How to choose between an annual salary of six million and a monthly salary of sixteen thousand?

Yu Jiahao has taken off, saying goodbye to loved ones and boarding a flight to Spain. Carrying a handbag and a suitcase, his silhouette appeared a bit solitary, but his heart was full of excitement for the journey ahead.

In the Chinese men's basketball Asian Cup squad, Wang Junjie had almost no downtime; immediately after the tournament, he flew to San Francisco to start training at school. Meanwhile, Yu Jiahao, after a brief return to China, set off on his next journey.

On August 1st, Yu Jiahao announced he would join Bilbao Basketball Club in the Spanish Liga ACB, signing a three-year contract. In the first year, he will be loaned to Alega Cantabria in the Spanish second division as a transition, earning a monthly salary of about 2,000 euros, which is roughly sixteen thousand RMB at the current exchange rate.

To be honest, among the readers of this article, there are surely people earning more than Yu Jiahao. He could have renewed with the Zhejiang team at a top salary—six million annually just by signing. But he ultimately chose to go to Europe to develop himself. In his own words: “After several years of training in the CBA, I understand better what I want.”

In the CBA league, 22-year-old Yu Jiahao already averages 13.5 points, 8 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game. If he continues to grow, he will undoubtedly become a top interior player in the league, gaining both fame and fortune. However, this is not the basketball career Yu Jiahao desires.

Just like when he went to play in the U.S. high school league, Yu Jiahao wants to explore the world outside. His basketball journey in American high schools was cut short by the pandemic, which remains a regret for him.

After returning to China, Yu Jiahao joined the Zhejiang team. In his rookie season, he averaged 12.2 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks, earning the Rookie of the Year award. After that season, he aimed for the NBA, training in the U.S. for a while and receiving tryout invitations from the Bucks and Celtics, but ultimately did not succeed.

His static talent as a center is already top-tier, but his dynamic skills fall short of the NBA threshold, especially his lateral quickness. This year, Yang Hansen faces a similar issue with slow lateral movement, but he is already better than Yu Jiahao in this regard.

The slow speed problem is really tough for Yu Jiahao to fix, almost capping his salary. Losing too much weight would inevitably reduce his strength. He hasn’t given up; after the 2024 CBA season, he chose to train in Spain.

During this time, some Spanish clubs showed interest in Yu Jiahao, but he still had a contract with Zhejiang, and the team wanted him to return for another year. So he fulfilled his contract before becoming a free agent this year and once again boarded a flight to Spain.

Before this, Yu Jiahao played in the best Asian Cup China has had in nearly ten years. Objectively, his performance had ups and downs. As one of only two centers on the team, I expected him to perform better.

During the Asian Cup, Yu Jiahao averaged 7.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 0.2 blocks, with a shooting accuracy of only 45.5%. On the positive side, he dominated rebounds inside the paint, helping China establish an advantage under the basket, especially in the first half against South Korea, where his constant interior battles created many opportunities for the team.

Yu Jiahao’s free throw shooting was also a pleasant surprise. In fact, he has maintained over 80% free throw accuracy for several seasons in the CBA, showing a consistent touch. He brought this skill to the national team, converting points after drawing fouls in the paint.

On the downside, his efficiency near the basket was somewhat low; he struggled to finish some simple plays due to weaker upper and lower body strength. In the CBA, his shooting percentage was as high as 62.5%, but in the Asian Cup, it dropped nearly 20%.

This is also why Yu Jiahao wants to go abroad—to challenge himself in a higher-level league, step out of his comfort zone, and raise his potential ceiling. In other words, he wants to find out what his true limits are.

Compared to the CBA, even the Spanish second division features stronger physical competition and emphasizes faster transitions and game tempo control. Yu Jiahao is mentally prepared for this, saying: “Reading the game and seizing fleeting opportunities on the court are skills I want to learn and improve.”

No matter how difficult the road ahead or where the future leads, at least Yu Jiahao has taken this step. When you decide to do something, you must give it your all to have no regrets.