No Turning Back.

Seeing Wade's smile, Han Sen walked over and pulled him into a hug.

"Need to warm up?" Wade wasted no time getting to the point.

Han shook his head, tossed his jacket aside, and jumped straight into a one-on-one matchup.

It had been years since they played like this outside of official games.

Wade wasn't on Han's level anymore, but he pushed himself to exhaustion before finally calling it.

For a moment, it felt like stepping back in time—except now, the roles were reversed.

When they finished, they sat on the sideline, catching their breath. Wade tossed Han a bottle of water.

"I heard you've got a breakfast club."

The way he said it made it obvious—he wanted in.

Han instinctively glanced at Wade's knees.

Wade followed his gaze, then smirked and patted his knee.

"I'm having a second spring."

The explosiveness wasn't there anymore, but he had adapted.

His finishing was still elite—not through speed, but through rhythm.

He had adjusted to his knees instead of forcing them to adjust to him.

Han nodded. If Wade was this motivated, there was no reason to turn him down.

"I figured you'd refuse to show up," Han said.

"I almost did." Wade let out a deep breath. "I've lost to you so many times… If I join you and still lose, I might as well retire."

It was a brutally honest admission.

For Wade, this trade wasn't just a new chapter—it was an experiment.

And if it ended badly? It would be a tough pill to swallow.

"But you still came," Han said with a grin. "Because you think we can win?"

"Yeah. But that's not the only reason."

Han raised an eyebrow.

"I've been your rival for years. I figured… I should see what it's like playing on your side."

Han blinked, then laughed, throwing an arm over Wade's shoulder.

When he finally calmed down, he looked Wade in the eye.

"Trust me—you're gonna love it."

---

The next day, at the Cavaliers' practice facility, Wade, Covington, and Korver officially reported under Lue's guidance.

Han stood up and opened his arms for Wade again.

Yesterday's hug had been between old friends.

Today's?

A welcome from the leader of the team.

Wade wasn't in his prime anymore, but his presence still carried weight. Han was making it clear—Wade was stepping into a team that respected him.

Covington, always quick on his feet, introduced himself immediately after.

Korver, ever the professional, waited for them to finish before stepping forward with a smile and a handshake.

And if nothing else—Korver's arrival definitely helped the team recover some of the looks they lost when Kyrie left.

---

That day's practice was intense.

Swapping out three rotation players midseason was a major shake-up.

And all three were expected to play big roles—Wade was likely a starter, while Covington would challenge Tucker for his spot.

Comfort breeds complacency—one of the biggest threats to a defending champion.

This trade had changed that.

Now, there was competition within the team.

Whether it made them stronger or broke them apart—only time would tell.

Malone was especially strict during practice—even Covington got yelled at.

Afterward, Han pulled Lue aside for a chat.

Then, he checked his phone—and his expression turned deadpan.

"Personally, sitting here today, there's only one thing I'm sure of—I want to be somewhere I'm truly wanted. Not just tolerated. Not just seen as an afterthought. In other words, I didn't feel respected before."

That morning, the Bulls had held Kyrie's introductory press conference.

And those were Kyrie's words.

Did anyone in Cleveland disrespect him?

When he wanted out, both the front office and Han had tried to convince him to stay.

As for being unwanted?

If they didn't want him, he wouldn't have even been on the roster last season.

Of course, if he considered his reduced role 'disrespect', then it all made sense.

And suddenly, Malone's frustration earlier made perfect sense.

---

That night, the Cavaliers faced the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Bucks hadn't landed Kyrie in a trade, but they had quietly built something strong over the years.

With Giannis, Middleton, and Parker, they were a rising force in the East.

Because Cleveland's new acquisitions had just arrived, Malone decided not to play them yet.

With Kyrie and Dunleavy gone, Cleveland's usual 10-man rotation had temporarily shrunk to eight.

That was going to be a challenge.

The Bucks smelled blood.

