69novels Chapter 115 The Sneaker Contract Finalized in a Flash! [Please Subscribe]
Chapter 115 The Sneaker Contract Finalized in a Flash! [Please Subscribe]
Chapter 115 The Sneaker Contract Finalized in a Flash! [Please Subscribe]
Two hours later, Lin Tian, his mouth greasy from eating, and Austin and Begg, looking aggrieved and having not dared to eat anything, returned to the Lin family villa.
"Kid, you finally decided to come back!"
Lin Sen came out to meet Lin Tian, and then noticed the three people behind him: "Who are these three?"
"One of them wants you to invest, Ms. Su. The other two want to invest in me; they sell shoes in the US. By the way, where's Aunt Wang?" Lin Tian said with a smile, "Tell her to get two servings of spaghetti or steak or something. These two American friends are starving."
"What nonsense are you spouting now?" Lin Sen frowned. "What do you mean, 'want to invest in you' and 'want me to invest'?"
"Let them tell you themselves. I'm going to check on Grandpa. Didn't you say you brought him back a few days ago? Did you manage to make him leave again?" Lin Tian said, indicating that he had no interest in listening to Su Qun's work report. He simply threw down his luggage and walked towards the inner room.
Lin Sen shook his head helplessly and said, "That little bastard, I'll break his legs sooner or later! Reporter Su, right? Come on, let's chat. As for these two..." Lin Sen said the last half of the sentence in English, with perfect pronunciation and almost no accent.
"We want some water first! Good heavens! How can you eat animal intestines? Lungs, heart, liver? It's horrifying! God will punish us!"
Upon seeing that Lin Sen actually understood English, Austin immediately exclaimed excitedly, "Then we'd like to eat something normal!"
"Bread! Steak! Pasta is fine, and if possible, I'd also like some red wine to calm my nerves." Berg followed closely behind, his pale face clearly indicating he hadn't recovered from the shock.
Lin Sen nodded and said to the maid, Aunt Wang, "Sister Wang, could you please open a bottle of red wine for them, and get some steak?" Then Lin Sen looked at Su Qun and said, "Reporter Su, please come and sit in the living room. I've seen your interview with Xiao Tian, so let's get started. What do you want me to invest in?"
"The newspaper! I've already found the publication number and the company to which it's affiliated! You don't need to worry about those. In addition, I've also taken care of most of the staff the newspaper needs, such as reporters, editors, photographers, videographers, copywriters, layout designers, typists, and so on. Now, all I need is money."
"What I want to create this time is the first sports newspaper in China dedicated to basketball! As you should know, I used to work for the China Sports Daily, and I have extensive knowledge and deep understanding of this field, so I think..."
Inside the villa, Lin Tian didn't care how Su Qun and his father's conversation went, nor was he worried about whether the two guys, who were still shocked by the fact that offal could be eaten, could get used to Aunt Wang's cooking. He wasn't even in a hurry to find his grandfather.
The first thing Lin Tian did was go into his father's study, pick up the phone, and call Pelinka.
"Rob, how's the shoe contract going?" Lin Tian asked, as always, getting straight to the point.
"We have had preliminary discussions with brands that don't focus much on basketball shoes, such as Nike, Adidas, Reebok, Converse, Puma, and Fila."
"Of course, it's limited to a phone call or a brief chat. Nike, Adidas, Reebok, and Converse are all interested in signing you, but we'll have to keep in touch to see what terms they'll offer. Everything is still in the negotiation stage! But I'll definitely get you a top-tier sneaker contract!"
"Based on your combined ability, popularity, and buzz last season, I think I should be able to get you a 5-year, $2000 million contract."
Listening to Pelinka's well-organized report, Lin Tian shook his head and said, "It's too little. If this amount only includes the price without any bonuses, profit sharing, etc., then it's acceptable. But if this is all you get in five years, I think it's too little."
