The NBA's Absolute Dominance

Chapter 106 Signature Sneakers Confirmed
Next, the Heat lost to the Bullets on the road, ending their winning streak, and returned to Miami on the 27th.

The next day, on the morning of the 28th, Tang Bei and Hummer completed the signing of the endorsement contract, and he obtained his first commercial endorsement contract.

In addition to the endorsement fee, Hummer will also provide Tang Bei with a modified Hummer free of charge.

The endorsement contract was for three years, and thanks to Eric Fleischer's efforts, the payment was made in two installments: 500 million upon signing the contract and 300 million two years later.

So after signing the contract, Tang Bei received a cash check.

This endorsement signifies that his commercial value is beginning to materialize.

Tang Bei plans to take this cash back to China and buy some storefronts in Beijing and Tianjin. His second and third children are getting older, and he needs to find a way for them to make a living. He also needs to have a backup plan for himself, so it's also a kind of investment.

Last time we let them learn to drive, the second son passed the B license test and is now driving a minibus with Liu Laoqi from the village, mainly selling tickets, and he has the opportunity to touch the steering wheel.

The third son learned to drive a car, but he was too old to get a driver's license, so he now works as a seamstress in a small garment factory in the next village.

That evening, the Heat beat the Bucks, bringing their record to 23 wins and 16 losses, still fourth in the Eastern Conference.

On the night of the 30th, Tang Bei scored 33 points, grabbed 18 rebounds, and delivered 4 blocks, leading the Heat to a home victory over the third-ranked Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference.

The Heat have a record of 24 wins and 16 losses, while the Cavaliers, who lost the game, have a record of 26 wins and 18 losses. The two teams each have a net win of 8 games, resulting in a tie.

Comparing their respective division records, the Heat are second in the Atlantic Division, behind the Knicks, while the Cavaliers are also second in the Central Division, behind the Bulls.

Comparing their winning percentages against playoff teams within their own league, the Heat slightly outperformed the Cavaliers, having defeated more strong teams, thus surpassing the Cavaliers in the standings and rising to third place in the Eastern Conference.

The Heat rose from the second or third-worst team in the league to the third-worst in the Eastern Conference, and Tang Bei deserves much credit for this. As a result, he has won praise from the media and his influence has been steadily increasing after being selected as an All-Star starter.

There are no games for the next three days, and the next game is also at home, which is quite advantageous for the Heat.

On the 31st, Tang Bei got up at four o'clock, practiced horse stance at home for an hour, and then drove to the Elena Building.

"Who did it? Who did it?"

At eight o'clock, when he was about to leave the club to have breakfast outside, he found that the door was locked from the outside.

"I."

A girl's voice rang out from outside, filled with anger.

"Miss Garbo?"

"Humph!"

"Why are you locking my door? It's not like I haven't paid your rent."

"You still have the nerve to ask?"

After asking a question, Elena Garbo then demanded in a shrill voice, "Don, when are you going to teach me swordsmanship? Are you trying to back out?"

After saying that, he threatened, "If you dare to go back on your word, I'll cut you into pieces and feed you to little Elena."

"what?"

Tang Bei then realized that he had actually forgotten to give this girl a kendo lesson.

Who is Elena?

"My orca is five meters long, and it eats a piece of your flesh every day. Hmph, scared now?"

"I'm scared, I'm scared. Open the door first and let me go out for breakfast, then I'll give you a lesson."

"OK."

When the door opened, Tang Bei saw Elena Garbo standing outside, dressed in a white Chinese-style training uniform, holding a Chinese-style longsword with a sheath.

Although she was white, Irina Gabor fit the Chinese aesthetic perfectly, and her Chinese-style attire made her look very beautiful, so he couldn't help but take a second look.

Elena Garbo puffed out her chest with a hint of smugness when she saw Tang Bei examining her equipment.

This was equipment she specially purchased, so that Tang Bei wouldn't be annoyed by her Japanese-style attire and become unwilling to teach her real skills.

Tang Bei turned his head to look at the gate. Damn it, there was a dog leash hanging on the handle, as thick as a child's arm. Is the dog that brat keeps as big as a lion?
"GOGOGO!"

Elena Garbo urged.

"Are you going too?" Tang Bei asked.

"So you don't run away."

Elena Garbo said bitterly.

