The Process.

Silver, sitting in the stands, couldn't help but chuckle.

The season opener couldn't have been better for the league's ratings. The Han Sen vs. Steph Curry duel had instantly elevated the season's attention to a whole new level.

After the final buzzer, Han and Curry met at half-court, shook hands, and exchanged jerseys.

It wasn't about winning or losing — it was just a regular-season game. Both had dropped 50+ points, a moment worth commemorating.

The two stars stood together for a courtside interview, both grinning as they answered questions.

For UA? This was a massive win.

Back in the locker room, just as Han was finishing his cooldown, Coach Lue walked in.

"Han, I need you and Kyrie for the postgame presser."

"Kyrie?" Han glanced around the room, realizing for the first time that Irving wasn't there. "Wait, where is Kyrie?"

"I saw him by the elevator," Spencer Hawes said. "I tried to say hi, but he walked right past me. Guess he went straight back to the hotel."

Han nodded in understanding. It wasn't surprising. After getting outplayed by Curry and then missing the potential game-winner, Kyrie was probably stewing in frustration.

Han didn't press the issue. Instead, he turned to Nikola Jokic, who was quietly packing up his things.

"Nikola, you're coming with me."

Jokic looked up, wide-eyed. "Me? Why?"

"It's your first NBA game, and you're already getting postgame presser duties. Big moment," Han said with a grin.

On the way to the press room, Jokic couldn't contain his curiosity.

"Are you sure we shouldn't call Kyrie? He looked... upset."

Han shook his head. "He'll be fine by tomorrow."

Jokic frowned. The nickname 'boss' had been spreading through the Cavs locker room like wildfire, and he couldn't help but address Han that way.

"Boss," Jokic said hesitantly, "Kyrie helped me a lot in practice. He's a good guy. I didn't expect him to be... this sensitive."

Han chuckled. "You'll get used to it. He's complicated, but he'll bounce back."

Jokic didn't fully understand, but he let it go. His attention shifted as they entered the press room and he saw the sea of reporters waiting for them.

His body tensed. The crowd, the cameras — it was overwhelming.

'I barely did anything tonight,' Jokic thought to himself. 'Why am I even here?'

But once the press conference started, Jokic relaxed. The media's focus was entirely on Han. He figured he could sit back, stay quiet, and get through it without much trouble.

The first question came from an ESPN reporter. "Han, first of all, congratulations on a phenomenal performance. How does it feel to open the season with a win like that?"

Han grinned. "Feels great. Anytime you get a win against the defending champs, it's a good night."

The follow-up came quickly, from a reporter for The Athletic.

"Let's talk about that final shot. You counted down before you took it — three, two, one. Was that planned, or just spur of the moment?"

Han chuckled, shaking his head. "Planned? Nah. It wasn't something I thought about beforehand. In the moment, it just felt right. The crowd was loud, the game was tight, and I wanted to make it clear — this one's ending with me."

The press room buzzed with murmurs of agreement, but the next question shifted the focus.

"You and Steph both put up 50 tonight — 58 for you, 51 for him," a TNT reporter began. "After a battle like that, do you think we're witnessing the start of a new rivalry between you two?"

Han leaned back, crossing his arms. "Rivalry? Maybe. But Steph's a competitor. I respect him a lot. We both pushed each other tonight, and that's what makes the game fun."

The mention of Curry prompted a ripple of excitement through the room, but Han glanced sideways at Jokic, who had been sitting quietly, hoping to avoid the spotlight.

A Cleveland reporter caught the shift and went for it.

"Han, you've spoken highly of your teammates before. Can you share your thoughts on Nikola Jokic's performance tonight?"

Han's lips curled into a knowing smile. "Nikola? He's the future."

The words hit like a bombshell. Reporters straightened in their chairs, cameras snapping furiously as they turned toward Jokic, who froze in place, eyes wide.

"In a few years," Han continued, his voice steady, "Nikola Jokic will be an All-Star."

The room went silent for a moment, stunned by the declaration. Then came the chaos of shutters clicking and murmured exclamations.

Jokic blinked, his mouth opening slightly in disbelief. "Wait, what?" he whispered, barely audible over the noise.

The questions came fast.

"Are you saying Nikola is on track to become an All-Star?" someone pressed.

Han nodded confidently. "I'm not just saying it. I believe it."

Jokic shifted uncomfortably, his face a mix of shock and confusion. "Uh… thank you?" he muttered, earning a few chuckles from the reporters.

Han grinned, leaning in. "No pressure, big guy."

Another reporter jumped in, this time from Bleacher Report. "Han, you've never made a prediction like that before. Why now?"