"If my information is correct, this year's top draft prospect, Allen Iverson, just signed a 10-year, $5000 million contract with Reebok, right? I've been playing for a year already, why should my shoe contract be smaller than his?"
"Lin, Allen Iverson is the king of college basketball, with incredibly high popularity. His playing style is so explosive it drives people crazy! More importantly, he's only 183 centimeters tall. For basketball, that height is terrible, but for selling sneakers, it's fantastic! He makes countless people fantasize about being Allen Iverson!"
"And if my information is correct, the 76ers have confirmed they will use their number one pick to select him, making him the shortest number one draft pick in NBA history! That's another buzz, Americans will love this kid, they'll want to put money in his pocket!"
"Rob, believe me, I'll be better than him, and I'll definitely be more popular, so of course I'm worth more! There's another thing, could you help me find out what kind of contract AND 1 offered Iverson? Their two executives came to China with me."
"Lin, are you planning to sign with AND 1?"
"I'll wear their shoes if they give me enough, but only if they give me enough!"
"I understand. I'll look into AND 1's offer to Allen Iverson, and I'll also keep in touch with other brands to see how much they can offer us."
Before Lin Tian could even stand up after hanging up the phone, the study door was opened.
"Xiao Tian! You really came back! I saw those two annoying Americans sitting in the restaurant, and I knew it had to be you." Lin Jun's strong physique and resolute voice came from the doorway at the same time. He looked at Lin Tian happily and said, "Come on! Let me see if my grandson has gotten thin from hunger! Those Americans are nasty, I hope no one has bullied you, right?"
"Oh right, didn't you fight those black guys last time? Well done! I watched both videos from beginning to end, you fought pretty well! But your footwork and fist coordination could be a bit lacking. Come on, I'll teach you a few more grappling moves! I guarantee you'll be able to take on five of them then!"
……
For the next few days, Lin Tian didn't care about anything else.
Lin Tian ignored both Austin and Berg's trip to the capital and Su Qun's discussion with his father, Lin Sen, about the newspaper investment plan.
He would get up in the morning and go to the park with Lin Jun to practice boxing and walk his birds. He would wander around the capital city for a whole week, living a very lazy and comfortable life.
A week later, Su Qun excitedly approached Lin Tiandao: "It's almost done! Your father is willing to invest in my newspaper! He's investing 300 million, which should cover most of our funding gap!"
"Most of them?" Lin Tian noticed the key phrase and asked with a smile, "How much more is left?"
"If we spend freely, we're still short about 200 million. Of course, if we're frugal and buy secondhand equipment, then we'll have enough now." Su Qun scratched his head and said, "I came to you again because I figured I might as well go all the way with this shamelessness I've already started."
"Didn't you say back then that if it wasn't enough, we could come to you?"
"You've come to the right person. I don't have much, but 2 million RMB is really not a problem," Lin Tian said. "However, we'll have to wait. It will be at least July or August. I need to find a few lucky charms to send me some money before I can invest in you."
"God of Wealth?" Su Qun couldn't help but laugh when he heard this word. "If nothing unexpected happens, Austin and Begg will really become your God of Wealth. This past week, I took them on a good tour of the capital and even showed them the ratings of the Bulls' game broadcast on China Sports."
"Including the sales difference between when the China Sports Daily reported on you and when it didn't, I even took the two of them to the Tianyi Small Commodities Wholesale Market to show them the piracy industry there."
"What's so interesting about that thing?" Lin Tian's mind was a little blank for a moment.
"You haven't been there, so you don't know. Now, 90% of the sporting goods stores there have your picture on their storefronts, and 99% of them sell your signature shoes. Some stores have even released the LT10!"
"LT Xth generation?" Lin Tian couldn't help but laugh out loud, "That's way too damn exaggerated! I've only been playing professionally for a year!"
"Some fans, they have no idea about this! They have no idea how many production lines you single-handedly support," Su Qun laughed. "How about it, want to consider suing them in court, making some extra money, and incidentally protecting your image?"
