The NBA's Absolute Dominance

Chapter 151 Ticket King
"Tang, what do you think of the New York Times' poll for the 'Four Great Villains'? Do you think it's targeting you?"

Upon arriving at the stadium, a reporter came up and asked questions.

Tang Bei picked up his backpack, closed the car door, and said, "I don't care if they're targeting me or not. I play in the NBA, for the Heat, not for the media, but for the team and for my fans."

My responsibility and job is to play well in every game and deliver a performance that satisfies every fan who bought a ticket.

"Tang, who do you think the Four Evils should be?" a reporter immediately asked.

"Who do you think it should be?" he asked.

“Bill Laimbeer certainly counts.”

“And Oakley.”

"The postman must be included as well."

The reporters started talking all at once, but in front of Tang Bei, they could only name three people, as if they all wanted Tang Bei to step forward and take the last spot.

"Tang, who do you think is the most qualified for the last position?"

Tang Bei thought about it seriously for a moment, then teased, "Hmm, Charles Barkley?"

His words quickly spread throughout the United States via the internet, fax machines, telephones, live television broadcasts, and radio.

"Charles, the Bone Crusher thinks you should be included in the Four Villains. Do you think you deserve it?" A reporter immediately called Barkley for an interview.

“He’s slandering me. I’m going to sue him. How could a gentleman of my character and learning be a bad person?” Barkley said angrily.

After hanging up the phone, he immediately looked for The New York Times, asking as he searched, "Honey, where's The New York Times? I just saw it, why isn't it here?"

Maureen also knew about the New York Times' "Four Villains" poll, so she quickly looked for one and handed it to her.

"I'm going to vote for that bastard Don," Barkley said indignantly after taking the newspaper.

“Charles, if you are really selected as one of the Four Villains, it will damage your image and commercial value,” Maureen said worriedly.

"Probably not. That guy Tang has made a lot of money; he's got a lot of endorsements."

Barkley, however, did not believe it. Instead, he said with envy, "Look at him, he has a reputation for violence, but his influence is growing."

"I won the MVP, Finals MVP, and the championship in one season, which only earned me a little over ten million dollars more in commercial revenue. He didn't do anything, but after the Eastern Conference Finals, he got endorsements from several top brands and earned more than me."

Maureen quickly advised, "Charles, he is who he is. He has always been a violent figure, so it doesn't matter if he is selected as one of the Four Villains."

But you're not like that. Now you're suddenly being portrayed as a villain, and the brands you endorse might cancel their contracts.

"really?"

Barkley was startled, and after he came to his senses, he angrily cursed, "Damn Tang, he almost killed me."

Maureen was speechless. "Did he hurt you?"

"Oh no, Maureen, what if I get selected?" Barkley panicked.

After thinking for a moment, Maureen said, "If only four are chosen, you probably wouldn't be selected. Don, Bill Lambiel, Carl Malone, and Charles Oakley are all more qualified than you."

"scared me."

After hearing what his wife said, Barkley finally felt relieved.

Three days later, the New York Times' selection of the four worst villains came to an end.

The New York Times was not entirely satisfied with the results because they had not achieved their objective, but the data was provided by a third-party statistical agency, so they had no way to manipulate it.

With over 20,000 people participating in the vote, Bill Laimbeer, who instilled fear throughout the entire NBA league, successfully won the title of the leader of the Four Villains, relying on his lingering influence.

Then came the postmen Carl Malone and Charles Oakley, and the fourth was surprisingly John Stockton from the Black and White Duo.

"What heinous things did that Jazz point guard do?" Tang Bei was dumbfounded when he saw the result.

Eric Fleischer, who was away on a business trip, called and said with a laugh, "Don, it seems the fans are reasonable. They don't think you're a bad guy. There's a difference between violence and being a bad guy."

“Eric, logically speaking, I’ve beaten up quite a few people too,” Tang Bei said.

