The Best Point Guard-Chapter 77 - 12: [A Win-Win Is When Nike Wins Twice]

Chapter 77: Chapter 12: [A Win-Win Is When Nike Wins Twice]

When Su Xi turned on the TV, the draft lottery was already over. But CBS was still interviewing the participants.

Su Xi saw an enraged Grizzlies General Manager Jerry West on TV, who said, "This selection process is absolutely ridiculous."

It certainly was for the Grizzlies. They only had a 6.4% chance of getting the first overall pick this year. Based on those odds, they should have gotten the sixth pick at best. However, they ended up getting incredibly lucky and landed the second pick. But, the moment they got the second pick, it was transferred to the Detroit Pistons... the same Detroit Pistons who were currently playing in the East finals.

This traced back to a 1997 trade between the Pistons and the Grizzlies. The Pistons traded Otis Thorpe, who was an All-Star at the time, for a protected 2003 first-round pick. The protection was very specific: it was first-overall protected. In other words, unless the Grizzlies drew the number one pick, any other pick they received would be transferred to the Pistons.

The Pistons had just been handed the second pick in a stacked draft year out of nowhere, making people very excited about their upcoming season.

Meanwhile, Cleveland managed to secure the first pick without any drama.

The Denver Nuggets only got the third pick.

The Raptors got the fourth pick, and the fifth pick went to the Miami Heat. Following them were: the Los Angeles Clippers, the Chicago Bulls, the New York Knicks, the Milwaukee Bucks, the Washington Wizards, the Golden State Warriors, the SuperSonics, the Grizzlies (from the Rockets), the SuperSonics (from the Bucks), the Magic, the Celtics...

"Honestly, when we drew the fifth pick, my first thought was: ’Yes! I’m not getting traded,’" Miami Heat player Caron Butler said in a TV interview, a huge smile on his face.

Then Su Xi saw an interview with Joe Dumars. He was thanking God, as he was the luckiest man at the draft lottery.

In contrast, Jerry West looked mad enough to spit blood. He was in the middle of a major overhaul of the Grizzlies, hoping to build a super team of young players in Memphis. If not for that 1997 trade, their moves this year would have been a massive success, as they would have had two lottery picks.

"At that time, we were really like baby birds just learning to fly, an expansion team. We were a young team, desperate for a veteran with talent and leadership. And the opportunity was there to trade for a guy like that. Our research and our gamble told us that Otis Thorpe could help our basketball team, both on and off the court," explained Grizzlies President Jackson in a TV interview.

Su Xi found this very interesting. He loved hearing stories like this.

Then, things got a little awkward for him.

Because the topic suddenly shifted, and the commentators began to discuss: "The player the Grizzlies are most likely to pick this year is Little Sheep Su Xi. Jerry West has expressed his admiration for Su Xi, and they’re currently lacking a strong point guard. Picking Little Sheep Su Xi at number 13 would be a risk worth taking. After all, he was the MOP."

"Besides, West has a soft spot for the 13th pick."

That’s what the senior analyst on TV said.

Su Xi felt like he was watching some drama unfold only to find out he was the main character. He didn’t even know where Memphis was, let alone which players were on the Grizzlies.

One moment he was lamenting how unlucky the Grizzlies were, and the next, people were confidently declaring that he might be drafted by them.

’The draft really is a suspenseful game,’ Su Xi thought.

Just then, Su Xi’s phone rang.

After three and a half hours of intense negotiations, Allen Goodwin finally had definite news for Su Xi.

"Jack, I did my best."

"But the results are satisfactory."

That was Allen Goodwin’s opening. Then he said, "Nike is willing to offer you a five-year, 45 million USD contract. That’s an average of 9 million USD a year, which is the biggest endorsement contract in NBA history, second only to the one LeBron James is about to sign."

"Although Adidas and Reebok have also shown strong interest in signing you, I feel that even if they could offer a little more money, their operations and promotions can’t compare to Nike’s. Nike is just too experienced in the basketball shoe market. They successfully promoted Michael Jordan. That’s why I’m recommending you partner with them."

"However, their contract terms also include some tough requirements, like making an All-Rookie Team, winning Rookie of the Week, making the All-Star team, or being named Player of the Week."

Allen Goodwin told Su Xi honestly, "I really couldn’t get you any more. This is already beyond what I could have imagined. I originally thought the most you could get was a contract averaging six or seven million USD a year."

Su Xi nodded. "Okay, thank you for your work. If I sign with them, I’ll pay your commission immediately, and I’ll give you an extra bonus on top of that. Even though it didn’t hit the 10 million average annual salary."

Allen Goodwin was overjoyed on the other end of the line. He said, "Jack, are you ready to sign with them?"

"No, I want to talk to them again," Su Xi said. "You can give them my number. For a partnership this important, we should have a formal meeting."

Allen Goodwin quickly made the arrangements. He walked into the conference room and handed the phone to Phil Knight.

Phil Knight said over the phone, "Hello, Jack. This is Phil Knight. I’m a great admirer of your skill and intelligence, and your attitude toward training is even more impressive. That’s a major reason why I want to work with you."

"Thank you for offering me this unprecedented contract. I’d like to know, what level of success do you think I’ll achieve in the NBA?" Su Xi asked bluntly.

There was a moment of silence from Phil Knight’s end. He placed the phone on the table and turned on the speaker. "That’s a tough question. I’m going to have my most brilliant associate, Vakaro, answer that for you. He was the one who discovered Michael Jordan. He has an innate gift for judging a player’s potential."

