lakers championship

Chapter 133 The Next Jordan

As a No. [-] pick, Tianyang has not signed a sneaker endorsement contract so far.

It seems very weird, but after thinking about it, it feels a little normal.

When he suffered a serious injury, no one knew how he would perform in the NBA.

The Lakers paid a high price to get him, which even caused dissatisfaction among some Lakers.

Fortunately, in the first game of his career, he scored 33 points and 9 rebounds, fully proving his status as the No. [-] pick.

But even so, no sneaker manufacturers came to their door.

Originally, the executives of Adidas, Under Armour, and Reebok had already flown to Los Angeles with their contracts, and made an appointment with Tianyang's business assistant, Aaron, to meet and discuss in detail.

The sudden scandal between Ke Yang and Jenna made them tighten their contracts again.

They don't dare to sign a player who has a teammate's girlfriend.

Just when they were intensely assessing the risks internally, the plot of the scandal reversed, and Tianyang scored another 27 points and 10, averaging 30 points and 9.5 assists in the first two games of his career.

A 100% super rookie, and instantly added a personality label that understands righteousness.

The three executives called Aaron again and said that they wanted to make an appointment in Los Angeles as soon as possible, and the contract amount and conditions were easy to negotiate.

Even special conditions are acceptable, because Tianyang's skills and personality all show that he is a future superstar.

As long as you sign it, you can enjoy the feeling of lying down and counting money for the next ten years.

Aaron didn't embarrass the three executives because they broke the appointment, but told them that Tianyang had already flown to Oklahoma with the team for an away game. If you want to talk, please follow the plane yourself.

Without saying a word, the three executives immediately booked a flight to Oklahoma City.

Such a big move by the three manufacturers naturally attracted the attention of various media.

Since this matter came together with SkyOcean and Farage's confirmed relationship, various reports poured out like opening a popcorn machine. Some guessed which company SkyOcean would sign, some speculated about the contract amount/year, and some speculated whether to directly customize the signature The sneakers are very lively, basically the rhythm of fans all over the United States helping Tianyang choose endorsements.

After extensive and heated discussions, finally someone raised a question.

Where is Nike going?

There is no relevant information about such a hot rookie.

If something goes wrong, there must be a demon, and the media and fans have launched investigations.

Soon, it was revealed that Nike had provided SkyOcean with a three-point contract.SkyOcean rejected the first offer of 3 million for two years because the conditions were too harsh; SkyOcean still rejected the second offer of 2 million for 2400 years; Canceled before the contract became effective.

Such a comedy reversal made many fans applaud. After consecutively signing Jordan, LeBron, Kobe, and Durant, Nike finally missed the next super giant.

Why are the fans happy, because Nike seems to have too much involvement in the NBA.

The most obvious example is the 15 finals. Stephen Curry, the core of the Warriors, actually got zero votes in the FMVP selection, and finally let Iguodala, a player under Nike, get the FMVP.

FMVP let Iguodala get it, there are many reasons to explain it, but there is no need for any explanation to let Curry get it.

Zero votes is definitely the result of Nike manipulation.

Who made Curry wear Under Armour?
……

Just as the fans broke the news, a fierce rebuttal meeting was being held at Nike headquarters.

Nike paid special attention to this meeting, and even the old chairman Phil Knight attended it in person.

The topic of the meeting was how much it would cost to re-sign SkyOcean.

The most heated debate was between the two vice presidents of the footwear business, Eden and Greg.

Eden said that it is possible to regain SkyOcean’s attention only by providing a contract of at least 4 million US dollars for 7000 years plus various incentives, and the actual signing may require 4 years of 8000 million US dollars plus various incentives.

The reason is also very simple. The previous cancellation of the contract must have deeply humiliated Tianyang. The first plan of re-quotation must have sufficient sincerity, otherwise it will definitely not be possible to continue the negotiation.

And Greg said that SkyOcean's current potential is indeed very impressive, but there are always potential injuries. It is suggested to provide a one-year contract of 1 million US dollars first.

If the rookie season is over, Tianyang still has no recurrence of injuries, and maintains the current performance, and directly provides a 7-year 2 million super contract.

Such an arrangement can not only make Tianyang feel better, but also prevent the company from taking risks.

At the same time, asking LeBron and Kobe to come forward to lobby before, not to say 10% is at least 9% sure.

The only risk is that after one year, if SkyOcean performs super, other companies will spend a lot of money to rob people.

Even if it cannot be taken away, Nike will be seriously injured.

Just like in 14, because Under Armor provided Durant with a contract, Nike increased Durant's contract extension from 10 million in 2 years to 10 million in 3.5 years.

Both of their arguments made sense, and no one could convince the other.

The other executives at the meeting also supported the two of them 55 times.

Finally, everyone's eyes focused on Phil Knight, and he slowly said:
"When I founded Nike, I only had $1000. I walked on the cliff of bankruptcy at any time and went through many difficulties before I finally achieved what I am now."

"At the beginning, I saw the low cost and high quality of sports shoes produced in Japan, so I had the idea of ​​being an agent. Unfortunately, I didn't get any support at that time. I went to Japan alone, fabricated a false identity and obtained the agency rights of Onitsuka Tiger. That’s when I started my career selling sneakers.”

"But at that time, the world of sports brands belonged to Adidas. I had to spend all my funds on market development, so I was in debt for a long time and borrowed money everywhere. Fortunately, I was always able to survive every salary payment."

"In these years, I often think about what Nike would have looked like if Jordan hadn't been signed, or what Nike would have looked like if it hadn't directly signed LeBron with a lot of money and high standards."

"Today, you guys are again discussing whether to sign SkyOcean and whether it's a good deal. There's nothing wrong with that, but SkyOcean is a super rookie. We have to gamble. If we lose the bet, it can be up to 4 million in four years. If we win, we can rule basketball again." The shoe market has been in the market for more than 1 years, why not gamble? Even if you can’t make a penny back, you can’t let Under Armor, Adidas, and Reebok have a chance to rise in the market.”

"Then what do you mean, a direct quotation of 4 million in 1 years?" Eden's throat felt a little dry.

"What do you think? Am I short of money? Didn't you guys calculate before that as long as he signs a contract with SkyOcean and expands the regional market in China, his personal sneaker sales can reach 1 million U.S. dollars a year?"

"Okay, I'll fly to Oklahoma right away..."

Before Eden finished speaking, Phoebe, another female executive in charge of Nike brand public relations, interrupted: "I'm afraid not, I received internal information from Adidas that they offered Tianyang a contract of 10 million U.S. dollars for 3 years, and We can jump out of re-signing after 2 years, and our offer of 4 million in 1 years is like a joke."

As soon as this remark came out, Eden was instantly dumbfounded, and even Phil Knight was a little shocked.

10 million in 3 years, only 14 million less than Durant, who has already played superstar data in 5 years and has fully proved himself.

The key is to avoid re-signing. Adi is determined to sign Tianyang.

Under such circumstances, if Nike wants to continue to grab, at least it has to provide a 10-year contract of 3.8 million US dollars to have a chance.

Phil Knight asked leisurely, "Do you know why?"

Phoebe spread her hands: "Adi said, you can't miss the next Jordan!"

(End of this chapter)