NBA: Miller moment at the start

Tina's Restaurant in Los Angeles,

Bill Duffy took out the sorted materials and handed them to Wang Ba:

"There are too many brands to cooperate with. Considering the future planning, I eliminated all the small brands and selected internationally renowned brands. What do you think?"

Wang Ba gave him a thumbs up:

"Heroes think alike. There is an old Chinese saying that it is better to have nothing than to have something bad."

If you want to be an athlete at the top of the pyramid, you must pay attention to protecting your feathers. You can't be hungry and make money by eating anything, which will only affect your reputation.

It's not that the products of small brands are not good, but the reality is that the outside world will think that this is a devaluation and damages Wang Ba's commercial value.

The biggest advantage of big brands is that they have a positive role in promoting Wang Ba and can also raise his value.

Bill Duffy sorted out 22 potential partners, including Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Nike, Adidas, Gatorade, luxury brand Hermes, car brand Audi, Dunkin' Donuts Coffee, the seventh-ranked global catering brand, and headphone brand Edifier, etc. He is indeed a gold medal agent. The materials record the brand's product positioning, consumer groups, and the benefits of endorsement to him in great detail. Of course, the key price is also very clear. The price given in China is a bit outrageous, ridiculously low. Only the price given by Edifier headphones is sincere, 25 million RMB for 3 years. Foreign brands are rich and powerful, and the annual endorsement fee is basically between 1 million and 1.5 million US dollars, which ranks in the middle among basketball players. Nike's contract is relatively large, up to 15 million US dollars per year. You should know that even for the proud children like James and Irving, Nike's first contract is only about 10 million US dollars per year. 15 million US dollars, it can be said that he is very sincere.

After a rough reading of the information, Wang Ba did not express his own ideas, but asked Bill Duffy first:

"What good suggestions do you have?"

"I suggest choosing Coca-Cola, Nike, Hermes and Audi... Coca-Cola covers the world and takes the civilian route, which can increase your popularity. Hermes is a luxury product, and Audi is a car brand that can cover mid-to-high-end users and enhance your commercial value. As for Nike, it goes without saying that the price is very high and it can also bring great help to your career."

If other brands can only increase Wang Ba's popularity, Nike can really influence Wang Ba's basketball career.

Nike's influence on the NBA is so great that it can affect the selection of many awards.

Many NBA awards are selected by the media, which cannot be absolutely fair. If it involves interests, it is absolutely unfair.

The most typical case is that the Warriors won the championship in 2015, and the FMVP was given to Iguodala.

Many Curry haters say it is fair, but they can only say that they are hating for the sake of hating, just like many haters are hating James.

Saying that James is running around,

It is okay for an ordinary worker to switch to a company with good salary, good development prospects and benefits for himself, right?

Asking the referee for a free throw,

The crying child gets the milk, and complaining can bring victory to the team, which seems to be okay, right?

Back to the 2015 Finals,

Curry did not get the FMVP, and did not even get a vote for the Finals FMVP, even James who lost the game got 4 votes.

First of all, this is not normal, and then the data.

Iguodala averaged 15 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists per game, while Curry averaged 25 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists. In terms of data, Curry crushed.

Some people say that,

Data cannot represent everything, Iguodala made a huge contribution on the defensive end, and borrowed the original words of the media who voted at the time,

"Many people forget that Iguodala scored 25 points in the crucial G6, and many people forget that when the Cavaliers, who lacked Irving and Love, took a 2:1 lead, it was Iguodala who changed the series."

According to his logic,

Iguodala's 25 points made a huge contribution, and Curry's 25 points also did not contribute enough.

G5 Curry scored 37 points, but it was not as great as Iguodala's 14 points.

There is also a very realistic question,

Iguodala was able to score 25 points in G6. Wasn't it because Curry's personal ability was excellent and forced the opponent to double-team, which gave Iguodala an open opportunity?

It is his responsibility to make an open shot. Doing his job well is to change the series?

Anyway, Curry takes the blame for the loss and Iguodala is the hero in the win. Isn't this nonsense?

Some people will say,

Iguodala's defense against James changed the series,

Sorry,

In the entire 6 games of the finals, James averaged nearly a triple-double, and in Game 6 he averaged 32+18+9, so what did Iguodala's defense change?

If we follow the logic of the media,

Jordan of the Bulls dynasty should step aside, and Pippen should win the FMVP, after all.His contribution on the defensive end exceeds that of Jordan.

Bosh and Bowen should both get FMVP because they contribute a lot on the defensive end!

It's all nonsense!

Curry is the reason and catalyst for the Warriors' success. His outstanding personal ability forces opponents to double-team him, giving his teammates a lot of space and opportunities.

FMVP was given to Iguodala. In the final analysis, Curry is owned by Under Armour and has a conflict of interest with Nike. It is the ugly face of capital.

Of course,

The selection cannot be absolutely fair. Everyone can understand that it is absolutely unfair. It is still quite unscrupulous.

It is precisely because of Iguodala's award that FMVP almost became a stinky award. After all, if there is an absolute unfairness once, how can it be proved to be fair before or in the future?

Back to the topic,

Wang Ba knows very well that signing with Nike will bring him huge benefits.

For example,

He can at least be treated fairly in the selection of awards such as the best player of the week, the best player of the month, and the best rookie.

However,

Wang Ba does not want to sign with Nike and Adidas, including Audi, because these brands like to stir up trouble. In two years, the Xinjiang cotton incident,

Adidas and Nike will jump out. Not to mention patriotism, it is not good for him.

Wang Ba did not say it directly,

"Brand selection will not be decided for the time being. You contact 22 brands and tell them that we will only sign for 1 year and see who is willing to agree."

Bill Duffy was slightly stunned:

"You mean... to play better and get a higher endorsement fee next year?"

"Yes! As long as I play well, I will not worry about not having endorsements. I will strive to maximize my benefits in the future. The fewer years, the better."

Usually, athletes are too happy to encounter endorsements with longer terms and similar prices.

Who can guarantee that there will be no accidents in their sports career?

For example, if there is an injury or a decline in form, the brand influence will be greatly reduced, and it will be very difficult to sign a better contract.

Signing a long-term endorsement contract is a good guarantee for athletes in the early and late stages of their careers.

Wang Ba is obviously very confident.

He is a rookie now. Many brands are willing to sign him, but they dare not offer too high a price.

If he can maintain high efficiency and perform well this season, his value will be higher next year, and it will not be too late to fight for a big contract.