The No.1 Anti-Fans in Basketball

Unlike what many people might imagine, just as the ancient Imperial Guards didn't necessarily need to be great fighters, the primary requirement for a ball boy isn't so much about being good at basketball but about being obedient.

With Rondo's prior notice, Hansen behaved very dutifully during the interview and smoothly became a "temporary ball boy" for the Heat Team.

This was a supplemental position outside of the regular ball boy duties, with no fixed salary, but it came with the privilege of watching the game courtside for free.

The majority of ball boys hired are students aged 12-18, but the age limit for temporary ball boys is a bit more flexible, generally up to 22 years old.

The purpose of this is to allow local university students an opportunity to become part of the NBA family, building the team's popularity among the collegiate audience.

The number of ball boys for each team is generally fixed; for instance, the Heat Team has 10 ball boys who work for the team year-round.

Out of these ten, eight serve during the games, four for the home team and four for the visiting team, with the remaining two on standby.

There's no set number for temporary ball boys; they are more of a reserve force, only helping out when it gets busy after the game.

Although the description given by Rondo was somewhat different, the role of a temporary ball boy seemed even more suitable for Hansen.

After all, what he was seeking was the opportunity to interact with NBA players.

However, once he actually started as a temporary ball boy, Hansen found that the situation was a bit different from what he had anticipated.

These NBA players, even the role players, were very cold towards the ball boys.

Thinking about it more, it made sense since most NBA players were millionaires or even billionaires.

Once people reach a certain level of wealth, they subconsciously maintain a distance from the average person.

It wasn't until over a week into his job as a temporary ball boy that he found an opportunity.

Wade, who always liked to practice after games, might have done so as one of the reasons he was able to maintain his peak form this season.

Ball boys are usually busy after games, and if a player decides to practice more, they would need a temporary ball boy, but since these ball boys aren't paid, most are reluctant to work overtime, which gave Hansen a chance.

Hansen seized this opportunity and, after a while, Wade started to recognize him.

"What's your name?" Wade asked during a break in practice, after receiving water from Hansen.

"Hansen," Hansen introduced himself.

"Handsome?" Wade, stroking his chin, looked at Hansen with interest,

"Do you play basketball?"

"I play at Barry University."

"What year are you?" Wade's interest grew more intense.

"Junior."

"Come on, play with me," Wade said, standing up.

He too had come out of the NCAA, and coincidentally, had also entered the NBA draft after his junior year.

At the word, Hansen immediately took to the court, planning to find an opportunity, but instead, the opportunity came to him.

Wade tossed the ball to Hansen, signaling him to show his skills.

Hansen took the ball and immediately put up a three-pointer, which dropped like a guillotine.

Wade nodded in appreciation, not fazed in the slightest.

Then, he started pressing forward.

It was in that moment that Hansen felt an unprecedented defensive pressure; even dribbling became difficult, and he ultimately failed to get the shot off.

"You need to work on your ball handling," Wade said with a smile after the successful defense.

Hansen smiled helplessly.

At 1.93 meters, Wade wasn't the tallest, but with a wingspan of 2.10 meters and excellent physicality, he was one of the best shot-blocking guards in the NBA and had even been selected for the All-Defensive Team.

Especially since Wade was in his prime this season, both offensively and defensively, it was a bit much for Hansen to take him on.

"Actually, I'm better at defense," Hansen explained.

"Really?" Wade perked up at this,

"That's good because I'm good at offense."

Hansen didn't have time to ponder Wade's sense of humor; he focused all his attention.

To be honest, his initial target wasn't Wade but Michael Beasley.

Beasley, known for his offense and being in his rookie season, was strong, but not overwhelmingly so - the perfect sparring partner in Hansen's eyes.

However, unfortunately, Beasley disappeared right after every game, giving Hansen no chance to approach him.

As for Wade, he was a bit out of Hansen's reach.

But, this was his only chance for now.

Seeing how serious Hansen was, Wade too dropped his smile and brought a level of respect.

With one crossover move, Hansen felt Wade zip past him in a flash.

So fast!

[Flash]didn't earn his nickname for nothing.

However, he didn't lose his defensive position and instead quickly retreated with a backslide step.

The increase in lateral movement speed greatly enhanced his defensive capabilities.

He wasn't faked out by Wade, but he quickly lost his defensive balance to Wade's physical confrontations.

Wade's drive wasn't strong just because of his quick first step. His strength permeated the entire process of the drive, including footwork, physical confrontation, and the finish—all top-notch.

After Hansen lost his balance in the confrontation, Wade took a step across and sent the ball into the basket with a reverse layup off the backboard.

"You weren't lying," Wade said with a smile, nodding in recognition of Hansen's defense after scoring.

"I only used eighty percent of my effort just now," Hansen replied, smiling.

Wade was taken aback, not expecting Hansen to say such a thing.

"So, shall we go again?"

"Let's go." Hansen reset his stance.

...

"This time I used ninety percent of my effort."

"I'm getting serious now."

"I was careless just now, next time I'll definitely lock you down!"

This encounter, originally just a casual scrimmage, lasted about half an hour due to Hansen's continuous trash talk.

And for that half-hour, Hansen was thoroughly dominated.

Wade was somewhat shocked in the end.

Shocked by Hansen's thick skin.

Most people would have crumbled long ago under such pressure, but Hansen seemed to grow more excited.

"That's enough for today," Wade finally called a halt, realizing that without doing so, this would never end.

"How about next time?" Hansen asked, still eager for more.

Wade didn't reply, just waved his hand and quickly left the court.

Watching Wade's retreating figure, Hansen was filled with satisfaction.

Although he couldn't stop Wade, he could clearly feel his own understanding of defense improving.

That's the benefit of sparring with a master—efficiency.

Hansen had a great start, but afterwards, he found out that Wade had actually appointed other temporary ball boys for practice!

Indeed, things often don't go as planned.

However, just as Hansen was considering how to find another opportunity, one day after a game, Wade signaled for him to come over.

Without any preliminaries, they started playing immediately.

In their first exchange, Wade broke through Hansen's defense with a wide change of direction and physical confrontation, then leaped high for a powerful two-handed dunk.

After the dunk, Wade swung on the rim like a swing before landing.

Clearly, there was a hint of venting in that shot.

Hansen said nothing, handed Wade the ball, and got back on defense.

The intensity of their scrimmage today was obviously much greater than before.

While Hansen had made some progress, the gap between him and Wade was still massive.

He suffered an even greater thrashing than the last time.

Half an hour later, with Wade sitting courtside resting and signaling for Hansen to come sit as well, he asked,

"Got anything to say?" Wade took a sip of water, looking out over the court.

The team had lost by a large margin on their home court to the Mavericks tonight, and the media had blown up with news of Beasley and Chalmers doing coke together, so he was in a really bad mood.

But using Hansen as a venting tool had left him feeling somewhat guilty afterwards.

If Hansen were to ask not to continue as a temporary ball boy, he wouldn't mind.

"Let's rest for a bit; I can keep going," Hansen said, catching his breath.

Wade turned his head, looking at Hansen in surprise.

Hansen's words were unexpected.

He turned his gaze back and after a while put down his water bottle and stood up: "I'm rested now."

...

With these two experiences, Hansen became the fixed partner for Wade's post-game practice sessions.

While Hansen's defense couldn't be considered NBA top-tier, it had reached NBA level, making him a decent sparring partner for Wade.

Of course, what Wade would never imagine was that the real sparring partner was actually him.