At this time, a big red-haired man came over with a photographer, but it was Bill Walton, the league's retired Hall of Fame superstar.
Red Giant Walton got rid of his stutter last year, and then officially entered the commentary world and became a commentator on ABC TV.
"ok."
Larry Bird nodded.
"Old K, I just saw that you and Larry had a good interaction. You are very familiar with him, right? Do you want to be interviewed together?" Bill Walton asked.
"What do these Americans call interaction?" Sun Zhenping and Su Qun, who were a few steps away, were dumbfounded.
"Yes, I have some impressions of him. His performance is good and he can always make those actresses scream and scream." Lao Wang nodded.
"Pfft, haha..."
The laughter of Magic Johnson and others rang out from behind.
"Rookie, suffer death!"
In anger, Larry Bird threw a pair of old fists at Lao Wang again.
"Haha, okay, Larry, now I want to ask questions, the camera is on."
Bill Walton's face turned into a smile, and he quickly stepped forward and pulled Larry Bird away.
When the angry Big Bird heard that the camera was turned on, he quickly turned to face the camera and changed his face. His angry expression instantly turned into a smile, then he waved and said with a friendly smile: "Hey, hello, I'm Lariber.
Germany, your friend."
"Hello everyone, I am your friend, Lao K, the restricted area sweeper." Lao Wang waved from behind and started to take advantage of Larry Bird's lens.
"Ahem, restricted area sweeper? Old K, is this your new nickname?" Bill Walton asked curiously.
"Yes, I just thought of it, what do you think?" Lao Wang said seriously.
"Cool." Bill Walton nodded.
"A bullshit nickname, is it as cool as my Big Bird?" Larry Bird said disdainfully.
"Of course, Big Bird is cooler and is especially suitable for the adult movie star profession." Lao Wang nodded.
"Hahaha……"
This time everyone around burst out laughing, the photographer couldn't hold the camera steady, and the lens kept shaking.
"Let's duel, rookie, we'll fight to the death today!"
Larry Bird stopped accepting interviews and rushed towards Pharaoh Wang with his old fist.
"It's over, are you fighting again?" Sun Zhenping and Su Qun were dumbfounded repeatedly.
"No real fight, just joking. Tie Jun and Larry Bird met for the first time, and they seem to get along well." Zhang Li said with a smile.
The two were making a fuss, and many stars came to the scene, including Jordan, Dream, David Robinson, Barkley and Dan Marley.
"Damn rookie!"
When Jordan saw Wang Tiejun, his eyes immediately turned red, and nameless anger rushed to the top of his head.
"Big Bird, you dare to bully my brother?"
When Buckley saw it, he rolled up his sleeves and ran up, followed by Dan Marley.
Barkley, a villain, has an extraordinary relationship with Larry Bird. They are old enemies. He once choked Bird in a game during his rookie season.
On November 10, 1984, in Philadelphia's seventh regular season game of the new season, against the Celtics, Larry Bird and Dr. J started a fight. Barkley stepped forward to break up the fight and choked Larry Bird directly from behind.
Moses Malone hugged Larry Bird's hands, and then asked Dr. J to punch Big Bird several times in the face. In the end, the Celtics came together and beat Moses Malone up, but the clever rookie Barkley
Ran away.
"Fat pig, what do you want to do?" When Larry Bird heard Barkley's voice, he immediately abandoned Lao Wang and turned around quickly.
Buckley smiled and shook his big fists and said: "Just in time, I have learned Wang Ba Quan now, can I test its power on you?"
"What bastard boxing?" Larry Bird asked curiously.
"It's just a boxing that specializes in tortoises." Lao Wang explained kindly later.
"Pfft, haha..." Buckley and Dan Marley laughed.
Larry Bird knew at a glance that Wang Tiejun didn't have anything nice to say. He glared at him and cursed angrily: "Rookie, you and Barkley are a bad match for a bastard. They are 100% compatible."
Buckley and Lao Wang looked at each other and suddenly laughed.
