Chapter 271: Han’s Fiery Temper.
The day after the Cavaliers' practice ended, Han Sen tossed a rubber wristband to J.R. Smith. J.R. caught it with a puzzled expression, but as he held it up at Han Sen's prompting and saw the words printed on it, his face froze.
The wristband had the name "Andre Bell" printed on it.
Han Sen wasn't familiar with J.R.'s backstory. After all, J.R. was just a minor figure in the grand history of the NBA. But Han had heard another story, one connected to Russell Westbrook.
Westbrook often wore a rubber wristband during games, emblazoned with "KB3." It didn't stand for Kobe Bryant, but rather for a close friend named Khelcey Barrs.
Unlike J.R., whose recklessness led to tragedy, Barrs died of a heart condition during a game.
Barrs was a high school basketball phenom, mentioned alongside Kevin Durant and Gerald Green as future NBA stars. But fate took him before he could realize that potential.
Since that day, Westbrook wore the wristband to honor his friend's memory, carrying both their dreams forward.
That story stuck with Han Sen, which is why he had suggested that J.R. put a name where he'd see it often.
If this gesture couldn't awaken J.R.'s spirit, then maybe he was a lost cause after all.
J.R. slipped the wristband on, and their post-practice workout began.
Han quickly noticed a change. J.R.'s defensive habits weren't suddenly perfect—those take time to fix—but he was clearly more engaged.