svetikya Chapter 348 The biggest sneaker contract in history is born!
Chapter 348 The biggest sneaker contract in history is born!
After Carlisle announced that Lin Tian had twisted his ankle in such an unbelievable way and would need to rest for 1-2 weeks, Lin Tian did not appear at the team's training ground again and began his happy rest period.
During the few days Lin Tian was resting, the Pacers' record was rather poor.
Without Lin Tian, they seemed to have suddenly forgotten how to play basketball, and they played terribly in several games in a row!
Before the All-Star break, the Pacers played five more games, with a dismal record of one win and four losses. Meanwhile, the Magic, who were trailing behind, were making another push and were just one step away from catching up with the Pacers!
Fortunately, the All-Star Game started at this time, and all games were suspended, giving the Pacers a chance to catch their breath and rest before continuing their season.
Many people believe that if it weren't for the All-Star Game, the Pacers would have been overtaken by the Magic and fallen back to second place in the Eastern Conference!
Two days before the All-Star Weekend began, on the same day that Pacers' Carter, Webber, and Miller departed for Washington to participate in the All-Star game, Stern called Lin Tian.
"Lin, you bastard! You didn't even come to All-Star Weekend! Do you know how much viewership the league will lose? You think I won't get the referees to target you, so you won't get a single free throw for the rest of the season?!"
"Mr. President, I've recorded this. You'd better watch your words!" Lin Tian curled his lip. It was bound to happen!
Stern was quite patient. Lin Tian originally thought that as soon as the news of his injury came out, Stern would call to question him, but unexpectedly, he was able to hold back until just before the All-Star Game started.
"Go ahead and record, you damn bastard! I thought you were just taking a couple of days off and would come back for the All-Star Game! Who knew you could be this much of a jerk? Look at Anfernee! He didn't play a single regular season game back then, and he came back just to play in the All-Star Game!"
"So he's been plagued by injuries ever since, one after another. Oh right, did he make the All-Star team this year? Wait a minute, could it be that he hasn't played a single regular season game and is still out for the rest of the year?!"
Lin Tian never gave Stern any face, directly hitting Stern's weak point, leaving the old fox speechless for a while.
"It's different! Anfernee is really injured, really injured. If she didn't want to come, she wouldn't have come. But you, I don't believe you're really injured! You twisted your ankle after stepping on a bottle? Couldn't you come up with a better excuse?"
"What excuse? Did you get blinded by the lights at a concert? Did you slip and fall in the shower at home? Or did you cut your finger while peeling an apple? Compared to those silly excuses, I think stepping on a glass of water is more normal."
"So you bastard, you really weren't hurt, right?"
"No, I'm injured! I can't even walk, Mr. President. You have to believe me. As long as I can walk, I will definitely go to the All-Star game and contribute to the development of the league!"
"Stop talking nonsense! I can let you off this time, but what about next time?"
"I'll definitely participate next time! Definitely!" Lin Tian immediately said that there was no problem with the next time. Anyway, it was just a verbal promise. Whether he would actually go next time was another matter.
"What about the individual events next year?"
"I'll participate too, I'll participate in both!" Lin Tian continued.
"We're planning to do something interesting new next season, you."
"Come on, everyone come on, I'll win the championship, I'll give it my all!"
"Is it a deal?"
"It's a deal!"
Lin Tian felt like he was coaxing his own grandson. What was wrong with Stern? He was acting like a child, needing to be coaxed like this. What good was this kind of verbal promise?
"That's settled then. Anyway, I've recorded it. See you next year!" Stern chuckled on the other end of the phone, "If you don't come next year, I'll be really angry! I guarantee you'll have a very difficult season every time!"
"Also, fine, you're not coming to Washington this year, but you still have to film the VCRs you're supposed to film, and do the charity work you're supposed to do! And make them look realistic, and make your injuries look real too, understand?"
"Don't worry, don't worry."
After Lin Tian finished speaking, he quickly hung up the phone. This old man was really annoying!
Recording it? How childish!
As for next year, we'll discuss it again!
Lin Tian had just hung up the phone with Stern when his phone rang again: "Damn it, Lin, why don't you come to Washington? I've arranged a lot of good things for you, and I was hoping to get together with you and Scott."
It was Jordan who called this time!