"Two bastards!" Larry Bird said with a helpless smile.
"Look, Teacher Sun, that's Barkley, a superstar in the league. He takes good care of Tie Jun in the Suns. They have a very close relationship," Zhang Lili introduced.
"I have seen him. He was also a member of the Dream Team in last year's Olympics." Sun Zhenping nodded excitedly.
"He's called the Flying Pig. He's not tall enough and he plays basketball while flying in the sky. Do you want to interview him? Let's go over there," Zhang Li said.
"Absolutely!" Sun Zhenping nodded quickly.
Several people came forward and stood aside. Zhang Liyi nodded towards Lao Wang, and then said to Barkley: "Charles, can you accept our interview? We are the China CCTV Sports Channel."
"Zhang, aren't you Lao K's personal trainer, chef, and nanny? How many jobs do you have?" Buckley said with a strange look on his face.
"I came here temporarily to help today." Zhang Lili said cheerfully.
"Well, just ask." Buckley smiled.
Wang Tiejun did not participate in the CCTV interview and returned to his seat.
Magic Johnson said at this time: "Rookie, let's talk?"
Lao Wang glanced at the magician and asked curiously: "I know you, Barkley said that there were many girls lining up outside the locker room waiting for you to pick, and you would give the rest to your teammates, is that right?
"
Magic Johnson said awkwardly: "It's hard to look back on the past. You're really not a lovable kid. You can't even chat."
Having said this, he suddenly turned his upper body and asked in a low voice with curiosity: "Are you really that with Julia Roberts?"
Lao Wang sighed and said: "I can't bear to look back on the past. That night made my legs weak for a week. I was very tired and exhausted. But if I am given another chance to choose, I hope my legs will be weak for a month."
"Damn boy, you really can't chat." Magic Johnson scolded.
"Haha..." Lao Wang laughed proudly.
"Hey kid, what do you think of the Lakers?" Magic Johnson said.
"What can I say? Liars, movie stars, the Lakers are not an NBA team, but a Hollywood actor training class."
Lao Wang couldn't help but said angrily.
Magic Johnson was stunned. Is this what you think of the Lakers?
"Asshole rookie, you have to respect the Lakers a little bit," Belkin said unhappily next to him.
"No! Although I am planning to sign a contract with CAA, I will never participate in an actor training class." Lao Wang shook his head decisively.
The two magicians looked at each other, shook their heads helplessly, and did not raise the issue again.
They were actually entrusted by Lakers general manager Jerry West to test Wang Tiejun.
Although Divac is very good, West thinks Wang Tiejun is better, and he is considering trading Divac for Wang Tiejun.
He had submitted a trade application to the Suns earlier, but the bargaining chip was not Divac, but just two role players. He was immediately rejected. Later, Wang Tiejun got better and better, and there was no chance. However, he did not give up and was still there.
Wait for the opportunity.
At around 11 o'clock in the evening, Lao Wang returned to the hotel. Just after taking a shower, Jermaine appeared in front of him with a smile on his face.
"Old K, let me tell you some good news. You have a sneaker sponsor." Ge Maloney said with a smile.
"What's going on?" Lao Wang was so shocked that he almost dropped the towel wrapped around him.
Gemaroni smiled and said: "I have been negotiating a sneaker contract with you during this period. As an A-level signee of CAA, you must have a signed sneaker contract. This is your status symbol. To become a true
Sports stars, this is essential..."
"Done the deal?"
Lao Wang felt a surprise, was this a gift for him? Sure enough, signing with CAA was the right decision.
Then Gemalone took out a thick contract and briefly introduced its contents.
4.5 million U.S. dollars for three years, 1.5 million U.S. dollars per year. This was the price that Gemalone had to negotiate after much effort. Mammoth, which was about to go bankrupt, really couldn't come up with more money. This was the new investment from boss Weeks.
A sum of funds.
The specific payment method is to pay 50% on the signing date, 30% after one year, and the remaining 20% when the contract ends.