Eric Fleischer said, "Don, these four guys are the ones who frequently use hurtful moves against their opponents on the field."

And they aimed for the vitals; John Stockton frequently tripped and stomped on feet, not to mention the other three, while you didn't do those things on defense.

Soon, on January 23, the All-Star voting ended.

Tang Bei received 111 million votes, 14 more than last season, making him the All-Star vote leader this season.

Jordan came in second with 92 votes, 11 fewer than last season.

Barkley came in third with 78 votes, 6 fewer than last season.

Tang Bei glanced at the second-place finisher for the Eastern Conference center position, Shaquille O'Neal, who had received 60 votes. He thought Tang Bei might have a chance to become O'Neal's backup.

Super center Patrick Ewing had a terrible time, only receiving 42 votes.

In the Western Conference center poll, Hakeem Olajuwon came in first with less than 50 votes, followed by Chris Webber, the number one draft pick, with 38 votes. Superstar center David Robinson only received 35 votes.

Immediately, the league announced the All-Star starting lineup.

Eastern Conference All-Star starters: Tang Bei, Derrick Coleman, Scottie Pippen, Michael Jordan, BJ Armstrong

Western Conference All-Star starters: Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley, Shawn Kemp, Clyde Drexler, Mitch Richmond

He subsequently received numerous congratulatory calls from Gabor, all the brands he endorsed, Eric Fleischer, the Heat management, Glen Rice, and teammates like Curry.

Another person I wasn't very close to called to congratulate me from Vancouver, Canada; it was Jackie Chan, whom I had met once in Los Angeles.

Jackie Chan is preparing his third Hollywood film, titled Rumble in the Bronx. Originally scheduled to be filmed in New York, the production was moved to Vancouver due to high costs. Set construction is currently underway there, and filming is about to begin. The film is expected to be released in January next year.

He has no connections in Hollywood right now. He probably can't invite any of the top directors to the premiere of Rumble in the Bronx, and he's only had dealings with one A-list star, Sylvester Stallone. Stallone admires him and invited him to the premiere of Cliffhanger this year.

Now that Tang Bei has become the NBA All-Star vote leader, his influence in the United States will definitely be further enhanced. He felt that he could build a relationship with him and invite Tang Bei to the premiere of Rumble in the Bronx.

On January 29, the Heat defeated the Cavaliers on the road, completing their schedule for the month. There were no games for the next two days.

The Miami Heat finished January with a 10-4 record, bringing their overall record to 30-10, a winning percentage of 75%, and are currently second in the Eastern Conference.

Fila Inc. is scheduled to list on the New York Stock Exchange on February 1st. The company hoped that Tang Bei would attend the bell-ringing ceremony, but the Heat were playing the Bucks on the road that day, which was too far away, so he could not make it.

On the 31st, the Heat arrived in Milwaukee.

That evening, all the matches for January came to an end.

The Chicago Bulls lost two games in January, but maintained their league-leading ranking with a 35-5 record.

The Heat have a net win of 20 games, while the Bulls have a net win of 30 games, a significant difference.

The Hawks have rallied, achieving a record of 30 wins and 11 losses, ranking third in the Eastern Conference.

The Knicks finished with a 30-11 record, losing to the Hawks, and are ranked fourth in the Eastern Conference.

In the Western Conference, the SuperSonics have a record of 31 wins and 9 losses, holding the top spot.

The Rockets' record has declined sharply since being overtaken by the Bulls, and they currently have a record of 31 wins and 9 losses, which is worse than the SuperSonics' head-to-head record, placing them second in the Western Conference.

The Suns have a record of 29 wins and 12 losses, ranking third in the Western Conference.

The Spurs have a record of 29 wins and 14 losses, ranking fourth in the Western Conference.

The next day, February 1st, at 9:30 AM, FILA officially launched in the United States.

The offering price was $18, which opened 7% higher at $19.26. The closing price was $23.53, up $5.53 from the offering price, representing a 30.72% increase. The market capitalization reached $2.02 million at the close.