"Michael, what would I do in Washington? We're number one in the East, and you guys are last. There's nothing to talk about." Lin Tian rolled his eyes and said, "Or do you want me to recommend next year's number one draft pick? Didn't I already recommend one to you?"
"The guy who used Wen and Antonio as targets at the Olympics, my little brother Yao! He definitely won't let you down!"
"I don't need your recommendation! I have my own ideas about the draft! I'm calling you because I have something else to tell you!" Jordan said, then suddenly chuckled mysteriously, "What do you think about me making a comeback next season?"
"Sure, you take care of the comeback, and I'll take care of beating you to a pulp!" Lin Tian said. "At your age, what use are you besides getting beaten to a pulp by me?"
"I led the team to the playoffs! I've come to terms with it now." Jordan was able to ignore Lin Tian's taunts and said directly, "A championship? At my age, with the Wizards' roster like this, it's impossible."
"But making the playoffs is absolutely no problem! I can't stand a bunch of idiots and softies taking a paycheck from the team! I've decided, I'll come back next season and teach these young guys a lesson in basketball!"
"I'll coach them for a year, then retire and go back to being the president. By then, hehe, these Wizards rookies will have become little wolf cubs under my tutelage! They'll definitely transform and win the championship!"
"And then there's that super talent we're drafting this year! I'll mentor him personally, helping him improve quickly and become the cornerstone of the team! I've already planned it all out: next season I'll come back to lead the team to the playoffs, then retire, and within the next three years, this team will be championship contenders!"
"In the end, they'll take you, Shaq, or someone else and become the real champions!"
Jordan's analysis, well, what do you mean by that?
That's just wishful thinking!
It's all based on imagination; there's not a single actual thing in it!
As for Jordan's fantasies, Lin Tian was too lazy to correct him; Lin Tian had other ways to shatter them.
"Michael, league rules state that you can't play with team shares. If you want to come back, you'll have to sell your shares first."
"So what if I sell him? It's only temporary! I'll buy him back after I finish this year." Jordan was ridiculously naive at that moment!
"What if they don't sell to you? What if they only want your little bit of attention? Once you make a comeback, they won't need to sell you their shares anymore, right?" Lin Tian said mercilessly, "Michael, I suspect that this terrible idea of your comeback wasn't your own."
"It was probably the big boss in Washington who suggested it to you. I suspect he even promised to give you a discount and sell you more when you buy team shares again, right?"
"Yes...that's right, that's how it is..." Jordan's tone suddenly became less confident, clearly, Lin Tian was right!
"Then you'd better think this through carefully. These capitalists are wicked! Compared to them, Phil is just a simple and adorable big boy!" Hearing Jordan's tone, Lin Tian knew he was right and immediately began to kick him while he was down: "Once you sell your shares, things won't be so easy for you anymore!"
"Who will be kicked out like a stray dog? Who will have to work for someone for free for a year on a minimum salary? And who will fail to lead their team to the playoffs and face a miserable end, ridiculed by everyone?"
"Fuck you! Lin, you're talking nonsense! Nonsense! I don't believe a word you say! Bomo and I are good buddies! He wouldn't lie to me!"
"Whatever. If you won't listen to your real good buddy but instead listen to the nonsense of some fake good buddy who came out of nowhere, then you can't blame anyone but yourself for being played like a dog!"
"F*** you! You're talking nonsense! Go to hell, Lin!" Jordan cursed a couple more times before hanging up the phone.
He was in a good mood when he called Lin Tian, but now? He's in a terrible mood!
Lin Tian immediately sensed his bad mood!
"Michael Jordan's emotions have fluctuated, resulting in a loss of 1000 experience points!"
Wow, look at that! Look at Jordan, the experience he gains after becoming a boss is completely different. He's making four figures right away! So generous! So different from those stingy, penny-pinching players!
As for whether Jordan will return next year, or whether he will continue to make foolish choices and start his disastrous general manager career,
Lin Tian said: "I did my best, Jordan in the CBA."
They've already made such a suggestive gesture, if Jordan still chooses Kwame, whose fault is it? Is it Lin Tian's fault for not holding Yao Ming's hand and handing him to Jordan?
Do we really have to chew it up and feed it to them? That's disgusting!
Don't even mention Jordan, even Jordan's wife wouldn't do!
Not Mr. Lin's type.
