Basketball Terminal

Chapter 65 0.8%
The post-game rendezvous with Truth was delightful. They first went to an underground bar in Brooklyn for a couple of drinks, chatting about recent events, including Disney's G League, Turner TV, and the Brooklyn Nets. Of course, it was just a brief chat, the topics drifting, because both knew the focus wasn't on the conversation itself.

They were preparing, building up the atmosphere. Li Wei wasn't the kind of artsy young man who could talk about life and philosophy for hours on end, discussing Foucault, Joyce, Kawabata Yasunari, and all sorts of nonsense, just to sleep with a girl. He was all talk and no action, like trying to get the toilet seat on fire, but in the end, he just couldn't pee.

He dared to face his desires, just as he dared to stare at Truth's ass. The two were drunk and flushed; Li Wei leaned in and hugged her. Truth didn't flinch. Li Wei said, "Let's go to your place. I want to fuck you."

Some girls might turn and walk away upon hearing such words, or even slap Li Wei if they were more assertive. But Li Wei's words showed he had carefully maintained the appropriate boundaries in their relationship; he wouldn't have acted this way with anyone else. Zhenli, already accustomed to Li Wei's directness, blushed and nodded, whether from shyness or drunkenness, it was unclear.

In their red-brick apartment in Reedwood, Queens, the two went from awkwardness to joyful exploration, keeping busy until the early hours of the morning before finally falling asleep. At noon, Levi was gently awakened by Truth's touch. When he was fully awake and tried to resume his previous actions, Truth stopped him, saying, "No, no, I can't. It hurts too much, and it's a bit swollen."

Levi checked his phone; he really didn't have time to deal with anything else. Max had texted him, inviting him to his office at Barclays Center at 3 PM to discuss a new contract. Since he didn't have an agent, Levi would have to negotiate on his own. Truth went out to a nearby Japanese ramen shop and bought four bowls of ramen; she knew Levi must have a big appetite.

The sound of slurping noodles filled the air as Zhenli quickly finished her meal. Looking at Li Wei, she asked, "Um, who signed you up for the talent show?"

Li Wei thought for a moment and told the truth: "An online friend, I used to like her a lot. But she lied to me and hurt me terribly."

"The mail was sent from Great Neck, where Gatsby lived."

Li Wei nodded and thanked Zhenli for finding the address.

Is there anything else I can do to help you?

"Take me to the Barclays Center this afternoon."

The atmosphere was somewhat somber. However, after finishing his ramen, Li Wei took advantage of the time to clean up all the trash and tidy up the somewhat messy house for Zhenli. He was strong and had good stamina; having grown up in a laundromat, he was incredibly adept at laundry and cleaning.

In no time, the messy room with clothes everywhere became much cleaner and tidier. Drinks and alcohol were neatly placed in the refrigerator, only vases remained on the table, clothes were put away in the closet, the bed was made neatly, and the curtains were drawn to let in the sunlight.

"I won't help you with mopping and cleaning; that's a huge undertaking. Besides, your house isn't that dirty, so there's no sense of accomplishment in doing it."

"Thank you. This is the first time someone has helped me clean my house, and cleaned it so well."

"He's an NBA player! You've hit the jackpot. It's about time, let's go."

As the two left, True took Levi's arm, and Levi hesitated for a moment but didn't pull away. The car was parked at the entrance, and half an hour later, they arrived at the Barclays Center parking lot. Not long after getting out of the car, they encountered Paris-Ropin coming towards them.

"Hey man! My God, I've finally waited for you. Your performance last night was absolutely amazing! My God, 21 points and 18 rebounds! Why didn't you answer my calls? Were too many people calling you?"

"I told you, contact my assistant if you need anything."

York said you weren't home last night.

"If you're not home, it means it's inconvenient for me to contact you. I will give you your commission by cash check."

"Oh no, no, no, Victor. You came to the Barclays Center today to sign a contract, right?"

"McCarlyne told you?"

"Never mind that, I think you need an agent! Don't you? I can be your agent. After you become my agent, I won't ask for 10% commission anymore, I'll only take 4%!"

Luo Ping then noticed Tiandi Zhenli following behind. He glanced at him and said, "Wow, your girlfriend? Hello! What a beautiful girl, a perfect match for Viktor!"

"Paris, I gave you a 10% commission to discourage you from becoming an agent. I kept my promise and got you into the NBA. Your investment was successful and you got a return. OK, so, that's the end of it."

"Hey~ Victor, don't be like this. Does becoming an NBA player mean we're just going to break up like this?"

"We didn't break up completely; we still have a partnership, have you forgotten?"

Remembering the medicine, Luo Ping leaned closer and whispered, "I can get you better and cheaper medicine~"

“But I really want to be an agent, it’s my dream! The next Rodney Parker! There’s really no other way to achieve it except through you, I can even forgo commissions…” “You said it!”

"Huh? What?"

"You said you could forgo the commission."

"Um... commissions, even a little bit, can be an incentive, but..."

"0.5 percent, 0.5 percent commission."

"0.5! 0... Let me calculate how much I can get with 0.5, calculator, calculator."

"Take your time calculating, I'm leaving, I'm going to be late." Li Wei strode forward, with Zhenli following closely behind, leaving Luo Ping behind.

