Chapter 21

"Lin Han, what you’re doing now is like a secret agent. Is it really necessary? It’s just that you were selected by the NBA, right? Do you really think this makes you a big star?"

After the NBA draft ended yesterday, Lin Han went to the team early this morning to confirm the situation and also to thank the team for selecting him at such a high pick. However, it was clear that although Utah was not a major state in the U.S. with a population of less than 2.5 million, the team's enthusiasm was among the top few in the entire NBA, and this enthusiasm was intense and passionate.

How could Lin Han not be cautious in such a place and with such fans? Therefore, when he went out this morning, Lin Han was fully equipped, wearing a hat, a mask, and a cloak, covering himself as much as possible.

Of course, if Lin Han hadn’t watched the talk show on the draft that aired after the draft yesterday, he might not have done this. Even though he thought the Jazz selecting him was controversial, he didn’t believe the Utah team would do anything to him. However, after watching the talk show, Lin Han changed his mind.

The hosts and guests on that show, who seemed to have some issues, spent most of the program dissecting Lin Han. They talked about everything from his birth to why he started playing basketball, his performance in games, and his relationship with Jazz head coach Jerry Sloan. It seemed that these guys would take any opportunity to criticize Lin Han and guide fans and others to question him, especially by stirring up Jazz fans and joking that they would experience another first-round playoff failure this year.

These unscrupulous people were clearly trying to incite Jazz fans to attack the Jazz management and Lin Han. Although Lin Han wasn’t sure how many Jazz fans watched the show last night, it was better to be cautious. If something really happened because of the fans, Lin Han would have nowhere to turn.

"Anyway, it’s all for safety. Being cautious is never wrong."

Lin Han took off his hat and mask and threw them at his second sister who had just mocked him, then sat on the sofa to read the latest newspapers that had just come out. He had almost bought all the most famous newspapers in the U.S. from the newsstand.

Because the NBA draft had just ended, the front pages of the sports sections of these major newspapers were all about the draft. Of course, whenever the draft was mentioned, Lin Han, the so-called 'luckiest' rookie who made the Jazz fall in love with him after just one year of playing, couldn’t be ignored.

Lin Han, who had been hit hard while watching TV yesterday, hoped to find some comfort in these print media. Although these newspapers hadn’t reported much on Lin Han before, most of their coverage had been positive, especially from reputable media like USA Today, which had always been a 'Lin Han supporter.' So, in Lin Han’s mind, these print media had high standards.

However, to Lin Han’s disappointment, after flipping through the newspapers, he found that except for USA Today, which gave him a neutral 'wait and see' evaluation in a prominent position in the sports section, all the other major media were full of ridicule and doubt, and the intensity was no less than the TV shows last night.

"Brother, the newspapers are all criticizing you. These guys are really over the top."

Lin Han was getting angry while reading the newspapers, and at this moment, his younger sister Lin Yu, who sat next to him, pouted and was also angry. Clearly, her favorite brother couldn’t be the 'biggest liar' in NBA history as the newspapers said.

"Serves him right. Why did he go to the NBA for nothing? He’s just asking for it."

After Lin Yu finished speaking angrily, Lin Wei directly snatched all the newspapers from Lin Han and Lin Yu. This made Lin Han glare at his second sister, who he had always been at odds with, and say angrily, "What are you doing? I haven’t finished reading them. Give them back."

"Reading this stuff now and secretly cursing them, what’s the point? If you really have the ability, make all these media bow to you in a year. You’re just a kid."

After Lin Yu looked at Lin Han with disdain, she threw the newspapers into the trash can. At this moment, Lin Han really didn’t know how to respond. It seemed that what she said made some sense. Instead of being so upset, he should turn his frustration into strength. After thinking this through, Lin Han, who had been hit hard and almost obsessed over the past couple of days, finally regained some of his self-confidence.

