Champion Rules

Chapter 28 027: Boys Among Men (Please Read!)
Sonny Cavallo has been working in the basketball world for many years, but this is the first time he has seen a player like Lynch.

He is so special.

For most kids his age, the biggest stage is nothing more than the ABCD training camp or the McDonald's All-Star Game.

The rest of the time, they're stuck with a series of low-value matchups against low-level opponents.

But Lynch has proven himself in Europe's top competitions, defeating last season's European League semi-finalists and obtaining high-standard certification in the professional arena.

Yes, Lynch's shooting was not good enough tonight, which suggests that his jump shot ceiling may not be as high as people think.

So what? Just based on his defensive ability, size, athleticism, and that superstar face, he's worthy of being drafted by any NBA team.

He is a unique player who already has a lot of potential.

In addition, Sonny believes that Lynch has a maturity that other children at this stage do not have.

Most 17-year-old high school players have a clear look of stupidity in their eyes.

Kobe Bryant? He was just pretending to be mature. On the day he announced his intention to bring his talent to the NBA, his playful smile to the camera, his exaggerated appearance, and his teasing manner of speaking all revealed him to be a 17-year-old, young and ignorant child.

Is LeBron James mature?

Have people forgotten that he decided to sue the NBA the year before because the NBA didn't allow minors to participate?

The calm temperament that Lynch has forged through transfer turmoil and rigorous training from professional coaches is a true treasure for a kid of this age.

Admittedly, he still retains some of the innocence of a teenager - for example, he just said that he would use the first money he earned to buy his mother a set of the best cosmetics in the world.

But most of the time, Sonny forgot he was talking to a high school student.

This kind of young yet mature player is very attractive, just like men always like girls with baby faces and big humiliations.

But the most comfortable part of tonight's conversation was that Sonny Vaccaro could talk openly about money with this kid.

The godfather of basketball has always hated the hypocritical system created by the NCAA and the American high school leagues: they have made billions of dollars in revenue from young players, but deprived them of the right to receive compensation under the banner of "amateur purism."

Players are not even allowed to fight for their own compensation.

NCAA players and high school players are not allowed to have agents or any commercial endorsements.

Therefore, any brand that wants to please them must try its best to be roundabout and adopt indirect strategies.

For example, when Adidas wanted to please LBJ, it could only sponsor his high school team but not him.

In order to please McGrady, Nike can only give him some sneakers in the name of "private collection". There is no better way.

This dance in shackles exhausted Sonny physically and mentally. He was tired of playing the philanthropist "Uncle Sonny" in front of young people, and he was even more disgusted with seeing children miss out on the wealth they deserved.

If they could offer contracts to high school players from the beginning, things would be much simpler.

After all, few children can resist the temptation of real money, which is always the most effective bargaining chip.

Look at what McGrady said in an interview last season. When the reporter asked him, "Why did you skip college and join the NBA?" McGrady gave a simple and rude answer:
"Let's just say, Adidas offered me a $1200 million contract, and I've said enough."

Now, Sonny Vaccaro doesn't have to hide.

Unlike in the past when he had to wear a mask of hypocrisy when dealing with high school students, he could now look directly into Lynch's eyes and say frankly:

"We want to sign you, Lynch, and we've prepared a fair enough contract for you. You're already a professional player, and there's nothing to hide between us."

Lynch dug his nails into his palms, knowing his fate and life had changed. He knew they were talking about a business worth tens of millions of dollars a year—before this, Lynch had never even seen 100 million RMB in cash in his two lifetimes combined.

This strong sense of excitement entered his blood and surged to his head, making him want to jump up involuntarily.

If hearing the sound of high heels in a massage parlor is the most exciting moment for all men, then Lynch's excitement now is probably 100 times that.

But Lynch didn't show any emotion, he held it in.

Vito Corleone's warning between the yellowed pages of "The Godfather" flashed before his eyes - never let your enemies know what you are thinking.

Is Sonny an enemy? Obviously not, but the quote still rings true.

If Lynch showed any excitement, the clever Sonny would immediately know that he was a country bumpkin who had never seen the world and could be dealt with with a little money. Then he would lower the price.

So, Lynch gave the floor to Misko Raznatovic.

Misko Raznatovic leaned forward at the right moment, indicating that it was now his turn to speak for Lynch. "Sonny, can we discuss the specific figures for this 'fair enough contract'?"