They came out aggressive, looking to capitalize on the Cavaliers' weakened depth.

Especially Giannis—he attacked the paint relentlessly.

With a playing style eerily similar to LeBron, Giannis' popularity in the U.S. had skyrocketed.

His numbers had just reached the 20-point-per-game threshold, and he was already an All-Star starter.

Nike, realizing UA had taken the lead in signing young talent, shifted its strategy.

They doubled down on their existing stars—guys like Kyrie and Giannis.

Nike even built a brand narrative around Giannis.

First, they gave him a nickname—The Greek Freak—which oozed dominance.

Then, they told his backstory.

How, during his rookie year, he sent all his money back home and forgot to keep enough for a cab ride.

How he had to jog all the way back to the arena—until a kind fan recognized him and gave him a lift.

A 'beast on the court, but a kind soul off of it' narrative.

The kind of branding that resonated deeply.

Led by Giannis, the Bucks jumped out to an 8-2 lead.

Malone quickly adjusted, switching to a 2-3 zone.

A strategy that once frustrated LeBron in his early years.

But against Giannis—it wasn't as effective.

Because while Giannis played like LeBron, his approach was different.

He hadn't bulked up yet.

He relied more on off-ball movement.

Even when he attacked with the ball, his spin moves were fluid and unpredictable.

And with his 6'11" (2.11m) frame, 7'4" (2.24m) wingspan, and freakish athleticism—he covered ground like a spider, disrupting everything on defense.

---

Seeing the situation, Malone didn't hesitate—he unleashed the Cavaliers' deadliest weapon: the Han-Jokic pick-and-roll.

And at that moment, Giannis Antetokounmpo got a firsthand experience of what it meant to be targeted by the best player in the world.

Every time he got switched onto Han, it was pure humiliation.

His athleticism, his length, his defensive instincts—none of it mattered. Han's fakes sent him jumping in all directions, completely lost.

Years ago, UA had invited a young Giannis to Han Sen's summer training camp to recruit him.

But whether it was the raw, inexperienced kid back then or the fully-formed 'Greek Freak' today—it made no difference. Against Han, he was still too green.

Even though the Cavaliers' rotation wasn't as smooth after the trade, Malone simply extended Han and Jokic's minutes, and that was enough.

By the third quarter, the game was effectively over. Cleveland cruised to a 106-90 win.

Wade didn't play, but he was fired up on the bench all night, constantly standing up and clapping for his teammates.

He had been grinding in Chicago all season, barely keeping them in the playoff hunt as the eighth seed. Meanwhile, the Bucks, sitting just ahead of them in the standings, got blown out despite the Cavs missing key rotation players.

Now, Wade was starting to understand what Han meant that night when he said—

"Just lay back, I got you."

---

"Han is the greatest basketball player on the planet. Our entire system is designed to make the game easier for him. There is no 'favoritism'. There is no 'lack of respect'. We are here to win, period."

Malone didn't hold back at the postgame press conference, directly firing back at Kyrie's comments.

As soon as the media ran with it, the drama exploded.

Fans had already been curious about the real reason behind Kyrie's trade.

At his introductory press conference in Chicago, Kyrie admitted he had requested a trade—but then turned around and said he 'wasn't valued enough' in Cleveland, implying he was forced out.

Now, with Malone's rebuttal, the back-and-forth only made the mystery grow.

And just like that, all eyes were on the upcoming Cavs vs. Bulls matchup in two days.

Adam Silver was probably somewhere grinning ear to ear.

The pre-All-Star stretch was usually one of the least exciting parts of the NBA season.

But thanks to Cleveland, viewership was through the roof.

If not for the Cavs' game against Milwaukee in between, people would've thought this was all scripted by the league.

---

The day after the Bucks game, Wade stayed after practice to put up extra shots from three.

Wade's three-point shooting had always been a mystery. Or maybe, he and Kobe were just two sides of the same coin—one shot under 30% for his career, the other barely cracked 30%.

