NBA: A collection of super busts

Chapter 94 We Must Outdo LeBron

While James and Goodwin were plotting, Ye Feng also slipped away from the party Williams was hosting and waited for something with Edwards.

"Ye!" A car suddenly stopped in front of the two of them, and a familiar voice came from behind.

Ye Feng and Edwards immediately got into the car. They both reached out and touched hands with the man, smiling as they said, "Long time no see, Dina. How are you?"

"It was fantastic. Mr. Sonny taught me a lot and gave me a lot of work. I had a very fulfilling time."

"That brat!" Sonny, who had been sitting in the back seat, cursed. "You guys didn't see him complaining that I gave him too much work, saying he was suffocating. I thought he wanted to kill me and run off to Argentina!"

Amidst laughter and chatter, the old friends reunited. After some teasing and small talk, Ye Feng steered the conversation to the main topic: "What brings you two here so late at night? I don't believe you came here just to see me."

"Of course, it's a gift for you." Dina excitedly pulled three boxes from the passenger side. "Look!"

"Sneakers?" Ye Feng immediately recognized what they were, eagerly took them, opened them, and found three pairs of sneakers that were exactly the same except for the color scheme.

One pair was the same as the outfit he wore on draft night, a flashy red and yellow combination; another pair was the same blue and white color scheme as the Grizzlies' home team; and the last pair was Marquette University's signature gold and blue color scheme.

"Our first pair of shoes comes in three colorways, and we plan to release them all at the same time!" Sonny said. "This is definitely going to be a phenomenal sneaker!"

"Is everything ready?" Even Ye Feng was somewhat excited to see that the signature shoes, which he had communicated with the Adidas design team many times and tried on and experienced multiple times, were finally ready.

Which basketball player doesn't dream of having their own signature shoe?

"Actually, we weren't prepared at all," Sonny shrugged. "Our original plan was to launch these sneakers around Christmas and then release them globally simultaneously."

"There will be many more details to adjust, such as GG deployment, commercial layout, and most importantly, inventory preparation and different pricing in different regions."

"But I just received news that the shoes Nike prepared for LeBron James will be officially released next week."

"So we changed our minds at the last minute. We want to be number one, before him! We want you to be the fastest player in the US to have a signature shoe!"

"The good news is that all the details of these shoes have been finalized. The reason we didn't let you wear them sooner is because we wanted to build up the hype and generate more buzz and anticipation."

"But right now, we think it's most important to outdo LeBron James! I'm sure you think so too, right? The fact that you had him carry your bag during training camp has been publicized countless times!"

"I love this part where the top scholar and the chosen one carry the bags!"

"So, when?" Ye Feng asked, "When can I put on my shoes and start playing?"

"Next game!" Sonny's eyes gleamed with confidence. "Let's pick up our spiked clubs and shove them right down those Nike bitches' assholes! Let them cry and beg for mercy!"

"Once you put on your sneakers, we'll immediately start a massive promotional campaign, releasing all sorts of GG merchandise and materials!"

"Ye, the rest depends on your own performance."

"Will my job and your brother's job be safe? Will Adidas be able to recoup its huge expenditure? And can you help them narrow the gap with Nike?"

"It all depends on your performance on the field!"

Don't worry!

Ye Feng got out of Sonny's car with three shoeboxes in his arms, feeling quite satisfied. Their next game was still at home, against the Clippers, a perennial bottom-feeder in the league.

He couldn't wait any longer; he had never looked forward to a match so much!

At the same time, Ye Feng suddenly realized something else.

Adidas originally signed him not only because they were optimistic about his market potential, especially in the Asian region, but also because they were frustrated after failing to sign James and Anthony and wanted to make up for it. Sonny's relentless pressure was also an important reason.

It's hard to say whether it involves some kind of high-level power struggle.

They probably weren't prepared to create a signature shoe for themselves so quickly from the beginning. Taking it step by step was definitely their original plan.

But the situation is different now.

Just a few months ago, they were still excited about how Kobe Bryant's self-destructive behavior had caused his commercial value to plummet, and some even opened champagne.

"You bastard, you terminated your contract with us early last year."

Regardless of whether Kobe's affair was a genuine honey trap or whether his second-in-command controlled the main party and actually did it, his public image is ruined and his commercial value has plummeted.

To their surprise, Kobe Bryant turned around and signed a multi-year contract with Nike, which proved them wrong.

What worries Adidas even more is that, as the case progresses, Kobe seems to be making a comeback, and Nike has expressed its absolute trust and support for him.

This made them restless.

With top stars and rising stars all going to Nike, there's not much room left for Adidas.

Relying solely on McGrady is clearly not enough to compete with Nike.

They had no choice but to gamble everything, pouring more resources and energy into Ye Feng, hoping to turn the tide.

This is definitely a great opportunity for Ye Feng.

That same evening, Sonny began his initial publicity campaign. Photos of Ye Feng and Edwards getting out of an unknown person's car, each holding three shoe boxes, were widely circulated, suggesting that Ye Feng had obtained the latest signature sneakers.

However, an Adidas spokesperson stated at this time: "That's not true, it's impossible, it's still in the design phase."

For a time, whether Ye Feng's new sneakers had been made and when they would be released became one of the hottest topics of discussion.

James noticed this as well, and he asked Goodwin if his shoes needed to be delivered earlier, as he didn't want Ye Feng to outdo him again on this matter.

"Impossible, don't worry LeBron. Unless the people at Adidas have gone crazy, they're not going to release a brand new shoe under these circumstances."