The Serbian agent's distinctive rolled tongue accent filled the room.

"Six years, $50 million," Sonny said with a confident smile. "Carmelo Anthony only signed with AJ for six years, $40 million. This will be a game-changing collaboration. You know, we've already prepared a plan for Lynch."

Lynch's temples were throbbing. He didn't swallow a single bite of the pie Sonny had painted because his mind was blank. The number 5000 million was beyond his comprehension.

5000 million for 6 years? If Lynch didn't eat coriander, his calves would smoke.

But Lynch knew clearly that this offer was far from reaching his true value.

Lynch is now very popular in the United States thanks to the hype carefully planned by Misco.

Lynch himself can feel this.

After every game, there will be a group of American reporters at the press conference.

ESPN and TNT talk about which team will get the No. 1 pick every day, not who will be the No. 1 pick.

He feels like Victor Wenbanyama before he entered the NBA.

Americans marveled at his game highlights, amazed at his flexibility, jumping ability and speed that were completely inconsistent with his size.

He hasn't even made it to the NBA yet, but NBA teams that need saving already see him as a cornerstone, and he already has a huge influence among North American fans.

He has successful marketing, and most importantly, he has outstanding performance on the field as the basis for marketing.

Misko Raznatovic twirled the ring on his ring finger and forced a very forced smile. "Listen, Sonny. Lynch and I are willing to sit here because we believe in your sincerity and out of respect for Reebok's history. But to be honest, this is an extremely disappointing number."

"When Carmelo Anthony can take $40 million out of AJ's pocket, you offer this number to the most commercially valuable international player of our time-" Misko shook his head mockingly, "It's like bidding on the Empire State Building with a children's piggy bank." Sonny tapped his knuckles on the table, his eyes sweeping over Lynch, hoping to find a flaw.

If Lynch was excited, Sonny would skip Misco and talk directly to Lynch, tempting him to accept the price, persuading him to replace the agent who was preventing him from "getting rich", and telling him that he could get the money immediately.

But like he said, the child was very mature and there was no expression on his face.

Even if he was just pretending to be calm, it wasn't easy to do so well.

This means that Lynch also knows that he can get more.

So it is impossible to divide them from within.

"Lynch is an inside player," Sonny deliberately slowed down his speech to make himself look confident. "I don't doubt Lynch's ability, but we all know how embarrassing the sales of big men's shoes are."

"Oh, then we should also know what the Chinese market means. Don't miss out on the Chinese market, Sonny. Nike once gave Yao Ming a humiliating contract, and it's no use for them to regret it now. Besides, Lynch is not a clumsy big man. He can break through and dunk, and he can pull up and shoot jump shots. He is not a clumsy prehistoric monster. His shoes can be as popular as those of a guard."

"The Chinese market has huge potential, but listen, potential is not cash."

"Then let's hear what Cash has to say," Misko interrupted Sonny almost rudely. "We'll see what Phil Knight has to say. He contacted me this morning and wanted to talk too."

Misko is practicing the most dangerous art of negotiation. He wants to push Sonny to the edge of the cliff and make the name of Phil Knight the sword of Damocles hanging over the other party's head.

Because he knew Sonny hated the name.

This name will make Sonny have a desire to win that says, "Damn it, I can't lose to this guy again no matter what the cost."

For a second, Sonny's eyes glanced away, and the hand holding the pen tightened slightly.

Misko caught on to it all, and he pressed the point, his voice as rapid as Tony Parker on a breakout: "Phil was more courageous. They had the guts to give LeBron $9000 million. They had the guts to give Kobe everything he wanted, instead of just trying to find the right path. That's why they dominate the sneaker market."

"Enough! Tell me your price. How much do you think Lynch is worth?" Sonny stared at Misko, and it was obvious that he was trying his best to suppress his anger.

He was not angry with Mixco, but he was angry because he remembered that Nike took away LBJ and Kobe.

Finally, the initiative fell into Misko's hands.

His fingertips brushed lightly across Lynch's shoulders, like a pianist pressing the final note of a beautiful performance.

"I know your style, Sonny. I know you like to gamble, so we want to be the biggest chips on your gambling table!

Lynch and I have a simple request: our price tag cannot be lower than LeBron James'. In other words, $100 million. It doesn't have to be fully guaranteed; you can add reasonable incentives, but the final contract amount cannot be lower than the figure I specify.

