Rebirth of the Industrial Tycoon - Vol 2 Chapter 484

Chapter 484 Ten Thousand Boys

Los Angeles, the training hall of the Lakers.

Young Kobe is participating in the Lakers’ trial training.

Before the NBA draft, each team will invite some young people who are about to participate in the draft to come to the team for trial training. This is also an excellent opportunity for the team to examine the level of players.

Of course, the players themselves will have their own choices. Those who are well-known, outstanding, and ranked higher in the draft will only participate in the trial training of the favorite team or the big city team; others will play big cards and refuse to participate in the trial. Training.

The players who are not famous and not capable will cherish every trial opportunity, hoping to leave a good impression on the team.

If you can be favored by the team, you can enter the NBA as a free agent even if you are not selected in the future.

Before the draft, Kobe did not get many training opportunities, at least not in line with his status in later generations. This is mainly because Kobe was only 17 years old at the time, and his age was his biggest disadvantage. Many people felt that at the time. At this age, Kobe couldn’t adapt to the fierce NBA confrontation.

The NBA has always been biased against high school players. Americans also generally dislike players who skip college in high school and enter the NBA directly.

Before Kobe, the last player to participate in the NBA draft as a high school student was Kevin Garnett. However, when Garnett participated in the draft, he was already 19 years old, so it is entirely possible to regard Garnett as a big one. One player.

At that time, Garnett was called “the strongest high school student in history”, so the Timberwolves were willing to use the fifth overall pick to select Garnett.

After Garnett, the next “strongest high school student in history” is LeBron James.

Think about the treatment of James before and after the draft. It is really a favorite of thousands of people. Before entering the NBA, he is regarded as a superstar and the ruler of the future NBA.

Look at Garnett’s treatment during the draft. There were all kinds of doubts. Many people even felt that the Timberwolves chose Garnett with the No. 5 pick, it was crazy!

Compared in this way, you know how discriminatory the NBA was when drafting high school students.

Before Kobe, all high school students were selected as inside players. As an outside player, Kobe is even less optimistic.

Kobe was able to go to the Lakers for trial training, thanks to his agent Arne Trum.

Arne Trum is the small owner and vice president of the future Pistons, and he has worked as a player’s agent before.

He has a lot of contacts in the American basketball circle. For example, Jerry West, general manager of the Lakers at the time, was a good friend of Trum.

It is also based on this relationship that Kobe got the opportunity for the Lakers to try out, and his performance has moved the Lakers. In the end, Jerry West decided to get the comparability.

Kobe is a Philadelphia native, so he hopes to join the Philadelphia 76ers. In high school, Kobe also trained with the Philadelphia 76ers.

In 1996, the Philadelphia 76ers won the No. 1 pick, but the entire United States knows that the choice of the Philadelphia 76ers must be Allen Iverson.

At this time, Iverson was a godlike presence in American college basketball, and the 76ers lacked an outstanding outside leader, Iverson naturally became the best choice for the 76ers.

At that time, Kobe’s draft prediction was the top 20. Since the Philadelphia 76ers were unwilling to win Kobe with the No. 1 pick, Kobe was destined to miss the 76ers.

As Kobe’s agent, Trum worked hard to operate, hoping to send Kobe to the team in the big city, so Trum began to use his personal connections to win a trial opportunity for the big team for Kobe.

On the training ground, Kobe is undergoing confrontational training. There is no doubt that Kobe beats his opponents all over the floor to find teeth.

On the stand next to   , Trum is sitting next to Jerry West, constantly selling Kobe to West.

West is the general manager of the Lakers. As long as he is willing to nod his head, Kobe will come to the Lakers.

“Kobe is the most talented young man I have ever seen. Last season, he just led the high school team to the state championship, and he also broke the Pennsylvania high school scoring record. The record holder is Chamberlain! ”

Trum paused, and then said: “In addition, he also won Naismith’s Player of the Year High School Player of the Year, Gatorade’s All-American High School Player of the Year, and McDonald’s All-American Team of the Year.”

West looked at Kobe on the training ground and said, “I admit that this is an excellent young man, he is a man of work, but he is still too young. I am worried that his physical ability to fight will be difficult in a short period of time. Use the strength of the NBA.”

“In terms of physical confrontation, you don’t have to worry about it. Kobe has trained with the Philadelphia 76ers.” Trum introduced.

“That’s because of his father, who was once a player for the Philadelphia 76ers!” West smiled, and then said: “I still remember the guy Joe Bryant. He played without technical details and didn’t love it. Dirty work, all fancy stuff, like acting!”

When Joe Bryant was playing in the NBA, Jerry West was the deputy general manager of the Lakers, so naturally he knew Joe Bryant.