This contract seems to be larger than the contract between Jordan and Nike back then, and it has no restrictions, but it is actually far inferior to Jordan's contract.
Jordan's contract that year still had three conditions, namely Rookie of the Year and All-Star, averaging 20 per game. If these three conditions were not met, Nike had the right to terminate the contract, but he completed these three conditions in just one year.
Got all the money.
In 1984, the highest endorsement contract in the league was between Lakers star James Worthy and New Balance. It was US$150,000 a year. Jordan's US$500,000 per year was a sky-high price, and Nike also promised Jordan a share of the sales of sneakers.
When I signed the contract, I was given a Lamborghini as a gift, and the treatment was far better than that of Lao Wang.
However, for a rookie, a center who does not sell shoes, and is not an American, it is incredible to get this contract. It is impossible to operate without CAA. You must know that there are not many stars in the entire league who have it.
Signature sneaker contracts are something that most current All-Stars don’t have.
For example, O'Neal, when he entered the league last year, Nike and Reebok selected him at the same time, and his only requirement was to have his own signature sneakers.
But Nike refused and was unwilling to give a contract for signature sneakers. The reason was that centers did not sell shoes. This was the case with the three super centers. They were not optimistic about O'Neal's future.
What's funny is that they gave Mourning such a contract because Mourning is not as tall as O'Neal and can sell more shoes.
In the end, Reebok gave O'Neal a signed contract, and the amount was very large, US$15 million for five years, US$3 million per year.
Therefore, Wang Tiejun's ability to get this contract is really due to CAA. Otherwise, even if he became an All-Star, he would basically not be able to get this kind of signature sneaker contract.
This era is not the era of Yao Min ten years later. At that time, the domestic economy began to develop and there was a huge consumer market. But now the domestic consumer market is not that big. Wang Tiejun, not to mention in the United States, even in China,
Even if he is not a released prisoner, his commercial value is not very great.
In fact, there is no concept of celebrities in China now, including celebrities in the entertainment industry, and there is not even the concept of entertainment industry.
Getting this good news before going to bed made Comrade Lao Wang so excited that he didn't sleep well. He was so confused that he didn't know when he would fall asleep. When he woke up and looked at the time, it was already 12 noon.
After getting up, taking a shower, eating and drinking, it was already past one o'clock.
At this time, in a business hall of the hotel, the CAA press conference was almost ready, and some media reporters began to appear.
At three o'clock sharp, Wang Tiejun and Jim Maloney, as well as Mammoth CEO Weeks, appeared at the press conference.
In front of the media, Wang Tiejun completed two consecutive signings with CAA and Mammoth.
The media reacted greatly to this, and the following voices of discussion have been endless.
"Mr. Maloney, by signing Mr. K, is CAA preparing to officially enter the NBA?" a reporter from the New York Times business section asked.
"We have this plan. CAA hopes to explore new areas and has been trying." Gemaloney said with a smile.
"95% of the league's All-Stars do not have signed sneaker contracts, and Old K is not even an All-Star. Why did CAA choose him?" the reporter asked.
"This is a matter of our business strategy, so I can't comment." Gemaloney said with a smile.
"Mr. Weeks, why did you choose Mr. K?" a reporter asked.
Weeks said firmly: "I am optimistic about Lao K's development in the NBA. He has shown great potential now, which makes me very excited. Mammoth will fully support him..."
After the press conference, Wang Tiejun received a signing fee of US$1 million from CAA and a check of US$2.25 million from Mammoth. US$3.25 million was credited to his account, which was the most money he had ever received. The odd amount on the check was spent on his
Eye.
"What the hell, the tax is close to 50%. I have to hire an accountant to help me avoid taxes." This was his first thought after he came to his senses.
"Congratulations to the host, for getting the first signed sneaker contract in his career and receiving a reward of 1,000 points." the system said.
"Double happiness comes to my door, just one word for happiness!" Lao Wang said happily.
After the press conference, it was already dinner time. I had dinner with Weeks and Jermaine, and the three of them ate and chatted.
