Not long after the Christmas Day showdown, the voting for the 2019 NBA All-Star Game officially began.
Back in the day, the Charlotte All-Star Weekend was canceled due to LGBTQ-related issues. This year, the league finally made good on its promise and brought the event back to Charlotte.
On the Kings' side, aside from Han Sen, both Donovan Mitchell and Jayson Tatum were included on the nominee list.
The Kings' official accounts campaigned for all three.
Well—more accurately, they campaigned for Mitchell and Tatum. Han Sen? If he didn't get the most votes in the league, it would be like him going a whole season without dropping 40. Bundling all three together was just a marketing tactic.
It was around this time that Han noticed Mitchell seemed a little distracted.
"What's up? Worried you won't make the All-Star team?" Han had always respected Mitchell, and took the opportunity to check in.
But to his surprise, Mitchell shook his head. "Nah, I know I'm not there yet. I've been thinking about whether I should do the dunk contest again."
Mitchell had last participated in the Dunk Contest the year prior—at the Cleveland All-Star Weekend.
Han had been one of the judges that year, and the eventual champion was Aaron Gordon.
Mitchell had done well in the prelims, scoring a 48 on his first dunk. But unfortunately, he ran into Gordon and Derrick Jones Jr., and didn't make it to the finals.
This year, Gordon likely wouldn't return after finally getting his win, but Derrick Jones Jr. was expected to compete again.
"You wanna do it?" Han asked with a grin.
Mitchell nodded. He really did love dunking.
But then he added, "I'm just worried it'll end up like last time."
Mitchell had a strong competitive streak. Even though it was just an entertainment event, being a sideshow every year didn't sit right with him.
"If you want to do it, then do it," Han replied simply.
When Mitchell still looked unsure, Han added, "I'll be your assistant."
Mitchell froze. He stared at Han, thinking he misheard.
Han Sen—the biggest name in the league—offering to be his dunk contest assistant? That was like entering with a theme song and fireworks. Instant style points.
"Of course, if you don't need an assistant, I'll just cheer for you from the sidelines," Han joked.
"No—I'm in!" Mitchell's eyes lit up.
Having Han as his assistant meant more than winning the contest itself.
Han patted him on the shoulder, smiling. "I've got high hopes for you."
For Han, this would be a new experience. He had competed in dunk contests, judged them—but never been an assistant. This was something fun and different.
---
As the final second of 2018 ticked by and the New Year bell rang, the calendar flipped to 2019.
And with it, the Kings started to click.
They opened January with a season-high six-game win streak, climbing to third place in the Western Conference, surpassing the Rockets.
The last time the Kings had been this high in the standings? You had to go all the way back to the early 2000s—the Rick Adelman-led Princeton offense days. That was a legit title-contending squad.
And now, in Han Sen's first year in Sacramento, leading a team of rookies and upstarts, he had them back in that conversation—while averaging 40 points per game. It was jaw-dropping.
Fans who used to imagine "What if Jordan played in the modern pace-and-space era?" had now found their answer.
But most fans? They thought even Jordan couldn't do this. Only Han Sen could.
And yet, Han hadn't changed. From the start of the season till now, he'd been the same. Steady. Relentless. Machine-like.
The real difference in this win streak? Tatum.
During those six wins, Tatum averaged 20 points, shooting 49% from the field and 41% from three.
To put it another way: if the Kings needed 100 points to win, Han usually gave them 60, and the rest of the team combined for 38.
Now, thanks to Tatum's steady emergence, that 38 had become 40.
And that small shift?
It was enough to flip the entire team into win mode.
Granted, the schedule also lightened up. The early season had been brutal—Cavs, Bucks, Pelicans, Warriors. Now it was easing up.
Amid this surge, the first round of All-Star voting results were announced.
Among Western frontcourt players, Tatum had surprisingly received 700,000 votes, surpassing stars like Anthony Davis, Paul George, and Draymond Green—trailing only Han Sen and LeBron James.
It was just the first round, but it made one thing clear to Tatum: playing next to Han had its perks.
Even a few good games could bring massive attention.
Han wasn't just a teammate—he was the stage. Bigger than any city. Bigger than any franchise.
By late January, the final All-Star voting results were released.
Han Sen, with 6.2 million votes, was unsurprisingly the top vote-getter in the entire league.
But the rest of the results?
Full of surprises.
In the East backcourt, Dwyane Wade, a veteran, came in second with 3.6 million votes.
In the West backcourt, Derrick Rose also finished second, with 3.3 million votes.
Meaning—if the starters were chosen solely by fan votes like in the past—Wade and Rose would both be starting All-Stars in the twilight of their careers.
That was the power of sentiment.
And it wasn't unfounded.
Wade hadn't formally announced this was his final season like Kobe had, but it was obvious from the signs.
He didn't stay with the Cavs—he went back to the place it all began, Miami. Classic "return to roots" retirement vibes.
And throughout the year, Wade had frequently exchanged jerseys with other players—a telltale sign.
In 2006, he helped Miami win their first championship. Then he joined the Cavs and contributed to two more, even playing a huge role in the second one—cementing his legacy with the iconic champagne-on-knees moment.
He wasn't quite on Kobe's level, but he was firmly the third-greatest shooting guard in history.
So even without a farewell tour, the fans were giving him his flowers.
As for Rose, his case was a mix of long-time popularity and a resurgent season.
With the Timberwolves, Rose was averaging 20 points per game, and even dropped 50 in a single game, bringing himself—and a lot of fans—to tears.
One more note—Luka Dončić received 4.2 million votes!
Though the East frontcourt was stacked (Durant, Jokic, Giannis), his popularity as a rookie was undeniable.
