NBA: Yao Ming at his peak returns to his rookie season

Bill Duffy, Yao Ming, and a professional accountant sat on one side of the negotiating table.

Opposite them are Orenda, representing the hook, and Bob, representing Adidas.

After introducing themselves...

The negotiation process began.

As Yao Ming's performance improved, it naturally boosted Houston's economy. After several games, the number of tourists and the sales of jerseys and merchandise all showed a booming trend.

In a short period of time, the Houston Rockets' valuation increased by tens of millions.

That's a lot of money.

After considering it, Ms. Orenda wrote down a number.

Bill Duffy got up and dragged the slip of paper with numbers on it on the table in front of Yao Ming.

270 million per year, 1350 million in 5 years!

In 2002, this endorsement fee was a huge sum of money. After all, McGrady's last endorsement fee was 200 million per year, and Kobe and Iverson were around 500 million.

Yao Ming's $270 million salary makes him the number one center in the paint.

Bill Duffy glanced at the number and was very pleased with it.

Orenda couldn't help but smile.

Bob hesitated slightly.

Finally, I wrote down a number.

Bill Duffy got up again and dragged the note in front of Yao Ming, keeping it in sight of everyone the whole time.

Open the note.

This time, Bill Duffy gasped in surprise.

The figures Adidas wrote are: 350 million per year + 50 in player clauses, totaling 1600 million over 4 years!

Bill Duffy was like a shark that smelled blood.

I almost lost control and started writing.

Fortunately, he hadn't lost his mind.

To be honest, Adidas was very sincere in offering this figure before the All-Star Game. In fact, if the deal fell through and Yao Ming didn't perform well, Adidas would suffer huge losses.

I don't know how much Bob paid for it.

But at that moment, Orenda's heart skipped a beat when she saw Bill Duffy's expression.

"If you sign with Hook, we can also promise to make a signature shoe for Yao if he makes the All-Star team and the All-NBA team during the contract period."

"Orenda, you're breaking the rules," Bob said, frowning in displeasure.

The rules he was referring to were not the prices offered by Orenda.

This is a long table used for conferences.

The default rule is that one person submits a bid at a time, and the bottom price is passed out on a slip of paper. The bid remains in sight of everyone and is kept secret from all.

Then Yao Ming's team decides whose contract to accept.

However, when Orenda learned that Bob might have a better chance, she used a plus-price negotiation, which undoubtedly broke the rules.

Orenda's face has a somewhat harsh look.

She tossed her hair and looked at Bob with disdain: "I've only stated the conditions. If you're not satisfied, you can make your own demands. If you're unwilling, you can't blame Yao for signing us; after all, it's best for him."

"Wait a minute," Yao Ming interrupted Orenda. "I haven't agreed to sign with the Hoops. Please don't make assumptions, Ms. Orenda."

"What?!" Orenda's voice was sharp and thin: "Adidas offered more than we did?"

That's not it.

The money Adidas offered was almost all they could offer; any more would have affected their contracts with Kobe and McGrady.

A contract for a signature shoe from Nike could exceed Adidas' offer.

But Yao Ming didn't just bring them in to lose money.

"Although I am very sincere about the offers from Mr. Bob and Ms. Orenda, I personally feel that my offer is more valuable than those two contracts."

Yao Ming's tone came through.

Bill Duffy nearly fell under the table, and Bob and Orenda looked on incredulously.

Bob remained relatively calm.

But Orenda, representing the "hook" (referring to Yao Ming), said somewhat excitedly, "Are you crazy? The price I offered even exceeds that of some star players, exceeds Glenn Robinson, and you, Yao, are not only an inside player, but also a rookie! What right do you have to want more?"

"Because of the market behind me." Yao Ming's answer was powerful, yet it also revealed a hint of indifference and anger: "I have the entire Chinese market behind me, and I will become an All-Star and make the All-NBA team in the future. Based on that alone, I have every reason to ask for a $1 million contract!"

"One hundred million?!" Orenda jumped up from her chair. "You robber! You're insane! Even a poor person wouldn't dream of such a price!"

Eliminated!

Yao Ming had a very poor impression of Orenda.

Adidas and Nike made a fortune in the sneaker market during this era, largely due to the lack of self-definition among many star players.

The endorsement contract was signed for a very low price and lasted for a long time.

This is easier than picking up money from a sack; several local sneaker markets are practically using vacuum cleaners to suck up money, and high-powered ones at that!

So they treat star players much the same way they treat bulls and horses.

Bobby was also startled.

He knew about the team's contracts with Kobe and McGrady, and the negotiated price for the two was around 500-700 million per year.

The company simply prefers longer contracts, so the total contract amount they propose is higher.

However, it is absolutely impossible for it to reach such an exaggerated 1 million.

"You yellow-skinned bastard, robber, shameless scoundrel, even if you were sold, you wouldn't fetch a hundred million!" Ms. Orenda completely lost control.

Bob pulled her back, his tone slightly calmer: "Ms. Orenda is a bit agitated, but Yao, we won't accept the price you're offering, no matter how many years the contract is for. Our company might not be as wealthy as you think!"

There was no more unanimous arguing; this thing is all about asking for the moon and then settling for a bargain.

Yao Ming originally intended to take this quota as well.

But right now he's just making an exorbitant demand to justify the next round of negotiations. It's like someone saying they're going to kill you; you'd curse them. But if they say they'll only cut off one finger when they're about to succeed, you'd be incredibly grateful. And if they even offer a supermodel to play with you before cutting off your finger...

Bob and Ms. Orenda both left looking angry.

Bill Duffy saw the two off and returned to find Yao Ming playing on his phone, looking at him with disbelief: "Are you crazy? Yao, do you even know how much money you asked for? Even if you really wanted it, you should have talked to me first so I could negotiate!"

"Don't be nervous, Bill, we can make this money."

"Oh, you must be crazy!"

Bill Duffy was pacing anxiously in circles.

Yao Ming's sudden and chaotic actions have made him, as the agent, the primary scapegoat, as he has offended two major companies almost simultaneously.

Just as he was worrying about how to solve the problem.

The doors opened again.

This time, Bob, in his fifties and sporting a receding hairline, walked in again and, to Bill Duffy's surprise, sat back down in his previous spot: "Yao, I think we can continue our conversation!"