The No.1 Anti-Fans in Basketball-Chapter 429 - 221: The Battle of Bathwater_2

Who said a player who can’t get on the court definitely can’t help the team?

From Sacre to Johnson and Jones, the Grizzlies’ bench players had shown an alternative impact.

Of course, if there was an MVP for The West Finals, then it had to be Hansen.

Hansen scored over 40 points in 3 of the 6 games, averaging 38.7 points, playing even more insanely than Kobe, the original Spurs killer.

On social media, Hansen’s identity as the Mayor of Sacred City was becoming increasingly well-known.

Naturally, there were also fans talking about Hansen’s pre-series claim about avenging Paul.

"If Hansen gave a victory speech for The West Finals, he’d definitely mention CP3."

But in fact, if you really wanted Hansen to give an acceptance speech, the person he would be most thankful for was Popovich.

Thanks to Popovich’s defensive tactics, he had gotten many opportunities for post-up plays.

Just before the finals, his "Illusion Step" finally reached a bottleneck.

"Illusion Step", "God’s Afterglow", "Classical Master", "Uncle Drew," four first-gear offensive talents.

It might be hard to say where the Grizzlies’ confidence against the Heat came from, but Hansen’s confidence now was more than sufficient.

The Grizzlies had won early, but the game was delayed until a week later due to the Pacers stretching their series to a game seven in the Eastern Conference Finals.

The good news was that the Heat had exhausted more in The East Finals than Hansen had expected.

The bad news was that Wade had found his form in the do-or-die game seven, scoring 32 points and leading his team to blow out the Pacers.

Hansen was lucky, and the Heat were not bad either.

Regardless, after a season apart, the Grizzlies and the Heat were meeting again in the finals.

On one side was the defending champion who had boldly announced before the season the intention to build a "Dynasty" and to defend their title;

On the other was a team that, after making trades, had won 70 games and was recognized as the strongest team in the League.

This time, the fans’ most anticipated matchup of the century would take place in the finals without needing Stern to deliberately craft it.

But before that, there was still a lot to be done.

Among the most important tasks that comes with every finals was, of course, promotion and hype.

Or in other words, setting a "bet."

Not to mention the distant past, in the last five years: 2008 had The Big Three from Boston and the Lakers rivalry, 2009 had Kobe’s revenge, 2011 had Dallas’s dream fulfillment, and 2012 had Memphis’s hunting fire.

This year, in addition to the second season of Memphis’s hunting fire, there was another natural bet, the shower water.

This had nothing to do with Durant’s personal wishes, and whether it was Scarlett or Hansen’s shower water was irrelevant.

You might equate it to dignity, to honor, but the reason it remained the shower water was because it was easily spread.

The finals take place every year, but in the future when fans mention the shower water battle, they’ll immediately recall the 2013 finals.

Besides this bet, the League officials, led by Stan, also conducted a pre-finals prediction survey this time.

The survey wasn’t aimed at Florida fans, but rather an online poll of fans across the US.

The results showed that 69% of fans believed the Heat would win in the finals, with only 28% believing the Grizzlies would defend their title.

In a further survey on the scoreline, 58% thought the Heat would win the do-or-die series 4-3.

What this basically confirmed was that most fans recognized the Grizzlies’ strength, but still felt the Heat would have the last laugh.

After all, once Wade found his form, this Heat team’s strength was one that would stand out in NBA history.

Of course, the TNT Big Three couldn’t be absent at such a time.

In the latest episode of the show, their predictions were also full of showmanship.

Barkley was the funniest, making an appearance in a bear-skin outfit and wearing a big bear head, with everyone realizing it was him only after he took it off.

The moment he revealed his head, he did not have to say a word to show his clear stance.

O’Neal did not need to fight with Barkley this time, as being the core of the 2006 championship-winning Heat and with James having left the team, he unreservedly supported the Heat.

As for Kenny Smith, who he supported was not important; what mattered was what he could provide.

And that involved a bet between the two.

With a stance set, and as was their custom, betting was a must.

The last Finals had brought considerable hype, and the daring gambit between the two brothers not only added to the match’s popularity but also allowed Barkley to ride the wave of an unprecedented surge in viewership by fulfilling the bet.

It’s like a pile of US dollars lying before you—you’d have to be pretending not to want to grab them.

And this time, their wager was, of course... bathwater.

Such a sensational bet would be a waste not to use.

Their bet was that the loser would drink Smith’s bathwater on live stream.

Don’t ask why it was Smith again, but as part of The Big Three, he had to contribute, or he’d be kicked out of the group just like James.

"I hope you’ve already taken one bath before collecting that bathwater," the host advised, because the first rinse is too concentrated, it might make someone throw up.

Regardless, this stunt from the TNT show had firmly established the ’bathwater battle’ for this year’s Finals.

The Heat had the home-court advantage, and the Finals were starting in Miami.

On the night of Game 1, American Airlines Arena was filled to capacity.

Heat fans were fervent with enthusiasm.

If it wasn’t for the trade last summer, they would certainly be nervous facing the Grizzlies again this year.

But after the trade, the Heat boasted a record of 70 wins, and their confidence wasn’t just restored—it was hugely inflated.

For them, this year was like the Lakers in 2009, marking another year of seeking vengeance.

In fact, the Heat team also did their preparation before the game, placing a red T-shirt with "The Avengers" on every seat—not everyone wore them, but the dominant red hue was like a blazing flame of revenge when seen from afar.

During warm-ups, Durant and Hansen were highlighted on the split-screen footage.

Hansen appeared relaxed as if facing last year’s Heat team.

Durant looked much more serious in comparison.

In fact, Durant is usually a very cheerful boy off the court, but now, with the whole world joking about bathwater, it’s hard for anyone to smile.

Aside from the two of them, the broadcast also showed other players from both sides.

Wade, Bosh, Randolph, Little Gasol, Ray Allen, Carter...

This year’s Finals shone brighter with stars than last year. freёnovelkiss.com

Of course, Hill also got his special spotlight.

Having played his way into the playoff rotation, Hill faced the Grizzlies, the team that discarded him, yet he remained a genteel gentleman; this contrast in his personality was a major point of interest.

After the warm-up session, the opening ceremony began.

The Grizzlies were introduced first with their standard starters.

When the Heat made their entrance, familiar flames shot up, joined by roaring cheers from the crowd, and the players’ names, making the atmosphere electric.

Chalmers, Wade, Durant, Bosh, Perkins.

Before the game, some fans speculated that Spoelstra might go big in Game 1, start Ray Allen, and disrupt the Grizzlies’ defense early to take control of the game.

However, clearly, Spoelstra was not the mad scientist type like Jackson; he was a typically mature young coach.

The game was about to start, and the starting players from both teams made their way onto the court.

"Are you planning to score another 61 points tonight?" Wade greeted Hansen as they squared off, continuing the hot topic from the Christmas Day game.

"Not impossible," Hansen replied with a smile, although he felt the situation didn’t require him to score that much.

"Don’t worry, I won’t let you get that," Wade’s expression turned stern, as he was determined to win this time.

"That’s not for you to decide," Hansen had other plans; Wade was the Heat’s ball handler, and exhausting him on the offensive end seemed like a good strategy.

Just as he finished speaking, he felt a piercing gaze.

Turning his head, there was no need to guess; it was Durant.

Well, accumulated negative fan sentiment, two consecutive eliminations in The West, Scarlett’s bathwater...

If one were to tally up, his feud with Durant was hardly any less intense than with James.

Oh, and there was the All-Star Game that Hansen hadn’t factored in.

Durant had once prayed for Hansen to reach the Finals, and now his prayers were answered.