"What about their marketing? What about the promotion? What about the merchandise? Nothing! In this day and age, releasing a brand new sneaker like this is tantamount to suicide!"

"They couldn't possibly do something like that. It's even questionable whether that kid currently has a signature shoe line in development, so don't worry, nobody can outdo you in this!"

With Goodwin's assurance, James felt refreshed and relieved, and he was able to rest and train properly.

After a day of rest, James arrived at the Pyramid Arena whistling happily. He had watched a lot of Clippers footage the night before, and he was determined to give it his all and deliver his best performance tonight.

Tonight, he's going to be the best player on the team!

Then, the moment he pushed open the locker room door, he felt like the sky had fallen.

"These shoes are so cool! I fucking love this flashy style!" Williams held up a pair of red and yellow sneakers, examining and commenting on them.

James immediately noticed the huge Adidas logo on the shoe and the capital Y at the heel. He also noticed the decoration of a circle and a cross on the tongue.

He didn't know what it was, but he was certain what the shoes were.

That bastard actually has autographed shoes!

Ye Feng chuckled, clearly pleased that everyone was looking at his sneakers: "If you like them, Jason, I'll have Adidas send you a few pairs! What's your shoe size again?"

"Whatever size shoe you wear, that's my size!" Williams retorted without mincing words. "I love collecting sneakers. How many colorways does this first edition have? Three? Give me a pair of each!"

"Everyone's got one! Everyone's got one!" Ye Feng was even happier. "When they provide me with more shoes, everyone will have at least one pair!"

Amid cheers, James sat dejectedly in his seat, regretting his decision.

Why trust Goodwin? Why wasn't it released earlier?

Why believe that idiot's promise?

As for the fact that these shoes were originally supposed to be released half a month ago, and that it was only because he wanted to make a name for himself and made some minor suggestions that the release of the sneakers was delayed, he naturally forgot all about it.

"By the way, Udonis." After slipping away from the crowd, Ye Feng walked over to Haslem and handed him a note: "This is my brother Dina's phone number. He's with Adidas now."

"He can offer you a basic sponsorship contract. Of course, it's just the most basic product endorsement contract, but it can still be tens of thousands of dollars."

In the NBA, contracts between players and shoe manufacturers can be broadly categorized into three types.

The most prestigious contracts are those for individual signature shoes, like those of Ye Feng and LeBron James. These contracts offer the largest sums of money and the highest level of benefits.

Secondly, there are cash endorsement contracts. These contracts are generally prepared for aspiring stars, starting players, or big men who don't sell shoes. The amount can range from 30 to 300 million.

The lowest level is the product endorsement contract that Ye Feng mentioned, which costs $3 to $5 a year plus free sports equipment.

The vast majority of players and manufacturers in the league previously signed this type of contract.

Of course, there are many lower-level players who aren't even qualified to sign such contracts.

For example, Haslem.

"Thank you!" Haslem nodded gratefully. He was only earning a base salary of $48 a year. After taxes and various necessary expenses, he had very little money left.

Although they have long since escaped poverty, it is clearly not enough for athletes whose careers rely on their youth.

The contract Ye Feng is offering him now is like a godsend, making his life much better.

After all, normally speaking, someone like Haslem, who's on the fringes of society, would be lucky to even get free gear from his teammates. He wouldn't even dream of making money off a brand.

But now, it has suddenly become a reality.

James grew increasingly jealous watching Haslem and Ye Feng's interactions.

Why doesn't anyone admire me like this? Why doesn't anyone treat me like a boss?

I can offer Nike contracts too!

Amidst bursts of laughter, the Grizzlies players entered the court to begin their second game of the season.

80: 95!

Then, they easily won the game by 15 points.

Ye Feng once again recorded a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds tonight. His excellent performance, coupled with his stylish and eye-catching sneakers, made him the focus of the entire arena once again.

After the match, Ye Feng even attended the team's press conference.

"Yes, this is my signature shoe! We call it Y1.0. There's only a tiny bit of design on it that I did myself, which is the maple leaf pattern on the sole, which has the same meaning as my name."

"But that's about it. After all, I'm not a professional. I've always believed that professional tasks should be left to professionals. I only offer ideas, and when I do, I tell them: if you can do it, do it. If my unprofessional opinion affects the progress, then forget what I said and do it their way."

"It's truly an honor and a very happy thing that it finally came to fruition!"

Should professionals handle professional tasks? Should unprofessional opinions affect progress?

James, sitting on the other side of Brown, frowned again.

He was initially quite happy, having scored 17 points, grabbed 5 rebounds, and dished out 6 assists, outperforming Ye Feng tonight.

But Ye Feng's words made him unhappy again.

Why is he making veiled criticisms?

Holy crap!

"LeBron, we've been hearing that your shoes are almost ready. When will they be available, and when will we be able to buy them?"

"No comment!" James said irritably. "You'll have to ask the designer!"

James's poor attitude surprised many people. They had only intended to give him a nudge and get him involved, but they didn't expect him to be so rude.

"LeBron committed four turnovers tonight," Ye Feng said at this point. "He was unhappy even before the game was over. He thought four turnovers were too many!"

"As you know, outstanding athletes always have high standards for themselves; they always want to be the best."

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"That's it." Brown chimed in, trying to smooth things over for James, as if to help the young player: "LeBron is a good, ambitious kid! He craves greatness, so he gets upset when he plays poorly."

These two people's responses somewhat masked James's bad attitude, but with so many people present, it's impossible for everyone to believe that James would get so angry over "four mistakes".

So, what exactly is the reason?

Some people are starting to have ulterior motives...