So inspiring! In just 2 years, his contract increased 36 times and he became the strongest sixth man in active service!

In the NBA world, there are countless players with extreme talents. After entering the NBA, because they were unable to adapt to the rhythm and intensity of the NBA, they ultimately wasted their precious potential and eventually faded out of the NBA. However, although some players have average talent, through their own efforts, they have managed to earn their own big contracts from outsiders in the NBA who have never been favored. What we are going to introduce today is an inspiring role model. At the age of 24, he only had a short-term contract of 1.79 million US dollars, but it was worth it. In 2 years, he directly increased the amount of his contract by an astonishing 36 times. He is Malik Monk. Let us walk into Monk's story together!

Rich resume, Kentucky's scoring machine.

Before entering the NBA, Monk had a very impressive resume. When he was studying at Bentonville High School in Arkansas, he was already the strongest shooting guard in the state. With 53 points in a single game, he directly broke the school record. In his senior season, he averaged 28.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game, and his shooting percentage was even more terrifying.

It is precisely because of this that he was directly elected as Arkansas Mr. Basketball and was selected to the All-American High School Second Team. In addition, he also averaged 19.7 points per game in the EYBL league organized by Nike. At the Nike Basketball Summit held in 2015, he scored 22 points, 12 rebounds and 4 assists on behalf of the US team. Not only did he lead the team to defeat the World Team, but he also received recognition from the media and eventually won the MVP of the event.

With such a resume, Monk was directly selected as the 9th five-star high school student in the United States. He attracted the attention of many NCAA elite schools, and finally he chose to join the University of Kentucky. Entering this stage, his scoring ability is still explosive. He can steadily output 19.8 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game, and his shooting and three-point shooting percentages have reached 45% and 39.7% respectively.

In the peak showdown with the University of North Carolina, he scored 47 points, which directly shocked the national basketball world, and also helped the school defeat many powerful players and win the SEC division championship. There is no surprise. As Kentucky's scoring machine, he directly won various honors including the best player in the conference, the best freshman, the Jerry West Award, and was even selected to the All-American Second Team. Therefore, after finishing his freshman season, Monk did not hesitate and chose to participate in the NBA draft to hit a higher stage.

The Hornets were frustrated, but they counterattacked with the Lakers.

Being able to play almost indiscriminate singles and covering the entire half with firepower, Monk attracted the attention of many NBA teams. Finally, in the 2017 draft, the Hornets selected Monk with the 11th overall pick in the first round and brought him to Charlotte. However, unlike in the NCAA, the intensity and pace of the NBA are faster. If you do not have the ability to seize opportunities, the opportunity may slip away in an instant. Under such circumstances, Monk was very uncomfortable in his first season in the NBA, and the team's back line was not lacking in personnel at that time, so he has been sitting on the bench, averaging only 6.7 points, 1 rebound and 1.4 assists per game.

What makes Monk even more depressed is that this situation has continued. It was not until the third season of his career that he got more opportunities. He averaged 10.3 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. Although there is still a certain distance from the original expected performance, at least he can be regarded as a stable firepower output point from the bench.

But unfortunately, because he was unable to maintain a stable shooting efficiency, after the end of 20-21, his rookie contract expired and he was not able to get his contract renewed. Fortunately, he was only 23 years old, so the Lakers also gave him a one-year basic salary of US$1.79 million and brought him to the Lakers.

The signing this time was obviously the right one. Although the salary was not much, the Lakers that year were not ideal due to the unsatisfactory integration of the Big Three of Russell Westbrook, LeBron James and Anthony Davis. The team also encountered a huge wave of injuries, so this gave Monk a chance. With a 47.3% shooting rate and a 39.1% three-point shooting rate, he scored 13.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.9 assists. He once again showed his worth. Finally, in the summer of 2022, he successfully won the favor of the Kings and went to Sacramento.

Sufficient firepower output, the strongest sixth man currently in service.

It has to be said that joining the Kings this time is Monk's best choice. Here is his good brother De'Aaron Fox from college, and in the system of coach Mike Brown, he is allowed to play as the sixth man and has unlimited firing rights.

In his first season, Monk became a key part of the team, averaging 13.5 points, 2.6 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game. In the game against the Clippers, he even had an explosive performance of 45 points in a single game, successfully helping the Kings break the embarrassing record of failing to enter the playoffs for 16 consecutive years. What's even more remarkable is that in the first round of the playoffs against the Warriors, he delivered 19 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.6 assists, repeatedly saving the team from disaster. Although the team unfortunately lost in the tiebreaker, Monk's role was visible to everyone.

Soon, in the 23-24 season, Monk continued to improve, and his game averages increased to a career-high 15.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists. Although he failed to help the team enter the playoffs again, his stable performance allowed him to successfully win a four-year, $78 million contract. In just 2 years, the value of his contract increased 36 times, which is quite not easy..

Although the team made some personnel adjustments last season and the record dropped again, Monk still withstood the pressure and his average data per game improved again, reaching 17.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 5.6 assists. Watching his game, it is very easy to think of JR Smith back then, with the same elegant style of play and explosive offensive firepower. Therefore, with the arrival of the new season, Monk is likely to perform even better again and compete for the Best Sixth Man trophy.