Chapter 94

In just one day, Lin Han's strength surged due to winning both the Monthly Best Player and Monthly Best Rookie awards. He now had a dribble drive skill that could help him continue to upgrade, and a golden running skill that increased his mid-range jump shot accuracy. Moreover, this running skill not only boosted his shooting accuracy but also came with a note that it ignored personal physical condition.

For a moment, Lin Han felt that these two skills could directly change his playing style, and the worries and fears about his future that he had in the past were now completely gone.

Of course, these were the good aspects of Lin Han's situation. There were also some not-so-good aspects. For instance, Lin Han's system points were almost depleted again, and he urgently needed gold to recharge. Although he was currently negotiating many contracts, due to his greed, none of these negotiations had been completed. To make these capitalists pay more for him, Lin Han's current potential was still not enough.

Many NBA experts, who had previously dismissed Lin Han, said that apart from his shooting, he was good at nothing. Although Lin Han's scoring repeatedly proved them wrong, these experts still spoke with confidence. Indeed, Lin Han's previous performances were limited to shooting and scoring, and calling him a shooting machine was not an exaggeration. As a player with a single skill, he had shown strong scoring ability, but that was not enough.

However, Lin Han believed that it wouldn't be long before these business negotiations concluded, as his situation was completely different from before.

What Lin Han did not realize at the time was that the Monthly Best Player award, which was the source of his strength increase, was facing significant controversy.

......

"Do you think there's a problem with the league's Monthly Best Player award this month? Of course, there is no doubt. Just like two years ago when they mysteriously gave the award to Glen Rice. I'm not saying Glen is bad, but he wasn't good enough to outshine other superstars in the league, just like Lin Han now. Sure, he's the scoring leader, averaging over 34 points per game, but does he average more than one assist? Does he have blocks, steals, or rebounds? If Hakeem wanted to, he could easily average 34 points per game in the regular season, or even 40 points per game in the playoffs."

"Hakeem is not incapable of scoring; he is a team leader who needs to do many things for us. Can a pure scorer who averages 34 points and takes over 27 shots per game compare to a super center who averages 26 points, 14 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 blocks, and 2 steals? Isn't that a joke? I think giving Lin the Monthly Best for November was unfair."

On December 2, 1993, when the league announced the November Monthly Best Player through major American media, it caused a huge stir. Many people believed that the only possible choice for November's Monthly Best was Hakeem Olajuwon, the league's top center. His performance this season was outstanding, leading his team to a record 14-game winning streak, and his stats were terrifyingly all-around. By the end of last month, he had even taken the top spot in the MVP rankings from Lin Han. As for Lin Han, while the rookie had many impressive performances last month, his last few games were indeed not up to par.

No one expected the league to ultimately give the Monthly Best Player award to Lin Han, and to create a new award, Monthly Best Rookie, for this year. It was clear to everyone who this award was for, and it was obviously set up for the so-called "Four Young Super Swingers." After Jordan's departure, the league's promotion of Lin Han and the other three young super swingers had reached an unprecedented level.

The media's enthusiastic promotion of Hardaway and their criticism of Jordan made Jordan's fans view Hardaway as an enemy. When the league presented the Monthly Best Player award, often referred to as the "Mini MVP," to Lin Han, it caused a significant backlash. The Rockets' players were immediately dissatisfied, and even Robert Horry of the team openly criticized the league's unfair treatment of Olajuwon.

Although Olajuwon did not confront a rookie, he said in an interview that Lin Han was good, outstanding, and had the ability, but his last statement, "I can't wait to play against Lin Han," betrayed his current emotions.

It's worth noting that Olajuwon had only won the Monthly Best Player award four times in his career. No NBA superstar was indifferent to this award. When Jordan was around, he almost monopolized the award with 11 wins, and his performance each time was undeniable. But why Lin Han?

Why should the league make these established superstars stepping stones for Lin Han? Wasn't the league's approach a bit too unseemly? Even for commercial needs, to make up for the loss after Jordan's departure, was it necessary to go this far?

Olajuwon was no longer the naive young man he once was. He knew he couldn't fight the league, but he also knew how to get revenge. He even thought that Barkley's decision to play the perimeter against the Jazz was a good idea. If possible, he wanted to try the shooting guard position as well. Of course, whether the Rockets' coach would agree was another matter. For now, he definitely had no good feelings towards Lin Han, who he found to be less than honorable.

"Who to choose between Hakeem and Lin? Of course, it's Olajuwon. Are these two players even on the same level? Lin Han is a shameless hypocrite, a scoundrel who doesn't deserve to be on the court. Such a player doesn't deserve any NBA award!"