But if it were Pippen's wife Larsa, Kidd's wife Jullina, Parker's wife Eva, Barea's two wives Vera and Ortiz, Love's wife Kate Bock, Jaric's wife Lima, or Horford's wife Emily Vega, then Lin might be willing to do it.
kindness?
Wait a minute, how come I, Lord Lin, can just casually utter the names of so many married women?
I'm clearly a fan of Shu Han, so how come I have the style of Cao Cao?
This unscientific!
I'm not that kind of person!
Just as Lin Tian was falling into deep self-doubt, and even feeling guilty and sad about betraying the Shu Han faction, someone knocked on his door.
Then, without Lin Tian having to open the door, Pelinka led his people in directly.
For this guy, coming here is no different from coming home.
The people Pelinka brought were, without a doubt, AND1 members!
Today's guest is Austin, who is Lin Tian's closest friend and the one he gets along with the most. This guy has changed to an outrageously exaggerated dreadlock hairstyle, making him look nothing like the president of a listed company, but more like a street thug.
"Lin, old buddy, long time no see. Sorry, you touched my hair, FUXX! What are you doing? Don't pull it! It hurts! FUXX! Let go! Let go of my hair! Robert, FUXX, Robert, why are you pulling my hair too? Let go of both of you! Let go!"
Lin Tian loosened one of Austin's thick braids and sat down opposite him, saying, "I was just curious. I thought it was a wig, but it's real?"
"Of course it's true! That's how I bully Begg and Gilbert! Those two guys don't have that much hair! They'll never be able to grow such a stylish hairstyle in their entire lives! They can only ever be envious and jealous, but they'll never be able to get the same hair as me!"
Austin leaned back comfortably on the sofa, feeling quite pleased with his amazing amount of hair.
"Alright, let's cut the pleasantries." Pelinka loosened one of her long braids, leaned back on the sofa, and said, "We're all old friends, how about we get straight to the point?"
"We'll get down to business quickly," Austin shrugged. "In my opinion, we can get this done in 10 minutes and pop the champagne in 15."
After saying that, Austin took out three contracts from his bag and said, "I'm not going to beat around the bush with you anymore, and I'm not going to haggle with you. That bastard Rob wasting time with us five years ago, haggling over the location point by 0.1 at a time, that won't happen again!"
As Austin spoke, he gave Pelinka the middle finger without any regard for his image, clearly still vividly remembering the scene from their first negotiation a few years ago.
"As long as your terms are good enough, we won't haggle with you." Pelinka shrugged, but didn't reach for the contract. "Why don't you offer to explain it to us?"
"Simple." Austin cleared his throat and said, "First of all, all three contracts are the same concept—they are all lifetime contracts. We hope to continue our cooperation with Lin for a long time, including after his retirement!"
"Furthermore, the core content of the three contracts is actually quite similar. We will create a brand new sub-brand for Lin, similar to the relationship between Michael and Nike. Regardless of which contract Lin chooses, our relationship will no longer be one of employment, but rather one of equal cooperation!"
"Lin might even earn more than the three of us combined!"
"I believe the value of these three contracts is definitely over $1 billion! They could instantly boost Lin's net worth to over ten figures!"
"So, for the first option, Lin will receive 9% of the shares. If he chooses this option, Lin will become the fourth largest shareholder after me, Gilbert, and Begg. He will have a pivotal position within AND1, wielding significant influence and even impacting the company's decisions and development direction!"
"For the second share, Lin will receive 50% of the sales profits from his brand new sub-brand! The third share is similar to the second; Lin will receive 90% of the profits from his brand new sub-brand in the Asian region!"
"If Lin chooses the first option, he will officially become AND1's fourth boss, and we'll truly be in the same boat from now on. If Lin chooses the second or third option, then he will most likely earn more than us in the future!"
"That's about it. As for the other parts and details, we can discuss them in detail, but I don't think they're important. They're just details. So, shall we pop the champagne?"
Pelinka was stunned; he was genuinely bewildered.
Because he felt that he was no longer useful.
AND1's sincerity is just too much! So much so that Pelinka didn't know how to bargain.
The conditions are just too good!
How should I put it? Let me give you an example.
Everyone knows about Michael Jordan's lifetime contract with Nike. Jordan received 4.5% of Nike's shares, becoming the largest individual shareholder in Nike!