Listening to the two men's high-pitched talks about opening up the Asian and Chinese markets and their extremely beautiful thoughts, Wang Tiejun felt a little unable to sit still. These two people may not have thought too well. If they lose money in the future, they will most likely lose money. This
They won't cut me up and sell my meat, right?
He doesn't know about other countries in Asia, just talking about China, who would buy such expensive sneakers? Besides, who knows about him in China now?
At seven o'clock in the evening, the Delta Center was already overcrowded. There are not many places for entertainment in this city at night, so sports competitions are particularly popular.
The news that Wang Tiejun received a signed sneaker contract has been widely circulated, and the biggest reaction was not from the outside world, but from the NBA.
Most All-Stars do not receive this kind of treatment. It is simply unbelievable to them that a Chinese who has only entered the league for two months has received such a contract and is a big center.
Suddenly, all kinds of envy, jealousy, hatred, and all kinds of bitterness came out.
This All-Star event was broadcast live across the United States by ABC TV, and the commentators were Bill Walton and his partner John Hanks.
"Bill, I bet Mammoth will go bankrupt soon." John Hanks said seriously.
"Tell me what you think." Bill Walton smiled.
"Why did they spend money to sign Old K? I'm sure it's not for the commercial value of Old K in the United States, because there are countless NBA stars with higher commercial value than Old K in the United States." John Hanke
Si said confidently.
"That makes sense. So what are they for?"
Bill Walton nodded in agreement and asked a new question.
"Obviously, it's for the Chinese market."
John Hanks said in a very positive tone.
"Oh, I think it's right when you say that, because Mr. Stern has also been committed to exploring the Chinese market."
Bill Walton looked suddenly enlightened.
"but……"
John Hanks changed his words and shook his head sadly: "I can also say with certainty that the mammoth is digging its own grave."
"Why?" Bill Walton was shocked.
John Hanks said with a prophetic expression: "Mr. Stern has been exploring the Chinese market for several years. Has he achieved any results?
No, no, this time China CCTV will broadcast the All-Stars for free to Mr. Stern. They have never spent money to broadcast an NBA regular season game. Could it be that Mammoth also wants to give its sneakers to the Chinese for free?
Do you want to wear it?"
Bill Walton was startled and smiled helplessly: "That's definitely impossible, but China is so big, so there should be some sales, right?"
John Hanks shook his head again and said: "As far as I know, basketball has little influence in China. Almost no Chinese know about the NBA, and no one knows who K. is. So, there will be people who spend money to buy Mammoths because of him.
Sneakers? Look at the scene. Apart from China CCTV, are there any other Chinese reporters?
So when Mammoth, which can no longer sustain itself, invests huge sums of money to develop the Chinese market, if it cannot get returns, the only result will be bankruptcy."
"John, when you say that, it's really possible." Bill Walton smiled.
John Hanks said proudly: "So Mammoth made a stupid decision. In fact, although Old K's performance is decent, he is not worthy of a signature sneaker contract."
Bill Walton didn't object to this statement, he just nodded, because many stars who produced 2010 statistics did not have signed sneaker contracts.
John Hanks continued: "When Old K currently faces the three super centers and O'Neal, he loses far more points than he scores. In this regard, he cannot compare with the three super centers and O'Neal.
These four centers can not only score their own points, but also limit their opponents' scoring. Their offensive efficiency is equally excellent as their defensive efficiency.
It is completely impossible for Old K. His ceiling is too low. Facing these powerful guys, he cannot provide his own contribution to the team, and his efficiency on the court is negative."
Bill Walton thought for a while and said: "Old K's athletic ability is indeed average, which not only limits the offense, but also limits his defense, especially since he rarely participates in the team's defense.
But John, you can't compare him with the three super centers, O'Neal and others. It's not fair. He is not the same level of center as the four of them.
If you want to compare, the first-rate center should be the level that Mr. K is currently striving to catch up with. His strength is still at the second-rate level. He can only be compared with the second-rate center, or at most with the first-rate center."