"By the way, Miss Garbo, what's the purpose of this chain?"

"Little Monica's necklace."

"Little Monica?"

“I have a female lion that weighs about the same as you, 310 pounds. She can eat a big piece of your meat every half month.”

"..."

"Hurry up, Tang, the Monica Resort Hotel next door offers breakfast. I'll let you in on a secret, I'll take you there for free."

"Monica, that name sounds familiar. Miss Garbo, you don't mean that resort hotel is yours too, do you?"

"Yes, that's right, they're mine. They're all my private property, not family assets."

"Miss Garbo, do you want a boyfriend?"

“No, my family is Catholic, and family rules state that one cannot have a boyfriend before marriage, otherwise one will automatically lose the right to inherit the family business. I cannot violate the rules and lose my right to inherit the family business because of a man.”

"Putting aside religious rules, does that mean you are a slave to money?"

"Nonsense, I hope to contribute to the prosperity of the family. Hmph, no one can stop me from contributing to the family."

"That sounds familiar..."

An hour later, at the Tang Family Private Martial Arts Club, Tang Bei began teaching Kendo.

He took Elena Garbo's longsword, drew it from its sheath, and though the blade was not yet sharpened, it exuded a sharp and chilling aura.

It shook slightly, and the sword exhibited good toughness.

“This sword is very good. I’ve never used such a fine sword before. Miss Garbo, what materials is it made of?” he asked.

“It’s patterned steel, just Damascus steel, nothing special. If you like it, I’ll give you one,” Elena Garbo said with a smile.

"No need, the sword I use is longer than a regular sword, so it has to be custom-made."

As Tang Bei spoke, he casually twirled his sword, and with a flick of his wrist, the blade slid smoothly into its sheath.

"..."

Seeing Tang Bei's sheath-drawing motion, Elena Garbo's mouth dropped open, and she exclaimed excitedly, "Teacher, I want to learn that move! It's so cool!"

"Sword practice starts with the technique of drawing the sword and continues until you sheath it. It will take you about twenty or thirty years to master that," Tang Bei said.

"..."

Irina Gabor's face stiffened. "Twenty or thirty years have passed, and I'm a grandmother now. I'm in despair!"
"Miss Garbo..."

"Tang, you are my teacher, you can call me Elena."

"I think Gerber is simpler."

"Okay, let's call her Garbo then."

“Jiabao, from now on you should call me Master, not Teacher, and you must not call me by my name. Come on, call me Master in Mandarin.”

"Wet Tiger".

"Your pronunciation is too bad. You should learn Chinese."

"Okay, I'll ask a Chinese teacher for you later, and I'll start learning tomorrow."

“Alright, Jia Bao, I plan to teach you Xin Yi Liu He Sword, also known as Xing Yi Sword.”

"Heart Sword? Wet Tiger, is Heart Sword Rambo or not?"

"Rambo".

"Then hurry up."

"Xingyi belongs to internal martial arts. Before practicing boxing and swordsmanship, you must first practice standing meditation, which is the foundation."

"Have you practiced?"

"Of course, I practice every day now."

"As expected of Rambo."

"In the first lesson, I will teach you the Three-Body Stance."

……

In the evening, Tang Bei returned to the villa. Eric Fleischer, whom he had arranged to meet in the afternoon, had also arrived, and temporary chefs Zhang Heli and John Liu had prepared dinner.

"Tang, her?"

The three of them were taken aback when they saw Elena Garbo behind Tang Bei.

They had met Elena Garbo when the club opened last time, but they hadn't spoken. Later, Tang Bei told them that she was the landlord of the Elena Building.

They were all puzzled. The girl was trembling uncontrollably and her face was deathly pale. Could it be that Tang was that strong?

“She’s my disciple now. She practiced martial arts with me all day today and came over for a free meal.”

Tang Bei then introduced the two parties. Elena Garbo appeared graceful and magnanimous, but her body control was poor, somewhat like she had Parkinson's disease.

"Tang, you've taken on apprentices? Then I'll become your apprentice too!" John Liu said happily. "I'll give you a discount. According to Garbo's standards, it's two thousand dollars per lesson. Pay first, then start the lesson," Tang Bei said.

"Go ahead and rob me! My monthly salary plus the tips you give me doesn't even amount to two thousand dollars," John Liu said, his teeth itching with anger.

