Chapter 80

Nike announced before the stock market closed that it would invest 286 million US dollars plus technology and operations into the startup brand Fanx, acquiring 30.1% of the shares.

This shocking news quickly triggered a huge uproar in the market.

Immediately, the chairman of Nike and the chairwoman and founder of Fanx, Ms. Wu Su, jointly held a grand press conference. At the meeting, Fan Xi's mother, Wu Su, and Nike founder Phil Knight jointly announced that Fan Xi would endorse the brand for an annual fee of no less than 13.5 million US dollars, with a contract period of 5 years, and would launch the first heavyweight signature shoe before June this year.

At the same time, they also announced that Fan Xi is the largest shareholder of this brand, owning 35% of the shares. His mother is the second-largest shareholder.

Nike, despite putting up the money and effort, is only the third-largest shareholder.

And based on Nike's investment amount, the valuation of this startup brand has already exceeded 1 billion US dollars.

And all of this is pinned on the influence of Fan Xi alone.

The release of this news triggered a huge uproar.

When Fan Xi returned to the locker room, he found that the teammates around him were all answering phone calls.

This news has little impact on ordinary NBA players. But for the superstars, it is no less than dropping a bombshell.

It is just like when Kevin Garnett signed a super contract of 120 million US dollars back then.

Because Garnett was just a new player who had only played for two or three seasons at the time, those superstars who had played for most of their lives in the league were still on contracts of three or four million dollars, and the serious salary inversion led to the NBA lockout for half a season.

Now, the contract reached between Fanx and Nike is of the same nature.

The NBA has indeed had profit-sharing contracts and high-salary endorsement contracts. For example, Lebron James received a then-record contract of 90 million US dollars for 7 years when he first entered the league, and Kevin Durant also received a 60 million US dollar contract from Nike when he first joined the league.

And there is Derek Rose, who took away a contract amount of more than 80 million US dollars from Adidas.

Lebron James completed a contract renewal with Nike last year; although the amount was not disclosed, he will take away at least 20 million US dollars from Nike every year.

In contrast, Kobe Bryant's income in terms of shoe endorsement contracts has always been less than James'. Because Kobe transferred from Adidas, when he signed with Nike in 2003, he only got a 5-year 45 million dollar contract. James, who hadn't played a single game at the same time, signed a 7-year 90 million dollar contract. Subsequently, Kobe signed a 3-year 42 million dollar contract from 2007-2010 and a 15 million dollar annual contract from 2011-2016.

Derek Rose, Kevin Durant, Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, these are the four players with the highest shoe endorsement contracts in the current NBA.

However, once this cooperation model of Fan Xi came out.

They immediately had no advantage, and could even be said to have been crushed.

Fan Xi and his parents took away nearly 70% of the shares, and Fan Xi also has an endorsement fee of no less than 13.5 million US dollars per year.

This is the fourth-largest endorsement amount for an active player, second only to James, Rose, and Kobe, and much higher than Kevin Durant's.

Moreover, the share ratio Fan Xi received is far higher than Jordan's. Jordan reached a lifetime contract with Nike in 1989, and he received 4.5% of the equity from Nike; if he hadn't made changes in 2003, based on Nike's current market value of around 200 billion, his net worth would reach 9 billion US dollars.

However, Jordan made a new decision in 2003. He and Nike passed a new plan, and Nike exchanged 66.7% of the annual profit-sharing rights of the AJ brand for the 4.5% shares in Jordan's hands.

In other words, Fan Xi, an undrafted rookie who has been out for less than two months, received a higher share from Nike than the Basketball Emperor.

And most importantly, AJ is a subsidiary of Nike, while the newly established Fanx exists independently; Nike only holds a small portion of the shares, and must also provide their design team and marketing free of charge according to regulations, and Fanx's shoes will appear in any direct-sale store they want to appear in.

Haa!

After Lebron James finished talking to his agent on the phone, he kicked over a chair in anger. He felt he had been deceived; his shoe sales are currently the best in the world, and his signature shoe series can reach 300 million US dollars in sales in North America every year.

