Chapter 83

"Hey, Lin, can you sign this for me?"

On November 25, 1993, at the Delta Center in Utah, Lin Han was aimlessly watching the game from the Jazz bench. Occasionally, some fans from the front row would crowd around him.

In the NBA, some players cannot casually sign autographs for fans, like Michael Jordan, whose signature is numbered and certified, making it a significant commodity. However, Lin Han did not have such concerns. Although many manufacturers had approached him, he had not yet signed with any commercial company.

At this moment, Lin Han would sign autographs for the Jazz fans who surrounded him and then focus on the game again, which made him feel very awkward.

From the beginning of the game, Lin Han had been very annoyed by Charles Barkley, and his mindset was completely disrupted by the big man. In this situation, although the Jazz head coach Jerry Sloan continued to use him normally in the first half, Lin Han was benched at the start of the third quarter. Clearly, Sloan wanted Lin Han to cool down on the bench.

This was the first time Lin Han had experienced such a situation since becoming a starter for the Jazz. Although he was benched for a long time in his first NBA game, it was not because of poor performance or impatience, but because of his excellent performance. Of course, whether it was his first game or now, Sloan's approach was indeed protective.

Even so, Lin Han still felt very awkward. However, what surprised him was that the Jazz fans at the scene had no complaints about his poor performance in this game.

"Lin, don't take it to heart. No one can always perform perfectly in the NBA. We will always support you. Can we take a photo together?"

Because Lin Han was sitting on the bench, the Jazz bench became very lively. As NBA fans, they knew when to approach players and when not to. If Stockton and Malone were sitting on the bench, it would be a true team rest time, and they would not be allowed to disturb them. If only Lin Han was there, it was clear that he would likely not play again in this game, so there was no such consideration.

Therefore, after Lin Han was surrounded, the other Jazz players, whether they wanted to or not, stayed far away from him. Even players like Humphries, who were unhappy with Lin Han, would mock him a bit. The Chinese-American rookie being taught a lesson by Barkley made them very happy.

As the Jazz head coach, Jerry Sloan was also paying attention to the game but would occasionally look at Lin Han, seemingly trying to understand his mental state. Sloan was not a coach known for his motivational skills; he was serious and sometimes very rigid. Putting Lin Han on the bench was a decision made with many concerns. He was not a coach who could easily understand a player's mindset, and he was not sure if Lin Han understood his intentions.

At the same time, he was hoping that Lin Han would mature. Although Lin Han had performed exceptionally well in the first nine games, almost uncontrollably, Sloan was always filled with worry. Lin Han's rookie season was going too smoothly, so smoothly that it was scary. If Lin Han did not have strong mental resilience, he would eventually face difficulties. Today, he faced Barkley, but in the future, he might face Clyde Drexler or Scottie Pippen.

Sloan wanted Lin Han to experience some setbacks and return to reality, but he did not want these setbacks to overly affect his confidence. Sloan was unsure how to balance this, especially since neither Stockton nor Malone had ever made him so worried. In essence, this was Sloan's first time dealing with a core player.

"Ha ha ha, kid, are you not planning to come back in the second half? I was waiting to challenge you. Come on, I want to play with you again."

Because of Lin Han's performance in this game, the atmosphere on the Jazz bench was very special. Even the Jazz players who disliked Lin Han did not expect this to happen. After completing an offensive play, Barkley, who had bulldozed Jeff Malone and completed a layup, did not forget to taunt Lin Han on the bench during the retreat.

At this moment, Lin Han looked at the arrogant big man with hatred. The big man was not only shameless but also deserved a beating. During the first half, Lin Han had wanted to kick the big man's buttocks several times but ultimately held back. Now, Lin Han regretted not doing so.

"Ha ha ha, kid, we are going to win this game for sure."

Win your sister, Lin Han silently cursed, his face not looking good. Although Lin Han's performance in this game was terrible, it was undeniable that the Jazz were not so weak. Even if Lin Han performed poorly, there was still Jeff Malone to step up. The Jazz were not afraid of the Suns, who lacked a super center.

Moreover, both Stockton and Malone were in good form. Especially Stockton, the Jazz point guard, who rarely dominated the Suns' point guard Kevin Johnson. In the past few seasons, Johnson had been one of Stockton's biggest rivals. It seemed that the Jazz leader was showing some first-point guard qualities in the new season and was not as weak in strong point guard matchups.

"Lin, don't let others affect you. Being able to sit on the bench and watch your teammates play is a rare opportunity. You need to observe how your main teammates perform on the court; this is very important for your future."

Just as Lin Han was grinding his teeth in anger at Barkley's taunts, the team's assistant coach Phil Johnson gently reminded him. Clearly, after hearing his assistant coach's advice, Lin Han's emotions stabilized slightly.

