Chapter 744: Chapter 744

"David, you are also the best general manager." Before Griffin could speak, he also turned his head to look at Griffin and gave him the same praise.

"I’ve been very happy in Cleveland these years, but I’ve said it before." Hansen said as he cast a glance toward Gilbert.

Gilbert quickly understood what Hansen meant.

Initially, Hansen’s first choice was the Clippers, joining the Cavaliers was an unexpected turn.

Although this doesn’t mean Hansen now insists on the Clippers, Hansen still wants to go to a big city.

At this stage of his career, that’s also something a professional player would desire.

"I understand." Although extremely reluctant, Gilbert still, after a moment of silence, gave Hansen the respect,

"When you leave next year, I’ll let David fully cooperate with you."

This situation is entirely different from when James left, even though the Cavaliers weren’t Hansen’s first choice, he came back and helped the Cavaliers win two championships.

Moreover, Hansen informed the management of his decision in the season before his departure, giving them ample time to prepare. Follow current novᴇls on 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭·𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮·𝙣𝙚𝙩

Hansen even brought Jokic, a cornerstone for building the team, to the Cavaliers.

Hansen doesn’t owe Cleveland anything; if anything, it’s Gilbert who owes Hansen a lot.

A few days later, the Cavaliers’ championship celebration was held grandly in Cleveland.

This time, the number of people attending the parade even exceeded last year’s, including many fans who came from overseas.

The Cavaliers’ championship wasn’t just a festival for Cavaliers fans, but also for Hansen’s supporters.

As Hansen led the Cavaliers to defend their title, his global influence reached a new dimension.

It’s no exaggeration to say that his influence is now on par with Jordan.

This year, the Cavaliers’ parade used double-decker buses.

However, when the lead bus appeared at the parade, the scene almost spiraled out of control.

On the first bus were Coach Malone, JR, and Thompson among others.

But that wasn’t the main point; the focus was the KT board of James standing at the front of the bus.

It was obvious at first glance that this was Malone’s idea.

Since Hansen had expressed gratitude to James for his contribution to the Cavaliers’ championship, it couldn’t just be verbal thanks.

This scene was sure to become a hot topic among fans after the championship parade.

Perhaps influenced by this scene, when Hansen’s bus appeared, the on-site fans began chanting "Emperor."

That scenario, it really was like an emperor reviewing his troops.

Hansen was both amused and helpless on the bus; he felt it was the result of his playful remarks about James in his previous acceptance speech.

When the parade returned to Quicken Loans Arena, Lue was the keynote speaker for the team’s annual speech.

This job was originally arranged for Hansen, but Hansen believed Lue was more suited for the role.

Facts also proved Hansen’s judgment correct because no one understands the team better than Lue.

He recounted many interesting team stories, even some that Hansen didn’t know.

And when he mentioned Jokic’s viral video of drinking Sprite on championship night, he also brought up Hansen’s comment "Sprite is not cola," causing the audience to burst into laughter.

You have to admire Lue’s eloquence and his ability to bond with everyone.

When the microphone was handed to Hansen, he also stated the team’s goal for next season.

"We will build a dynasty in Cleveland."

When James joined the Warriors, he said he would bring a dynasty to the team, so Cleveland deserves a dynasty.

If Hansen had made such a statement when he returned back then, even if he had achieved it in Memphis, everyone would have thought he was crazy.

But now, the site is full of cheers and anticipation.

Imagining a dynasty monument erected in a sports desert like Cleveland, it’s unimaginable what that day would look like when it comes.

When the Cavaliers’ championship parade ended, the 2016-2017 season officially concluded.

It was also at this time that players began to announce their retirement one after another.

First was the veteran Deron, who after opting out of the last year of his contract with the Cavaliers, officially retired.

Wade’s scene of pouring champagne on his knees on championship night was moving, but Deron was the one who kept fighting against knee injuries.

He could still play, but after winning the championship, he had no reason to continue tormenting his knees.

Next came the old Celtics twin stars, Pierce and Ray Allen, both announcing their retirement together.

Ray Allen initially intended to make a comeback one final time, but he ultimately couldn’t fulfill his wish and had no reason to continue.

As for Pierce, it was evident last season that he was already out of his depth, and even his strong words lost their power.

However, what no one expected was that when Pierce announced his retirement, Hansen sent his blessings via social media.

"Farewell, Truth, you fought till the very end."

Pierce was, of course, not on Kobe’s level, but as he said, just like Kobe, he fought till the very end, and that alone won his respect.

Besides, former "Elvis" Gerald Wallace and Fisher’s fellow Matt Barnes also chose to end their careers one after another.

The remnants of the old era continue to withdraw from the historical stage, yet the footsteps of the new world will not stop here.

When time came to June 23rd, the 2017 NBA draft kicked off at the Barclays Center in New York.

This year, Hansen didn’t return to Serbia with Jokic, although he spent over one million US dollars buying the best racehorse in Serbia for Jokic.

Because he was attending the season awards ceremony on the 27th in Manhattan, New York, he and Ajalee went to New York for a vacation in advance, so this was the first time since participating in the draft himself that he was present on-site again.

This year can’t be considered a major draft year, but for Hansen, who has a keen eye, there are still many promising young players.

Of course, more importantly, Hansen had more chances for micromanagement this year.

The Cavaliers had acquired the Bulls’ first-round pick from the earlier Irving trade, which ended up being the 22nd pick.

Additionally, the Kings had their 5th pick and 10th pick due to the Cousins trade.

While there’s no direct connection between the Kings and Hansen, Ajalee, as in previous years, sought his advice, and the sense of being a behind-the-scenes agent, with 2K coming to reality, was very exciting.

The first pick belonged to the 76ers, and unsurprisingly, they selected the previously highly anticipated Markelle Fultz.

Fultz played for the University of Washington, averaging 23.3 points, 5.9 rebounds, 6 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game in his freshman year, with height and talent, excelling on both ends, he was considered the most promising point guard in the NBA since Ross.

The Brooklyn Nets, holding the second pick, chose the social media sensation point guard Lonzo Ball, who would pair with Jaylen Brown to form a backcourt duo.

The Lakers held the third pick this year. They originally tried negotiating with the Brooklyn Nets to get the second pick for Ball but failed, so they ended up selecting De’Aaron Fox at this position.

Fox’s physical attributes were explosive, and he was once considered a top pick candidate, but his three-point shooting was criticized.

The Lakers missed out on Ball but ended up with Fox as the backup option.

The Suns, holding the fourth pick, selected Josh Jackson, who was also once considered a top-pick candidate.

After the Suns made their choice, Hansen asked Ajalee beside him to quickly reconnect with her father.

Previously, Hansen had advised the Kings to pick Donovan Mitchell and Adetokunbo.

But now, an even better choice had appeared.

Five minutes later, Silva walked onto the stage from behind the scenes with a smile.

"With the fifth pick in the 2017 NBA first round, the Sacramento Kings select...Jason Tatum, a 6’7" small forward from Duke University."