Chapter 17

The Utah Jazz were eliminated from the NBA playoffs very early this year, which made them one of the first teams to prepare for the draft. Therefore, the scale of their training camp was not much different from the elite training camp in Chicago.

Of course, compared to the elite training camp in Chicago, the quality of the players trying out for the Jazz was not as good. At least, when Lin Han walked in, he was no longer unnoticed, unlike when he entered the Chicago training camp, where he would have been ignored if not for his poor physical test results. In the elite training camp, Lin Han was just a minor player.

Since the USA Today published a detailed rookie report on Lin Han not long ago, boldly predicting that this player had the potential to be a late second-round pick or even enter the first round, Lin Han had become a sensation. After all, USA Today was not just any American newspaper. When it came to the draft and NCAA, even the New York Times and the Washington Post had to follow in its footsteps.

Therefore, Lin Han was not only popular among NBA and basketball fans but also among the rookies participating in this year's draft, to the point of being a sensation. After all, he was the first Chinese-American rookie in NBA history, a significant selling point. Moreover, Lin Han was the scoring champion at the Chicago elite training camp, outperforming scorers like Penny Hardaway and Allan Houston, which was enough to make him a hot topic.

In such a situation, when Lin Han arrived at the Jazz training camp, almost all the other players trying out were filled with intense hostility, as Lin Han was clearly there to snatch their opportunities.

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"Amazing, truly amazing! This guy is indeed called a top-30 draft pick, he's really incredible!"

"Evan Myers is the strongest shooting guard in this training camp, both defensively and offensively. His defense is even praised by Coach Phil Johnson as being near-NBA level. But now, he seems to have no resistance against this Asian kid?"

"Yeah, this guy uses just a spin move and a fadeaway jump shot to score however he wants against Evan Myers, who seems to have no solution at all. It's unbelievable. Is this the NBA-level shooting that USA Today talked about? It's incredible."

"Now, it seems Evan Myers is in trouble. He thought the Jazz would use a second-round pick on him, but now it looks like even that's not guaranteed. But this is a satisfying turn of events. Who would have thought he would get his comeuppance for being so arrogant in the training camp, constantly humiliating others just because he thought he was the best. Even if you want to show off, you shouldn't go too far. This time, God has punished him."

"It's too early to say that. Don't forget, this Asian rookie is said to have the potential to be a first-round pick. If the Jazz don't use their first-round pick on him, they might not get him at all. So, the Jazz's second-round pick is still safe. But if the Jazz really get this Asian kid, they probably won't need Evan Myers anymore."

On June 6, 1993, at the Utah Jazz rookie training camp, as the NBA draft approached, the rookies should have been feeling more and more anxious. But at the Jazz training camp, almost all the rookies gathered around a court, pointing and whispering about the players inside. On the court, two players were having a one-on-one match.

Lin Han was well aware and mentally prepared for the hostility from the other players. The NBA draft was a fierce competition, a life-or-death struggle, so he didn't care about their hostility.

However, while Lin Han didn't care, others did. For example, Evan Myers, who was arrogant, directly challenged Lin Han to see if his scoring title at the elite training camp was genuine. This left Lin Han speechless.

If it were a regular one-on-one, Lin Han might not have dared, but in this variant one-on-one where Lin Han attacked and the opponent defended, he was not afraid of anyone except Penny Hardaway, the perfect player.

Clearly, Evan Myers, who was confident in his defense, had been highly praised by the Jazz assistant coach Phil Johnson. Who was Phil Johnson? He wasn't just any assistant coach. He was the former head coach of the Kansas City Kings, now the Sacramento Kings, and a recipient of the NBA Coach of the Year award. He was one of the most respected assistant coaches in the NBA. Getting his approval was almost a guarantee of excellence.

Before Lin Han arrived, Evan Myers had used this variant one-on-one to humiliate many opponents, never failing. In a sense, the offensive player had the initiative, but they also had the pressure of success rate. So, it was unclear which side had the advantage in this variant one-on-one.

But for Lin Han, this type of one-on-one was absolutely the most suitable.

"Alright, you two can stop now."

Seeing the exhausted and furious Evan Myers and the calm and smiling Lin Han, the assistant coach Phil Johnson immediately called a halt to the one-on-one.

The result was already clear; there was no need to continue. Myers had been completely defeated, and Lin Han had won decisively.

In this one-on-one, Lin Han's 20 consecutive high-difficulty spin and fadeaway jump shots had almost driven Evan Myers to despair. The taller and longer-armed defender had not successfully defended a single time.

Whether the ball went in or not depended solely on Lin Han's touch, not on Evan Myers. In this one-on-one, Myers had completely lost, losing in a humiliating manner. Not only did he fail to steal or block any of the 20 shots, but Lin Han didn't even change his position, staying near the free-throw line for almost all his attacks.

Why did this happen? Clearly, in many people's eyes, Lin Han didn't bother to move against Myers, like an adult playing one-on-one with a child. Does an adult need to move to create a shooting opportunity? Of course not.

"Kid, your jump shot is great. That's enough for now."

Phil Johnson gave Lin Han a deep look and said softly. Lin Han shrugged and casually threw the ball to the ground.

For Lin Han, the one-on-one could have ended at any time. Compared to Allan Houston, Myers was far inferior, offering no challenge. A few rounds were fine, but if it continued, Lin Han would have been annoyed, even though he wouldn't have been tired.

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"Jerry, it looks like you've really found an outstanding player. Evan Myers was like a non-entity against him. He scored 14 out of 20 times, a 70% success rate, all through jump shots. It's unbelievable. By the end, his heart rate didn't even change, as if it took no effort at all. With such one-on-one skills and endurance, even if his physical talent isn't great, he has enough potential to become a crucial piece for the team!"

In the Jazz head coach's office, the team's general manager, Scott Layden, rushed in excitedly to report everything that had just happened on the training court. Clearly, he believed this Asian kid was indeed qualified, and even more outstanding than he had imagined.

"Jerry, I think we should reach some agreements with him, like hoping he doesn't go to other NBA teams' training camps. Otherwise, we might face a lot of competition."

Hearing the general manager's suggestion, Jerry Sloan, who was also very pleased, frowned.

Scott Layden was right. Keeping Lin Han from going to other teams' training camps was the best choice for the Jazz. However, to keep Lin Han, they would need to pay a higher price, which would disrupt his entire draft strategy. It wasn't that Jerry Sloan was unwilling to pay a high price for Lin Han, but it would throw off his plans.