Phil Johnson was right. Since Lin Han joined the team as a starter, he and Malone and Stockton had always been on and off the court together, making it difficult for him to truly sit on the bench and watch the team's leaders play. When Lin Han started paying attention to their performance, he was surprised by how well they worked together, a level of coordination that was hard to believe.

He had never thought that his data-grabbing on the court might have disrupted the balance between the two. His aggressive data-grabbing made it difficult for Malone and Stockton to coordinate as seamlessly as before. Because of Lin Han's disregard, Stockton had to adjust his relationship with Malone on the court. While the Jazz continued to win, they also sacrificed a lot.

"Lin, your playing style can be selfish, but when you step onto the court, your mindset cannot be selfish. You cannot think that you are the only one who can lead the team to victory. In fact, your teammates are not that bad. Even if they are defeated, it does not mean the team is defeated. You need to trust your teammates on the court."

Phil Johnson was not sure if Lin Han understood this, but he knew that the reason Lin Han was on the bench was not because of his poor performance but because his excellent performance had made him increasingly selfish, even thinking that Stockton, Malone, and the entire team were not on the same level as him. This mindset was common among young players but also dangerous. The Jazz allowed Lin Han to play selfishly and could freely initiate plays, but he had to stand with his teammates and not isolate himself from the team.

However, seeing that Lin Han seemed to be thinking about these issues, Phil Johnson felt a bit more at ease. In fact, many superstars like Jordan and Olajuwon had similar struggles in their early careers. For example, a famous quote from the young Olajuwon was: "My shooting percentage is much higher than my teammates. Why should I pass to them?" The key was not Olajuwon's selfishness but his belief that his skills were far superior to his teammates, making them unworthy of playing with him.

This mental shift was easier for Lin Han than for Jordan and Olajuwon, as his teammates were stronger than theirs.

"Ah, it's really hard to catch up with the Suns. This team never has a scoring drought."

"Yeah, this score difference is really frustrating."

Lin Han was being cooled down by the team's two coaches on the bench. After the third quarter, Stockton and Malone came off the court with a look of helplessness. Even if they performed well, they could not make up for the advantage the Suns had established in the first half.

In fact, the Suns were almost unstoppable on offense, and it was rare for them to have a low-scoring period, even against the Jazz. When the fourth quarter began, and Stockton and Malone returned to the court to start the final battle, many Jazz fans had already lost hope of winning.

Even the broadcast team began to focus more on Lin Han, who was sitting on the bench, having scored only 8 points on 3-of-9 shooting in this game, seemingly not planning to play.

"Lin seems to be in good spirits. I think he should be fine."

As a commentator for this game, former Bulls coach Doug Collins smiled, understanding Lin Han's situation.

"The Jazz are in a dangerous situation. Jerry Sloan should not suppress Lin Han. Even if Lin Han performs well and replaces Stockton and Malone as the team's leader, it would be a benefit for the Jazz. Sloan is too petty."

"Exactly, the Jazz are trying to catch up, and Lin Han is essential. Even if he was slightly suppressed by Barkley in the first half, it doesn't mean Barkley is better than Lin Han for the entire game."

Of course, Doug Collins seemed to understand Lin Han's situation, but the Chinese commentators, Su Qun and Sun Laoshi, did not agree. After criticizing Barkley and Malone in the first half, they began to criticize Sloan in the second half. If Sloan knew, he would probably be very depressed.

At the start of the fourth quarter, the score difference between the Jazz and the Suns fluctuated between 5 and 7 points. The Suns wanted to increase the lead to over 10 points, and the Jazz wanted to reduce it to within 5 points, but neither could achieve their goal.

As the game time dwindled, the Jazz's situation became increasingly dire.

Just as the game entered the final four minutes, Lin Han, who had been sitting on the bench for the entire second half, suddenly stood up and walked to the front of the Jazz head coach Jerry Sloan.

"Huh? What is Lin going to do?"

The broadcast team, which had been focusing on Lin Han, was surprised, as were many fans and commentators. Even the Jazz assistant coach, Phil Johnson, was puzzled when he saw Lin Han approaching Sloan. What is this kid going to do? Is he going to complain to Sloan?

"Coach, I want to play in this game."

Sloan, who had been completely absorbed in the game, looked at the determined Lin Han standing in front of him. After hearing Lin Han's request, the Jazz head coach was momentarily stunned.

Play? Now? Is this a joke? Lin Han must be completely cold. Phil Johnson, who had intended to pull Lin Han back, was also stunned after hearing Lin Han's words.

However, to Phil Johnson's surprise and speechlessness, Sloan looked deeply at Lin Han and nodded.

"Go warm up first."