Naturally, such a significant controversy couldn't be limited to the Rockets' players' dissatisfaction. Barkley, who had recently been embarrassed by Lin Han, had been publicly criticizing him. How could he miss such a good opportunity?

"Thirty-five seconds, 13 points, was a key reason for Lin Han's award? I don't know. He is a very talented young player, but I don't think he has the qualifications to stand alongside Olajuwon or Patrick. We won't underestimate him in the next game; you'll see."

Besides Barkley, Lin Han's other enemy, the Knicks' shooting guard John Starks, also expressed his disdain for Lin Han in an interview. This guard even challenged Lin Han, saying that in the Knicks' away game against the Jazz on December 4, he wouldn't underestimate him and would show him a thing or two.

"Is the demand on him too high? I don't think so. Both Hakeem and Lin were the two best players in November, and their teams were undefeated. If possible, I hope the league could create another award. But if there's only one, Olajuwon is more deserving than Lin."

"Have I watched Jazz games? Of course, I've watched many. Lin's 62 points against the Mavericks and 68 points against the Magic are classics, and his miraculous buzzer-beater against the Knicks was thrilling. I consider myself a partial fan of Lin, but I don't like his playing style. He should move more and not stand still waiting for the ball. This is not a criticism; I hope he realizes this is important for the next game."

Even the Pacers' star guard Reggie Miller, who was visiting the Jazz on December 2, couldn't avoid comparing Lin Han and Olajuwon. The relatively younger player supported Lin Han, despite saying many good things about him, he still expressed dissatisfaction and disdain. Why should Lin Han be so lazy, not defend or move, and still receive so much attention and honor? Just because his shooting is more beautiful and his looks are better, does he deserve to be above us? Reggie Miller was quite不服气 (unconvinced) about the league not promoting him but promoting Lin Han.

Reggie Miller had been averaging over 20 points per game since his third year as a rookie, for four consecutive years. Apart from being a reserve in the All-Star game once, the league had ignored him completely. Was it because his team's performance was poor? He had led his team to the playoffs for four consecutive years, and in the playoffs, he averaged over 25 points with a three-point shooting percentage close to 50% and a field goal percentage well over 50%.

In Reggie Miller's view, they were both shooting specialists. Apart from his shooting not being as beautiful, in what way was he inferior to Lin Han? Although the Pacers had a poor start this season, winning only 4 out of their first 13 games, this time he was coming to Utah to teach Lin Han a lesson!

In this situation, when the entire United States was whipped up by the media into a frenzy over who was better between Lin Han and Olajuwon, Lin Han almost faced the same situation as Penny Hardaway. Hardaway, due to the media's promotion and criticism of Jordan, faced resistance from Jordan's fans. Now, Lin Han almost faced resistance and even hostility from all NBA stars except the Jazz.

......

"David, the current trend is not good at all. Do you really think this is beneficial for Lin Han's growth and your strategy?"

In the NBA headquarters in New York, in David Stern's office, the ambitious league commissioner held the latest New York Times. The front page featured a picture of Lin Han and Olajuwon in a virtual showdown. The content was predictable. In response to his assistant's question, the commissioner only tapped his desk, without responding.

"If he really has the same talent as Michael, he will eventually become the league's public enemy, just like Michael. It's just a matter of time. I just gave him a push. If he doesn't have Michael's talent, do you think he's worth the cost? If it's because of his skin, we don't need to do this; there are better options."

"To maximize benefits, this kid must be pushed. Don't you think the league hasn't suffered the massive impact we expected after Michael's departure? This kid has done a great job; he's not as fragile as you think."

"Moreover, this kid gives me a very strange feeling. I think he has many interesting things he hasn't shown yet. Don't worry; I know my limits."

If Lin Han knew that David Stern was 'pushing him to his limits' behind his back, he would no longer think of Stern as a good person. Since entering the league, Lin Han had always believed that the league commissioner was a great man.

He never expected that this great man would push him to such a position to expedite his growth.

......

"Lin, be careful in this game. Reggie Miller is not easy to deal with. He is one of the most underrated players in the league, with skills not far behind the four young super swingers."

On December 2, 1993, before the Jazz and Pacers game, assistant coach Phil Johnson repeatedly emphasized the opponent to Lin Han. At this moment, Lin Han was full of fighting spirit, and his increased strength made him need an opponent to vent his energy.

"Reggie Miller? Bring it on!"