Nike has long since become a behemoth in the sports industry, and Jordan's 4.5% stake is already worth hundreds of millions of dollars! Moreover, this amount continues to rise! Given Nike's current growth rate, the value of these shares will eventually exceed $20 billion, or even more!
This contract is therefore known as the largest sneaker contract in North American sports history!
Rumors are circulating that Jordan's team is considering changing the details of the partnership, altering the shareholding structure to present a more direct and monetizable form of cooperation.
Many people speculate that if Jordan's new contract with Nike is finalized, his annual income will approach $1 million! With the soaring sales of the Air Jordan brand and his increasing market share in the NBA, it is entirely possible that Jordan's annual income will exceed $1 million, reaching $2 million or even more!
And what about the contract AND1 gave Lin Tian?
A 9% stake, with a 50% share of profits worldwide or 90% of profits across Asia.
These numbers are absolutely astronomical!
It's worth noting that Lin Tian's signature shoes, in terms of sales, are only slightly behind the Air Jordan series, yet they completely outshine the signature shoes of all other NBA players! He's second only to Lin Tian, and leaves the third player far behind.
If we only look at sales in the Asian region, Lin Tian's sneaker sales can even surpass those of the AJ series. The Asian region is Lin Tian's home turf!
According to AND1's financial statements in 2000, their current market value is around 10 billion US dollars, and this number is still growing rapidly. A 9% stake is roughly 100 billion US dollars.
If Lin Tian chooses the latter two profit-sharing options, then based on the AND1 Lin Tian series' annual sales of around 5 million US dollars, Lin Tian could receive approximately 3000 million US dollars annually!
$3000 million a year!
And this is now!
Given Lin Tian's current popularity, the NBA's booming development, and basketball's growing share in the sports world, it's only a matter of time before this number exceeds 5000 million or even 1 million!
That's a year's income!
No wonder Austin was so confident; he opened champagne as soon as he arrived.
No wonder Pelinka was stunned, so bewildered that he didn't know how to bargain.
The conditions are really too good!
"Can we still negotiate the contract amount?" Pelinka asked after swallowing a few times.
"Of course you can, because we knew you'd ask that, so we left a tiny bit of room for maneuver, just a tiny bit." Austin looked like he knew this was what he was going to do, raising his index finger and thumb, leaving only a tiny gap between them.
"Look! These are capitalists! The wicked capitalists!" Pelinka finally regained his composure, laughing heartily. "I told you we couldn't completely trust them! They always leave themselves an out, always finding ways to exploit us!"
"Fuck you! Rob, you damned bastard, why don't you go to hell? Who's exploiting whom here? Aren't the conditions we offered good enough? Haven't we shown the utmost sincerity?"
"Sign this contract, and you'll all be damned capitalists too! You'll be the ones exploiting others!"
Seeing Austin's pained expression and tone, Lin Tian completely relaxed and laughed.
As Lin Tian laughed, the other two also burst into laughter, creating an incredibly harmonious atmosphere in the room, because all three knew that reaching this new lifetime contract was not a problem at all.
The only remaining question is which contract Lin Tian will choose.
As the three were chatting happily, Pelinka's phone rang. He answered it, spoke for a few minutes, and then hung up, saying, "Our other guest has already disembarked and will arrive within 30 minutes."
"Who exactly is it?" Lin Tian was very curious about who Pelinka had found to cooperate with this time.
"A guy who's currently unknown, but I think he has a lot of potential and is a great fit for your style." Pelinka shrugged. "I'm not trying to keep you in suspense, but you probably don't know his name, and my experience of meeting him was quite interesting."
"But I don't think you two bastards care about how he and I met, so let's skip that part. Now, anyone want to open a bottle of champagne?"
Pelinka stood up as he spoke, went to Lin Tian's wine cabinet, opened a bottle of champagne, and the three of them sat down and began to chat.
About 40 minutes later, the door to Lin Tian's house was opened again.
Pelinka brought in a bald white man who looked very burly and fierce among ordinary people, but was nothing special in front of Lin Tian. He was over 180 centimeters tall and had a muscular physique.