Back on the Kings, Tatum and Mitchell also saw a huge rise—Tatum getting 3 million votes, Mitchell 2.6 million.
Last year, their votes were only in the hundreds of thousands.
It was clear: Han Sen's platform gave them a massive spotlight.
But under the current voting system, fans only count for 50% of the results. The other half is split between media and players (25% each).
When all three groups were combined, Wade and Rose were bumped from the starting lineup.
Replacements? Kemba Walker (as the host city's star) in the East, and James Harden in the West.
From a purely rational view, it was fair—Walker and Harden had the numbers and performances to back it up.
But All-Star Weekend is, ultimately, for the fans.
And the fans were not happy.
As public pressure built, Adam Silver made an unprecedented call:
He added two honorary spots—one for each conference.
Wade in the East. Rose in the West.
Han Sen was surprised when he saw the final results.
Not because of the additions themselves—he remembered this year clearly from before he transmigrated.
But originally, those legacy spots went to Wade and Dirk Nowitzki.
In fact, it even pressured Nowitzki—who hadn't planned to retire—into a kind of "forced farewell."
But this time?
The outcome had shifted.
Dirk's future was unclear, but this move gave fans exactly what they wanted—because fan voting should reflect the fans' will.
The change was no accident.
Rose's time with the Cavaliers' dynasty had rewritten his fate.
That run hadn't just earned some players a ring—it changed their lives.
Han texted both Wade and Rose to congratulate them.
To receive this kind of respect at the end of their careers—
This was another NBA fairytale come true.
---
Not long after the All-Star rosters were announced, the league revealed the captains for this year's All-Star Game.
With Han Sen now in the Western Conference, the captain lineup changed drastically. Kevin Durant was named the East captain, and as expected, Han Sen became the captain for the West.
As for last year's captain LeBron James, and even Stephen Curry—who had strong fan support—they were relegated to side roles in Han's presence.
Only now did some of LeBron's die-hard fans realize: Han Sen and LeBron were back in the same conference. And forget about All-Star voting—that was harmless. The real issue? If LeBron couldn't beat Han again, just like before, he might as well give up on even being the runner-up.
Last year's live All-Star Draft was a huge hit, so this year, the league doubled down. They even invited fans on-site to watch the selection process live—it was a full production.
This time, even deciding the first pick came with theatrics. Han Sen and Durant sat in chairs shooting five three-pointers each—whoever made more got the first pick.
This kind of contest, where skill mattered more than luck, favored Han. Unlike last year's misfortune, he made 3 out of 5, beating out Durant's 2 to secure the first pick.
Han's first choice: Nikola Jokić.
Even though they weren't on the same team anymore, Han's affection for Jokić hadn't diminished one bit.
Durant responded by picking Anthony Davis.
Unlike last year's drama-filled draft with LeBron's mind games, Durant's selections were straightforward. After all, among the starters, there were only two real centers.
Without the drama, the draft moved along quickly.
Han picked up Curry and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Durant took Kyrie Irving and James Harden.
Then, when only Kemba Walker and LeBron James were left among the starters, Han didn't hesitate—he picked Walker.
Durant could only smile helplessly. Last year's captain LeBron was now the last pick of the starters.
Last year, it was James Harden who got left out till the end. This year, it was James. Different James, same ending. But unlike last year's political gameplay, this time it wasn't even personal—nobody wanted LeBron.
Looking at the full starters lineup:
Team Han: Kemba Walker, Stephen Curry, Han Sen, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokić
Team Durant: Kyrie Irving, James Harden, Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Anthony Davis
It looked much more balanced than last year. If they went hard for even just one quarter like before, the result could go either way.
In the reserve draft, Durant took Kawhi Leonard first.
When the Raptors traded for Kawhi last summer, the biggest risk was that he might not play at all. No one expected him not only to stay healthy but also to play at an MVP level.
That old fan meme—"Kawhi doesn't play often, but when he does, he's unstoppable"—had flipped. This season, he really was unstoppable.
In hindsight, the Raptors had hit the jackpot.
Durant's picks made it clear—he was here to win.
Han, on the other hand, went with sentiment. His first bench pick: Dwyane Wade.
This was Wade's farewell season and likely the last time he and Han would ever be teammates.
As the All-Star Game drew closer, the league leaned into the nostalgia marketing.
Wade and Rose's feel-good stories… the old Cavaliers dynasty reunion of Han, Wade, and Rose… Curry keeping his promise to enter the 3-point contest in Charlotte… Han appearing as Donovan Mitchell's dunk contest assistant…
All of it gave this year's All-Star Weekend a clear emotional tone.
And with it, more eyes were sure to be watching.
The day before All-Star Weekend, Han flew his private jet to Charlotte.
Although he was the only Kings player in the main event, he brought along Tatum, Mitchell, and Hield.
Tatum would play in the Rising Stars Game and Skills Challenge. Hield was competing in the 3-point contest.
But the busiest of them all? Donovan Mitchell.
He was doing the Rising Stars Game, 3-point contest, and the dunk contest—basically the All-Star Weekend's blue-collar worker.
---
Final All-Star Rosters:
Team Han – Starters: Kemba Walker, Stephen Curry, Han Sen, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokić
Reserves: Damian Lillard, Dwyane Wade, Derrick Rose, Jimmy Butler, Paul George, Blake Griffin, Karl-Anthony Towns, Rudy Gobert
Team Durant – Starters: Kyrie Irving, James Harden, Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Anthony Davis
Reserves: Russell Westbrook, Kyle Lowry, Klay Thompson, Bradley Beal, Gordon Hayward, Kawhi Leonard, LaMarcus Aldridge, Joel Embiid
(End of Chapter)