Rebirth of the Industrial Tycoon

"Thousands of Boys" is not a commendatory title, but more like a joke.

The high school draft is not well-received by everyone, and if an endorsement of tens of millions of dollars comes out, there is a feeling of being pointed out by thousands of people.

Many college students who played very well in the NCAA even felt that I didn't even get an endorsement of tens of millions of dollars. You are a high school student, why do you earn tens of millions of dollars?

So as soon as the nickname "Ten Thousand Boys" appeared, Kobe instantly gained a lot of black fans.

And some sports commentators also published articles saying that the so-called ten million dollar endorsement is just a self-directed and self-acted hype, the purpose is to push Kobe Bryant's draft.

There are many people who are popular and right and wrong. In the face of gossip, Kobe is suffering.

In the blink of an eye, it was the day of the draft.

Kobe was wearing a black suit and a blue and purple tie, sitting in the "Little Green Room".

"Little Green House" is a special term in the American sports draft conference. In the NBA draft, players who are officially invited to enter the draft Little Green House are selected by the general manager of the NBA team, and there are generally 14 to 20 players. people.

The other dozen people in the little green house looked at Kobe with strange eyes, most of which were not friendly.

As a high school student participating in the draft, Kobe was originally an outlier, and the recent incident of "tens of thousands of boys" pushed Kobe to the forefront.

Now everyone is a competitor on the same starting line. If you can receive an endorsement, but I don't, then I must be envious, jealous and hate you!

At this time, Kobe seemed very nervous. Five minutes ago, his agent Tellem had told him that the Lakers had reached an agreement with the Charlotte Hornets. The Hornets would use the 13th pick to select Kobe and then exchange the Lakers' center. Divac.

Although he already knew the result, Bryant was still looking forward to a miracle. He hoped that Philadelphia could use the No. 1 pick to select him.

With Kobe's competitive character, if you don't take the first place, you will lose!

What's more, Kobe himself is a Philadelphia native, and he is more willing to play for his hometown.

Finally, the Philadelphia 76ers made their choice, and NBA Commissioner David Stern walked to the stage, opened the small note in his hand, and announced: "The Philadelphia 76ers chose Allen Ive. Sen!"

applause,

Iverson got up to accept everyone's congratulations, which, in everyone's eyes, was a natural result.

Only Kobe Bryant looked disappointed, the miracle did not appear, the 76ers did not choose him.

In front of the TV, James Bond curled his lips and said, "With so many outstanding guys this year, how could the Philadelphia 76ers use the No. 1 pick to select a high school student! I think this Kobe should really go to college for a year, and then come again. If you participate in the draft, you might have a chance to be the No. 1 pick!"

Li Weidong next to him laughed: "Even if Kobe goes to college for one year, he will not be the No. 1 pick. When next year's NBA draft, there will definitely be a better choice than him in the little green room."

Li Weidong knew that in the 1997 NBA draft, there was a man who made most of the league rotten. For this man, Popovich didn't even want his face!

That man's name is Tim Duncan.

With Duncan's ability, if he entered the draft in 1995, he would definitely be the No. 1 pick; if he entered the draft in 1996, he would be enough to compete with Iverson, and he might be able to defeat Iverson by virtue of his identity as an inside player.

After all, it was an era of inside players. The team would be bad for the top inside, but not for the top outside.

So even if Kobe Bryant entered the NBA draft again in college last year, he would be defeated by Duncan. Not because Kobe was incompetent, but because he was born out of time.

At this point, the draft is still being broadcast on TV.

The Toronto Raptors picked Camby with the second pick, the Vancouver Grizzlies picked Raheem with the third pick, the Milwaukee Bucks picked Marbury with the fourth pick, and the Minnesota Timberwolves picked with the fifth pick. Ray Allen.

The sixth pick originally belonged to the Dallas Mavericks. This pick was exchanged with the Boston Celtics, so the Celtics with the sixth pick chose Anthony Walker.

At the time, there were no problems with these six choices. Even if it was done again, the top six picks would still be these six people.

Before the 1996 NBA draft, there was a saying of "96 super 6", which means that in the 1996 draft, six superstars will be born, namely Iverson, Camby, Raheem, Marbury, Ray. Allen and Walker.

Therefore, the top six picks will inevitably choose six of them. And the future achievements of these six people, if placed in the draft of an ordinary year, are also worthy of their draft picks. The worst of the six, he was an All-Star anyway.

In an ordinary year's NBA draft, there can be no legends like Kobe Bryant, superstars like Nash, no All-Stars like O'Neal, Peja, Big Z, and even less Ben Walley. An abandoned general of this level.

