Lifetime Endorsement

The reporter was taken aback by Li Chen's question. He reflexively reread the text message on his phone, checking that he had it right, then said:

"Mr. Li Chen, Mr. Garnett only said that. What do you mean?"

He muttered as if talking to himself, though it also sounded like an answer. "That doesn't make sense! By rights, he should've said something harsh like what Mr. Larry Bird said, telling me to go drive a truck or something!"

At that, everyone paused for a moment, then smiled faintly.

"Haha! Don't take it seriously. I was just joking."

Then Li Chen's expression turned serious. "I have no doubt about what Garnett said. After all, he's an All-Star Player and a First Team All-Defensive selection. He has every reason to say that."

That is, unless I randomly get an S-rank ability that doesn't match.

Hearing Li Chen and the others dance around the question, the reporters were a little disappointed.

Li Chen then chatted with the reporters for a while, finally making it through the postgame press conference.

On the way back to the hotel, Li Chen said, "Coach Alvin Gentry, I'm not suited to this sort of thing. Next time, you should find someone else."

"Chen, you did pretty well!" Alvin Gentry asked, surprised.

"Ugh!" Li Chen sighed. "It's exhausting! They're always setting traps for me. I'd rather spend that time shooting a few more three-pointers."

Alvin Gentry: "..."

What Li Chen didn't know was that the reporters had already embellished his grumbling and passed it along to Garnett.

Garnett gritted his teeth and swore he'd defend Li Chen so fiercely he'd make him question his own existence.

As Li Chen and Coach Alvin Gentry headed back, Li Chen got a call from Bill Duffy.

"Good evening, Mr. Bill Duffy."

"Hahaha! Good evening, good evening."

Bill Duffy was in a great mood that day. Li Chen could hear his excitement even over the phone.

Before Li Chen could ask why, Bill Duffy said, "Chen, your luck's in. You've got a huge endorsement deal, one beyond anything you could imagine. Oh, my God! I still can't believe they're offering terms like this."

Li Chen was surprised, then curious, and finally excited.

He eagerly asked, "How big? Ten million over three years?"

"Hahaha! It's too late tonight, and I'm afraid you'll be too excited to sleep. Let's meet tomorrow, and I'll tell you then!"

Li Chen was speechless. Don't you realize this is going to keep me up all night too?

At the same time, Alvin Gentry heard Li Chen and congratulated him. "Chen, congratulations."

"Thank you!" Li Chen replied sincerely.

Four in the morning the next day.

A phone rang loudly in a quiet bedroom.

"Kobe, who is it? It's so annoying, calling this early," Vanessa complained.

Kobe, his eyes half-open, frowned too. He turned on the bedside lamp, then picked up the phone. "Hello? Who is this?"

Kobe's tone was unfriendly, clearly showing his irritation.

Li Chen didn't mind. He introduced himself. "It's me, Li Chen from the Clippers. I'm outside Staples Center, but the security guard won't let me in. He says you're not training at the arena."

The veins on Kobe's forehead bulged. "Fuck you! Do you know what time it is?"

"Four in the morning! What's wrong? Last time, weren't you training at this hour?" Li Chen asked, genuinely confused.

Kobe was at a loss for words. Last time? Last time was because I heard you got up to train at four in the morning. I didn't believe it, so I got up early to check.

It had never occurred to him that his neighbor from the East had mistakenly thought he got up to train at four in the morning too.

Should I explain it to him? Kobe wondered, hesitating.

Kobe had a strong sense of pride, and the thought of the surprised, disappointed look on Li Chen's face irritated him.

His mind raced, and he came up with an explanation. He forced himself to say, "We played a game yesterday, so I usually train an hour later than I normally would."

Li Chen nodded. "All right, then I'll head back. I'll come find you again at four tomorrow morning." With that, he hung up.

Kobe stared blankly at the phone after the call ended. Tomorrow? He's coming again tomorrow? Fuck you, are you a demon?

"Darling, who was it? That was so annoying."

"It's all right now, Vanessa."

The bedroom fell dark again, but Kobe couldn't get back to sleep for a long time. That guy really isn't going to call again tomorrow, is he? Should I block that bastard's number?

He was starting to regret going to see that Eastern Kid. Eventually, after tossing and turning, Kobe fell asleep with Vanessa in his arms.

And so, to maintain his image, Kobe was reluctantly forced into the bad habit of getting up at four in the morning to practice.

Years later, during his Hall of Fame speech, Kobe would still complain about how shameless Li Chen was. Only then would everyone realize that the man's success hadn't been an accident.

After hanging up, Li Chen grew thoughtful.

So the Black Mamba isn't as hardworking yet as he'd be later. But now...

A little after eight in the morning, Bill Duffy pushed open the doors to Paravilla Stadium.

"Haha! Chen, I knew you'd be here training."

Li Chen was very curious about what kind of endorsement could make Bill Duffy, a seasoned agent, so happy.

Li Chen didn't rush him.

Bill Duffy said, "Come on, let's talk over breakfast."

Soon, the two of them arrived at a Chinese restaurant.

"Eastern food really is delicious," Bill Duffy said, praising it as he ate.

Li Chen, meanwhile, studied the terms laid out in front of him.

He was surprised that Sketchers was willing to make such a generous offer.

But Li Chen felt it sounded more like empty promises.

The endorsement deal was split into two parts.

First, once Li Chen met several requirements set by Sketchers, the company would give him a 50 percent share of shoe profits and a 1 percent stake in Sketchers.

Those terms sounded very tempting, but the requirements showed just how difficult they would be to meet.

First, Li Chen had to win the 2002–2003 Rookie of the Year award and average a 30-point double-double.

Second, within three years he had to become an All-Star Player, win the Regular Season MVP, win an NBA championship, and earn an FMVP.

Finally, his signature shoes had to sell more than $200 million.

It was an impossible task for a rookie.

But Sketchers had thoughtfully prepared another option. If Li Chen couldn't do it, no problem—they had another offer ready for him.

If Li Chen failed to meet the requirements above, Sketchers would still give him a three-year endorsement deal worth $15 million.

Bill Duffy saw Li Chen set down the contract. "Chen, $15 million isn't a small amount. Sketchers is a small company, and for a company that size, they're showing a lot of sincerity."

After carefully considering it, Bill Duffy felt that Li Chen wouldn't meet Sketchers' demands within three years.

It wasn't that he looked down on Li Chen. He'd spent the night researching the figures and only then realized how unreasonable the requirements were. Even Jordan had averaged just 28.2 points in his rookie season!