He is the best-selling superstar under Nike.

However, he did not get Nike shares, nor did he get shoe profit-sharing rights.

And that rookie who just came out and was nothing, got everything.

Although his agent told him that the rookie's parents are entrepreneurs in Zhongguo, they themselves own shoe factories and can produce shoes without Nike, and Nike does not want to create a new competitor, so they can only keep compromising, and Fan Xi's miraculous performance on the court is also the reason for their repeated compromises.

These reasons could not convince James, and James is now furious. He shouted at his agent on the phone: "Why did you hide from me to negotiate such an important contract? If they had told me, I would have punctured his miracle long ago."

The agent was very calm; he really wanted to tell his employer James: You are just a little king on the court, but you are not Phil Knight's father; he has no obligation to explain all business behaviors to you.

James was very angry.

After other superstars in the Eastern locker room received this news through various channels, they were also dumbfounded, especially Kevin Garnett. He said: "Isn't this equivalent to the super contract I signed back then? No, it should be that I signed a 200 million dollar contract back then to have this effect."

What Garnett said made James even more furious.

He is the Chosen One; all along, he has been the player most favored in the entire basketball world, and all the benefits and sweetness are taken by him first, especially in business. Even Kobe, whose popularity is on par with his, does not have his good luck.

But now, a little guy who popped out of nowhere has rushed ahead of him.

Can he endure it?

No!!

Therefore, he made up his mind to make this little guy embarrassed.

At the same time, the superstars in the Western locker room also put down their phones one after another; they also learned this shocking news from their own channels.

Chris Paul is a player under Jordan; the endorsement fee he receives from the Jordan brand every year does not exceed 5 million US dollars. But now, this guy who relied on luck to snatch his All-Star starter spot actually received a contract he couldn't even imagine in his dreams, and he even established his own brand.

His eyes were full of jealousy.

Westbrook is also a signed player under the Jordan brand; his endorsement contract is a little higher than Paul's, but he still doesn't have his own signature shoe yet.

He has a carefree personality; he walked over and said to Fan Xi: "Jack!! You actually created another record; you actually quietly took such a big contract from Nike? You've made it, man! You are even more amazing than Kevin Durant; you simply robbed Nike headquarters."

Westbrook has no schemes.

His words made the atmosphere in the locker room even more "weird."

Everywhere, there is an aura of "laughing at others for having nothing, hating others for having something."

Accepting that others are infinitely glorious is a difficult thing, especially when they were far below you before.

Kobe Bryant was also quite shocked.

However, his emotions turned relatively quickly; he is someone who has experienced serious setbacks in business. In 2003, his image had a major rupture; at that time, Adidas and some brands either chose not to renew his contract or chose to break ties with him. This is also why the amount of his contract with Nike at that time was only half of Lebron James'.

Subsequently, his popularity returned to its peak, but his endorsement fees never beat those young people.

Therefore, he sat there and quietly digested it for three or four minutes before he was over it.

He reached out and patted Fan Xi on the shoulder and said: "Jack. Congratulations on getting the most abundant endorsement contract in NBA history. However, you must clearly realize that the reason you were able to get this contract is not entirely because of your strength on the court; your popularity, especially your popularity in Asia and Zhongguo, is the deciding factor; businessmen are all shrewd."

"However, players are all realistic. In the future, you will receive more and more hostility because of this contract; your opponents will be the top batch of people in the NBA."

Kobe whispered in Fan Xi's ear: "Be careful."

Fan Xi immediately understood what Kobe Bryant meant.

It is indeed like this.

If Fan Xi was only in the novice village before, then now, this unprecedented contract from Nike has sent him into a cruel hell mode. He will face opponents at the level of star players, superstar players, superstars, and even face-of-the-league superstars.

The media will no longer treat him as a rookie.

All famous superstars will take it as their duty to take this guy down and improve their own market influence.

After all, Fan Xi looks like the easiest "big sponsorship" star to bully.

The so-called "an innocent man is guilty of his own treasure."

Fan Xi deeply understands this truth.

