Generation Z Artists

Chapter 194 A Scene Worthy of Being Recorded in History

On the 14th, NBA Commissioner David Stern and Nike President Mark Parker arrived in Washington at the same time.

The impact of Fang Xinghe's public one-on-one challenge to Jordan cannot be overstated; it will profoundly affect the league's landscape and determine hundreds of millions of dollars in profits.

The four parties did not sit down together immediately, but instead started talking separately.

Leaving aside Jordan and Nike, the little Jewish old man Stern asked Fang Xinghe a crucial question.

"Star River, what are your thoughts on the NBA?"

"An amusement park."

Fang Xinghe could have lied to him and said nice things, but in the end he chose to show his unruly nature.

"Nothing or anyone else is interesting enough except Jordan and the championship."

A look of understanding appeared on Stern's face. He was not surprised, because this was enough for Fang Xinghe.

"Just as I thought, you're not someone who'd be bound by fame and fortune. So, you don't plan to stay in the league for too long, right?"

"One or two championships?"

Fang Xinghe replied in a tone that even he himself was unsure of.

This was to put Stern's mind at ease.

He then added a joke: "It's a good thing that I left early. After all, you must have been under a lot of pressure having a Chinese person rule the alliance for more than ten years."

"Hahahahaha!"

Stern laughed heartily and waved his hands repeatedly.

"No, no, no, rule for as long as you want. I'd love to see that happen. Pressure? With enough pressure, there will be enough motivation. We can make the alliance even better!"

The old man seemed extremely sincere, but Fang Xinghe scoffed at it.

Perhaps these words are sincere now, but time will change everything.

No one in the American basketball community, the American media, the American people, or even American capitalists and politicians can accept the long-term dominance of the league by Chinese people.

In the short term, they will be overjoyed for Fang Xinghe and create a carnival together.

However, the longer it goes on, the deeper the conflict will become, until a complete break occurs.

All the Chinese basketball novels Fang Xinghe had read in his previous life were nothing more than beautiful fantasies that disregarded political elements, economic logic, cultural foundations, and ideology.

The core theme of the NBA during the Stern era was "the American Dream reality show of black people in the slums," while the core theme during the Adam Silver era was "a modern farm where gambling syndicates ruthlessly exploit people."

This has nothing to do with Chinese people, and it doesn't even involve white people.

On a darker note, if a purebred white American could actually play like Jordan, the most likely scenario would be—

While the league and media strive to expand basketball's influence among white people, they also incite discontent among black people, fueling strong emotions amidst division in order to reap the benefits from both sides.

What will be left in the end?
Take Michael Jackson as an example, he'll eat every last bit of trash.

If Fang Xinghe, being Chinese, achieves long-term dominance over the league, then even if he signs with Nike, it will ultimately become a key move for Da Liang to expand his influence in the domestic market.

Let's pray they don't disgust us, unless the country stops developing and we obediently become the big brother of the big shot and accept being harvested.

How is that possible?

Therefore, there is no solution to this problem.

The reason Yao Ming didn't receive that treatment is simply because his status in the league wasn't high enough, his social influence wasn't great enough, and his commercial value wasn't outstanding enough.

Jordan, Kobe, and James—three generations of league icons—none of whom can be replaced by a Chinese player.

Later on, Curry was easy to bully—but that was a perk exclusive to Americans; the Chinese weren't worthy of bullying him.

Economic considerations are followed by political and ideological considerations. Just look at the treatment of "Ne Zha 2"—who still believes there is fairness in this?

They'd rather lose money than not blacklist you, so what?

If you can't see this point, you're not qualified to be the head of an online army; you should be a shrewd and intelligent person with an IQ of 66.

Therefore, the most perfect ending Fang Xinghe could achieve in the NBA would be to create a legend and then withdraw at the peak of his career.

This time must be short enough.

It was so short that the American media hadn't even finished reaping the benefits of Fang Xinghe's success, the capital hadn't made enough money, and the audience was still immersed in the wonderful experience, not having time to feel bored or disgusted.

In this way, Fang Xinghe was left with only regret, and no unpleasantness whatsoever.

Stern may not have thought that far ahead, but he is equally wary of the potential "damage" that Fang Xinghe could cause to the alliance.

Therefore, upon hearing Fang Xinghe's statement, the old man's wariness diminished considerably.

"The league has no problem with the public one-on-one challenge. We will mobilize all media resources to promote and publicize it for you."