Sonny waved his hand: "LBJ's contract is a record. You and I both know that."

"That's no longer the case after Reebok and Lynch signed. LeBron James's price tag is a thing of the past. This era is progressing, right?
Think about it, what you signed wasn't Lynch, but the opportunity for every Chinese kid to see the Reebok logo when they open their eyes for the next ten years."

Sonny Vaccaro did not express his opinion immediately. He was thinking about a question: If it were Nike, would they give Lynch $100 million?
After a few seconds, Sonny adjusted his tie. "I'll go back to headquarters and ask for a quote. Before that, if Nike or Adidas gives you a quote, please contact me. I'll beat theirs. Lynch, it's nice to meet you. We'll see each other often over the next year."

After the conversation, Sonny sent a car to take Lynch back to the apartment.

After arriving at the apartment, Theo was shocked by the numbers Lynch and Misko said.

"One hundred million dollars!? Seriously?"

"What's so surprising? This is our value." Misko spread his hands indifferently.

"Misko, were you nervous when you said the $100 million?" Lynch asked curiously.

"What's there to be nervous about?" Misko said as he lit a cigarette. "It's only $100 million. I didn't even frown when I said that."

Then he put the cigarette into his nostrils with shaking hands.

"Damn it! Theo, why did you turn the air conditioner so low? It gave me the chills!"

Lynch:
In any case, the fact that Sonny didn't directly refuse shows that he is indeed considering this $100 million contract.

But Lynch knows that the finalization of this sky-high contract still needs to be endorsed by performance on the field.

He has to win more games.

In the next few months, Lynch and Real Madrid continued their strong performance, using consecutive victories to add bargaining chips to the negotiating table.

However, on that December night in Catalonia, Lynch inevitably suffered the biggest defeat of his career.

In this nationally watched game against their arch-rival Barcelona, ​​the Real Madrid team was stuck in a three-point drought, so Lynch had a hard time getting to the basket.

In addition, there was a Brazilian named Anderson Varejao in the Barcelona penalty area who looked like a basketball player but was actually a well-known actor, so Lynch was once in trouble for fouls.

In addition, Barcelona also unveiled an offensive trident that frightened the whole of Europe.

Italian legend Giorgio Faca's surgical-like off-ball movement cut through the defense, Serbian magician Dejan Bodiroga used his signature Sam Gold dribbling to fool defenders, and Spanish ace Carlos Navarro set up precise artillery positions on the perimeter.

The offensive network woven by the three legendary superstars combines artistic beauty with tactical discipline. Their tacit team conduction and sharp individual blasting form a perfect resonance.

The iron line of defense carefully constructed by Lynch was difficult to break through in the whole of Europe, but a flaw appeared in Catalonia.

At the end of the game, Barcelona fans used the most vulgar language to see Real Madrid off.

Dejan Bodiroga stood on the field with his hands on his hips, his head held high and his chest puffed out like a lion patrolling his territory.

"Yes, those two little guys from Serbia were great and they certainly carved some new marks on the trembling rim. But I don't think it's time for a change in European basketball. They're still too young, and I have to let them know that my friends and I are no pushovers!
Come on, the future is yours."
-
The Cleveland Cavaliers have just a 7-19 start, and LeBron James hasn't seemed to bring much to the Cavaliers. Is he truly the Chosen One? Did we mistakenly place the crown on a high school kid? —Sports Illustrated.

He's just a boy under 20 years old. He's not qualified to integrate into the Pistons' starting system yet, let alone be ready to play as a starter! - Larry Brown on the decision to keep Carmelo Anthony on the bench since the start of the season.

The invincible European superstar encountered a powerful obstacle from the Triple Crown champions. Lynch was not yet ready to touch the true king of European basketball. - ESPN Magazine.

"LeBron's passing vision is being eroded by mistakes, Melo's delicate singles are condensed in front of the steel defense, and Lynch's youthful storm is encountering the cold wave of Europe.

Geniuses always face unprecedented difficulties when entering the next stage. Don't forget that they are just boys among men. But if they can overcome all this, those men will no longer be their opponents. LeBron, Lynch, Melo, let's see who will become a man first.

— Richard Eisen, host of "SportsCenter."

(End of this chapter)