Han didn't miss a beat. "Because I see it. I've seen it in practice, I've seen it in games. The kid's got skills most bigs don't have. Vision, touch, basketball IQ — he's special."

Jokic looked down, avoiding eye contact, clearly overwhelmed. "I just want to help the team," he mumbled.

The room broke into laughter.

It wasn't long before someone brought up the game-winning shot again, this time from a Bay Area reporter. "Han, that final countdown before the shot — was it a psychological move? Something to mess with the Warriors' heads?"

Han smirked. "You could call it that. Or you could just say I like to make things memorable."

The press room buzzed with amusement, but the questions kept coming.

"Steph also hit some incredible shots tonight," the reporter continued. "There was even a moment when you two had a dunk contest going. Any thoughts on his performance?"

Han couldn't help but laugh. "Steph? I hope he hears this — I think he should join me in the dunk contest."

That drew more laughter from the room, even Jokic cracking a smile.

The press conference wrapped up soon after, but the buzz carried on well after Han and Jokic had left the stage.

Later, back in the TNT studio, the crew was still reeling from the night's events.

"Wait a minute," Shaq said, leaning forward with a wide-eyed expression. "Did Han just say Jokic is going to be an All-Star?"

Kenny Smith nodded. "That's exactly what he said."

Chuck leaned in. "And you know what? I believe him. Jokic has that old-school big man feel, but with a modern twist. You don't see that every day."

Shaq shook his head, still processing. "Calling it this early, though? That's bold. I respect it."

"You've gotta trust Han's eye for talent," Kenny added. "He's proven he knows how to spot the real deal. If he says Jokic is the future, I'm buying stock."

Chuck grinned, pointing at the monitor where Jokic's goofy grin from the press conference was frozen on the screen. "Look at that kid. He's already got the charisma of a star. Just needs to polish his game."

They all laughed, but the conversation didn't lose its weight.

"Han just made a promise," Shaq said, leaning back in his chair. "And the whole league's gonna be watching to see if he keeps it."

---

Meanwhile, the league's season opener wasn't the only headline of the night.

Later that evening, the Lakers hosted the Bulls.

The result? Lakers 128, Bulls 98.

The Bulls were no slouches. Their roster hadn't changed much from last season, and Derrick Rose was fully healthy. They'd boasted one of the league's top defenses the previous year.

But against the Lakers? They shattered under the relentless pace.

Sometimes, you can't underestimate the power of morale.

Just like how Han's return lifted the Cavs to a Finals run last season, the Lakers were riding the emotional wave of Kobe's farewell tour. It wasn't just lifting the Lakers — it was setting a tone across the league. Everyone knew this season would be special.

Because they had a back-to-back game the next day, the Cavaliers flew back to Cleveland that same night.

---

The morning after the Warriors game, Han Sen was back in the gym early, as usual, for his first training session of the day.

Joining him were Dante Cunningham and Delonte West, his usual training partners.

Since returning to Cleveland, Han had brought back a key tradition from his Grizzlies days — the 'Breakfast Club.' It was a simple concept: train before sunrise, then eat together to refuel and bond.

The strength workout was intense, and as the trio wrapped up and prepared to grab breakfast, Han spotted someone he never expected to see this early.

Nikola Jokic.

Han stopped in his tracks, eyebrows raised. "Nikola?"

Jokic, typically the last one to show up for practice — always right on the dot — was here an hour early.

Cunningham grinned as he walked over. "Nikola, did you set your alarm wrong or something?"

Jokic scratched his head, then shook it. "No… I just… thought maybe I should train more."

Han chuckled, catching on immediately. The praise he'd given Jokic during the press conference must have made an impact. Jokic wasn't just feeling inspired — he felt guilty for not doing enough.

"That's exactly the right mindset," Cunningham said, giving Jokic a thumbs-up.

Han nodded in approval. "Welcome to the Breakfast Club."

Jokic blinked. "Uh… thanks?" He paused, then tilted his head. "Wait — what's the Breakfast Club?"

He got his answer soon enough. When they arrived at their breakfast spot after training, Cunningham explained it: a pre-practice workout to get a head start on the day.

Jokic's eyes widened, realization dawning.

He'd signed up for extra workouts — every day.

"Wait… no, no…" Jokic muttered to himself, his expression one of pure regret. He'd only wanted to make a good impression, not join some elite, no-rest training regime.

But it was too late to back out now. Han's praise weighed heavily on him, and he couldn't bring himself to refuse.

By the time they arrived back at the practice facility, the rest of the team had started trickling in. It was a back-to-back game day, with a morning practice scheduled for 9 a.m.

As expected, Kyrie Irving showed up — smiling, laughing with teammates like nothing had happened the night before.