Tang Bei's 860,000 shares of FILA stock in the United States are worth 20 million US dollars.

At 5 p.m., Eric Fleischer called from New York to tell him the sales commission figures he would receive from Fila in 1993. Including the first and second generations of the Tang brand, total sales of various Tang-branded athletic shoes reached $1.74 million, and with a 2% commission, he would receive $348 million before taxes.

"Tang, according to FILA's data, sales in the US are $1.2 million, overseas sales are $0.15 million, and sales in China are $0.39 million, which is 2.29 million RMB."

"Among them, the first and second generation Tang shoes together sold 110 million pairs in the United States, with sales of 0.99 billion US dollars. The rest is sales of Tang brand sports shoes."

"Eric, what level is 110 million pairs?" Tang Bei asked.

Eric Fleischer exclaimed excitedly, "Haha, Don, this is a very good sales volume, far exceeding my and Fila's estimates."

We originally thought we could only sell a maximum of three or four hundred thousand pairs, but after the Eastern Conference Finals, sales of Tang's first generation shoes skyrocketed, and we sold that many.

"How much is Jordan?" he asked again.

"235 million pairs, not as many as in 92. In 92, he sold 350 million pairs of shoes. Sales declined sharply after the Eastern Conference Finals."

According to statistics from relevant Chinese departments, the total sales of sports and fitness products in 93 amounted to 24 billion yuan, of which sports shoes accounted for 50%, sportswear accounted for 35%, and sports accessories accounted for 15%.

"In other words, Tang brand sports shoes accounted for 19.1% of the total sales of sports shoes in China."

"In 93, Nike and Adidas had sales of only 0.6 billion and 0.3 billion RMB respectively in China, far less than Tang's 2.29 billion RMB."

"It's only the first year, Tang. Fila in the US has a lot of confidence in you. They are constantly expanding the scale of their contract manufacturing, sales channels, and advertising in China."

"According to analysis, the Chinese sports shoe market will grow at an annual rate of 13%, and by the end of 97, it may reach a scale of 20 billion RMB."

"If the Tang brand can capture 40% of the Chinese market, not only will Fila in the US achieve high growth, but Tang, you will also reap substantial profits."

"A 40% share, 8 million?"

Tang Bei calculated that 2% was 1600 million RMB, or two to three million USD in sales commission.

It's not a huge amount, but considering that if it really captures 20% of the market share, Fila's stock price in the US will definitely increase significantly.

Eric Fleischer then said, "Don, you need to strengthen your influence in your country."

"What to do?"

"We must participate in the world championships."

"Don't worry, I've already joined the national team and will participate in next year's World Championships. After finishing in the top eight, I will participate in the 96 Atlanta Olympics."

"That's good."

On the night of the 1st, the Heat defeated the Bucks on the road. On the 2nd, they returned to Miami, and on the afternoon of the 3rd, they arrived in Charlotte.

The Eastern Conference has three championship-caliber teams: the Bulls, the Heat, and the Knicks. The Hawks have also emerged as an anomaly, and the Magic are not to be outdone, making the competition extremely fierce.

The Hornets' record has now fallen to tenth in the Eastern Conference, and their chances of making the playoffs are slim, leading to low morale.

Even though Kendall Gill and Dell Curry are gone, Larry Johnson still can't control the locker room.

No one was vying with him for the leadership role, but rather because he had ousted Tang Bei, and his team's performance was poor, with a record far inferior to that of the Heat, which made his teammates resent him.

The Hornets' management is also in turmoil, and the source of this turmoil is still related to the trade of Tang Bei.

The value of the two unprotected first-round picks acquired from the Heat has also decreased as the Heat's record has improved, and the players selected in the last draft have little potential.

It could be said that the trade was equivalent to exchanging Tang Beidan for Ronnie Secarli, but the two were completely incomparable in terms of strength and potential.

