Basketball: The Chosen Victim

Chapter 74 Two Great Brokers (5000+ word chapter)
After leaving his name on the signature board, Wu Di stepped into the Greek temple-style gate of the museum.

Many guests had already gathered in the arena, and Wu Di met many celebrities who had appeared on TV.

Such as the U[-] band that has been selected into the Cleveland Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the future princess, and the current supermodel Ivanka, etc.

Almost everyone was greeting him. As a popular rookie in the NBA, Wu Di received a lot of attention.

Wu Di is going to add a WeChat one by one later, no, I want a phone number, especially the eldest princess.

But he had to go to Gilbert first.

Because Gilbert was waving to him in the middle of the hall, and standing beside him was the new governor of Ohio, John Kasich.

The governor is about [-] meters tall. Although he is already a little too old, but through his imposing eyebrows, it can be seen that he was definitely a standard American handsome guy when he was young.

He is a celebrity from Ohio State and a representative of the American Dream in Ohio.

His father was just an ordinary courier with a very grassroots background.

But at the age of [-], he became a high-ranking senator. After his term as a senator ended, he served as a member of the House of Representatives for eight consecutive terms until [-].

He quit politics in [-] and joined Lehman Brothers investment bank as managing director. In the financial crisis of [-], Lehman Brothers went bankrupt, and this old man lost his job instantly.

Facing the economic crisis, he did not succumb to a setback, but chose to make a comeback. Last year, he announced his official run for governor, and this year he defeated his competitors and was elected.

In his second life, he was invited to give a keynote speech at the graduation ceremony of Ohio State University in May this year.

His ups and downs in life are talked about by countless students in Ohio State.

Of course, in the version that was sung in Ohio State, there is a sentence that may be crucial, that is, his wife is the only daughter of Senator Donald Lukens.

In any case, Wu Di saw a real person this time.

"Hello, Mr. Governor!"

Wu Di smiled and came forward to shake hands, but the four golden flowers beside him were obviously a bit cramped, and it was probably the first time he had seen such a big scene with his own eyes.

"Hello! The big star who broke Chamberlain's record, my mother mentioned you to me before!"

Kasich joked, instantly relaxing the somewhat restrained atmosphere.

"Haha, yes, we met Mrs. Kasich at PierW. Ling Ci not only looks young, but also has a young heart!"

The old lady who greeted him appeared in Wu Di's mind, and she boasted with a smile.

"Welcome to the state government office if you have time. I am very interested in the business cooperation with Huaxia."

Kasich patted his arm and said that he had just been elected and urgently needed to solve the state government's $[-] billion deficit and the soaring unemployment rate.

It would be great if Wu Di could attract Chinese businessmen to invest in the local area like Dayao.

"no problem."

Wu Di laughed and said that this kind of big leaders can only talk nice words when they meet. When they really want to promote business cooperation, there are actually other people who negotiate terms.

"Wu, this is Neila Tanden, Senior Advisor to the White House..."

Gilbert introduced to Wu Di again that the popular spicy chicken in the White House has appeared on TV many times and is an important figure in the Aoguanhai medical reform bill.

Tanden is a rare beautiful Indian politician, but she is not very cold towards Wu Di, she just nodded her head as a greeting.

Gilbert took Wu Di to meet several dignitaries who had to be introduced today, including but not limited to Mayor Frank Jackson, Congressman Reynolds Randolph and others.

Gilbert is not tall, but as a big lender, he has really strong connections.

After that, I met some high-ranking NBA executives, entrepreneurial bosses, executives of famous companies, museum curators, artists and other celebrities from all walks of life.

The words they said were similar, basically they were shaking hands and greeting each other, saying a few business words to praise Wu Di's achievements, or taking advantage of the opportunity to praise Gilbert for his hospitality.

Wu Di really wanted to have a few more conversations with the bosses and executives, maybe there would be an opportunity for endorsement cooperation.

But Gilbert completely grasped the rhythm, and introduced one group after another. In less than 10 minutes, Wu Di felt that he had met no less than ten groups of people, and he could not remember who was who at all...

But soon, Gilbert was interrupted by an assistant. He needed to meet another dignitary who had just arrived.

"Wu, you go shopping around first, we'll talk later."

Gilbert laughed, just now he showed his powerful network in front of Wu Di, and at the same time showed his latest value in front of the network——

The owner of an NBA supernova.

After Gilbert left, Wu Di and Four Golden Flowers breathed a sigh of relief.

"Is this Vanity Fair? I've learned a lot today..."

Aniston caressed her chest and said, except that the four golden flowers are very beautiful, they are all just ordinary people, and they have never seen such a battle.

"It's quite depressing, it feels like everyone is acting, and even the greetings are meticulous..."

Zivia took a sip of the red wine in his hand and murmured.

"I find it very interesting. Everyone is an elite from all walks of life, and their every move is very stylish."

Miranda straightened her skirt and smiled.

"Come on, there are a lot of girls sneaking up on Annie's ass!"

Enya squeezed the air, and spat again:
"Will someone invite us to dance later?"

Wu Di smiled and shook his head:
"How is it possible, that's too bloody."

