The Earth is Flat.

7-4.

The Celtics still held the lead.

But after Han clamped down on Isaiah Thomas, Brad Stevens made a quick adjustment—Kevin Durant took over the offense.

'Being a tactical supplement' might not sound impressive, but in reality, it was an elite skill.

Players like LeBron required teams to build around them. Even someone like Kobe needed the right system to maximize his offensive impact.

But Durant?

He could integrate into any system effortlessly.

He was the ultimate plug-and-play superstar.

That level of adaptability required supreme talent. In today's NBA, only two players had that ability—Han Sen and Kevin Durant.

Leonard and Carmelo? They were close, but not quite there.

Durant caught the ball, gave Tucker a slight bump, then spun into a pull-up jumper.

Tucker grabbed at Durant's arm, but it wasn't enough to disrupt his shooting motion.

Whistle.

And-1.

Durant had bulked up over the summer, but it hadn't slowed him down. If anything, it had made him even more stable.

Landing after the shot, Durant turned and glared at Han—aggressive, confrontational.

Han's pregame remarks were still in his head.

But Han?

He just gave Durant a thumbs-up.

A silent nod of approval.

Durant froze, caught off guard.

He had been ready to bark back, to flex his moment—but Han was completely unfazed.

This wasn't the reaction he had expected.

Durant hit his free throw, extending Boston's lead.

On the other end, Han went right back to working the two-man game with Jokić.

No panic.

No change in approach.

Just running the sets, figuring out what worked.

It was almost as if Han was saying—

"You do your thing. I'll do mine."

The problem?

Boston still had no answer for Cleveland's evolving pick-and-roll.

By the time the first quarter hit the four-minute mark, the score was 25-21, Celtics leading.

Both teams started rotating their lineups.

Han and the Cavs' starters checked out, leaving Jokić on the floor.

Malone was making his intentions clear.

Jokić was getting fast-tracked into a bigger role.

Meanwhile, Boston sent in their veteran duo—Ray Allen and Paul Pierce.

Seeing them on the court together again was like a time warp.

Especially Pierce.

Han still remembered their battles from six years ago.

And yet, to his surprise, Allen looked sharper than Pierce.

The man hadn't played since 2014, yet he was still moving well.

Clearly, he hadn't spent his retirement slacking off.

With Irving in foul trouble, the last four minutes of the quarter were a test for Cleveland.

But somehow?

They clawed their way back.

Malone was pleasantly surprised.

Han and Kyrie weren't on the floor.

And yet, Cleveland's offense—run entirely through Jokić—was thriving.

This wasn't just potential.

Jokić was proving he could be a primary creator.

The Sombor Horse Racing Champion was no mere sidekick.

At the end of the first quarter, the score was 31-30, Celtics barely ahead.

---

The second quarter opened with Irving checking back in.

After sitting for almost a full quarter, he was eager to get going.

But his rhythm was off.

His hands were cold.

And Boston's Marcus Smart?

Playing elite defense.

As the 6th overall pick in 2014, Smart had built his reputation on defense.

Quick, strong, relentless—he was like a Delly upgrade.

A nightmare matchup for Kyrie.

Boston took advantage.

They extended their lead into double digits.

When the starters returned, Han ramped up his offensive load.

With Jokić setting high-quality screens, Han got cleaner looks.

His shot-making shifted the momentum.

By halftime?

58-58.

Malone's gamble had paid off.

Cleveland had experimented with their system—without sacrificing the game.

---

For the second half, Malone rolled out the five-out lineup.

Stevens countered by subbing out Towns for Jae Crowder.

Crowder, a 6'6" swingman, had been Boston's starting small forward last season.

Now?

He was their small-ball four.

A perfect 3&D fit.

Cleveland couldn't pull away.

The Celtics were too deep.

And as the defending champs, the Cavs were the most scouted team in the league.

The more they leaned on familiar sets, the easier they were to predict.

By the end of the third?

85-85.

It was going to be a battle.

---

The fourth quarter turned into a shootout.

Han vs. Durant.

Classic.

Both teams eventually sent double-teams.

The difference?

Isaiah Thomas stepped up.

Kyrie didn't.

And as the game neared its final minutes, Jokić ran out of gas.

Boston's twin towers—Towns and Horford—overpowered him late.

Final score:

Celtics 114, Cavaliers 108.

A season-opening win for Boston.

Han finished with 41 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists.

Jokić had 18 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 assists.

Kyrie? Struggled—14 points, 4 assists.

On the other side:

- Isaiah Thomas: 31 points, 5 assists

- Kevin Durant: 30 points, 6 rebounds

- Karl-Anthony Towns: 16 points, 11 rebounds

- Al Horford: 12 points, 8 rebounds

---

Losing on ring night stung.

But at the postgame press conference, Malone wasn't worried.

"Kyrie just had an off night. The biggest takeaway? We developed a new dimension to our offense."

Han, for his part, wasn't thrilled about the loss.

Especially not on championship night.

But he didn't blame Kyrie.

Instead?

He repeated something he had said last season.

"We have to trust the process."

You couldn't build something great without growing pains.

Last season had proven that.

Now?

This was just another step forward.

---

Following their narrow loss to the Celtics, the Cavaliers responded with a dominant run, rattling off nine consecutive wins.

At 9-1, Cleveland sat atop the league standings.

