super heavy artillery

Chapter 542 Sneaker Contract
In the end, only four endorsements were accepted.To be exact, only three were settled.What has not yet been decided is the endorsement of the sneakers.For an athlete, especially an NBA player, a sneaker contract is a very important choice.

At the beginning, An Luo was like everyone else, thinking that only NBA superstars are eligible to sign sneaker contracts.Just like James, Durant, etc.But after entering the NBA, I realized that this was just a misunderstanding.It is true that there are only a dozen or so players in the entire NBA who have their own signature shoes.Of course, this does not include some niche brands in each country.But in fact, almost all players who can gain a foothold in the NBA have a certain relationship with a certain sneaker brand.This is equivalent to an invisible benefit for every player.Of course, it also has something to do with the player's ability, playing style and influence.

The lowest and most common is the "Merch" contract, which is an equipment contract.This type of contract is aimed at players who have little chance to play off the bench.In the eyes of those merchants, these players are not without help in building the overall recognition and presence of the brand.Therefore, the brand will sign a short-term contract with these players and provide them with game equipment in the amount of 5000-10000 US dollars.That's a great perk for a large percentage of players, who, after all, are real money on their own modest salaries.Not to mention, it's also an opportunity to build friendships with brands.With the help of these equipment, some players have made a name for themselves, and it is easier for them to rise from the contract stage of this equipment to the stage where they can really earn cash.

In addition to equipment contracts similar to the subsistence allowances, most players in the league hold a cash contract.These players can earn a sum of money in addition to salary.Of course, there is a big gap in the amount of cash that players can get from this sneaker contract.Generally speaking, a rookie round brand signs a sneaker contract for about 3-4 years. The specific amount depends on the potential and influence of the player.

In the summer of 2016, after An Luo was selected by the Thunder, he received a sneaker contract from Adidas.The offer at the time was $5 million for five years.The average annual shoe contract of $200 is not a lot for a lottery rookie, but it is not a lot.Of course, it is far from the 40-year 14 million endorsement contract signed by 5-year No. 1100 pick Andrew Wiggins and Adidas.It can't even be compared with James!

Of course, An Luo didn't sign it at the time.The price is not a big problem, the number of years is really long.Coupled with the firm attitude of the other party, An Luo gave up.Looking at it now, this decision is very wise.Although he lost two years of income, with An Luo's current worth, he could earn a lot of 200 million in the remaining three years.Just like the sneaker contracts that An Luo sees now.Each is a much higher amount than Wiggins' contract.

However, an ordinary cash contract is not what An Luo and his agent team expected.As an All-Star player, and an All-Star player who won a championship at the age of 20, An Luo deserves a player-exclusive sneaker contract anyway.Such a contract, in addition to a higher amount, can also get their customized sneaker models, and their unique marks or logos will be added to the sneakers.Players such as Griffin, Cousins, Butler, and Lowry signed such contracts.

There's a level of sneaker contracts on top of that, though.That is the signature sneaker that belongs only to the brightest stars on the court.It is also the ideal choice for An Luo and his agent team.This type of contract represents the highest signing value and the most realistic design.For all athletes with signature shoes, the brand's top designers will ensure that the shoes are made according to the special requirements of the players.Special requests here also include players' own stories and personalization.

Of course, such a contract is far more complicated than an ordinary sneaker contract.There will be a lot of restrictions and incentives.There are certain requirements for the number of times players play each season, performance and sales of sneakers.If the requirements are not met, it is very likely that a large amount of money will be lost as a result.But even so, such a contract is far more profitable than a cash contract.For example, Westbrook, in the season when he won the MVP of the regular season, he received millions of dollars worth of rewards.Moreover, players will also have a stable sales dividend.This value is generally around 5%.You know, this is not a small amount.Take James as an example. In 2015, his sneaker sales were 3.4 million U.S. dollars, and he received a dividend of as much as 1700 million U.S. dollars.In this league, there are not many players whose annual salary can reach 1700 million US dollars!
The number of players with signature sneakers in the entire league is very limited.For example, Nike's James, Kobe, Durant and Irving, Jordan's Paul, Westbrook and Anthony, Adidas' Rose and Lillard, and Under Armour's Curry.Here, except for the signature sneakers designed by Nike for James, who was still a rookie in 2003, everyone else started with exclusive sneakers for players, and finally had their own signature sneakers through continuous efforts.

Therefore, it is basically impossible to win such a signed sneaker contract for An Luo.At least, with An Luo's current ability and status, he cannot meet this standard.However, nothing is absolute.There is also an easier way.Just like players like Klay Thompson, Wade, and Tony Parker, sign with brands other than these giants.Whether it is Anta, Li Ning or Peak, it is a good choice.

This time, in the sneaker contract brought by Zhang Mingji, there are quotations from these three companies.These three companies seem to have negotiated, and the price of each contract is much higher than that of the giants in the United States, but the period is also much longer.Anta's 10 years of 7000 million US dollars, Li Ning 8 years of 6000 million US dollars, Peak 7 years of 5000 million US dollars.And none of the few in the United States has more than 500 million sales a year.All other terms are similar, and the dividends are also 5%.

As a player who has only played for two years, such a contract is indeed a bit exaggerated.But for an All-Star averaging 27 points per game, it's average.After all, Klay Thompson signed a 10-year $8000 million contract with Anta last year!Therefore, everyone feels that it is necessary to take time to negotiate with these companies again.

(End of this chapter)