For current NBA stars, signing contracts worth tens of millions or even hundreds of millions with teams is not a new thing. However, 20 years ago, becoming an NBA billionaire was absolutely explosive. news. The protagonist we are going to talk about today, Juwan Howard, is the first billionaire in NBA history. This is his story. via: Sports Frontier
The Howard mentioned here is not the Rockets' "Warcraft" Dwight Howard, but Juwan Howard, who is affectionately regarded as "Uncle Huo" by the majority of Chinese fans. As the only player in the NBA who has played alongside three Chinese super centers - Wang Zhizhi, Battelle and Yao Ming, Howard can make a strange country thousands of miles away known as his second uncle by hundreds of millions of strangers. This fully highlights his elderlike demeanor in the eyes of young fans. In fact, this elder demeanor was vividly displayed from the first day he entered the NBA.
As the fifth overall pick in the first round of 1994, Howard was drafted by the Washington Bullets (the predecessor of the current Washington Wizards), but did not receive enough attention from the team and was known for being stingy and lack of vision. The team’s former owner Pauline gave the rising star, one of the “Michigan Five”, a 12-year contract worth $37.5 million. Compared to the 10-year price of $68 million paid by the Bucks to “Big Dog” Robinson The contracts are really very different. However, Howard, who had just entered the league, still signed a big name on the contract with a smile. He soon proved on the court that his strength was much higher than this somewhat cheap contract.
In his rookie season, he averaged 17 points and 8.4 rebounds per game and was selected to the All-Rookie Second Team. The following year, he improved this data to 22.1 points and 8.1 rebounds. In addition, as an inside player, Howard played The average assists reached 4.4 times, which is a very eye-catching statistic. He was selected to the All-NBA third team and All-Star. He was recognized by Jordan in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs when the Bulls swept the Bullets. Hot new star. In the summer of 1996, Uncle Huo chose to opt out of his contract. Initially, Howard was prepared to sign a six-year, $101 million contract with the Heat. However, this contract was opposed by the NBA because it violated the salary cap rules at the time. In the end, he Signed a seven-year, $105 million long-term contract with the Wizards, becoming the first player in NBA history to receive a $100 million contract.
Although Larry Johnson, nicknamed "Aunt" before him, also signed a 12-year, 110 million contract, that contract contained a large number of hidden terms and bonus mechanisms, so Howard is the NBA The first star in history to have a contract worth over 100 million yuan. However, after signing a big contract, Howard's condition began to decline. Although his performance was still conscientious and stable, it turned out that he was not worth a hundred million yuan contract. He received a huge salary but produced blue-collar statistics, and the team's performance was a mess. Therefore, he was labeled as a high salary and low energy.
Howard, who was later renamed the Washington Wizards, was traded to the Dallas Mavericks along with two teammates, and thus began his wandering career, playing for the Mavericks, Nuggets, Magic, Rockets, Bobcats, Teams such as the Trail Blazers and Heat. What is particularly worth mentioning is his three seasons with the Rockets. He is respectfully called Uncle Huo by the majority of Chinese Rockets fans, and together with Uncle Mu and Yao Ming, he has become an indelible youthful memory in the memory of a generation of fans watching football. In 2012 and 2013, he won two championships with the Heat. After choosing to retire in 2013, he became an assistant coach of the Heat.
As the first billionaire in NBA history, Howard's career is full of controversy. He had a brief period of glory, and eventually became a representative figure of high salary and low ability. But what is even more surprising is that This billionaire actually stole things.
In May 2006, a Miami optical store said that Howard was suspected of stealing a pair of glasses worth US$1,652, and there was video evidence.
According to salesperson Rodriguez, Howard used his credit card to buy two other pairs of sunglasses worth $856. He accidentally put the $1,652 pair of sunglasses into his breast pocket, and then swaggered around. After leaving, the store owner Loggins immediately called the police. Billionaires should not be short of money, but why they steal glasses is unknown. Is it because they are looking for excitement or even eccentricity?
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