"Lin, I'm your boxing fan!" This guy came in with a big smile and immediately extended his hand to shake hands with Lin Tian, saying, "I watched every single one of your matches in the Olympics, and I also watched those few games where you fought in the NBA, many times! I even went to great lengths to find the videos of those qualifying matches you fought in Thailand."
"To be honest, it was a waste of time, because the match was so fast; they were all taken down in just a few punches!"
"I'm glad you didn't lie and say you're my fan," Lin Tian said with a smile. "But I think you should introduce yourself first."
With a sharp "smack," the bald white man slapped his forehead, embarrassed, and said, "I was so happy that I forgot. How rude of me! I'm White Dyna, the CEO of the UFC!"
"I know this fighting league is still relatively unknown, not even recognized by mainstream media and the market, and many people even think we are a bloody gang involved in illegal brawls. But I am confident that we can quickly get our league back on track and build it into a top-tier event comparable to the WBC, WBA, and IBF!"
Listening to this guy's eloquent speech, Lin Tian finally remembered who this guy was.
The future CEO of the renowned UFC fighting league almost single-handedly reversed the reputation and image of the UFC, which was seen as an illegal, bloody, cruel, and chaotic fighting league in the early 21st century. In just 20 years, he transformed it into a top fighting league with a market value of over 10 billion US dollars!
If the name White Dyna might sound unfamiliar, his nickname in China, "White Da Na," is probably more recognizable.
This guy is indeed a business genius. After all, when he acquired UFC in 2001, he only spent $200 million in total, and $180 million of that was raised by persuading his good friends to join him.
But in less than 20 years, the value of this sports league increased a full 1 times! His experience can only be described as legendary!
Of course, this approach is a classic example of someone trying to get something for nothing and making empty promises!
Lin Tian's approach to this type of person is very simple and direct.
First, intimidate him, disrupt his rhythm, put him in a dilemma, and make him think he's completely finished. Then, give him some benefits so he'll be grateful.
Well... it's what people commonly call "hitting someone with a stick and then giving them a treat."
This tactic might not be very effective against a seasoned entrepreneur like Dana White, but it will definitely work against this guy who's just starting out and only has dreams for now!
"If I remember correctly, the UFC CEO doesn't have your name, and I haven't heard anything about them recently considering selling the league." Lin Tian directly exposed the guy's lie, saying, "Mr. White, you're not a fraud, are you?"
"No! I'm not a liar! Rob can vouch for me! I'm really not a liar!" Dana White's face suddenly tightened, filled with the tension of being exposed. After shouting a few times, he slumped onto the sofa like a deflated balloon and said, "Could I have a glass of champagne?"
Without waiting for Lin Tian to make a move, the guy poured himself a glass and downed it in one gulp. After finishing the drink, he seemed to be in better spirits. He looked at Lin Tian and said, "Okay, I admit it, I'm not the CEO of the UFC yet, but I believe I will be soon!"
"Moreover, they do intend to sell their alliance, and their asking price isn't high—only $300 million!"
"So how much have you collected?" Lin Tian knew he had him figured out, so he leaned back on the sofa and asked casually.
"It's almost 250 million! I just need to haggle a bit more and get a discount, then I can buy it outright!"
"I'm afraid not." Lin Tian continued to look at Bai Dana, waiting for him to confess.
"Actually, we only managed to raise 150 million."
"In that case, Mr. White, please leave. I don't think we're a good fit for each other." Lin Tian stood up and pointed to the front door of the house.
"No way! I've already raised a million! Really!"
Seeing that Lin Tian still had that arrogant, smiling face, Bai Dana finally couldn't hold back anymore. He leaned closer to Lin Tian and whispered, "I actually only have 50."
"Come on," Lin Tian said, looking at the guy's expression, too lazy to tease him anymore. "I think you probably spent all your money on a plane ticket to Indiana!"
Upon hearing Lin Tian's words, Bai Dana's eyes widened in disbelief. After a full several seconds, he finally sighed and said, "So you haven't kicked me out yet, you must be willing to help me, right?"
"You're very smart," Lin Tian nodded. "But what I'm curious about is, why did you contact me, a fighting league?"
"I need you to become the spokesperson for this league, and it would be best if you could even fight a match! To raise the league's profile and reputation! After all, you're currently the only guy in the fighting world who has huge popularity and doesn't belong to any fighting league."
"Not to mention you have a huge following in the basketball world! If you agree, I'm absolutely confident!"