Trum smiled awkwardly. The reason why Kobe was able to go to the Philadelphia 76ers to train with NBA players is indeed inseparable from Joe Bryant. After all, Joe Bryant played for the 76ers. After four years.

But Trum did not give up persuading, he decided to start from another angle.

I only heard Trum say: “O’Neal’s contract has expired, the Lakers should be interested in him?”

“I think every team except Houston will be interested in that big guy!” Jerry West said.

“But the Lakers’ salary space should be tighter! If you want to sign O’Neal, you must use a maximum salary, and you need a contract worth more than 100 million US dollars to impress him.”

Trum’s voice paused, lowered his voice and then said: “And if you successfully sign O’Neal, then your current starting center Divac will be useless.

Divatz is in his prime, and his salary is quite high, so I think you need to trade Divac to clear his salary space, so that you can give O’Neal a big contract. .

I happened to receive intelligence, there are several teams, all hope to strengthen the inside. They may be interested in Divac and are willing to pay a first-round pick for this! ”

Jerry West raised his eyebrows slightly, and he already understood what Trump meant.

If the Lakers want to sign O’Neal, they must clean up a portion of their cap space, and the best way is to trade the current starting center Divac.

Trum is willing to match the bridge to help the Lakers trade Divac, and the prerequisite is that the other party will use the pick to pick Kobe, and then use Kobe’s signing rights in exchange for the Lakers’ Divac.

In this case, the Lakers traded Divac, in exchange for cap space, and at the same time got rookie Kobe, and the other party got the real-time combat power of Divac.

Looking at Kobe, who was sweating on the training ground, Jerry West was still very satisfied. This young man has a maturity that is not commensurate with his age and is an object worth taking time to cultivate.

“Let me think about it first!” Jerry West replied.

Trum went on to say; “I’ll tell you another news that there is a sports brand that also appreciates Kobe’s potential. They have opened a five-year endorsement contract of 5 million US dollars for him.”

“5 million in five years? To a high school student. Really?” Jerry West’s eyes were full of incredible.

Although this price is not high in the star endorsement contract, Kobe is just a minor high school student after all, not an official NBA player.

Present an endorsement contract before entering the NBA, which was incredible at the time.

However, this incredible behavior has become a normal operation after LeBron James turned out.

At this moment, Tlem’s cell phone rang.

“Sorry, I will answer the call!” Trum said.

“Hey, this is Trum, Mr. Bond, hello, what? Seven million in six years? Okay, I will notify Kobe.”

Trum put down his phone, smiled at West slightly, and said: “Now it has risen to 7 million in six years!”

…

The training camp organized by the team before the draft, in addition to the team’s coaching staff and management, there are also some scouts and media reporters concerned.

Los Angeles Lakers, a big city team, has a higher degree of attention, so there are many reporters and scouts, all sitting in the audience on the sidelines, watching the players try out.

At this time, a bearded scout is staring at Kobe closely.

This bearded scout is not from a certain team or from a certain sports media, but is employed by the famous sports brand Adidas.

“This high school student is underestimated. He can adapt to the NBA’s confrontation. Sooner or later, this guy will become a superstar in the league! It is worth our Adidas investment in advance!”

…

After the trial, Trum found Kobe for the first time.

“The other party has increased the price again, 7 million US dollars in six years, how about it, do you want to agree to it?” Trem asked.

Kobe shook his head without hesitation: “I have sneaker sponsorship, so I don’t want to consider the endorsement of any sports brand. Participating in the NBA draft is the most important thing next.”

In the United States, students who are engaged in sports can easily find sponsorships. Even elementary school students can find sponsors as long as they practice a certain sport well.

High school stars like Kobe naturally have sneaker sponsors, but this sneaker sponsor only supplies some basketball shoes and reimburses some training expenses.

For example, Kobe Bryant came to Los Angeles to try out, the transportation expenses, and the board and lodging expenses during the period were paid by his sneaker sponsor.

Of course, compared with the endorsements of big brands, this kind of sponsorship is just a trifle.

Trum has also seen the world, he knows the future commercial value of Kobe, definitely more than 7 million US dollars.

So he said, “Well, since you don’t want to, I’ll help you decide. Maybe they will add more money!”

…

“Kobe refused again?” Li Weidong shook his head helplessly.

“I think we should change the spokesperson!” James Bond said.

“No, it must be Kobe!” Li Weidong thought for a while and said; “Continue to increase the size, 10 million US dollars in six years!”

“What? Ten million dollars for six years? To a high school student? A minor?” James Bond looked shocked.

“Minor?” Li Weidong had an idea, and he continued: “Since he is a minor, he needs the consent of his guardian to sign the endorsement contract!

Find a way to contact Kobe’s father and tell him that if he is willing to help us persuade Kobe, he will be given a commission of 2 million US dollars! ”

…

Joe Bryant is being laid off.