However, in 1996, as long as Kobe was not chosen, it was the wrong choice!

For the next 7th to 12th picks, except for the New Jersey Nets, all other teams have selected inside players, and four teams have selected centers.

In that era, big centers were obviously more popular, and it was for this reason that Camby would beat Ray Allen and Marbury. If Iverson hadn’t gone too far, perhaps Camby would have become the golden generation of 1996. 's status.

For those teams in the lottery, picking a center is the safest choice.

With the 13th pick, the Charlotte Hornets selected Kobe Bryant.

This Charlotte Hornets is not the current NBA Charlotte Hornets, but the current New Orleans Pelicans.

The Charlotte Hornets first moved to New Orleans to become the New Orleans Hornets, and then changed the team name to the Pelicans.

The current NBA Charlotte Hornets, formerly known as the Charlotte Bobcats, later changed their name to the Charlotte Hornets.

The Hornets chose Kobe, and the teams were not surprised. Everyone already knew that the Hornets and the Lakers reached a deal. The Hornets will use Kobe's signing rights to trade the Lakers' center Divac.

This kind of draft outside the top ten, generally no team will deliberately cut the Hu. If the team selects a certain player, as long as the rumors are released in advance, other teams will often become adults. This is also an unspoken rule of the teams.

Things like cutting Hu always happen later in the first few picks, and the team will only do this if they meet a player they really like and must have.

For example, in the 2009 NBA draft, Curry was originally going to the Knicks, and the Knicks also gave a promise. However, the Warriors really wanted Curry so much, they cut the beard ahead of schedule and chose Curry. When it was announced that the Warriors had drafted Curry, the Curry father and son were all confused.

However, for those unaware, the Hornets' selection of a high school guard with the 13th pick is insane!

There are a lot of Hornets fans who are watching the draft in front of the TV, scolding them directly, and greeting the family of the general manager of the Hornets in various ways.

In addition to Kobe, there are other better choices behind, such as the king of the West Coast, Steve Nash, such as Peja, who has already played in the Greek league, such as Delke, who won the NCAA championship.

Even if you want to choose high school students, Jermaine O'Neal is better than Kobe! After all, he is a big center with a height of nearly 7 feet. If there is a big center to choose a shooting guard, isn't it a brain cramp?

It wasn't until later that the news of Kobe's exchange of Divac came out that quelled the grievances of the Hornets fans. Fans are beginning to think that switching from a high school guard to a starting center would be a huge bang for your buck.

However, a few years later, when Kobe became a legend, the Hornets handed over Kobe's operation, which became the biggest laughing stock in the NBA, and the general manager of the Hornets was scolded by his fans again.

But in fact, in the draft atmosphere at the time, the 13th pick Kobe Bryant was already beyond expectations.

1996 was the year of the draft. There were many outstanding college students participating in the draft. If high school students participated in the draft, don't say anything and drop ten spots first.

Inside players are also more popular than outside players. Kobe, as an outside player, dropped five picks.

And because the basketball system at that time attached great importance to the inside line, the status of the point guard was higher than that of the shooting guard, so Kobe, as a shooting guard, had to drop another five picks.

That is to say, the draft has not yet begun, and high school shooting guards like Kobe Bryant start counting from the 20th pick.

In the eyes of scouts, if high school students have to be selected, O'Neal Jr. is definitely a more suitable choice. Although Kobe and O'Neal are both minors, O'Neal Jr. is a center after all, and he is more stable than Kobe.

In fact, the uncertainty of high school shooting guards was Kobe's biggest weakness back then.

High school students have no experience in college basketball, and the uncertainty is relatively high, and shooting guard is the position with the largest uncertainty among the five positions.

Before the draft, Kobe also participated in the trial training of many teams. He also performed very well in the trial training. He slammed many college players in the confrontation training.

However, it was an "uncertainty" that persuaded most team managers. Even though Kobe performed very well in the trial training, the team manager was still reluctant to take the risk of choosing Kobe.

No one can guarantee that a high school guard can adapt to the fierce confrontation in the NBA. Even if Kobe can finally adapt to the NBA, the shooting guard is relatively weak in the system at that time, and it is not worth training.

The basketball system at that time was dominated by the inside line, and the shooting guard could only be regarded as a tactical supplement.

At that time, most of the shooting guards were actually swingmen, such as Drexler and Hardaway. Their play style was more inclined to small forwards.

Another type of shooting guard is a pure three-point shooter, similar to Reggie Miller and Ray Allen, but shooting depends on talent, so there are only a handful of such three-point marksmen.

