NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 657 Meeting Grant

The most common and important off-court endorsements for NBA players are shoe endorsement contracts with sports equipment companies such as Nike, Adidas, Reebok, and Converse. Nowadays, with the rise of domestic companies such as Li-Ning, Anta, Peak, and 361 Degrees, many players also consider domestic brands as an option. Among so many brands, Nike is undoubtedly the world's strongest giant.

Jia Fei is certainly willing to renew his contract with Nike, but he will not compromise on the terms of the renewal. This is not only a matter of interests, but also represents his status.

Nike is the top choice for almost all players' shoe contracts, and Nike, which has plenty of money, has signed many players throughout the NBA, with a large number of star players under Nike's wing.

Nike has signed so many players and given many big-name stars lucrative endorsement contracts, but to date, Nike has only given three players lifetime shoe contracts. Even Kobe Bryant, who has extremely high popularity and influence worldwide, has not enjoyed this top-tier treatment.

These three star players are Old Rogue, Running Man, and Du Xiaoshuai.

There's no need to say much about the old rogue. He was the first player in NBA history to have a lifetime shoe contract, and his lifetime contract was very special, as it was a 5% permanent sales revenue share from the Air Jordan brand, which was significantly higher than that of other players.

In 2023, the AJ brand's sales reached $66 billion, so he received $3.3 million in AJ bonuses. Although the amount of bonuses has not been fixed over the past few decades and has not been as large as in 23, the total amount has long exceeded $10 billion.

In order to keep Jordan with Nike permanently, Nike gave him 4.5% of the company's shares and agreed to print his signature Air Jordan logo on his shoes.

The two parties then signed an agreement to separate the Air Jordan series of sneakers into a personal brand belonging to Jordan, and Jordan exchanged his 4.5% stake in Nike for a permanent 5% annual sales revenue share from the AJ brand.

At the time, Jordan didn't lose out, since Nike was just a small company. But now, Jordan has lost a lot. Although he has received more than $10 billion in AJ dividends from Nike, his 4.5% stake in Nike is now worth $62 billion (Nike's current market value is $1378 billion)!

Jia Fei certainly didn't expect to get Nike's equity, and they wouldn't give it to him anyway. But in addition to the endorsement contract, he also wanted the perpetual right to profit from the sales of his personal brand.

The total value of the lifetime contract between Running Man and Nike is no less than $10 billion. Moreover, from the date of signing the contract, he will no longer receive endorsement fees, but will instead receive 5% of the sales revenue of his personal product line. Currently, his product line can bring Nike at least $6 million in revenue every year (with an annual dividend of at least $3000 million).

According to media reports, Du Xiaoshuai's lifetime contract appears to be only for 10 years, with a total value of approximately $4-5 million.

Logo was very efficient; he quickly found a trade solution for Beverley.

The trade involves the Grizzlies, who are willing to acquire Beverley in exchange for a second-round fund.

The Grizzlies have cap space, and they're willing to take on Beverley's remaining two years on his contract.

Jia Fei was very happy. He thought he was just giving Beverley away for free, but he didn't expect to get a second round. This was great.

After receiving a proposal for the Beverley trade, Jia Fei personally called Jeremy Grant and, despite the risk of contracting the virus, traveled with Art Mayork to Grant's hometown of Portland.

Grant was somewhat incredulous that Jia Fei would actually visit in person.

Sensing Jia Fei's emphasis, the two sides held detailed talks at a club in Portland.

“The Nuggets’ management wanted to keep me, but I plan to test the free agent market,” Grant said.

Jia Fei knew that Grant's words indicated that he might join the Clippers, since whether he joined the Clippers or another team, the prerequisite was that he had to leave the Nuggets.

"It must be more than just our team that invited you!" Jia Fei said meaningfully. He was testing Grant, who could of course choose to keep it a secret.

"Yes, several teams have contacted me, but I haven't agreed to any of them yet!" Grant was quite honest. In fact, he was somewhat moved by the sincerity shown by Jia Fei, a superstar who was considered the best player in the league.

"We want you too. We can offer you a satisfactory contract. Besides the contract, what else do you want?" Jia Fei always preferred directness to beating around the bush. He wanted to know the other party's requirements as quickly as possible. If he couldn't meet them, he wanted to abandon the plan early and consider other options, minimizing delays for everyone. The opening of the free market was drawing closer, and he needed to consider many things.

“I need to play a more important role in the team!” Grant said, looking into Jia Fei’s eyes. “We just faced each other in the Western Conference Finals, so you should know the role I play for the Nuggets!”

Jia Fei nodded. He certainly knew Grant's role on the team: a defensive workhorse with very little offensive involvement. The Clippers' offensive ball possession was primarily concentrated on Jokic, Murray, and Millsap, with Grant and Harris being the two starters with the least ball possession.

It's no wonder he wanted to leave. This young man is ambitious and wants to prove his abilities. Leaving to find a team where he can have more playing time and demonstrate his skills is a key part of his motivation.

Grant continued, "I'd have a hard time playing a more significant role with the Nuggets, and if I went to the Clippers, I probably wouldn't be able to play a more significant role than Danilo either!" He's not naive; Gallinari is now a free agent, and Jia Fei clearly wanted him to fill Gallinari's role. Gallinari's Clippers team is essentially a stretch shooter with some mismatch opportunities on offense, but overall, he has very little ball possession, focusing primarily on off-ball movement. Keep in mind that the Clippers already have two star perimeter players, Jia Fei and Paul George, so theoretically, there's not much room for him to handle the ball.

Grant's meaning couldn't be clearer: he left the Nuggets to get more playing time and a more significant role. Going to the Clippers solely for a championship wouldn't be his true intention. He's so young; he's not at the point where he needs to sacrifice for a title. He wants a big contract and a more important role to see where his ceiling is. A team that can make him do all this is likely not a strong team, but rather a relatively weak one.

"I can promise you that I'll play a more important role next season than you did last season!" Jia Fei saw through Grant's thoughts and spoke with unwavering conviction.