The longest river

Chapter 39 McDonald's All-Star Game

After hearing Adidas's attitude towards Yang Shuai and the potential contract amount, Fraser was shocked.

Of course, there's also excitement, since agents rely on commissions from contracts to make a living.

They take a maximum of 4% of a player's salary contract, but can take up to 20% of a player's endorsement contract.

To demonstrate their sincerity, Fraser set the minimum values ​​in the newly signed contract, at 2% and 15% respectively.

Even so, if Yang Shuai really signs an 800 million contract, he will receive more than a million in money.

However, after recovering from the shock, Fraser quickly demonstrated his professionalism as an agent:

"We need to share this information with other sneaker brands."

The purpose of doing this is not to change brands, but to see if other brands will enter the competition. If so, there is still room to increase the contract amount.

Moreover, having multiple brands allows Yang Shuai to have more leverage in formal contract negotiations, as endorsement contracts involve more than just endorsement fees.

When Jordan signed a contract with Nike, he received a 15% cut of AJ sales, which was the real big prize.

Yang Shuai nodded, which aligned with his initial thoughts, but he didn't forget to express his own opinion:
"If the difference in amount is not significant, I personally hope to sign with Adidas."

It wasn't that he was fond of the Adidas brand, but rather that Vaccaro had done so much for him, and Chinese people are taught from a young age not to repay kindness with enmity.

Fraser agreed, but his point was that, at present, Adidas values ​​Yang Shuai the most.

Just as Fraser was working hard to secure Yang Shuai's endorsement contract, a piece of news ignited the entire basketball world on March 18.

“I’m back.”

There was no lengthy article, no press conference, just a simple sentence released in the media.

After a 17-month hiatus, Jordan has made his comeback!

Because NBA rules prohibit players from wearing retired jerseys (the Bulls had already retired number 23), Jordan wore number 45 when he returned to the court.

The reason it's number 45 is because it's his brother Larry Jordan's number, and it's also his baseball team number (Jordan's father always hoped he would play baseball).

Just one day later, Jordan made his comeback debut, scoring 19 points on 9-of-28 shooting, and his team lost to the Pacers in overtime.

Doubts soon followed, with media outlets reporting extensively that the 32-year-old Jordan was no longer the basketball god.

Three days later, Jordan arrived at the Boston Garden, where he scored 27 points on 9-of-17 shooting, leading the Bulls to a resounding victory over the Celtics.

He then scored 32 points in Atlanta, including the game-winning shot.

Then, at Madison Square Garden, Jordan scored a whopping 55 points on 21-of-37 shooting, setting a new record for the highest score by a visiting player at Madison Square Garden, leading his team to a 113-111 victory.

The doubts vanished, and the man truly returned.

Jordan's return had a significant impact, with viewership ratings that had previously declined due to his retirement skyrocketing, and the NBA beginning to flourish again.

Nike is undoubtedly the biggest beneficiary.

After Jordan's retirement, although the number of players wearing Nike shoes in the league is still the largest, the number of top players has clearly decreased.

In terms of competitors, Hakeem Olajuwon, the first player, signed with a small brand called Etonic, Patrick Ewing was Adidas's top brand, and even Shaquille O'Neal, the leader of the new generation, signed with Reebok.

On Nike's side, Pippen's leadership ability was heavily questioned, and Barkley also withdrew from the championship race due to the Suns' decline in strength.

But all of that came back with Jordan's return.

"Nike is only willing to offer you a four-year, $1.5 million contract." Fraser also brought back Nike's message to Yang Shuai.

Although Yang Shuai performed brilliantly at the Nike training camp last year, it is clear that Nike does not lack young players.

Especially now that Jordan is back, they are even less likely to bet heavily on a high school student.

“Reebok is following suit.” But Fraser also brought good news.

"Reebok?" Yang Shuai was somewhat surprised, as he had not had any prior contact with Reebok.

What pair of shoes do you wear most often?

Upon hearing this, Yang Shuai subconsciously looked down and then saw the pair of shoes on his feet that were "above the basketball hoop".

From AAU to Nike training camp, and then to meeting Vaccaro, Yang Shuai has quite a few basketball shoes now, including G-Sports, Nike, and Adidas, but he wears Reebok the most.

The game with 51 points, including the NSAA tournament final.

It wasn't because Lin Xiulan gave them to me, or because I had any sentimental attachment to the past, but because these shoes had air cushions and were indeed the most comfortable to wear.

His attire certainly made it hard for Reebok not to notice him.

"They are now the most ambitious sneaker brand, and they have always wanted to expand into overseas markets."

Fraser was right. From 1981 to 1987, Reebok's shoe sales increased tenfold, making it the fastest-growing company in the Americas.

They are currently in an era of frenzied expansion.

In the past few years, Reebok has recruited Shaquille O'Neal, the number one pick in 1992, and Glenn Robinson, the number one pick in 1994.

And if Yang Shuai remembers correctly, Allen Iverson, the number one draft pick in 1996, was also a Reebok player.

This is good news, but if Reebok is to really join the bidding war, Yang Shuai still needs to put on some outstanding performances.

Then, at the end of March, there will be an excellent opportunity.

The McDonald's All-Star Game is the most famous high school basketball tournament in the United States.

Almost all major media outlets and renowned university scouts gather at the scene.

