Basketball miracles

Chapter 245 [Exorbitant Endorsement Price, Justified and Unyielding]

On November 7, Xiao Tu missed the Heat's daily practice.

It wasn't that he was being lazy; he had more important things to do—he was about to officially sign a contract with Adidas.

Adidas offered Xiao Tu a record-breaking 7-year, $100 million shoe endorsement contract, surpassing LeBron James to become the rookie with the biggest contract in NBA history.

After Xiao Tu achieved a record-breaking 60+ point triple-double, his commercial value skyrocketed. Nike, Adidas, and Reebok competed for him, with two of them offering contracts exceeding those of LeBron James.

Everyone recognized Xiao Tu's extraordinary talent and believed he had a bright future.

He's clearly not a person without ambition, yet he's remained calm and hasn't signed any shoe endorsements. There's only one truth: he knew all along that he would prove himself and had absolute confidence.

With three brands competing, Xiao Tu demanded exorbitant prices, and ordinary contracts were no longer enough to sway him.

Xiao Tu's previous response was: "I'm ugly at playing basketball. People who are ugly can sign huge contracts. You offered me a lower price. Isn't that an insult to me? Think it over before you come to me. I look for sincerity. I can sign a contract anytime."

Reebok offered the highest price, but Xiao Tu rejected it. A higher price doesn't necessarily mean the best; Reebok was struggling and wanted Xiao Tu to save it. In the parallel world, Reebok was later acquired by Adidas, and its brand value continued to decline.

The reason Adidas offers a higher price than Nike is simple: they can't afford to miss out on big-name spokespeople again.

In the summer, James was almost set to sign with Adidas, but the contract amount changed at the last minute, from a $1000 million annual salary to $700 million plus performance-related bonuses. Nike seized the opportunity, offering James a lucrative full-salary contract and successfully bringing him into their fold.

In addition, Kobe Bryant terminated his contract with Adidas in early 2002 and signed with Nike on June 26th of this year. Tracy McGrady had a poor start to the season, and Adidas urgently needed a top scorer as a brand ambassador.

Xiao Tu's impressive statistics, dazzling playing style, and outstanding appearance perfectly match Adidas's signing criteria. Adidas executives believe they've struck gold and can now happily watch Nike's performance unfold.

Nike's management has been in a terrible predicament lately, and their luck has been terrible.

Kobe Bryant had just signed with Nike at the end of June, but the Eagle County incident broke out in July, causing his commercial value to plummet.

Coca-Cola, IBM, and many other companies immediately announced the termination of their contracts with Kobe, as the issues Kobe had been involved in were detrimental to their brand image. Only Nike, having just signed a contract, couldn't immediately sever ties with Kobe.

James was completely overshadowed by Xiao Tu during his rookie season, which was full of controversy and made him a poor spokesperson.

Nike already has too many big-name endorsements. Offering Xiao Tu a super contract would put the two newly signed players in a very disadvantageous position. Even the biggest company has limited resources, especially considering Nike already has a superstar like Vince Carter.

That afternoon, Adidas held a highly anticipated press conference for Xiao Tu.

Numerous reporters traveled from other cities to Miami to cover the story, as the second-round pick had completely turned the tide.

Previously, when people reported on Xiao Tu, they all said his annual salary was pitifully low, the most worthwhile rookie contract in history. But not long after the start of the season, Xiao Tu became a young millionaire thanks to an endorsement contract.

Xiao Tu answered the reporter's questions fluently, as if he had prepared a draft beforehand.

He certainly didn't have a draft, but he had held similar press conferences in the 80s and signed with Adidas. He already had experience in sneaker endorsements and understood the company's promotional strategy very well.

Xiao Tu even uttered the advertising slogan, "The competition is a team effort, believe it or not." The classic advertisement hadn't even been released yet; it was supposed to be in 2006.

This ad still applies to Xiao Tu; no matter how many points he scores, his playing style remains selfless because he also has a lot of assists.

Xiao Tu also complimented his Heat teammates, earning enthusiastic applause. The person in charge was overjoyed; Xiao Tu had uttered many memorable quotes since joining the league, and today was no exception.

Xiao Tu confidently stated, "My partnership with Adidas will be a win-win situation, and I will prove it with my actions this season. How will I prove it? Everyone will see my stats and the Heat's record then."

A reporter asked, "What do you think of Nike signing LeBron James?"

"That was a great signing, and I think he will prove himself in the future," Xiao Tu said with a smile.

The implication is that James will definitely not be able to prove himself this season, as he's being overshadowed by James.