Phil Knight relayed Su Xi’s question to Vakaro.

Vakaro and the others hadn’t expected Su Xi to ask such a question.

But Vakaro thought for a moment, then said in all seriousness, "Jack, this is Vakaro. I’m the one in charge of your overall evaluation for this business partnership. My answer is, you will become an NBA All-Star. You have astonishing market appeal and popularity, like Beckham in the soccer world. Even if you’re not the most dominant player on the field, you’re a star with extremely high market value."

"Okay, I think I have a good idea of what you’re looking for in me."

Su Xi composed himself and continued, "I have a proposal."

"I’ve decided to bet 5 million USD with you all. I’ll sign a five-year, 40 million USD contract."

The moment Su Xi said this, Allen Goodwin’s face tensed up. He wanted to hang up the phone right then and there. ’Hey, hey, hey! I worked my ass off for that 5 million, and you’re just going to throw it away? You might as well just give it to me! By all rights, that 5 million should be mine anyway!’

Just then, Su Xi’s voice continued to come through the receiver.

"I need bigger incentives. Within the term of this contract, if I make an All-NBA Team, I want an extra 10 million USD. If I win Defensive Player of the Year, I want 10 million USD. If I become the NBA regular season MVP, I want another 20 million USD. If I win the NBA Finals MVP, you have to give me another 20 million USD. And if I win either the Finals MVP or the regular season MVP back-to-back, you’ll need to give me another 20 million USD."

After Su Xi finished speaking, the room fell silent.

They never would have imagined that Su Xi would give up 5 million just to propose such a shocking set of clauses.

He actually thought he could make an All-NBA team, be named Defensive Player of the Year, become the regular season MVP, be chosen as Finals MVP, and even win regular season MVP or Finals MVP back-to-back.

Although the amounts he mentioned were enormous.

But if he achieved even one of them, he would be a top-tier superstar. If he achieved two, a megastar. Three or more, and he’d be an all-time great.

While everyone was still in shock, Phil Knight made the final call. "Jack, I’ll take that bet. And I’ll add two more clauses for you. If you achieve any one of those goals, I’ll give you your own production line and create your own signature shoe. If you win regular season MVP or Finals MVP back-to-back, I’ll give you a 5% royalty on your signature shoe sales. But I’m adding a clause of my own: after five years, we have the right to match any competing offer."

"Done," Su Xi said. "But I require a 50% payment of the guaranteed contract amount upon signing."

This was a harsh condition. The expressions of the Nike staff changed drastically. There was no precedent for paying 50% upfront. Moreover, such a huge sum of money was enough to send many an eighteen or nineteen-year-old into a world of debauchery.

"Done!" Phil Knight said. "But the rest of the guaranteed salary will be paid out in equal annual installments. If you don’t make an All-Rookie team in your first season, fail to be named Player of the Week three or more times in your first two seasons, don’t make the All-Star team in your first three seasons, and fail to be named Player of the Month four or more times in your first five seasons, we reserve the right to withhold payment of the remaining contract salary."

"Done," Su Xi said confidently.

Everyone was dumbfounded. They hadn’t expected the negotiation between the founder and Su Xi to be so... decisive? Or maybe impulsive.

But what came next was even more impulsive.

Phil Knight said, "Your powerful self-confidence has moved me. So, we don’t need you to bet that 5 million USD. We’ll still offer you the five-year, 45 million USD contract. You’re the most brazen, arrogant, and confident player I’ve ever met. I like that kind of personality."

The Goodwin Brothers looked at each other, completely dumbfounded.

’What is going on? We fought tooth and nail for that 5 million, and you two are just pushing it back and forth. What’s the big idea?’

’So were my three and a half hours of verbal warfare just some optional warm-up act?’

Vakaro immediately understood Phil Knight’s thinking.

This was why, back on the day he signed Jordan, he had gifted him a Ferrari as a bonus.

Why?

Since a partnership had been reached, it was best to be generous. When you form a bond, form it completely. Nobody dislikes getting back something they thought they had lost.

Besides, he could "get" the seemingly ’reckless’ bet Phil Knight had made.

If you only listened to their conversation, it would seem very unprofessional and emotionally driven.

But if you looked closer, you would see that both sides had thought things through carefully. Su Xi took a step back to advance, releasing his powerful confidence.

Phil Knight struck while the iron was hot, pushing the already extremely difficult performance incentives even higher.

In reality, if Su Xi achieved any single one of those goals, they would be grinning from ear to ear.

If Su Xi managed to achieve two by some stroke of luck, they’d be popping champagne to celebrate. The commercial returns would be absolutely unprecedented.

The signature shoes would definitely sell like crazy.

As for the signature shoe royalty Phil Knight mentioned at the end, the difficulty was astronomically high. How many people in NBA history had won back-to-back Finals MVPs? Since the award’s inception, only Shaquille O’Neal, Olajuwon, and Michael Jordan had done it. Even players as great as Duncan, Bird, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Chamberlain never managed it.

And how many had won back-to-back regular season MVPs? From the beginning of the league to the present day: Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Moses Malone, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, and the most recent addition, Tim Duncan.

Reaching that level meant you could compete for the title of the best active player in the league.

Is giving the best active player a royalty on his shoes so outrageous?

Especially when that player was a point guard with arguably the most handsome face in history and the vast Chinese market behind him.

No matter how you looked at it, Nike wouldn’t lose.

It was a massive win!

A win-win!

And a win-win meant Nike won twice.

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