"Forget it, forget it." Lin Tian quickly shook his head. He knew all about the long, boring, ridiculous, and absurd legal battle between Jordan and China Jordan.
It took a long time, yielded little results, and the courts were indecisive and irresponsible. Such a simple case dragged on for so many years, and what was the final outcome?
Huaxia Qiaodan simply changed its name to "huaxiaqiaodan" and removed all Jordan-related merchandise from its stores. Then it acted as if nothing had happened, continuing to sell and operate as usual.
Lin Tian would never touch such a thankless and troublesome matter that could also lead to being bitten at any time.
If this is still the case 30 years later, what about the 90s?
"So, how do you feel about Austin and Berg?" Lin Tian changed the subject.
"We're very satisfied and have decided to use all the company's resources to sign you! By the way, do you know Stephon Marbury?" Su Qun suddenly asked curiously.
"I know him. He's a basketball star from New York who's going to participate in this year's NBA draft. He's a talented guard and a top-five pick, or even the number one pick." Lin Tian certainly knew Stephon Marbury.
Not only did they know, they also knew that in 20 years, Marbury would be the basketball hero and political commissar of Beijing.
"Then you'd better watch out when you go back to the NBA! This guy definitely hates you, because I overheard Austin's conversation when he was on the phone with the US once, and the sentence that stuck with me the most was: 'Stop all negotiations with Marbury, gather all the company's resources, and sign you!'"
"Their judgment is really quite good." Lin Tian smiled and patted Su Qun on the shoulder, saying, "Anyway, I'm about to head back. Go all out with the newspaper business, spend money freely, use the best! Make sure *Basketball Pioneer* becomes a smash hit and a leader in the industry!"
"Basketball Pioneer?" Su Qun's eyes lit up. "That's a good name!"
"This is a name I specially thought of for you."
How thick-skinned is Lin Tian? Not only did he not feel embarrassed or ashamed at all, but he also took the initiative and claimed the name as his own, saying that it was a gift he specially gave to him!
"Then let's get the *Basketball Pioneer* newspaper! Your family has really helped me a lot this time; otherwise, I don't know when I would have been able to get this newspaper up and running! I promise I won't let you down!" Su Qun nodded, moved, and said, "From now on, whatever you need my help with, just let me know! I'll do my best!"
"It will happen, and when that time comes, I definitely won't hold back."
Lin Tian said, "But at this stage, shouldn't I be the one to help you more? Judging from your expression, I can tell you must have other things you need my help with."
"There really is." After a period of struggling to find sponsors and investors, Su Qun's skin has become much thicker now. He said directly, "And it's not just one thing. I originally hoped that you could talk to the Bulls so that we could send a reporter to cover your situation."
"You don't need it anymore?" Lin Tian joked.
"Of course I need it! But I also want you to help me with something else, it's a spur-of-the-moment thing." Su Qun said with a smile, "From your description of Marbury earlier, it seems you know this year's rookies very well?"
"It's more than just understanding," Lin Tian muttered to himself, then looked at Su Qun and asked, "Do you want me to write a rookie report? Or do you want me to do something else?"
"If all goes well, our new newspaper will publish its first issue in early July. I hope there will be an article by you in the first issue, which will be shortly after the draft. How about you write something like a prediction of the development of the 1996 draft class?"
"With you as a selling point, I'm even more confident about the sales of the first issue."
After thinking for a moment, Lin Tian nodded without hesitation and said, "Then leave it to me. Let's see if my prediction is accurate in 5 or 10 years."
What is a great prophet?
I, Lin Da Guanren, will show everyone what it means to be the only true prophet in the entire arena!
After saying goodbye to Su Qun and returning home, Lin Tian had barely sat down on the sofa when Berg and Austin, full of enthusiasm, sat down on either side of him.
"Lin! I've done my due diligence and discussed it extensively with the company. We've decided to formally extend an invitation to you to become AND 1's spokesperson and contracted star athlete!" Austin said, looking at Lin Tian. "This is definitely an offer you'll be satisfied with!"
