come practice with me later," Hansen responded, leaving him momentarily speechless.
Without much else to say, all he could do was nod in agreement.
Once they were back at the locker room and had changed into their training gear, Hansen called Conningham over, and the three of them went to the gym for extra practice.
Their primary focus was on passing.
After some time training, Hansen could more clearly feel that Irving’s passing was not due to a lack of ability.
It was because Irving’s ball control and passing precision were not the issue per se.
But considering Irving’s occasionally flashy jelly finishes and fingertip ball-handling skills, it was unlikely his passing could be poor.
Just as he had thought earlier, it was more a matter of personal preference.
When training came to an end, Hansen told Conningham to head back first.
"Kyrie, you can’t lead a team to great success," Hansen bluntly stated, sitting down, which made Irving’s eyes widen in disbelief.
Hansen’s words at the press conference were as warm as they come, but the ones he’d just delivered were bone-chillingly harsh, like a knife thrust straight into the heart.
Once Irving had recovered his wits, his face spelled out a clear challenge to the claim.
Hansen watched Irving closely, and upon seeing his reaction, he continued,
"If you truly want to lead a team well, you need to learn to suppress your own scoring desire, read the game more, and pay attention to your teammates’ positions."
The Irving from "history" had never changed his style and was always eager to prove himself, eventually becoming a team breaker, with Guy not even coming close in comparison.
To invoke change in Irving, Hansen knew he had to move beyond the "I" and realize the "we."
Certainly, Hansen’s persuasion was also tied to the team’s strategic system.
Being the main ball handler was too exhausting, and although it looked good on the stat sheet, by the fourth quarter tonight, he distinctly felt his efficiency slipping.
If Irving could actually energize the team’s offense through sudden bursts as Malone envisioned, effectively taking on a part of the ball-handling duties, allowing Hansen to transition from being the primary ball handler back to a ball handler, it would be the ideal state for the Cavaliers’ One Star and Four Shooters system.
As Hansen and Irving were discussing, a piece of news exploded on social media, spurring intense debate among fans.
After the Grizzlies’ season opener, Heisley had finally decided to sell the team to Robert Pera, the owner of Youbi Fast Technology Company.
It was noted that the transaction’s closing price was significantly lower than the Grizzlies’ valuation from this summer.