Although the appearance and figure of the four golden flowers are top-notch, he also understood one thing after attending today's reception.

To the people in this room, the four golden flowers are essentially the same as four vases.

Would these people destroy decency for a vase?

Will Sicong and Qin Fen fight each other over an Internet celebrity?

Absolutely not on this occasion, unless there is a personal grievance.

Speaking of personal grievances, Wu Di suddenly thought of Williams.

At the time of the preseason, their grievances were intense. On the surface, it was because of Mengchao, but in fact, the real reason was that the two were competing for the position of the team leader.

Seeing that the other party was upset a long time ago, he just found a reason to fire.

In this room are people who can afford vases, and there will never be a shortage of more beautiful vases in this world.

But not all beautiful women are vases.

He looked at the other end of the room. A woman like the eldest princess, who is both beautiful and influential, is probably the goddess in the hearts of this group of people.

In fact, this is indeed the case, the princess is surrounded by all kinds of young talents.

Hehe, this group of men will not destroy each other's decency for the vase, but if there is a conflict of interest, then decency will definitely be thrown aside.

After all, Kasich's example is there alive.

Huh?Wait, why is Ariana also here, and standing with the eldest princess talking and laughing happily?
Could it be that highly educated women have a common topic?
Or……

Before he could think about it, he was interrupted by a familiar voice:

"Wu, I finally found you!"

Wu Di turned his head, it was people from Jamison and Scott and other teams.

"Damn it, Wu, you have lived out the dreams of countless men!"

Seeing the four golden flowers beside Wu Di, Grant laughed and cursed enviously.

However, the next moment, his expression turned sour instantly, and he was severely pinched by his wife Modesty's soft flesh around his waist.

"Haha I seem to see the next MJ!"

Scott laughed and said that both Magician and Jordan are flirtatious characters, surrounded by a bunch of beautiful women. As Magician's teammate, he even saw Magician having sex in the locker room.

"Poor kid playing Bruce Wayne, it's so funny."

Williams snorted and mocked, obviously Wu Di's appearance made him very sour.

His annual salary is more than twice that of Wu Di, and Wu Di has no commercial endorsement, so he can only make up for it.

He raised his hand to adjust the big gold chain around his neck, and by the way "inadvertently" exposed the gold Bulgari cufflinks and the diamond-encrusted big gold ring on his wrist.

With one movement, he showed off an outfit worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Look at Wu Di again, it's just an ordinary evening dress, except for a handsome face and four beauties, nothing else!
But Wu Di is too lazy to talk to him, poor?

When he raked in [-] million dollars in one night, Williams even went to the game of his deadly rival for free drinking and drinking. Who is poor?
"Wu, I heard that you are looking for an agent. This is Arne Tailem. He is my agent and Kobe's agent. He is very experienced. You can chat."

Jamison changed the subject and laughed, pushing a middle-aged man in a plaid suit beside him out.

Wu Di's eyes brightened. Of course he had heard about the legendary agent's deeds. He was the one who introduced Kobe to the Lakers general manager Jerry West at the time. Unexpectedly, he also happened to be Jamison's agent.

"Haha, seeing is better than hearing a hundred times, Schwartz really blinded his dog's eyes!"

Tailem said with a smile that Schwartz has become a laughing stock in the industry because he gave up Wu Di. He received a high commission of [-]%, but in the end he proposed to terminate the contract because he was unwilling to spend his own resources.

But this kind of thing is not uncommon in the NBA. When everyone is misjudged, even worse agents will cheat players, such as Joe Smith's agent Andrew Miller.

"Mr. Tailem, I want to get a big contract, what's your opinion?"

Wu Di's current status is not what it used to be, and he asked directly.

And he didn't want to mention Schwartz as a bitch, especially when he found out recently that Love was also in his name.

Tailem was already prepared, he pulled Wu Di to a corner, and then talked with eloquence:
"Start from three aspects. First, we need to lock the position of the best rookie (ROY) and prove your potential. Second, lead the team to the playoffs and prove your value. Third, cooperate with multiple brands. Negotiate at the same time, let them compete with each other, force them to come up with the best contract for us, the specific method..."

Wu Di nodded. Tailem's thinking is very clear, but there is a problem. The best rookie and the playoffs will be next year. With such a strategy, it is estimated that if you want to sign a contract, you will have to wait until the second half of next year...

"Yes, if you want to get a higher price contract, you have to learn to wait."

After Tailem finished speaking, he frowned instantly. He saw an unexpected person, and immediately added another sentence:

"Otherwise it's crooked!"

Wu Di's eyes moved slightly, he followed Tailem's gaze, and instantly noticed a familiar oriental face.

Dayao!

"We finally meet, brother!"

"Hello Brother Ming! Wow, you are really tall!"

Wu Di held Dayao's outstretched hand. Jordan is not short among NBA centers, but Dayao is at least half a head taller than Jordan...

This static talent is really invincible!
The Wenban Yama who exploded later should not be as tall as Dayao!
"You're quite strong... Wait, have you always been this strong?"

Dayao asked with a smile, Wu Di's tendons are rare among Asian players.