Anyone who has watched "Slam Dunk" can probably understand that kind of basketball system. The top center is the standard of the strong team, the striker is the team's ace, the point guard is the team's brain, and the shooting guard, if not Marksman, there is basically no role.

Of course, there is also a special case among shooting guards, and that is Jordan.

However, there is only one Jordan, Jordan's strength is unprecedented, no one will think that this high school guard from Philadelphia will become the next Jordan.

Kobe's side performance is not bad, but compared with Jordan, it is indeed a grade lower, and Kobe was only 17 years old at the time, and his body was slightly thinner compared with adults.

The 17-year-old Kobe has not unlocked all the offensive skills yet. At this time, no one will compare him to Jordan.

As a shooting guard, Kobe doesn't have the conditions for a swingman, and he doesn't have the shooting percentage of a sharpshooter. His future is too unpredictable. It takes enough courage and courage to choose Kobe!

In the end, only the general manager of the Lakers, Jerry West, showed his courage and was worthy of the title of "Godfather".

...

The NBA draft is still being broadcast on the TV. The first round of the draft has ended, and the stars Li Weidong is familiar with have also been selected.

Li Weidong pondered for a moment, then said, "James, contact Kobe's agent again and congratulate him!"

"Just to congratulate?" James Bond asked.

"Tell him that in addition to the six-year 10 million US dollars endorsement fee, we Feiyue Sports will launch at least one signature sneaker for Kobe every year!" Li Weidong said.

"Signature sneakers? Are you really here?" James Bond asked with a look of surprise.

"Of course it's true!" Li Weidong paused, then continued: "We have to sign Kobe as soon as possible, because the summer league is coming soon. Once Kobe performs well in the summer league, he will be seen by other brands. If so, it's not our turn!"

...

At Adidas North America headquarters, the bearded scout found Blair, an executive.

"Just received the news that the Los Angeles Lakers used their starting center Divac to exchange Kobe's signing rights from the Hornets! It seems that the Lakers are very optimistic about Kobe."

The bearded scout paused, then continued: "And Los Angeles is a big city, and the players there will have more commercial value. So I suggest that Kobe should be signed immediately."

"The Lakers may be more optimistic about the young Kobe Bryant, but their main purpose in trading Divac is to free up salary space to sign O'Neal. So I think it's better to wait for the matter of signing Kobe." Blair Said calmly.

"Wait? When? Didn't you say before that as long as he entered the NBA, he would be signed? Now he has entered the NBA." The bearded scout asked anxiously.

Blair replied: "There are too many uncertainties in the high school guards, I think we need to observe for a while. It will be summer league in a few days, right?

At that time, rookie players from each team will participate, including some undrafted rookies and players from the Development League. We just took a look at how big the gap is between this high school student and a full-fledged professional basketball player.

In addition, before the regular season, there will be a preseason, when all NBA players will appear, we also need to observe whether he can adapt to the rhythm of the NBA game.

You just asked when, I think at least the preseason is over before I can make a decision! "

...

Tellem came to Kobe Bryant.

"There is good news. The previous sports brand is not only willing to offer you a six-year, $10 million endorsement contract, but also to give you signed sneakers, no less than one pair per year," Tellem said.

"You mean my signature sneakers?" Kobe also looked surprised.

"If you want, you can see your signature sneakers on the market this winter." Tellem continued; "To be honest, I also think this condition is too incredible, signed sneakers, only superstars can enjoy. treatment!"

Simply being an endorsement is completely different from launching a signature sneaker.

In the NBA, there are not a few stars who have signed endorsement contracts with sports brands, but most of them are just endorsement products, and very few can really have their own signature sneakers.

In 2021, Chinese sports brands will sign a lot of NBA stars. At that time, under the blessing of Chinese brands, only 22 active players can have signed sneakers.

This also includes stars like Anthony, Rose, and Rondo who are no longer in their prime, as well as players like McAway.

In 1996, among the active players who could have signed sneakers, they could count them with their fingers.

Jordan himself has the AJ brand, which is unique in the NBA.

Grant Hill's Fila GH basketball shoes were the only signature sneakers that could compete with AJ in sales at the time.

In addition, Hardaway, Pippen, Barkley, Robinson, and O'Neal have their own signature basketball shoes.

Other superstars such as Olajuwon, Payton, Karl Malone, Stockton, etc., did not have their own signature boots in 1996.

Considering that Jordan's AJ brand is almost impossible to copy, launching signed basketball shoes for players is already the highest treatment in star endorsement contracts.