Adidas employees are even more relieved. Missing out on LeBron James doesn't feel like missing out on a future superstar, but rather like avoiding a huge pitfall. Both James and Xiao Tu are known for their all-around skills, playing in the Magic Johnson style, and their personas overlapped. If James is consistently suppressed, how could Nike possibly have a good outcome by signing him as a spokesperson?

Only crazy fans would forgo buying LeBron James' shoes for Xiao Tu, who has a better image and stronger stats. What are these people hoping to achieve? Do they want to play like LeBron James?

As long as Xiao Tu doesn't suffer a serious injury that significantly diminishes his condition, his peak period will likely last for more than ten years. Adidas must have won big; they just spent a little more money.

A reporter asked, "Xiao, how do you plan to spend your money now that you've become rich overnight? Is there anything you want to buy?"

"No, I have very low material desires. I usually like to ride my bicycle to the gym, and I'm too lazy to drive my secondhand car. I don't want to live in a big house either; I'm quite comfortable in the apartment I'm renting now."

The reporter asked, "Haven't you thought about what would happen if you had money?"

"I haven't thought about it. I just want to lead my team to a championship and become the best player in the NBA. Compared to playing basketball well, I don't think anything else is important. Once I'm at the top of the NBA, I'll have time to think about other things."

The reporters immediately realized that this was why Xiao Tu and Pat Riley had such a good relationship. Riley always liked hard-working players, and Xiao Tu was willing to practice extra hours without the coach having to urge him.

A female reporter asked, "Do you have a girlfriend?"

"No, I go to the gym to practice whenever I have time. I spent the whole summer practicing with Wade and Haslem. I never go to bars or nightclubs, and I won't go even if someone invites me. Actually, I haven't seen many women since I left college."

The reporters all laughed. In the NBA, a league rife with hooligans, Xiao Tu actually had the audacity to declare himself single.

His appearance might lead people to initially assume he's a playboy. Previously, many female Heat fans expressed their affection for him online, and everyone thought he was incredibly charming.

Xiao Tu was telling the truth. He discovered that practicing virginity training made him stronger on the court. Without the Titan's body, he could control his lower body, and he didn't care about not having women in his life.

He doesn't mind people knowing he's practicing virginity training; it's not like he'll be practicing it forever. If he meets a woman he likes, he'll definitely go for it. If not, he won't force it.

He would never go to nightclubs to pick up women, and he doesn't participate in such activities anywhere in the world. He doesn't want to outwit American sluts, nor does he believe he has enough charm to change bad people; Kobe's case is the best example.

Many people thought Kobe would quickly resolve the Eagle County case, but Xiao Tu knew the lawsuit would drag on for a year. Kobe ultimately paid a staggering $500 million in damages to reach an out-of-court settlement. Although he wasn't convicted of rape, he lost tens of millions in endorsement fees.

Coming from an era where men were easily exploited, Xiao Tu always knew how to protect himself. He only wanted girlfriends who wouldn't sue him even after a breakup.

Others laugh at me too crazy, I laugh at others and can't see through.

Xiao Tu also specifically mentioned the issue of sneaker color scheme, hoping that Adidas could design a Hot Wheels-themed sneaker for him, which would be in the color scheme of his bicycle.

His bicycle was red and black, with black only making up a small portion. He felt the Heat's home red and white jerseys were alright, but the away black jerseys were too ugly and looked incredibly dull.

A reporter asked about the Heat's upcoming games.

Xiao Tu smiled and said, "The Timberwolves' roster is indeed very strong, but I am confident that I can lead the team to victory. Because my strength is greater than Kevin Garnett's, I am the better core player."

Everyone thought Xiao Tu was too confident.

Garnett has always been considered a superstar power forward on par with Duncan, excelling in both offense and defense, and also capable of orchestrating the offense. He was very famous, but he never made it past the first round of the playoffs.

Xiao Tu was well aware of Garnett's weaknesses. The "Wolf King" wasn't good at ball-handling offense; he mainly relied on mid-range shots for scoring. His stats were consistently 20+10+5 year after year, with little variation, and his scoring ceiling wasn't high.

Garnett's strength lies in his consistent performance; when the team needs him to score in crucial moments, he often disappears.

In a parallel universe, Garnett led the Timberwolves past the first round of the playoffs for only one season, which was this season.

This hasn't even happened yet, and the Timberwolves don't have anyone skilled at attacking the paint, similar to the Heat. Since both teams primarily rely on outside offense, and the Heat are playing at home, why should Xiao Tu be afraid of anything?
Let alone playing ball, even in a fight, I could make him retreat while fighting.

I don't play Bowen because he's too low-class and doesn't deserve it; Harden is qualified.

(End of this chapter)