Now that things were out in the open, Dana White stopped hiding anything and began to describe his plan.
"As long as you're willing to join, I can use your name to find investors! I have a friend, a pair of brothers, who can afford this money. As long as they see a chance to make money, they'll definitely be willing to invest and support me!"
"Then, I took your name and their money and went to everyone in the UFC to talk about the acquisition, and used that to lower the price. My target price was $200 million!"
"After taking down the UFC, my first step is to turn its reputation around! This league currently has nothing positive or worth preserving except for 'no-holds-barred fighting.' Its rules are too vague, its format is too fragmented, and its management is terrible!"
"I want to first establish it as a legitimate business, then develop it steadily, step by step! My plan is to make this alliance worth over $2 million within 10 years! And $10 billion within 20 years!"
Listening to Dana Bai's ambitious plans, Lin Tian secretly sighed: This guy is too conservative and lacks imagination!
At the same time, I was amazed at how daring this guy was.
They really didn't have a single penny; they were just trying to make money out of thin air, tricking people from all directions into joining them!
Seeing that no one was stopping him from continuing, Dana Bai got more and more excited and simply revealed his entire plan.
From changing the league's slogan to establishing strict rules, to attracting top players and creating a new sports culture, and so on...
After listening to him finish speaking, Lin Tian smiled and said, "You've explained it in such detail, aren't you afraid that your plan will become my plan after tonight?"
Silence, an incredibly awkward silence. Bai Dana's eyes widened, realizing he had said far too much.
There was no way around it; it was his first time too, and he was excited!
After a long silence, Bai Dana finally said, bewildered, "I...you...no way, it can't be, right?"
"I certainly wouldn't. I'm not that despicable," Lin Tian shrugged. "I'm very interested in your proposal, and for me, 300 million US dollars isn't much. I'm also very willing to help you."
"Really!" Bai Dana, who had been in despair, suddenly brightened up. Just as he was about to say something to show his determination, Lin Tian reached out and interrupted him.
"However, I'll have to decide the specifics of the collaboration!"
"First of all, you don't need to keep making empty promises to your two friends. You don't need to look for the money everywhere; I'll cover it. Moreover, I can not only buy the UFC league outright, but I can also give you an additional 5% of the shares, making you the CEO and giving you full control over the league."
"As for other benefits, annual salary, profit sharing, etc., we can discuss them slowly. However, I think it's better to pass on your suggestion that I become the face of the league. After all, I am a cross-industry person, and it is easy for people to think that this league is just a joke like WWE."
"But if you need me to play one or two exhibition games, that's fine too. I can go and have some fun during the offseason to help raise the league's profile."
"That's about it, are you okay with it?"
"Yes! Of course I'm willing!" Bai Dana's eyes lit up! You see, he originally came here to spend money, but unexpectedly, he didn't spend any money and even found himself a big spender!
"So, when will the $300 million funding for the UFC be in place? Once it's there, I can start working immediately!"
"No rush." Lin Tian waved his hand and looked at Pelinka: "Robert?"
"Understood, leave it to me." Pelinka shrugged. Over the years, he had long since grown accustomed to Lin Tian's way of assigning tasks: "I'll find a team to conduct in-depth research and analysis on the UFC, then make offers and negotiate. Ultimately, we'll definitely be able to secure them for a much lower price than 300 million!"
"Very good." Lin Tian nodded in satisfaction, then looked at Dana White and said, "Now you can go back and think about the specific implementation plan, including the new alliance style, logo, promotion, rules, and other things!"
"By the way, I remember the current slogan for this alliance is 'We have no rules here,' right? That's too barbaric; it easily makes people think this is an underground fighting ring. Your first task is to give this alliance a completely new and suitable slogan after we complete the acquisition!"
"I want it to be both fierce and tough, yet also be believable as a serious, professional, high-level, and exciting fighting league!"
"No problem! Leave it to me! Leave it all to me! I've been thinking about this for years. I'm definitely not doing this on a whim!" Dana Bai said, slapping his head to show that he had really thought it through.
After a crisp sound, all four people present laughed, while Austin, the only one who seemed to be an outsider, said, "Since everyone is so happy tonight, we at AND1 can also offer some support once your slogan and style are finalized."