Of course, Lin Han was being mocked by the media and TV programs across the U.S. and was being ridiculed by many fans as the 'luckiest' rookie in history, the 'biggest liar,' and the 'worst first-round rookie.' Even if Lin Han wanted to avoid it, he couldn’t.

However, fortunately, although the entire U.S. was questioning him and the Jazz, the signing between him and the Jazz didn’t change because of this. The Jazz didn’t decide to not give Lin Han a contract because of the nationwide and Utah fans' doubts.

It’s important to note that not all NBA rookies are guaranteed contracts, even first-round picks. If the team decides they are not suitable, they can choose not to give a first-round pick a contract. Currently, NBA rookie salaries are not tied to draft positions, so selecting a rookie only gives the team and the selected rookie the right of first refusal.

If a rookie is unsatisfied with the salary offered by the team, they can refuse to sign. If the team is unsatisfied with the rookie’s ability, they can also refuse to give a contract. The relationship is completely equal. Therefore, in the current NBA, there are many unusual large contracts for rookies. Some sign for one year, some for three to four years, and some even for seven to eight years. Some rookies, because of their strong abilities and importance to the team, can demand exorbitant salaries, sometimes even higher than those of established NBA superstars.

For example, last year’s rookie Shaquille O’Neal signed a four-year rookie contract with the Magic, with a salary of $3 million in the first year, $4 million in the second year, $5 million in the third year, and $6 million in the fourth year. Jordan’s contract for the next three years was only $4 million per year, and the salary cap for a team was only $14 million. O’Neal’s average rookie salary was $4.5 million, which was one-third of the salary cap. If the NBA salary cap were $60 million, O’Neal’s average rookie salary would be $20 million. How could Jordan and other NBA superstars bear this?

If O’Neal were an exception, it would be one thing, but his high rookie salary was not an exception. The 1991 first overall pick, Larry Johnson, signed a six-year, $21 million rookie contract with the Charlotte Hornets, with an average annual salary of $3.5 million. Although it was slightly less than Jordan’s, it was still higher than Pippen, Malone, Barkley, Mullin, Stockton, Olajuwon, and Ewing, among others. This salary structure was almost a source of internal conflict for many NBA teams.

Therefore, after this year’s NBA draft, it would be no surprise if Hardaway and Webber’s annual salaries were higher than most NBA superstars. As long as they indicated they wouldn’t sign without high salaries, both the Magic and the Warriors would comply, as these rookies were irreplaceable.

Of course, geniuses are geniuses. Although Lin Han knew that Jerry Sloan and the Jazz valued him, he wasn’t arrogant enough to demand an exorbitant salary. If he really asked for a 10-year, $100 million rookie contract, the Jazz would definitely kick him out. So, to some extent, for ordinary rookies like Lin Han, the signing process was relatively simple, with little haggling, as both sides had a tacit agreement.

However, because Lin Han didn’t have his own agent, and all NBA signings must be done through an agent, the Jazz helped him find an official agent to sign the contract. Although most NBA players have their own agents, agents charge a commission, so some players in the NBA don’t have personal agents. In such cases, the team helps out.

Because Lin Han and the Jazz had already reached a consensus on his contract, the signing didn’t take long. On July 5, 1993, Lin Han signed a three-year, $3.3 million contract with the Jazz in the team’s general manager’s office. His salary for the first year was $850,000, $1.1 million for the second year, and $1.35 million for the third year. According to NBA rules, Lin Han would receive an average salary of $1.1 million per year from the Jazz. Although his first-year salary was $850,000, because the three years were all guaranteed, he could receive the average salary of $1.1 million in the first year.

The signing amount of this contract was not large, but it wasn’t small either. It was a relatively good contract for an NBA rookie in the 14th to 20th pick range. If Lin Han’s draft position had been in the top 13, the lottery picks, his first-year salary would have been at least $1 million, with an average annual salary of at least $1.4 million.

Of course, regardless of the situation, for Lin Han, who was currently in dire need of money, an average annual salary of $1.1 million was already very good. After all, it made him a millionaire, almost penniless as he was.