And yet—if the game was on the line, would you dare leave them open?

Even outside of clutch moments, defenders were still hesitant to sag off them.

They got more respect from three than even LeBron ever did.

They could shoot—it was just the most inefficient tool in their arsenal, so they rarely relied on it.

And shooting, more than anything, was about repetition.

Even Han, with all his talent, spent countless hours refining his shot every day.

Wade wasn't suddenly going to become an elite shooter, but he could improve his consistency.

But more importantly—this showed his mindset.

He understood what his role in Cleveland needed to be.

On game day, Malone made his decision—Wade would start.

It was expected, but also a little surprising.

In theory, putting Wade in the lineup alongside TT made no sense.

Han and Jokic's pick-and-roll already meant only one player was spacing the floor—P.J. Tucker.

This was the exact opposite of a four-out, one-in system.

But clearly, this decision wasn't just about fit—it was about rewarding Wade's commitment.

---

That night, Quicken Loans Arena was packed.

Even TNT's full crew—Shaq, Kenny, and Chuck—was in the building.

What should've been a routine regular-season game had turned into must-watch television.

As players took the court for warmups, the cameras zoomed in on Kyrie.

And just like that—

A wave of boos rained down.

Kenny Smith tried to play the neutral role. "Look, fans have the right to be upset, but at the same time, Kyrie gave them a championship."

"If he hadn't said what he said," Barkley cut in, "the crowd would be giving him a standing ovation right now. But he ran his mouth, and now he's gotta deal with the consequences."

Chuck was blunt as ever, but before Kenny could respond, Shaq chimed in.

"Kyrie's still young. When I left Orlando, I didn't fully understand what I had. One day, he's gonna look back and realize Cleveland might've been the best place for him."

Barkley chuckled. "Man, if I had won a ring for a city, they better put a statue of me up, not boo me!"

Shaq smirked. "Yeah, but you never won one, Chuck."

"Don't make me come over there, big fella."

Kenny cut in before it escalated. "See, this is why they're booing Kyrie. He left, and now the fans feel like he abandoned them."

Shaq nodded. "You never know what the future holds. Maybe one day, you wanna come back to where it all started—only to find out that door's already closed."

It was hard not to think of last summer.

Kevin Garnett got to return to Minnesota for his final years.

Amar'e Stoudemire, on the other hand, could only sign a one-day contract with the Knicks and call it a career.

But Kyrie wasn't hearing any of that.

All he could hear was the crowd—the relentless booing.

And then, just when it seemed like it might die down—

A voice cut through the noise.

Han turned to look.

It was a female fan in the front row.

"Kyrie! You're a coward!"

The words weren't loud, but they were sharp.

Kyrie turned away.

"Answer me!" The woman pressed on.

He ignored her.

"Say it, Kyrie! Did you run away?!"

Finally, he snapped.

He turned back around, irritation clear on his face.

"I gave you a championship! And now you're all ungrateful!"

He gestured toward the booing fans.

"You brought this on yourself!" the woman shot back without missing a beat.

Then, the guy next to her joined in.

"We won a title because of Han! It didn't matter if it was you, D-Wade, or somebody else next to him!"

"Shut the f*** up!" Kyrie barked, finally losing his cool.

Then, without another word, he stormed off.

On the bench, he grabbed a towel and clenched it in frustration.

For the first time, his emotions started to shift.

Up until now, he had only felt gratitude toward Han.

But now?

He felt something else.

Something deeper.

Something sharper.

Because at this moment, he realized—

The only way to silence this noise was to do the one thing he had to do.

Beat Han Sen.

That was the reality of the path he had chosen.

There was no turning back.

On the other side of the court, Han had no idea what had just happened.

He was talking with Wade, focused on getting him settled for his first game in a Cavs uniform.

Tonight wasn't just a proving ground for Kyrie.

He wasn't the only one who had something to prove.

Wade did too.

And Han was going to make sure he was ready.