Monty Williams nodded at Wang and congratulated him:
— Congratulations! You've officially joined the Charlotte Hornets.
The meaning of the Head Coach's words was clear: for everyone on the team, Wang had been just a marginal character who could leave at any time.
In their eyes, there were too many players like Wang — all transient.
A non-guaranteed contract and a guaranteed contract — only one word apart — represented a world of difference to the team staff.
This meant he was now an official player for the Charlotte Hornets, not a temporary worker.
He now had a foundation to establish himself in the NBA, a stage and an opportunity to showcase his skills.
Before transmigrating, Wang had dreamed in his youth of one day getting a contract and playing in the NBA.
And today, the bullet fired in his youth finally hit its mark!
Of course, Wang's goal now was not just to be an ordinary player in the NBA; his ambitions were much greater.
As the phrase GG says: TO BE NO.1!!!
At this moment, Wang didn't have an agent yet, so he only needed to agree to the contract and sign it.
However, he didn't care about the amount of the first contract; any amount was fine as long as it gave him time to improve and showcase his talents.
He was quite satisfied with the duration, which lasted only until the end of the current season.
He believed that after one season, signing a new contract would not be about hundreds of thousands or even millions; it would undoubtedly be more beneficial to him.
Wang paused briefly to express gratitude to the Head Coach and General Manager:
— Thank you!
— Thank you, Coach, for your help and recognition.
Although the Charlotte Hornets were somewhat unstable now, with the owner bankrupt and the team managed by the league,
Wang remembered that the General Manager and Head Coach would continue in their positions for the next few years, so maintaining a good relationship was still important.
Dell Demps was very pleased with Wang's attitude, feeling that his efforts applying to President David Stern were worthwhile:
— Wang, your performance tonight impressed both me and Coach Monty. We both have high hopes for your future, so we finally decided to give you this guaranteed contract.
— I hope you'll work hard for the team this season!
As he spoke, he placed the finalized contract on the table along with a pen:
— Your basic guaranteed contract amount is $470,000. On top of that, we've set up some incentives. If you play more than 30 regular-season games with an average of over ten minutes per game, you'll receive a $50,000 bonus.
— If your three-point shooting percentage reaches 40% with over 100 attempts, you'll earn another $50,000.
— Playoff bonuses will be calculated separately.
Wang carefully read the contract.
Head Coach Monty Williams added from the side:
— Don't worry, in my current rotation, you'll have stable playing time; I won't keep you on the bench like before.
— How much playing time you get will naturally depend on your performance.
Wang nodded:
— Okay, I understand.
Dell Demps said:
— If there are no issues, please sign it.
— If your performance this season is good, we will discuss your next contract in the summer.
Wang found no problems with the contract, so he confidently signed it.
After shaking hands, Wang walked out of the General Manager's office.
At that moment, a pleasant voice sounded in his ear, and a translucent system prompt appeared before him:
— "Ding!"
— Congratulations, host, on obtaining your first guaranteed contract in your NBA career.
— System Reward: Gacha Chance * 1
Head Coach Monty Williams led Wang to the locker room and officially hung his name on the locker.
Seeing Wang slightly dazed, he smiled:
— This is your locker from now on.
— Keep working hard! The harder you train, the better you'll perform on the court.
Wang nodded vigorously:
— I will.
After saying this, the Head Coach patted his shoulder and left.
In the locker room, Wang was alone. The other teammates had already gone to rest; having just returned from an away game, everyone was physically exhausted.
Wang eagerly opened the gacha module.
He had originally planned to save up honor points for gacha after the next game, but this unexpected bonus — a free chance — was a pleasant surprise.
He rubbed his hands, putting all his luck into them, and clicked the button.
A large, colorful spinning wheel appeared before him, emitting an incredibly dazzling light.
Wang's heart started to beat faster; the reward pool even included a universal recovery potion worth 10,000 honor points!
The wheel spun rapidly.
One turn, two turns!
After spinning for an unknown number of turns, it finally stopped.
A silver light instantly emanated from the square:
— Congratulations, host, you've drawn the defensive badge — Death Coil (Silver)
— Death Coil (Silver): The defender gains faster close-defense movements, reducing the offensive player's shooting percentage by 5%.
Wang couldn't help but feel a surge of joy at the reward!
A warm current flowed through his body and blood, as if some ability had been added out of nowhere.
The badge he won from the gacha was the most useful one for him — a defensive badge!
If purchased in the mall, it would be worth 3,000 honor points. If earned normally in games, it would take many matches.
He hadn't expected his luck to be so good — it was like upgrading a bicycle to a motorcycle.
In the future, with enough honor points, he could try more gacha draws.
Now, he had three badges in total.
Looking at the badge description on the panel, he learned that upgrading badges required not only buying upgrade cards in the mall but also frequent use to improve proficiency in the corresponding badge before upgrading.
For example, upgrading Sharpshooter (Bronze) to Silver:
First, he needed to make 200 three-pointers in NBA games! Only then could he purchase the corresponding upgrade card to advance to the next level.
He didn't expect badge upgrading to be so complex.
But it made sense — the effort was nothing compared to the effects of the badges.
Soon, Wang's Nokia phone rang; it was his parents calling from China.
They had moved the entire family abroad during his high school years to support his basketball dreams, saving every penny and spending much of their savings.