He took a deep breath.

Prepared for a new challenge.

Gregg Popovich has always been the most calculating head coach in the league, and he is extremely strict in governing his army; within the team, except for not scolding Duncan, everyone else, whether it is Tony Parker or Ginobili, these famous superstars, were all sprayed by him until they were ashamed, leaving no room for mercy.

When he learned that Fan Xi had received such a shocking endorsement contract, his schemes rotated constantly in his mind.

Quickly forming, generating.

It is undeniable that Fan Xi on the court brought Popovich a great shock; as a player for the Lakers, the biggest opponent in the Western Conference, he both appreciates and fears him.

Therefore, the natural competitive position makes it impossible for him not to suppress Fan Xi.

However, his approach is very different from Mike Budenholzer.

Budenholzer uses that kind of suppression method, using that kind of invisible erasure method.

It is a violent, merciless attack, which is easily seen through and easily leads to being unable to get off the stage.

However, Popovich is not like that.

He does the opposite; he decided to give Fan Xi the greatest help tonight; he wants Fan Xi to shine, wants to give Fan Xi the most playing time, the greatest tactical advantage. He wants Fan Xi to face those jealous people in the East.

No matter if Fan Xi shines in the end, or is beaten down.

It has a hundred benefits and no harm to the Spurs.

Most importantly, this is also very likely to gain the favor of this kid.

Therefore, Popovich quickly called Fan Xi to the side, and he explained the Dream Team's playing tactics to Fan Xi.

Something even more surprising to Popovich happened.

Popovich found that the content he explained was very complex, but Fan Xi almost listened to it all in one go, and when he asked, Fan Xi could answer fluently.

Popovich was so envious he was about to cry; he wanted to get Fan Xi too much.

He thought to himself, if Fan Xi were on the Spurs, I would definitely give him the best treatment, I would definitely treat him in my best way, cultivate him, just like treating Duncan, I would never scold him.

If Tony Parker and Ginobili heard Popovich's inner voice at this time, they would probably cry.

They were really scolded too miserably.

But this rookie in front of him made Popovich exclaim... as long as he is a Spurs player, I will serve him like a crown prince.

Comparing people to people, one must die.

Chris Paul noticed Popovich's special care for Fan Xi; he has always been a shrewd and intelligent person; if he weren't shrewd, intelligent, and cunning, he wouldn't be a top-tier point guard.

Therefore, he sent a message to James in the Eastern locker room; he told James: "Popovich looks like he wants that Miracle Child to continue to bloom miracles tonight."

James replied with an OK expression.

Looking emotionally stable, but actually rolling inside.

The fans at Staples Center didn't know what happened in the locker room, and most of them didn't know about the unprecedented contract Fan Xi reached with Nike, but they saw even more novel tricks.

The signal from TNT TV was projected onto the big screen overhead.

Tonight, TNT is providing the live broadcast signal to the whole world, and before the broadcast, they brought a pre-game appetizer.

In their studio.

Host Earl Johnson brought in two donkeys, and shaved all the hair off the donkeys' buttocks, exposing their skin... although this move might cause resentment from animal protection activists.

However, the show effect was full, and there was a burst of laughter at the scene.

Because Kenny Smith won the bet about the MVP in the All-Star Rookie Game against Charles Barkley, and Barkley didn't want to kiss Kenny's butt, and the TV station didn't want to turn it into an adult show.

So, they compromised a bit.

They brought out the donkeys again.

Only this time, Kenny Smith raised the requirements; he asked the staff to bring two donkeys, and asked the staff to shave their hair; Charles had no possibility of perfunctory work; he had to kiss the four exposed pieces of skin for real.

When this rule was announced, the scene was full of happy laughter.

When Charles Barkley appeared in front of the donkeys, the show effect was pulled to the max.

At this time, Barkley said an even more shocking thing: "Kenny, I can kiss these donkeys, but do you dare to make a big bet with me?"

"Let's bet on whether Jack Fan can win the All-Star MVP!!"

As soon as this sentence came out, the whole audience was shocked!