In the 1990s, it was much more difficult to get your own signature basketball shoes than it is now. Superstars can only be regarded as the threshold for signature shoes. At that time, there was no gas star to make up the number.

Just imagine, so many superstars don't have their own signature boots, but Kobe can have them, what a big temptation!

For Kobe, 10 million in six years may not satisfy his ambitions, but things like signed boots are really fragrant and sincere!

At this moment, Kobe was completely heartbroken!

...

Adidas North America Headquarters.

"We were cut off!" Blair snorted angrily, and then asked, "What is the origin of this leap sports? Why haven't I heard of this brand before!"

"This is a niche brand in Los Angeles. It mainly followed the trend line before, but it is said that this brand was founded in the 1930s and has a long history." The bearded scout said.

"The 1930s? It must be bragging! We Adidas was only founded in 1949. How can such an unknown brand be older than our Adidas!" Blair said with a look of disbelief.

The bearded scout said: "It should be true that it was founded in the 1930s. It is said that they also have a pair of sneakers produced in that year, which really look like the style of the 1930s.

And not long ago, they also launched a retro sneaker, very similar to the ones worn decades ago, and the sales of those shoes are very good. I heard that 300,000 pairs have been sold nationwide!

And this time, they are going to give Kobe a signature basketball shoe! This is a superstar's treatment. It is said that Kobe's first signature basketball shoes will be on the market at the end of the year. Kobe is expected to wear his own signature shoes to participate in the All-Star Rookie Game! "

"The All-Star Rookie Game? Let's see if he can last until then! This is the NBA, maybe in a month, that high school student will be eliminated!"

Blair continued sourly: "Such a small brand doesn't understand the rules! A high school student who has just entered the NBA league signed basketball shoes for him before he even played a game!"

...

Historically, Adidas did successfully sign Kobe Bryant.

At that time, Adidas only gave Kobe an endorsement contract after the regular season began.

Adidas probably saw Kobe Bryant's outstanding performance in the summer league and the preseason, and thought that Kobe had infinite potential, so they decided to sign Kobe.

However, the cooperation between Kobe and Adidas was not pleasant.

The first is that Adidas is unwilling to give Kobe a signature boot, but just let Kobe endorse Adidas' shoes.

The second is the sneakers that Kobe endorsed. The design is really ugly, so the sales are very poor. The worst one has been reduced to 40 dollars, and it can't be sold.

As a star, the endorsement of sneakers can not be sold, which will not only affect Kobe's commercial value, but also affect his self-esteem.

With Kobe's unyielding character, he would be embarrassed to wear his sneakers if they didn't sell first!

The third is that Adidas has no sincerity in renewing the contract. At that time, Adidas gave McGrady a lifetime contract, but Kobe not only did not have a lifetime contract, but his renewal price was not as good as McGrady.

Of course, the proud Kobe couldn't accept this. He felt insulted and finally preferred to pay the liquidated damages and terminate the contract with Adidas in advance.

It can be said that Kobe and Adidas are completely a lose-lose cooperation.

...

Six years of 10 million US dollars, plus an endorsement contract for signed basketball shoes, also made Feiyue Sports popular.

In terms of the amount of endorsements, $1,000 for six years is not much.

In the same session of Iverson, Reebok gave a 10-year contract of 50 million, with an average of 5 million a year. In comparison, Kobe's contract is only 1.66 million a year.

It's just that Iverson is the No. 1 pick, and since the moment he entered the NBA, he has been branded as a superstar.

And Kobe is only a high school student, obviously a growth hero. He just entered the NBA at a wretched developmental stage, and he got this endorsement contract, which is obviously a bit of a wave.

What's more critical is the signature boots. This is something that many superstars can't ask for, but it was acquired by Kobe, a high school rookie. There is no psychological balance in the entire NBA.

Jealousy is human nature. Overnight, Kobe became the target of public criticism, and once again harvested a wave of black fans.

If you want to wear its crown, you must bear its weight! The upcoming summer league, countless people are waiting to see Kobe's jokes.

In Game 1 of the Summer League, Kobe scored a game-high 27 points against the Pistons.

In the second game of the summer league, Kobe scored 22 points, a slight decline.

In the third game of the summer league, Kobe only scored 15 points, and the black fans began to revel.

In the fourth game of the Summer League, the Lakers played against the Suns, Kobe Bryant made a big show and scored 36 points!

The black fans were dead silent.

In four summer league games, Bryant averaged 25 points per game.

With this data in the summer league, it has been proved that he can become a qualified NBA player!