"Gilbert even offended this year's top talent, Stephon Marbury, for your sake. Our negotiations with him were already progressing very well, but we specifically stopped them for you. And then, Gilbert was chased and yelled at by him for several blocks!"
Berger followed up, "But we all believe it's all worth it! We've developed a very detailed and comprehensive business plan and future development roadmap for you. We believe, and we guarantee, that together we can become another legendary partnership besides Jordan and Nike!"
"Finally, after comparing and analyzing all the sneaker contract amounts from recent years, we've decided on the following formal contract offer for you..."
Just as Berg was about to state the number that filled him with confidence, Lin Tian suddenly reached out and interrupted him, saying, "Don't rush, Berg. It's useless for you to quote me a price. I have an agent. Why don't you go find my agent, negotiate with him, and have a proper chat?"
"I don't understand anything about business planning and development, and I have no idea what's going on. I can't even understand the contract terms. I think you should talk to my agent instead."
Lin Tian blinked his big eyes, looking incredibly innocent and clear, which made Berg and Austin so angry they almost wanted to slap him!
You have an agent, but you won't talk to us. What are we supposed to do, follow you around in China for a week?
Is it really just for tourism?
Seeing the two guys looking like they were about to explode with anger, Lin Tian suppressed a laugh, stood up and said to them, "By the way, my agent called me yesterday and said that he has entered the second round of negotiations with Nike and Adidas."
"My advice is that you should leave and return to the United States as soon as possible."
"FUXX!" This time, Berg and Austin really couldn't hold back anymore and directly swore, giving Lin Tian the middle finger.
Lin Tian's immediate reaction was to return to his room and call Pelinka.
"Rob, they've gone back. Now it's up to you. I've whetted their appetites. Now it's all about your negotiation skills. If you can handle it, you'll have a firm foothold in the NBA agent circle!" Lin Tian said to Pelinka on the phone. "Also, we can renegotiate our contracts."
"After all, that last one was really unfair! You absolutely deserve better, and I don't want people to think I'm a miser who exploits his employees. I'll give you a raise."
……
Lin Tian saw Begg and Austin off, helped Su Qun write a preview of the rookie roster, and even attended Su Qun's newspaper opening ceremony.
For the next two weeks, Lin Tian did pretty much nothing more than this.
Before Lin Jun and Lin Sen could start contacting their old friends and comrades to arrange several blind dates for Lin Tian, Lin Tian quickly boarded a plane back to the United States.
They've run away!
Lin Tian's leisurely life during this off-season is about to come to an end.
Next, besides signing contracts with the various business partners he'd reached with Pelinka, conducting promotions, and filming some adult videos, Lin Tian also had to go to Los Angeles for a round of special training with "Magic" Jason and "Smiling Assassin" Thomas.
Because many of the brands that collaborate with him have GG shooting locations in Los Angeles, and Lin Tian happened to be in Los Angeles for special training, he did not return to Chicago this time, but came directly to Los Angeles.
He will stay here for at least a month before returning to Chicago to prepare for the new season's training camp.
Well, it's worth mentioning that when Lin Tian attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony for Su Qun's newspaper, Su Qun suddenly remembered something.
"Xiaolin, why don't you report to the national team? They're about to head to Europe for training right now! I initially thought you had a few days off, but now it seems you have no intention of going at all?"
"I was planning to go," Lin Tian shrugged. "But I didn't know where to register or where to submit my resume. From beginning to end, no one contacted me or called me to train. I didn't even know where they were, so... I was really helpless."
"Then... shall I help you make the contact? I have a very good relationship with Coach Gong, as well as several men's basketball players," Su Qun asked tentatively.
"Forget it, it's too much to have to sneak around and pull strings for something like this. Besides, it's already mid-July, and the Olympics are next month. How can we possibly have time? Maybe next time, when we have another chance." Lin Tian shrugged. He was telling the truth, not making things up at all.