"You can send me some samples and designs, and I can make a few co-branded T-shirts for you, as a form of promotion! But I won't pay any royalties or profit sharing!"
"Of course! Of course!" Dana White exclaimed excitedly, "If the alliance can cooperate with a world-class giant like yours right after its restart, it will be absolutely beneficial for us! Of course, I won't ask for any ridiculous copyright fees!"
A compliment from a world-class company made Austin grin from ear to ear. He loves dealing with people who have such a sweet tongue! It's so much fun!
Amidst laughter, Pelinka grabbed another bottle of champagne, opened it, and smiled at the group, saying, "Well then, it's time for our second celebration tonight."
The following weekend, the All-Star Weekend in Washington was in full swing. Desmond Mason shone in the Slam Dunk Contest, winning the championship. However, compared to the epic battle between Lin Tian and Carter the previous year, this year's Slam Dunk Contest was rather unremarkable.
In addition, sharpshooter Ray Allen finally fulfilled his dream in Washington, winning the Three-Point Contest! However, this year's Three-Point Contest had no one shoot a single-digit low score, no one used their left hand to shoot wildly, and there was no excitement of a gathering of all-time great shooters for a peak battle!
Similarly, compared to last year, it's nothing special!
After watching the two individual events, everyone suddenly noticed something.
That means without Lin Tian, this All-Star individual competition would be completely meaningless!
It tastes bland and is practically useless!
The following Rising Stars Challenge was turned into a boring spot-up shooting contest by Szczerbiak. Although the second-year shooter won the Rising Stars Challenge MVP, the fans in the arena were not impressed at all. They did not like this kind of guy who played and shot in a rigid manner in the All-Star game.
After failing to receive positive reviews in various competitions, the league finally received its biggest piece of good news for this year's All-Star Game.
This year's All-Star Game was incredibly exciting!
Both teams played with incredible intensity in the final minutes, giving it their all and almost playing at the level of the NBA Finals!
Although the Western Conference dominated the Eastern Conference for the first three quarters, they even led by as many as 21 points at the beginning of the fourth quarter!
In the final minutes of the game, led by Iverson, Marbury, and others, the Eastern Conference team launched their desperate counterattack!
Within 9 minutes, they unleashed a terrifying offensive surge, reversing a deficit of more than 20 points. Iverson scored 15 points during this period and was the biggest contributor to the team's victory!
In the final minute of the game, both sides went completely crazy. Kobe hit a mid-range shot to extend the lead to 3 points, and then Marbury hit a 3-pointer to tie the game!
Then it was Kobe again, his signature pull-up jumper putting the Western Conference team ahead once more.
But Marbury didn't give an inch. He drove the length of the court and hit another three-pointer!
The Eastern Army has now completed its comeback!
Then, on the West's final possession, Kidd didn't pass the ball to the in-form Kobe, but instead passed it to David Robinson, who had a mismatch advantage in the paint, allowing "The Admiral" to go one-on-one against Vince Carter!
What seemed like a sure shot was unexpectedly blocked by Carter's powerful block!
The match is over!
The Eastern Conference team, thanks to two three-pointers from Marbury, a game-winning block by Carter, and Iverson's 15-point outburst in the final quarter, successfully reversed the game and won the All-Star Game by one point!
This year's All-Star Game is considered by many to be one of the five most exciting All-Star Games in NBA history! It was a true battle, packed with elements, all-out effort, and with the intensity of the NBA Finals!
Everything you want is here!
With this electrifying All-Star Game, this year's All-Star Weekend has finally come to a very good end! Fans were extremely satisfied with the game!
Just as the All-Star Weekend came to a close, news that shocked the entire league also came from Lin Tian and AND1!
Their new contract has been finalized!
A lifetime contract with no doubt!
In short, the contract consists of two parts.
1: AND1 will create a brand new sub-brand for Lin Tian, within which Lin Tian will have absolute say.
2: Lin Tian will receive 95% of the sales profits of this sub-brand in the Asian region!
Or to put it simply: based on Lin Tian's current shoe sales, starting next year, Lin Tian could earn over $3500 million annually! If the shoes sell well, there's no limit to that amount!
To put it even more simply: Lin Tian's contract is far superior to Jordan's! This is a one-of-a-kind contract! This is the biggest shoe contract in NBA history! (End of Chapter)