"I am extremely grateful." Brother Fang said amiably, "I believe that the ratings and influence will definitely not disappoint the league."

Then, Nike relented—well, only halfway.

"Fang, you must sign with Nike!"

Mark had a stern face and his attitude wasn't particularly friendly.

"You can only offer suggestions on the contract term and contract amount. Being under the Nike umbrella is a necessary prerequisite for your participation in public competitions!"

Fang Xinghe also yielded half a step.

"Okay, but you must show sincerity commensurate with my status."

How much is Cheng Yi exactly?
After several days of back-and-forth, Fang Xinghe got two prices, one for winning and one for losing.

If he loses to Jordan in a one-on-one match, the final total price would be $6800 million over 7 years, including base fees and bonus clauses.

If you beat Jordan in a one-on-one match, the final total price will be 1 million over 7 years, of which 3000 million is a bonus.

So, Nike actually estimated Fang Xinghe's normal commercial value to be around 600 million a year, and after he beat Jordan, it was raised to 1000 million, which was already very sincere.

After all, the business logic of the American market is different from that of the Japanese and Korean markets. Fang Xinghe could sell beauty products in South Korea just by relying on her looks, but American women are not particularly swayed by that approach. Leonardo DiCaprio wasn't particularly good at selling beauty and health products during his peak...

With this, all obstacles to a public one-on-one duel have finally been cleared.

It's tough, but there's no other way. This is not as simple as just talking.

Of course, the more difficult it is to push forward, the greater the impact will be in the end.

On January 16, Danzi held a press conference, which caused a sensation around the world and made headlines in at least 80 countries.

“I’m back.”

He announced his second comeback at the press conference and offered prayers for the American victims.

“I hope to provide entertainment for some people… This is a place for entertainment, and it’s also within my job scope.”

A very clever statement.

"I will donate my entire $100 million annual salary to the families of the victims."

They've become smarter.

Of course, Fang Xinghe's suggestion was the smartest.

"...Of course, this number isn't large, but it's not everything. As my fans know, I'm about to face a very tough challenge."

The reporters below the stage buzzed with excitement.

Ultimately, Sports Illustrated got the chance to ask further questions.

"Is it a one-on-one duel with Star River? How far along is your plan?" "Yes, Fang Xinghe."

Jordan pronounced Fang Xinghe's name in fluent and clear Chinese.

"After careful discussion, we decided to broadcast this one-on-one match live and donate all the net proceeds from the match to the families of the victims. This will be a large sum of money and should be able to completely solve their survival difficulties. This is the best thing we can do."

With a whoosh, the audience erupted in chaos.

Next, Danzi answered several key questions frankly.

"I'm doing this purely for the challenge. I want to know if I can make a comeback and achieve something. If I succeed that day, great; if I fail, I can accept it gracefully."

“You all say they will replace me…and I’m eager to see them. I’m not walking into darkness; I know my own strength.”

“Physically, I know I’m no longer a 25-year-old… but I believe I can reach the highest level in the league.”

When asked by a reporter if he was confident of winning against Fang Xinghe, Danzi remained silent for about three seconds.

Ultimately, he demonstrated exceptional honesty with his high emotional intelligence.

"How could I possibly have absolute confidence? SR's speed is a huge obstacle for someone my age to overcome."

I'm mentally prepared to lose to him, but it's not a big deal. In a real match, I can still teach him a lot and support him a lot.

We now share a common goal, and this one-on-one confrontation is less a clash of dissidents and more a meeting of minds and understandings.

This will be a purely friendly match.

The reporters were completely stunned; no one could believe that these words had come from Danzi's mouth.

Of course, a very small number of reporters who were with the team understood that this was the real Jordan – a limited-time version of Jordan who was going all out to win the championship.

Danzi isn't always foul-mouthed, nor is he always dictatorial. For the sake of victory, he can love his brothers more than LeBron James and be more of a team player than Kobe Bryant.

Look at him, even his season goals are so humble—

"Getting back to the playoffs is our primary goal."

But no amount of humility can stop the explosive spread of big news around the world.

Even in remote towns and villages in China, where people had never read Fang Xinghe's "Cultural War" or knew that Fang Xinghe had published "Born to Sing Madly," they were all deeply moved and spread the news far and wide.

"Jordan is back! With the Wizards!"

Without living in this era, one can never imagine just how influential Danzi truly is.

It's fair to say that wherever there's a basketball hoop, there are Jordan fans.