He really has been in Beijing for almost a month since the end of the season. He has been recognized by fans and surrounded by them asking for autographs at least seven or eight times. He even made the Beijing News twice because he caused traffic congestion.
If anyone wanted me to compete in the Olympics, they would have contacted me long ago. There's no question of not being able to reach me or find me.
After all, Lin Tian didn't hide anything in the capital.
If no one is contacting you, it just means they don't need it, so there's no need to waste your time!
"Lin! Here! I'm here!" Pelinka waved his arms excitedly as soon as he stepped out of the airport terminal. Judging from his smug look, he had been having a great time lately.
You look busy and fulfilled!
"How's it going?" Sitting in the van Pelinka had prepared, Lin Tian found a comfortable position and leaned back, asking, "What did you get?"
"A sports drink, a men's casual wear, and a local Chicago pizza chain. All three can be signed on-site. The prices aren't particularly high, and they're at the industry average level. But the terms are short, only one year, and there's almost no burden."
"Aside from taking some photos and videos, they basically just give you money."
"Then there were the negotiations with AND 1. Because of those negotiations, I haven't had the time or energy to help you secure more endorsement contracts. These past few days, all my energy has been spent on that. I've spent more time with those guys than with my dog!"
"We went through round after round of negotiations, and I even brought up a lot of brands to raise prices. I've exhausted all the strategies and methods I could think of."
"And finally? You can just say 'finally, Rob'! I won't give you extra money because the process is too difficult, nor will I deduct money because the process is too easy." Lin Tian looked at Pelinka and said, "Did you get what I wanted for me?"
"We got it!" Pelinka exclaimed excitedly. "They initially only wanted to offer you a 7-year, $20 million contract, which, honestly, is already a huge deal! There are definitely fewer than 2000 players in the league who can get a shoe contract worth more than that!"
"If you hadn't given me instructions and requirements beforehand, I definitely would have agreed after a little haggling. But because you made your demands in advance, I rejected them outright and told them that we wouldn't consider any contracts lower than Allen Iverson's and Reebok's!"
"To be honest, I originally thought that my one sentence would basically ruin this cooperation. After all, how can you negotiate and then raise the price by more than double? I also looked into AND 1's situation. Their offer to Marbury was only $1200 million over 5 years, and their own financial situation simply doesn't allow them to come up with that much money!"
"This is absolutely a reckless bid that exceeds their capabilities!"
"But I never expected they would actually offer equity and sales profit sharing to negotiate with us! Lin, I really can't believe they would compromise to this extent. How could you have imagined that they would go to such lengths for you?"
Seeing Pelinka's still incredulous expression, Lin Tian said easily, "Because when I was in China, I painted a very attractive picture for them, showing them my potential and popularity, and demonstrating that working with me could allow them to go global!"
"These things are beyond Marbury's reach; he can't and shouldn't be able to do them!"
Pelinka nodded, and Lin Tian wasn't sure if he truly understood or not. He didn't press further but continued, "Finally, they came back with another offer, and after rounds of haggling and detailed discussions..."
"I've reached an agreement with them for you: a base contract of $2000 million over 5 years, plus bonuses for achievements such as being selected as an All-Star, making the All-NBA team, and winning individual accolades like Sixth Man of the Year, MVP, or assists leader. The maximum value of this contract could potentially reach around $2500 million over 5 years!"
"Even just looking at the amount, this contract is definitely one of the top shoe contracts in the league. It's far superior to Penny Hardaway's contract! There are only a handful of people in the league who can beat you in terms of both shoe contract value and annual salary!"
"In addition, AND 1 will give you a 2.3% sales commission in the North American market and a 5.5% sales commission in the Asia-Pacific market! I negotiated with them for at least a week just about this sales commission! In the last two days, I felt like Austin really wanted to shoot me!"
"I literally haggled with them, 0.1% at a time, competing with them to see who had more patience, and finally managed to secure this contract for you! With this sales commission included, your sneaker contract will absolutely shock the entire United States!"