According to official statistics, since 1978, every NCAA championship team has had at least one McDonald's All-Star player on its roster, without exception.

The prestige of this competition is evident.

The MVP of this competition has a more well-known name: John Wooden Award for Outstanding Player.

Thanks to his outstanding performance in the past season, Yang Shuai was also among those invited to this year's All-Star Game.

Moreover, the 22-person invitation list includes many of Yang Shuai's old acquaintances: Garnett, Pierce, Billups, Carter, Marbury, Robert Treeller, and Gerald McCoy. In addition, Raheem and Jamison are also prominently featured.

Just like Yang Shuai's feeling when he first heard about the 1995 class from Paul, their talent ranks among the best even in the entire history of basketball.

Before heading to the McDonald's All-Star Game, Yang Shuai had already earned two important honors.

One is Ohio's Mr. Basketball;

The other is the All-American High School Team, in which he is ranked alongside Marbury, Carter, Garnett, and Raheem.

The match was held in St. Louis, and Yang Shuai arrived there a day in advance.

But this time he was not alone.

From the moment the contract was signed, Fraser has been paying for Yang Shuai's travel and accommodation expenses to and from the draft, which is a necessary investment for an agent in a player.

Moreover, Yang Shuai is a key client of Fraser, who will accompany him on his trip.

Upon arrival, Yang Shuai met with Garnett, Pierce, and Billups.

He wasn't the only one who underwent significant changes in the past year.

Take Garnett for example, he's at the peak of his career right now.

他在过去的赛季以66.8%的命中率场均得到25.2分19.9板6.7助攻6.5盖帽的恐怖数据，帮助法拉加特高中队史首次问鼎州冠军。

He was not only named Illinois Mr. Basketball and selected to the All-American First Team, but was also named the best high school player in the United States by the authoritative media outlet USA Today.

And then there's Pierce. Although he lost to Yang Shuai and Carter in the All-NBA selection, his performance of averaging 27 points, 11 rebounds and 4 assists per game and leading his team to the division championship earned him the title of California's Player of the Year.

Moreover, they discovered many interesting things during their conversations.

For example, Pierce, in addition to participating in the main game, also participates in the Slam Dunk Contest.

Everyone else stared wide-eyed at this.

While Pierce may not have the explosiveness of a matchbox, his physical attributes make him far from being a dunker.

Even more interestingly, Garnett will also be participating in the three-point contest.

"I will participate in all the events." Yang Shuai's words then left the other three speechless.

Yang Shuai is undoubtedly the model worker in the McDonald's High School All-Star Game.

The All-Star Game was held the following day in a small arena in Louis.

There were only about a thousand spectators at the scene, but the front row seats were filled with scouts and media personnel, as well as a large amount of photography equipment.

This is a live event that is even more focused and more nerve-wracking than Nike Training Camp.

All the games will be completed within one day, with the Three-Point Contest and Slam Dunk Contest in the morning and the All-Star Game in the afternoon.

The three-point contest started first, with four players participating: Yang Shuai, Garnett, Carter, and Ron Mercer.

Carter was the first to take the court.

His first shot almost flew over the rim, then the second shot went straight over but missed completely, and the third shot followed the same trajectory and missed completely again...

After his first shot, Carter went 0-for-5, making it seem like he'd wandered onto the wrong set.

Carter's three-point shooting performance this season has actually been quite good; this was clearly an off night for him.

With so many eyes and cameras on site, especially since the competition was being broadcast live nationwide, it was inevitable that even top high school students would be nervous, as it was their first time experiencing such a situation.

In the end, he only scored 12 points, and his performance can only be described as average.

Next up was Garnett.

If Carter looks like it, then Garnett really looks like he wandered onto the wrong set.

He maintained a shooting percentage of almost 1 out of 5 from all five spots, and his final score was only 7 points.

He almost ended up sitting at the same table as Jordan and Durant in the Three-Point Contest.

Garnett seemed relaxed after shooting, smiling and greeting the others.

Most big men in this era don't shoot threes, so Garnett's performance already demonstrates his versatility.

Yang Shuai made his grand finale appearance.

At that moment, all the scouts on site felt their eyes, which had been clouded by dust, suddenly brighten.

Yang Shuai made 2 out of 5 shots in the first spot, which was a bit of a stretch, but starting from the second spot, he basically maintained a shooting percentage of 3 out of 5 or higher.

Especially the last spot, he hit all five balls.

His final score was 20 points.

This drew a round of applause from the audience.

To score like that during a live broadcast, Yang Shuai is already qualified to participate in the NBA Three-Point Contest and compete for the championship.

Yang Shuai's performance put immense pressure on Mercer, who ultimately only managed to score 13 points.

Yang Shuai won the McDonald's All-Star Three-Point Contest.

After the game, Garnett and Pierce both shouted and yelled around Yang Shuai.

Unlike previous Nike training camps, this McDonald's Three-Point Contest championship will be a powerful boost to Yang Shuai's draft journey.

-Dividing line-

①: Mr. Basketball of Tennessee, transferred to Oak Hill High School in 12th grade, and was later selected by the Celtics with the 6th overall pick in 1997.

②：NBA三分球大赛创办于1986年，至今冠军的分数只有2届超过了20分，分别是1986年伯德的22分，和1994年普莱斯的24分。

(End of this chapter)