Jokic watched, stunned.

Wasn't this the same guy who had looked crushed after the Warriors game? Now he was acting like nothing was wrong?

Is he bipolar or something? Jokic thought to himself. What a rollercoaster personality…

Han, of course, knew better. Kyrie just needed time to process things on his own. He'd bounce back when he was ready — and clearly, today was that day.

That night, the Cavs faced the Portland Trail Blazers.

Portland, still reeling from losing LaMarcus Aldridge and Wesley Matthews over the summer, was far from the powerhouse they once were. They had taken a serious hit.

For Han, it was the perfect opportunity to switch things up. He cut back on his usual ball-handling duties and let Kyrie take the reins.

Han had learned his lesson from last season's grueling playoff run. One man couldn't carry a team to a title. This season, it was all about building Kyrie up, giving him the reps he needed to thrive under pressure.

It wasn't going to be a smooth process, but it was a necessary one.

And tonight, Damian Lillard paid the price.

Lillard was good — no question. But comparing him to Curry? That was a stretch.

There was an old saying that summed it up best: 'The only advantage Lillard has over Curry is that he's younger.'

How good was Curry? In his first four seasons, Curry's three-point shooting percentage was higher than Lillard's overall field goal percentage.

Lillard was, simply put, a less efficient, knockoff version of Curry.

Unfortunately for him, Kyrie was still smarting from the previous night's loss — and tonight, Lillard was his punching bag.

On defense, Kyrie locked Lillard down, hounding him on every possession. On offense, he attacked relentlessly.

By the end of the game, the scoreboard told the story.

Lillard: 19 shots, only 5 makes. 17 points.

Kyrie? He dropped 29 points on 20 shots, erasing the frustration of the season opener.

The Cavs rolled on, defeating the Magic and the Knicks to start the season with a 4-0 record.

Thanks to an opening-night loss by the Heat to the Raptors, Cleveland sat atop the Eastern Conference standings.

Not bad for a team that made no major moves in the offseason.

But despite their strong start, the media's attention was focused elsewhere.

The Lakers were dominating.

They opened their season with a 4-0 streak, winning each game by an average margin of 15 points. That included a road game against their historic rivals — the Celtics.

That game, in particular, drew significant media attention.

Paul Pierce, now back in Boston, faced off against Kobe Bryant one last time. Before tip-off, the Celtics honored Kobe with a tribute video and presented him with a piece of the iconic parquet floor from the old Boston Garden.

It was a gesture of respect rarely seen between such fierce rivals.

Han, catching the news later, couldn't help but feel a twinge of nostalgia — and irony.

In history, it had been LeBron James who famously knelt on the Celtics' court, a moment that symbolized the end of his time in Cleveland.

Imagine if Kobe had seen that, Han thought, smirking to himself. He'd have said, 'You knelt for this piece of wood? They gave me the same thing — as a gift.'

As the season progressed, the Cavs' hot streak cooled during a six-game West Coast road trip.

They finished with a respectable 3-3 record, but it wasn't enough to maintain their top spot in the East. The Heat reclaimed first place, followed by the Raptors.

Criticism soon followed.

Fans questioned the Cavs' strategy — particularly the coaching decisions.

Head coach Michael Malone was taking the brunt of the heat. Since the season opener, Han's ball-handling duties had decreased, while Kyrie's had increased. But Kyrie's playmaking skills weren't on par with Han's, and fans weren't happy.

"Why force Kyrie into a role he's not suited for? Just let him be a pure scorer!"

"Han looks uncomfortable. Kyrie looks uncomfortable. And the team's struggling. What's the point?"

"Fire Malone already! He's Han's mentor, but he clearly doesn't know who his best player is!"

The backlash created a tense atmosphere around the team.

Back in Cleveland, Han appeared on a local radio show, where fans bombarded him with questions about the team's struggles.

His response was simple — just three words:

"Trust the process."

Every team had its comfort zone. But to improve, you had to step outside of it. And that wasn't always going to be easy.

As Han had told Kyrie before: "If the other side is too easy to reach, it's not worth the journey."

Han knew there would be bumps along the way. He'd discussed it in depth with Malone.

Repeating last year's approach wouldn't be enough to overcome the Warriors, Heat, or Lakers this season.

The Cavs' best shot was to let Kyrie carry more of the load in the first three quarters — allowing Han to conserve his energy for the clutch moments.

It was a long-term strategy.

And in the Eastern Conference, where the playoff race wasn't as cutthroat as the West's, the Cavs could afford a few regular-season losses along the way.

The journey wouldn't be smooth.

But Han knew one thing for sure:

The process was worth it.

-End of Chapter-