"Let me put it this way, Lin, if we don't consider sales volume and only look at the sales commission percentage, your shoe contract is the number one shoe contract in the entire league!"
"Why not consider sales, Rob?" Lin Tian said confidently, "Even considering sales, this contract of mine will still be the best in the league! My shoes can't possibly sell worse than Michael's! Especially in the Asia-Pacific region, I'm confident of that!"
"Or let me tell you in a way you prefer: Rob, congratulations! You've just secured the greatest and highest-paid super shoe contract in NBA history for your client. You're destined to go down in history! From today onward, you're the league's top agent!"
"Your future clients will flood in like a tidal wave. Don't offer them discounts then! Negotiate deals with them using the highest industry standards and the highest commission rates!"
Lin Tian's words clearly struck a chord with Pelinka. The guy suddenly stepped on the gas pedal much harder, obviously already fantasizing about becoming the league's top agent, outsmarting the investors, defeating them one after another, and securing all sorts of big contracts for his clients!
"Drive carefully, Rob! We're not in a hurry! Be careful! Damn it, what do you think you're doing?" The sudden increase in speed caused the van to suddenly veer wildly on the highway, startling Lin Tian, who quickly grabbed the handrail and reminded Pelinka to be careful.
"Tell me about anything interesting that's happened in the league this past month, Rob. Let's talk about something that's not relevant to us. That should calm you down."
Lin Tian vowed that he would never talk about anything related to himself with Pelinka while driving again; that guy's mental fortitude was really lacking!
Are you so excited you're risking your life?
Fortunately, Pelinka wasn't a desperate man after all, and he immediately slowed down.
Then, apologetically, she said, "Sorry, Lin, I'm just a little excited."
Then, Pelinka told Lin Tian about the major events that had happened in the league in the past month!
The most famous and earliest example is Patrick Ewing. After signing the league's highest-paid contract last year, he reached a new salary agreement with the Knicks on the very first day of free agency this year.
Let's sign a one-year contract.
But this time, his annual salary is only $300 million!
Ewing immediately cleared over $1200 million in salary cap space for the Knicks, which they can use to sign free agents!
And the New York team's goal, needless to say, is only one!
Michael Jordan!
After Ewing disregarded the consequences and took a pay cut to demonstrate unparalleled sincerity, the Knicks immediately made an offer for Michael Jordan.
A three-year, $36 million contract was offered to Jordan, but to be honest, this $12 million annual salary was nothing to Jordan!
Therefore, along with this contract, Jordan was also presented with an endorsement deal with the Sheraton Hotel.
The contract amount is exactly the same as the previous one: $3600 million for 3 years!
In other words, the Knicks secured an incredibly lucrative business deal for Jordan! If Jordan agrees to come to the Big Apple, he will immediately receive $2400 million a year!
This number... is very competitive and tempting!
Not to mention, the Knicks' commercial contract also has another layer of meaning—
"You already have a $1200 million contract waiting for you even before you come here. If you come to New York, how many similar or even larger contracts will be waiting for you? This is New York! Countless miracles and unimaginable things await you here!"
What's the deal with the New York Knicks' offer?
Aside from the obvious sincerity and the typical New Yorkers' madness, it was full of illegality and violations of league rules.
Well... in principle, the league does not allow any team to offer any other type or form of benefit when offering a contract to a player! A contract is a contract! Nothing else can be mixed in! Otherwise, what's the point of the league's salary cap?
I'll give you an annual salary of 100 million, and then make up the difference in other areas.
If that were allowed, the league would have been in chaos long ago!
The Bulls thought the same thing and did just that. They directly sued the Knicks in the league, reporting them for unfair competition and providing Jordan with illegal benefits!
And then...
Stern ignored the Bulls' protests and even the Bulls' representatives who came to report them.
Stern couldn't be happier for Jordan to leave Chicago!