His previous job was a high school basketball coach. Although the salary is not very good, there is still no problem supporting the family.

However, the job of a basketball coach is not stable. Once the contract expires, the employer refuses to renew the contract and immediately loses his job.

More importantly, it is more difficult to re-employ this job. Sometimes it may take two or three years to sign a contract.

Even if Joe Bryant is a retired NBA star and wants to find a job as a basketball coach, he still needs to wait for the opportunity to come.

In this case, $2 million is a lot of money for Joe Bryant!

The future Kobe, because of the marriage, the relationship with his parents is not harmonious. In an interview, Kobe also personally said that his parents are very greedy for money.

Now there are 2 million US dollars, placed in front of an unemployed Joe Bryant, how can he not be tempted!

So, when Kobe finished his trial and returned to Philadelphia, Joe Bryant’s mouth was fully opened and he entered a mode of crazy persuasion.

…

“Six years of 10 million US dollars, most of the official NBA players can not get such endorsements, are you really not going to think about it?” Trum asked with a smile.

“How do you look like my dad, always persuading me to accept this endorsement! Didn’t I say before, I just want to participate in the NBA draft now!” Kobe said a little annoyed.

“To be honest, for a high school student, the other party’s offer is very sincere. I guess they are also betting that you can be selected by the high rank!” Trem paused, and then said; “You Have you seen the recent draft forecast?”

Kobe nodded with an unnatural expression: “Look, they said I can be selected in the top 20!”

In the draft predictions of NBA scouts, the so-called top 20, the subtext is between fifteen and twenty.

For this result, Kobe is obviously not satisfied. With Kobe’s eagerness to win, you will lose if you don’t get the first place!

Trum comforted: “High school students participating in the NBA draft have always been ranked not too high. This year, Jermaine O’Neal, another player who participated in the draft as a high school student, is also ranked in the top 20 in the draft. Like you, he also entered the All-American High School Team, and he also represented the US team in the World Youth Championship.”

In 1996, the draft year, Kobe was not the only high school student who was not recognized, but also O’Neal.

However, O’Neal is different from Kobe. He is from a poor family, so he can only give up his college scholarship and come to the NBA to earn money to support his family.

Kobe said stubbornly; “But I also saw some media saying that Philadelphia will pick me with the top pick!”

“No. 1 high school student? Ha ha ha, don’t be silly, how is that possible! That is just a stunt created by the media to attract people’s attention.”

Trum’s voice paused, and then said: “The top pick must be Iverson, and the second place will be Camby. This is already a certainty.

As for the second place, Raheem of the University of Berkeley, Walker of the University of Kentucky, Marbury of Georgia Tech, and Allen of the University of Connecticut are all possible. ”

Kobe pouted and looked unconvinced.

Trum said: “Let’s go, the news of my $10 million endorsement fee will be released. This may help you improve the draft pick. But don’t have too much hope, this year’s draft pick. The teams in the front are not short of outside players.”

…

In the NBA, tens of millions of dollars in endorsement contracts are not too big, such as Nike, Adidas and other tyrants, they are often more than 50 million dollars.

However, a high school student who gets a big contract worth tens of millions of dollars is extremely topical.

Moreover, as the NBA draft approaches, topics related to the draft are getting hotter and hotter. Major American media are also happy to report on this matter.

Under the media coverage, Kobe got his first nickname in the NBA: Ten Thousand Boys.

…

Adidas North America headquarters.

In the conference room, the bearded scout reported his observations to executive Blair.

“According to my observations, Kobe Bryant has great potential, and he will become a superstar!” The Beard Scout said conclusively.

Blair read Bearded’s scout report and said, “Actually, we started paying attention to him when McDonald’s All-American team was in the best team. But whether he is the person we are looking for is still unknown.

Since Nike signed Jordan, we have been suppressed in terms of brand spokespersons. We have never been able to find a star that can compete with Jordan. Our brand has also been surpassed by Nike.

Jordan took a two-year break and then came back. His influence is still there, so we need a superstar, or even several superstars, so that we can fight against Jordan’s influence and fight a turnaround!

So I plan to observe again, we must at least make sure that this guy can adapt to the NBA, so I want to wait until after the draft, he really enters the NBA, and then make a decision! ”

“But there is news that there is already a sports brand that is willing to pay 10 million dollars to sign Kobe. Everyone calls him’Ten Thousand Boys.’ If we don’t make a move, won’t we be preempted by other brands?” The bearded scout said .

Blair shook his head with a look of disdain: “Millions of boys? You will believe this kind of false news? How could someone charge such a high price to a high school student!

Kobe’s agent should be Trum, right? I know this person, who is very well-connected in the basketball circle, and is a very cunning guy. The news of this 10 million US dollars must be deliberately released by Trum, who wants to improve Kobe’s draft pick! ”

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(End of this chapter)