Wu Di nodded. He originally had a thin physique, and it was difficult to develop muscles in his previous life, but now he has become so strong after adding strength talents and improving bone mass and other attributes.

But Dayao is different. Dayao is actually not suitable for gaining weight, especially when the Rockets have never had a reliable No. [-] substitute. He has gained weight and played for a long time. It's a pit.

Thinking of this, Wu Di said with some regret:
"Is it too late to advise you to lose weight?"

But Dayao made Yao's embarrassing smile:

"Damn, it's fate, I've accepted it...it's actually pretty good, because I'll be able to eat fried chicken soon, haha!"

Wu Di raised his left hand wrapped with a wrist strap:
"I just started."

Dayao shook his head and cursed:
"Bogoute is really a scum, but the NBA's confrontation intensity is indeed great. You are still young, you must learn to protect yourself, and let the team's trainers teach you more skills in this area..."

Wu Di nodded. In his previous life, Dayao had reached the end of his career due to injuries, but in fact, Dayao was only [-] years old this year, and he was in his prime...

Damn injuries!
"Brother, this is my agent Bill Duffy, I heard you are looking for an agent..."

It was only then that Wu Di noticed that there was an unattractive round-faced man beside Dayao. Well, it seemed that this was the reason why Tailem frowned just now.

Bill Duffy directly took out a stack of documents from the briefcase and handed them to Wu Di, which made Tailem frown even more.

"Wu, this is a business cooperation plan I specially formulated for you. Although we haven't formally started cooperation, you can take it and see it!"

Bill Duffy laughed and said that Dayao's career may be over soon, and he is bound to win Wu Di as a client.

He turned his head to look at Tailem. Facing this agent with more seniority than him, he didn't show the slightest evasion, but taunted him:

"Talem, is Kobe still working with you?"

Tailem snorted coldly. After three consecutive championships, Kobe's contract with Nike is only [-] million US dollars in five years, which is not as good as James' rookie contract in the same year. This is also a stain on his practice.

But Bill Duffy has more stains than him. Because of his negligence, this guy actually caused the player to lose more than [-] million dollars in salary, and almost went to court. He had to pay him more than [-] million dollars to settle the matter:

"Duffy, if I were you, I would quit this industry, or I would go bankrupt sooner or later."

"you……"

Bill Duffy almost lost his breath, and Tailem's words were like shrimp and pig's heart.

The indemnity incident was a pain he couldn't get rid of. Just because he forgot to reply to the team's execution option, not only did he not get a commission, but he also paid Anthony Carter more than [-] million dollars, which made him the title of the worst agent of the year.

Wu Di quickly glanced at the material Bill Duffy gave him, and found that it was just some old-fashioned talk, but the format was more elegant.

But he owed Bill Duffy a favor by accepting this material. He had long heard that Bill Duffy was good at playing the emotional card, and this time he saw it.

After thinking about it, he decided to announce his goal:
"To tell you the truth, my current sneaker endorsement contract is about $[-] million for five years, but I want to at least increase it to more than $[-] million per year, and before the end of this year, do you think it can be done? "

Tailem frowned even more when he heard this. Now that the end of this year is less than two months away, honors and playoffs are impossible, and Wu Di actually wants to directly double his promotion?

Bill Duffy thought for a while, then pondered:

"Can you accept a two-year contract or less?"

Wu Di's eyes brightened slightly, this direction can be tried, after all, this year is the year he is most short of money.

If the $[-] million can be negotiated this year, by the end of the year he will be able to directly use the endorsement fee to produce Lao Zhan's static talent.

And after winning the championship and getting the no-injury badge, is he afraid that he won't have a big contract?

"Inappropriate! This will lose Wu's value in the minds of brand owners, and it is risky to do so. You may not even be able to get a [-] million contract in the end!"

Tailem immediately retorted that Bill Duffy sounded like it would be okay to do so, but it was simply not feasible in practice!
Because there is a scale for the price given by the brand owner, not because of the total amount of the contract.

In other words, if Wu Di is given [-] million per year now, a large number of players such as Wall and Rose will have opinions, and this is the crux of the matter!
He thought for a while, and quickly gave another direction:
“You can first accept endorsements from other categories of brands, such as McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, and Sony headphones. The price of a sneaker contract is usually two to three times the price of this type of endorsement. If you can receive other categories with higher prices Endorsement contract, that will be very beneficial to increase the price of the sneaker contract..."

Wu Di nodded. He had also thought about the direction Tailem said before, using other brands of contracts to carry the sedan chair of the sneaker contract.

However, in the actual situation, the highest endorsement contract of other brands did not exceed [-] million dollars...

"That's easy to say, Tailem, don't you know what kind of wishful thinking those brand owners are planning?"

"If there is no flow of sneaker contracts, how could they give Wu a multi-million-dollar contract?"

Bill Duffy waved his hand and retorted that although Wu Di is handsome, he is not a Hollywood star after all, and the traffic still depends on the injection of sneaker contracts.

In other words, sneaker contracts are chickens, and other endorsements are eggs. There are no chickens, so where are the eggs?

(End of this chapter)