Wherever Jordan goes, he brings huge buzz and countless views to the league, not to mention that he went to the Knicks, the team with the highest viewership, the largest market, and the highest team value in the entire league!
Go away! Don't match, especially not in Chicago!
This is what Stern truly thought!
But of course, on the surface, Stern still managed to appease Klaus by talking to him a lot of... nonsense!
They say everything, but not a single useful word!
Later, Klaus even wondered if Stern had suddenly developed Alzheimer's, since he was talking so stupidly.
Fortunately, Klaus wasn't a fool after all. He figured out that Stern wasn't going to get involved in this matter!
Even the owners of other teams in the league won't care!
They were all happy to see Jordan poached. After all, over the years, Krause, who had Jordan, was incredibly arrogant and domineering, basically looking down on everyone else. He was so haughty and arrogant that he wanted to put his nose in everyone's nose!
As for whether the Knicks' methods are legal or not, and whether they might be used on them in the future, nobody cares!
Now that Jordan is about to be poached, they're overjoyed and willing to stand up for him.
Want to eat fart!
Ideally, after Jordan went to the Knicks, he would become addicted to the glitz and glamour of New York, or even develop a drug addiction and ruin his career!
After all, it's really hard to say whether Jordan or Krause is more annoying or more irritating!
As for Krause and team owner Reinsdorf, after realizing that no one would help them and that they were destined to suffer in silence, they considered making a big fuss and suing the Knicks, taking them directly to court.
However, after being persuaded by some powerful figure behind the scenes, Reinsdorf gave up on escalating the situation and instead turned his attention away from confronting the league and the Knicks, beginning negotiations with Jordan's team.
This was a protracted negotiation process. Reinsdorf wanted to save as much money as possible, while Jordan refused to say how much he wanted.
In short, Jordan didn't even look at the two-year, $40 million contract that Krause and Reinsdorf had prepared for him; he rejected it outright!
But after Jordan refused, he remained silent, refusing to make an offer. No matter how much they pressed, Jordan and his agent, David Falk, only ever said one thing—
"It's not about how much we want, it's about how much you think Michael is worth! If you think Michael is worth $1, then you offer us $1. If you think Michael is worth a hundred million, then give him a hundred million! It's that simple! What you need to do is make an offer, not ask us for a price!"
At this moment, David Falk displayed his shrewdness, ruthlessness, and aggressiveness!
He launched into a long and eloquent speech to Klaus and Reinsdorf:
"But for the sake of efficiency and to avoid wasting too much time, Michael and I will only listen to three offers. If we are not satisfied with any of the three offers, then there is no point in continuing the negotiations! We will accept the Knicks' offer and bring Michael's talent to the Atlantic!"
Falk's words were very firm and did not allow Krause any rebuttal; the meaning and thoughts of Jordan's team were very clear.
don't talk!
We're not going to talk to you! Give us the money, we'll sign if we're satisfied, otherwise we'll leave!
As for the rest?
I'm sorry, everyone is busy, so let's not waste each other's time!
Well... even now, as Lin Tian has returned to the United States, the Bulls and Jordan are still in the same situation, with no agreement reached at all.
Krause and Reinsdorf refused to make an offer; they just wanted Jordan to tell them exactly how much he wanted.
Jordan and Falk, on the other hand, remained silent, keeping their mouths shut and not uttering a single word. They said, "Tell me whatever you think I'm worth, and then we'll talk about other things."
According to Pelinka, Klaus has already made two offers to Falk, the first being a huge contract of 100 million for five years!
Not only is it the first $20 million annual salary contract in NBA history, but it is also the first $100 million contract in NBA history!
This time, Klaus really showed his full sincerity!
However, Falk rejected the terrifying contract with an average salary of 2000 million without even thinking about it, which would take up more than 85% of a team's salary cap.
Falk's answer made Klaus so angry he almost cursed: "I don't think so."
As for what exactly is wrong with this, what they are dissatisfied with, and what aspects they want to improve, Jordan's team remained completely silent!
(End of this chapter)