If we only look at China, then the number of Jordan's individual fans is probably on par with the total number of football fans—football is not very popular in China, because most middle schools only have basketball courts and not football fields.

When Jordan's personal influence was combined with Fang Xinghe's, it was natural that this one-on-one match would become a huge hit in Asia.

Media outlets from China, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Taiwan rushed to America to follow Dan and Fang.

Under these circumstances, Fang Xinghe delayed for about a week, until the hype had subsided, before holding his own press conference.

"Yes, we will livestream this one-on-one match and donate all proceeds."

"how many?"

Fang Xinghe smiled slightly and uttered several numbers in succession.

"The confirmed revenue so far is estimated to be over $3000 million. The broadcasting rights alone sold for $1500 million, with TNT exclusively streaming the show. Sponsorship and advertising fees have been agreed upon at $1500 million, and the possibility of further increases cannot be ruled out."

In this day and age, donating $3000 million is big news in itself, but of course, it can't compare to the competition itself.

The American Daily asked the crucial question: "What are your stakes? The Wizards' dominance?"

Fang Xinghe finally understood the answer to this question.

He and Jordan basically reached an agreement: whoever wins will become the team leader, have full control over tactics and all other decisions, and the other party must fully cooperate.

When Danzi agreed, he was arrogant, but at least he agreed, which was a good start.

"Yes, dominance, precise wording."

Fang Xinghe smiled and gave a more penetrating reply.

"I have to be the commander of the court, not just spread out and wait for Michael to slowly get into position for a back-to-the-basket move. That's not the result I want, and it's not my style."

I'm a dynamic point guard, and if I can't play the game the way I want, I'd rather not play at all.

So the stakes in this one-on-one matchup are... the team leader.

The winner takes all, the loser becomes a lackey…

In front of the TV, Danzi kicked the coffee table hard and cursed, "Damn it! When will this kid ever learn to be polite? Who said Chinese people are humble and reserved? Fuck you! I gave him so much face, and he treats me like this?!"

The American journalists present shared this feeling.

Fang Xinghe is too unconventional, which contrasts sharply with Jordan's unusually low-key approach after his comeback.

The sports weekly asked, "So, you're confident of victory? Your attitude makes it seem like you've already got the win in your grasp."

"of course."

Fang Xinghe was not polite at all.

"38 years old is really too old for basketball."

"But he's Michael Jordan." Many reporters said angrily, "A healthy Michael Jordan!"

Fang Xinghe remained calm: "I know that Mike still maintains superstar-level fighting power. His desire to win should rank among the top in the short 400-year history of the United States, which gives him unparalleled competitiveness."

But what you probably don't know is that I personally activated his form, so that he could compete against Jordan at his peak. That's what makes it exciting, and that's what makes a victory worth celebrating.

A reporter from the Chicago Daily News suddenly stood up: "Fang, you're being so biased! You should respect Michael Jordan! He's spent many years proving himself to be the god of basketball, while you, all you've got so far is a mouth!"

Suddenly, several whistles and a round of applause rang out from the audience.

Americans admire madmen and fighting spirit, but Jordan is not cowardly after all. He is like a spiritual totem, and he will not allow outsiders to tarnish him in this way.

But Fang Xinghe remained calm and unperturbed.

"Mr. Reporter, your idolization of Jordan has blurred your understanding of what true objectivity is."

My height and position determined that I could not win a one-on-one against a 25-year-old Jordan; this was due to the structural differences in height, wingspan, and weight.

I fully acknowledge this; that's called objectivity.

However, this year's Jordan only has experience, height, wingspan, and weight left. In terms of speed, he is no longer on the same level as me.

I will defeat him, mark the end of an era, and then, as the team leader, lead him to his seventh championship and my first. That's called confidence.

If I didn't have this confidence, I shouldn't be sitting here announcing my entry into the NBA; I should be writing my next work in some bright library in China.

Please remember, I don't make a living playing basketball, nor do I need fame or fortune in the NBA. I'm here to conquer.

With a whoosh, the audience erupted in uproar.

Fang Xinghe's attitude was so calm and rational, a stark contrast to the arrogant words he uttered.

This contradiction lends a unique credibility to his words.

Perhaps it shouldn't be described as credibility—it's a kind of charm, unique, distinctive, and illustrious.

At this moment, even those who dislike him the most have to admit...

This is a scene that deserves to be recorded in history.

(End of this chapter)