This streak wasn't entirely surprising—schedule strength played a role.

As defending champions, the league had given them a favorable early-season slate.

This was precisely why Malone had experimented with new tactics against Boston—because if a strategy doesn't hold up against elite competition, it's not truly valuable.

One of the biggest takeaways from this stretch?

Jokić's emergence.

Through ten games, he was averaging:

- 16.4 points

- 10.7 rebounds

- 4.5 assists

- 55.8% FG, 32% 3PT

While his three-point percentage had dipped slightly from last season, everything else had improved.

That was the result of increased tactical responsibility under Malone—but also Jokić's own dedication.

After all, opportunity favors the prepared.

TNT's latest broadcast featured Charles Barkley dramatically exclaiming,

"How the hell did the Cavaliers get this guy?!"

With Han, Kyrie, TT, Jokić, and Cunningham all drafted by Cleveland, the Cavaliers' front office was now being mentioned alongside the Thunder and Warriors as one of the league's elite management teams.

But just as Cleveland was finding its rhythm—

A sudden controversy involving Kyrie Irving took center stage.

---

NBA players don't just play basketball.

Between sponsorship events and media appearances, off-court engagements are common.

LeBron, now in Golden State, had been making regular appearances at Silicon Valley tech summits alongside Draymond Green.

For Kyrie, his latest media stop?

The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.

Nike, eager to capitalize on his rising stardom, had arranged the appearance to boost his profile further.

The conversation turned to extraterrestrial life—a hot topic, given Hollywood's ongoing sci-fi boom.

At one point, Fallon casually remarked, "Of course, the Earth is round."

Kyrie, without hesitation, fired back:

"Do you really believe that?"

Fallon, caught off guard, laughed it off. But Kyrie doubled down.

"The Earth is flat. And that's not even a conspiracy theory."

The statement immediately went viral.

Given Fallon's show's massive reach—and Kyrie's status as Nike's new face—the internet exploded.

Most people outright mocked him.

After all, basic science had long proven the Earth's shape.

With satellite imagery, space station footage, and centuries of research, the debate should have been long dead.

But one group took serious issue with Kyrie's claim—

Geography teachers.

Many worried that Irving's influence would fuel misinformation among younger fans.

Educators across the country voiced their frustration, fearing this would make their jobs harder.

Surprisingly, though, Kyrie wasn't alone in his stance.

One major NBA figure publicly supported his claim—

Shaquille O'Neal.

On TNT, Shaq made his case:

1. "I just flew for 20 hours, and I never 'flipped over' or 'turned upside down.'"

2. "They say the Earth spins? I've lived by a lake for 30 years, and that water hasn't moved left or right once." 

---

Han first learned about the controversy during a media session.

Reporters bombarded him with questions about Kyrie's remarks.

But he didn't take the bait.

He simply refused to comment.

Because he had heard about this before.

In his past life, Kyrie's flat-earth claim had been widely discussed.

Back then, Han hadn't understood the full context. He had just thought, "What the hell?"

But after years in the U.S., he saw things differently.

Because context matters.

Take vaccines, for example.

To any rational person, vaccines are a no-brainer—all benefits, no downsides.

But this was America.

Han had already seen multiple reports exposing how some medical institutions had used vaccines as a cover to experiment on citizens.

So mistrust ran deep.

The flat-earth belief?

It stemmed from mistrust in NASA.

Many in the U.S. believed NASA's moon landings and Mars missions were fabricated.

For them, NASA was the 'Truman Show' director, creating an illusion to deceive the public and steal taxpayer money.

Han understood now—this wasn't just ignorance.

It was a product of deep-rooted skepticism.

Which is why he didn't feel the need to publicly oppose Kyrie.

People were free to have their own beliefs.

And more importantly—

This didn't affect basketball.

Or so he thought.

---

Cleveland's next marquee game was an away matchup against the Spurs—their toughest opponent in November.

Malone had emphasized its importance in practice.

But the day before the game?

Kyrie skipped practice, citing illness.

It wasn't a big deal at the time.

But on game night, Kyrie played terribly.

Cleveland lost.

For the second time in two high-profile matchups, the Cavs had come up short.

Han wasn't happy.

But he didn't lash out.

Instead, he just stayed in the gym for extra training when they returned to Cleveland.

Losses weren't on any one player.

They were on everyone.

---

Then—

A bombshell report surfaced online.

Kyrie's Tonight Show appearance?

That wasn't the end of the flat-earth controversy.

It was just the beginning.

Because shortly after, TNT had invited Kyrie as the featured guest for a live TV debate on whether the Earth was round or flat.

And?

He went.

Suddenly, Shaq's earlier remarks made sense—they weren't just personal opinions.

They were marketing for the show.

The result?

Massive ratings.

And for Kyrie?

A huge boost in popularity.

Data showed that 20% of Americans believed in the flat-earth theory.

Kyrie had just won over a massive new fanbase—setting himself up for major sponsorship deals.

Han didn't care about that.

What pissed him off?

Kyrie's debate took place on the same night he skipped practice.

His so-called 'illness'?

A lie.

Instead of preparing for the Spurs game, he had flown out to do a TV show.

And knowing Malone?

Kyrie had likely known he wouldn't get permission—so he made up an excuse.

Han wasn't the type to call teammates out in public.

But behind closed doors?

This wasn't going to be ignored.