Tang Bei's current commercial value has exploded, second only to Michael Jordan. This time, he even became the All-Star vote leader, far surpassing Larry Johnson, which made the management and Hornets owner extremely regretful.

The Hornets' market in Charlotte is shrinking, with declining attendance, lower ticket prices, a smaller fan base, and declining viewership. They are already far less competitive than the NCAA, and now their operations are becoming increasingly difficult.

In short, the trade involving Tang Bei resulted in a huge loss for the Hornets, and fans have been criticizing them ever since last season.

"Clap clap clap..."

When Tang Bei reappeared at Charlotte Arena, the entire stadium erupted in enthusiastic applause.

Tang Bei waved his hand indifferently. Although he preferred Miami, where his basketball career began, the Charlotte Hornets had given up on him, and there was still a thorn in his side; he didn't like the city.

That night, he unleashed a barrage of attacks, scoring 49 points before voluntarily leaving the game, saving the Hornets a final shred of dignity by not breaking 50 points.

After defeating the Hornets, the Heat rushed back to Miami overnight.

In Miami, at 4:30 p.m., Tang Bei and Jia Bao arrived at the airport, and at 5:20 p.m., they finally met their family.

The family flew from Beijing to New York and then transferred here.

Although it is still winter in Miami, the average temperature is in the twenties, and the family members are all holding the down jackets they just took off.

John Liu was pushing a luggage cart behind him, which he had transported all the way from China to Miami.

"Grandpa, Grandma, hello. Dad, Mom, I've missed you so much."

Jia Bao's sweet talk was irresistible. At Tang Bei's suggestion, she immediately changed how she addressed him, becoming very affectionate, which delighted the four elders.

"Sister-in-law."

"Hehe."

The three younger ones were quick-witted and immediately called her "sister-in-law".

Tang Bei's small villa had four rooms, two people per room, which was barely enough to accommodate everyone. However, Jia Bao had already made arrangements to bring the whole family to the Elena Building and let them stay in her large apartment.

Her large apartment was over 2,000 square meters, and even with her family living there and seven or eight servants, it still felt quite empty.

"Sister-in-law, sister-in-law, where are you? Come find me..." Tang Ning wandered around inside for a while and quickly got lost.

"I told you not to run so fast."

Tang Yu's voice rang out, seemingly coming from nowhere.

Following behind was a smiling Jia Bao, who pinched Tang Ning's cheek and said, "We're adjusting to the time difference today, and I'll take you to buy new clothes tomorrow."

"Sister-in-law, we have clothes, all new."

Tang Yu smoothed the white sweater she was wearing. She had just bought it at the Wangfujing Department Store in Beijing before coming here, and it was incredibly expensive.

“I have new clothes too,” Tang Ning exclaimed.

“Not enough, let’s buy more, shoes, and jewelry,” Jia Bao said with a smile.

"Whee!"

"Thank you, sister-in-law."

The older sister-in-law wanted to buy them things, and the two younger ones only made a token polite refusal and agreed immediately without much resistance.

"Third brother, I heard from Shi Hu that you're studying university courses on your own?" Jia Bao asked.

Tang Yu smiled and said, "Yes, I study accounting. My older brother asked the city leaders to help me find a teacher at Tianjing University. I can also learn English there. I want to take the accountant exam in the future."

“Alright, third brother, once you become an accountant, you’ll be the company’s finance manager,” Jia Bao said with a grin.

Tang Ning, not wanting to be left out, exclaimed, "Sister-in-law, I'm training really well! Coach Lewis wants me to participate in the city's competition for children under 12 next year. He says I can come in first."

"Really? Fourth brother, you're not bragging, are you?" Jia Bao laughed.

"No, no, Third Sister is the one who loves to brag. I don't brag," Tang Ning quickly denied.

"Nonsense!"

Tang Yu tried to suppress Tang Ning, but the clever Tang Ning quickly ran away.

(End of this chapter)