Luo Ping scrambled to catch up, shouting, "No, no, no, how about 1.50?"

"0.8%! 0.8%, no discussion."

A 0.8% commission means that for a million-dollar contract, Luo Ping would only receive 8000, and that's before tax. A 10% commission, on the other hand, would be one hundred thousand dollars.

Seeing Luo Ping hesitate, Li Wei said, "If you need money, I'll still give you 10% of the contract after you take it. I mean what I say. However, we won't have any further contact in the basketball business. Thank you for your guidance and help, Mr. Paris."

Li Wei had been hesitant about hiring Luo Ping as his agent. Currently, his contracts are small and he has no endorsements, so having an agent isn't crucial; however, he'll definitely need one to handle various matters in the future. Previously, Ricardi and Max had both recommended agents, but Li Wei hadn't considered any of them.

For him, the primary criterion for choosing an agent wasn't professionalism but loyalty. He'd learned his lesson the hard way, so he'd rather earn less than let someone close to him bankrupt him. After observing him for a while, he found Luo Ping to be relatively well-behaved among Black people—no gambling or drugs, simple-minded, and kind-hearted. Moreover, he was raising a ten-year-old daughter, making him a single Black father, which impressed Li Wei.

If he has the heart to pursue his dreams, Li Wei wouldn't mind growing up alongside him.

Luo Ping grabbed Li Wei, made up his mind, and said, "0.8% it is. I'm already 37 years old. This is my last and only chance. I believe in you, Viktor, I believe you have a bright future, and I'm going to follow you."

Seeing Luo Ping's determination, Li Wei said, "Okay, once you've succeeded, we'll renegotiate the percentages. You'll come with me to Max's office for negotiations later. But remember, you don't need to say anything; you can only sit and listen. If you say an extra word, I'll deduct $500 from your salary. Also, you need to thoroughly understand the contents of the labor agreement. I don't require you to memorize it, but you need to know where the clauses are; I'll check them at any time. Be proficient in using a calculator, and, this season, you'd better get two more clients. My commissions can't support you."

Luo Ping opened his mouth, wanting to speak, but didn't know what to say. Why are there so many rules for being an agent? Isn't it just about going against the manager, getting the player the biggest contract, and then waiting to get your share of the money? But Luo Ping was afraid of having his salary docked, so he didn't dare say much and followed Li Wei into the Barclays Center.

In the office, Li Wei quietly flipped through the contract Max handed him, while Luo Ping sat beside him, his hands covering his mouth, his legs trembling uncontrollably. He was much more nervous than Li Wei; he hadn't expected to actually be in the same room as an NBA team general manager as an agent.

At the other end of the long table, Joseph Tsai watched Li Wei and Luo Ping with a smile. Tsai was somewhat surprised that Li Wei had brought a Black agent, sensing that Li Wei was no ordinary person. The NBA is a predominantly Black league; if a Chinese-American player could get along well with a Black agent, his relationships with other Black players wouldn't be bad.

In American society, racial issues have always been a major problem. If handled well, all parties will be satisfied, and things will definitely get done. Moreover, judging from this black agent's casual attire and his complete silence, not even glancing at the contract, he was probably brought in by Levi to endorse him.

There's not much to say about the contract itself; given the Nets' current salary cap, he can only sign a minimum salary contract. Mid-season, no other team in the league will have cap space either, as all teams' salaries are on the cap. The minimum salary for the 2020-2021 season is $92.5 per year. After the game against the Kings, the Nets have 39 games remaining, and Levi's remaining pre-tax salary is $50.1.

The salary payment method is the same as the contract signed in the G League. Once this contract takes effect, the G League contract will be officially void. The only point of contention in the negotiations is the duration; the Nets want to sign Levi to a two-year minimum salary contract, while Levi only wants to sign for one year. This way, he will become a restricted free agent next year and can listen to offers from other teams.

Under the Arenas clause, he could potentially get a contract with a starting salary of up to $1000 million, which would truly be a windfall, especially if it were a limited-edition Harley-Davidson. Knowing the labor agreement, Levi wouldn't give up the opportunity to win a multi-million dollar contract for just one year of guaranteed pay.

So this point of contention didn't remain unresolved for long, because the Nets had no other choice. After clarifying a series of other details, Li Wei decided to sign the contract. He took the pen handed to him by Joe Tsai and neatly signed his name on the most insignificant piece of the official NBA contract.

His NBA journey has taken another solid step, and it is the most important step so far: he is now a full-fledged NBA player.

Marks, Tsai, and Nash and Levi, who arrived at the scene, shook hands and took photos. It's quite rare for a minimum-salary contract to receive such attention from the team's management's Big Three. Luo Ping, standing to the side, looked like a lackey; he was the one negotiating, and even speaking was a struggle.

When Cai Chongxin came over to shake hands and greet Luo Ping, Luo Ping kept his mouth shut and didn't dare to say a word. Li Wei nudged Luo Ping: "Why aren't you saying anything, Paris! Boss Cai is greeting you." Luo Ping said: "I'm afraid you'll dock my pay! Shit, five hundred gone."

(End of this chapter)