The group arrived at the restaurant, where the dishes were laid out, a mix of Chinese and Western food, a large table full of food.

After Tang Bei sat down, he didn't say anything, just stared at Eric.

Eric Fleischer chuckled and said excitedly, "Don, after several days of research, Fila USA has finally decided to follow Nike and Reebok's lead and take a big gamble on you."

"Oh!"

Tang Bei, John Liu, and Zhang Heli immediately cheered.

"Oh!"

Elena Garbo blinked her beautiful blue eyes and, in order to quickly blend into the unfamiliar environment, also shouted in a high-pitched voice.

How big is the contract?

After calming down, Tang Bei asked.

Eric Fleischer said, "Don, a signature shoe contract is a deep collaboration between a brand and a top athlete. There are a lot of things to discuss before the endorsement fee can be determined."

"for example?"

Tang Bei didn't understand at all.

"For example, the length of the cooperation period and the endorsement fee are related to Fila's expectations of your commercial value and your career."

"Simply put, the media previously believed that your and O'Neal's careers wouldn't last long, so what is Fila's view on this issue?"

"For example, regarding product type, does it only refer to basketball shoes, or does it include other types of footwear?"

“The difference is significant and needs to be discussed in detail. I need to establish a professional negotiation team before I can continue negotiating with Fila.”

"For example, does the sales region refer only to the United States, or globally?"

"The difference is also significant. You have the backing of such a large market as China, which has great value. It could even be a huge single market that needs to be valued separately."

"Even if the purchasing power there is not high now, if the product types include mid-to-low-end footwear that the Chinese market can afford, such as ordinary sports shoes, travel shoes, casual shoes, etc., then the Chinese market must be taken seriously."

"What about the cooperation methods? Is it a direct endorsement fee, an endorsement fee plus incentive clauses, an endorsement fee plus incentive clauses plus sales commissions, or holding Nike shares like Jordan and Barkley did?"

Tang Bei had a headache listening to it, but he had to grit his teeth and keep listening.

"Let's eat first, then we can talk more," Zhang Heli suggested.

"Let's eat, let's eat," Tang Bei said hurriedly.

Elena Garbo whispered in his ear, "Wet Tiger, I can provide you with a top-notch negotiation team. But, you know, business is business..."

As she spoke, she made a gesture of counting money with her fingers.

"What do you mean by 'business is business'? Jia Bao, I am your master. You can't make money off your master. That's called being unfilial," Tang Bei scolded.

Irina Garbo, worried that Tang Bei wouldn't teach her the true Rambo swordsmanship, quickly hid her hands under the table and changed her mind, saying:
“Wet Tiger, I don’t mean to make money off you, I mean… I mean…”

Her eyes darted around a few times, then a sudden inspiration struck her, and she quickly said, "What I mean is, we can cooperate and make money together."

"Making money together is a good thing, but what should we cooperate on?" Tang Bei asked.

Elena Garbo excitedly said, "Open a dojo, a kendo dojo! I'll provide the venue, funding, and management. You'll be the dojo owner, and we'll split the profits 30/70, you get 30% and I get 70%."

"You get three and I get seven? Okay, then it's settled." Tang Bei immediately agreed.

"It's three for you and seven for me."

"So it's three for you and seven for me?"

If her legs hadn't been weak, Irina Gabor would have jumped up in anger.

Wet Tiger is treating me like an idiot again. Although my IQ isn't very high, I'm not stupid either. "You three, I seven" won't work; it has to be "you three, I seven".

"hehe!"

The other three couldn't help but laugh as they watched the two of them arguing about "you get three and I get seven."

Next, Tang Bei was followed by a little tail: the kendo girl Elena Garbo, who followed him everywhere, carrying a sword in her hand.

"Wet Tiger, I'll help you build a negotiation team for free, and later I'll help you build a business investment team. I guarantee they'll all be top-notch. Can you please not charge me for my training?"

"I see. I'll think about it."

"Don't even think about it, Wet Tiger. I've already lost a lot. From a business perspective, you've already made a killing."

"OK then."

"Yay, I've saved another expense, hehe!"

Elena Garbo kept her word and the next day assembled a top-notch negotiation team for Tang Bei, consisting of seven people, who flew to New York with Eric Fleischer.

The following day, the NBA officially announced the All-Star reserve roster.