Fortunately, all this effort and sacrifice were not in vain.
Living abroad was expensive, and his parents were aging, so after Wang entered the NBA, they returned to China.
— Son, I just saw the news — you officially signed a guaranteed contract with the team? — asked his father, Wang Guodong.
— Son, how have you been living over there? Are you tired? — his mother Liu Shulan asked with concern.
The news of his signing had already reached China.
Although they were the parents of his former self, Wang still felt their love through their words.
Since he now inhabited Wang's body, he naturally had to take care of his parents.
He softly replied:
— Mom, Dad, I'm now an official NBA player!
— My annual salary is several million RMB!
— I'll transfer a few hundred thousand to the family account later. You've worked hard all these years.
Wang Guodong laughed heartily:
— Good! Good! Good!
— Son, you made it!
Liu Shulan's eyes became slightly moist:
— You child… you've grown up.
— You've become sensible.
— We don't need much money, save it all for your wife.
After chatting for a while, Wang hung up.
This call made him realize life wasn't just about basketball.
This was the real world, not a game.
He took a taxi to his small rented apartment, more than ten kilometers from the city center.
Living abroad without a car was inconvenient.
The apartment was cheap and remote.
His predecessor had never established himself in the NBA and had spent cautiously, uncertain about the future.
Wang planned to move closer to the arena for easier training and games.
He also planned to buy a car.
After taking care of everything, his body and nerves, busy all day, finally relaxed.
He went to sleep and woke up after breakfast, then packed and headed to the arena for training.
The next few days were packed.
Tonight they would play the Bobcats (15-22, ninth in the Eastern Conference) at home.
Due to back-to-back games, morning training was replaced by rest and recovery, and team training in the afternoon focused on warm-up shots and tactics.
As Wang walked into the arena, he encountered many staff members who previously ignored him but now greeted him warmly.
It wasn't their fault before — Wang had been insignificant to them.
But after yesterday's game, everything changed.
Wang's name appeared prominently in the New Orleans newspaper.
And after the official announcement of his guaranteed contract, the staff's attitude naturally changed.
After changing in the locker room, Wang went to the gym for stretching and strength training.
He thought he had arrived early and no one else would train in the morning.
However, someone arrived before him — Chris Paul, drenched in sweat, breathing heavily while doing strength exercises.
Although Paul is only 183 cm tall, his strength allows him to hold his own defensively.
He has a competitive spirit no weaker than Kobe's and was dissatisfied with last year's team performance, which failed to make the playoffs.
The team was still under trusteeship, and he wasn't satisfied with offseason signings.
The only thing he was satisfied with this season was the team's current record.
They were sixth in the Western Conference, and rookie Wang surprised him yesterday.
Wang greeted Paul:
— Morning, Chris!
— Didn't expect you here so early.
Paul, surprised, removed his headphones:
— Morning! I was wondering who would come second.
— I thought it would be Ariza or West…
— But never expected it to be you, Rookie.
Previously, Wang hadn't worked particularly hard in team practices, so Paul disliked him a little.
If a player doesn't give his all in practice, he can't be expected to perform well in games.
But after last night, Paul felt Wang might not be completely useless.
Wang smiled:
— I know I still have many shortcomings.
— But yesterday's game made me realize: to establish myself in this league, luck alone isn't enough.
— Personal strength is most important.
Paul raised an eyebrow and wiped the sweat from his forehead:
— Well said, but it must be followed by action and effort.
— One game doesn't show true strength.
— Only sufficient training ensures you don't panic on the court.
Wang nodded.
Paul looked thoughtfully at him, recalling last night's performance; their cooperation was smooth.
Every pass became an assist, and his shot was soft.
Kevin Martin didn't score a single point in the fourth quarter under Wang's defense, contributing greatly on both ends.
Paul asked:
— I heard you got a guaranteed contract yesterday.
— Yes.
Paul thought for a moment and then suggested:
— Finished stretching? Come play one-on-one with me.
— Let me see your current strength.
Wang originally wanted to refuse — his current strength, even with the system boost, wasn't enough to beat Paul.
But just as he was about to speak, the system prompted again:
— "Ding! The system has activated a temporary mission: play one-on-one with Paul."
— "Completion requirement: just finish the pickup game. Rewards vary based on the outcome."
— "Win: Reward Badge — Dribbling Master (Purple)."
— "Loss: Reward — 2 Free Attributes."
— "Do you accept the mission?"
Seeing the mission description, Wang accepted immediately.
A mission with no penalty — of course he had to accept it!
A rookie losing one-on-one to Paul was normal; if he lost, he lost.
If he miraculously won, he could get the purple Dribbling Master badge!
Who could refuse such a temptation?
Wang replied decisively:
— Sure, no problem. Let's play to five points.
— Whoever scores five first wins.
Paul looked at the spirited young man, surprised.
Over the years, many rookies joined the team, but few dared to challenge him like Wang.
On the court, it's all about skill and ability, not status.
Paul slung his towel over his shoulder with a playful smile:
— Rookie, are you really sure you want to play one-on-one with me?
— Don't blame me if I make you cry.
— I won't go easy on you.
Wang's lips curved upwards eagerly:
— Exactly what I wanted. Let me see the strength of the league's number one point guard!