Eastern Conference: Ewing, O'Neal, Mark Price, Dominique Wilkins, Larry Nance, Joe Dumars, Schrempf

Western Conference: Hakeem Olajuwon, Shawn Kemp, Danny Danny, Tim Hardaway, Danny Manning, Tribert, Shawn Elliott
On this day, Tang Bei's jersey sales exceeded 25, officially surpassing Larry Johnson and ranking 10th in the entire league.

This change made the Hornets' management a laughing stock, while Heat general manager Lewis Shaffer became a figure of praise in the media.

Two days later, Tang Bei received a Hummer vehicle, a civilian version of the M998, model H1, which could be described as a land tyrant.

Schwarzenegger was the first global ambassador for this car, and he is the second.

A week later, at 2 p.m. on February 11, the Heat had just returned to Miami from their away game when Eric Fleischer returned from New York with good news: an agreement had been reached with Fila USA.

"Tang, they've secured your global endorsement rights, including in China, and the value in China is calculated on a per-market basis."

“FILA in the United States attaches great importance to the authority of the China region, and this should be their strategic focus on you.”

"Fila has secured endorsement rights for all footwear categories. This means that once you sign the contract, you cannot endorse other footwear categories, including dress shoes, sneakers, and so on."

"They really value the huge market in China and plan to launch a variety of mid-to-low-end footwear there, not just your signature basketball shoes. That huge market is the most important reason why they value you."

"Eric, tell me first, how much money can I get?"

"Haha, well, I must first thank Miss Elena Garbo for providing the negotiation team; they are truly professional."

"You don't need to thank her; she's already forced me to cancel the tuition fees."

"Ha ha!"

"Speak quickly, Eric."

"Tang, FILA will create a brand exclusively for you, which will include all types of footwear. The name is tentatively set as 'TB,' which is an abbreviation of your name in pinyin."

"Why not use the Chinese character '唐'? I think it looks better."

“That’s something we can consider. Tang, you have the right to participate in the design, and you’re responsible for how the character ‘Tang’ is written.”

"OK."

"Tang, there are several options regarding the endorsement fee. I told you about them last time, and now I'll explain the details to you so you can make the final decision."

"Because it is a global endorsement for all footwear, there are no penalty clauses."

"You said."

The first type is pure endorsement fees.

Five years and $50 million, excluding incentive clauses, even if not a single pair of shoes is sold, Tang Bei can still collect the money.

The second option is an endorsement fee plus sales commission.

The endorsement fee is $3000 million over 5 years, representing 5% of sales revenue.

The third option is a $3000 million investment over 5 years, which includes a 2% share of sales revenue and 10% of Fila Inc.'s shares.

In 91, Fila's annual sales were only $7000 million. In 92, it transformed itself from a high-end European brand to a brand focused on American street culture, and its annual sales skyrocketed to $3.85 million. Currently, the company is valued at $8500 million and is preparing to go public in the United States next year.

The 10% stake was worth approximately $8.5 million. Even after five years, when Tang Bei did not renew his contract with FILA, he still retained his shares.

“Don, it’s your turn to choose,” Eric Fleischer said seriously.

"The first one?"

Tang Bei, being from a farming background, instinctively felt that the first option was the most stable, guaranteeing a harvest regardless of drought or flood, and that the money would be safely in hand, while the latter three options all carried risks.

The second option is also good; the more shoes he sells, the more he earns.

The third option is the worst; 10% of the shares are only worth $850 million, which is not as good as the second option.

Eric Fleischer scratched his head and said, "Never mind, Don, the negotiation team has given you the most cost-effective option, which is the third one."

The third option is already an investment, providing both cash and growth potential through capital increases, making it the most promising.

"Why didn't you say so earlier?" Tang Bei said "dissatisfied".

“Isn’t this because we’re afraid you’ll want to choose for yourself?” Eric Fleischer laughed.

Once that was confirmed, the matter was settled. The signing ceremony would be completed before All-Star Weekend, scheduled for the 18th, at the Fila headquarters in New York.

Tang Bei approached Zhang Heli and asked him to help find calligraphers in China to design a few characters for the character "Tang". Zhang Heli readily agreed.

Their family has more than a dozen professors and lecturers, several of whom are in the United States, so this is no big deal for them. They made two phone calls and received seven or eight faxes over the next two days.

(End of this chapter)