Kobe: "Are you guys serious that Tang didn't stay with the Spurs because they didn't match the contract?"

Kobe's statement instantly changed the situation.

Kobe, even before retirement, was still considered the league's top player. Although Durant had made significant progress, his popularity clearly wasn't on the same level as Kobe's.

"The Boss is right!"

"What the Boss says is the truth!"

"The Boss truly understands basketball; what do you guys know!"

…

Although 6 billion Kobe fans is an exaggeration, Kobe's popularity is undeniable.

The situation on Twitter was reversed almost instantly.

And that wasn't even the biggest bombshell. Soon after, NBA Commissioner Stern even tweeted.

This was unprecedented!

Stern: "Comments on restricted free agents should be based on their status. Their decisions aren't solely based on their own will. The league must protect these players."

Protect restricted free agents?

Bullshit!

It's not like there's only one restricted free agent this year!

And Tang Tian isn't the only restricted free agent this year either!

However, upon closer inspection, Stern's statement was understandable.

Tang had just reignited the Chinese market. If he were unfairly smeared by fans, Stern would probably be furious.

There was another reason that only seasoned fans knew.

When the Pelicans were still called the Hornets, Stern had strongly promoted the Hornets' relocation back to post-disaster New Orleans, even hosting the All-Star Game there afterward.

It was an image for the league, and now that Tang Tian was willing to go to the rebuilding city, it was a great thing.

Before he could even praise it, people were already criticizing him. Wasn't that just stirring up trouble?

Kobe represented popularity, and Stern represented the official stance.

Popularity and the official stance were both siding with Tang Tian.

Tang Tian didn't want to argue with these trolls, but it seemed like he didn't even need to...

Durant was furious after seeing Kobe and Stern's tweets. He was about to post another tweet, but he found that he had been restricted from speaking.

The power from the official side...

He smashed another phone in anger.

Kobe and Stern's support finally quieted the storm on Twitter.

But it was clear that those who had criticized him were just afraid to speak up. They were lurking, waiting for Tang Tian to perform poorly in the new season before attacking again.

Tang Tian didn't bother with them. He was currently sitting in a cafe in New York, engaged in a lengthy negotiation with Nike representatives.

His two-year, $2.6 million contract with Nike had expired, and the two sides were negotiating a new contract.

Fagan was using all his persuasive skills to negotiate a new annual salary with Nike.

This was the first major endorsement contract of Tang Tian's career.

Nike's people were also trying to keep the price down.

Tang Tian's income for Nike over the past two years was considerable, and they valued Tang Tian very much.

This was evident from Tang Tian's Nike China tour before.

However, because Tang Tian had chosen to leave the Spurs, he had essentially left a championship-contending team to develop in a new city, and the future was full of unknowns.

Unknowns meant risks, which made them cautious during contract negotiations.

Tang Tian was just listening quietly at this time. He needed the money from this contract.

In the end, after a round of talks, there were no results. Both sides went back to rest and would continue the next day.

"Tang, what's your expected price range?"

After leaving the coffee shop, Fagan turned to Tang Tian and asked.

His current negotiation was based on Nike's offer, but he didn't have a specific number in mind.

"10 million a year, and the term shouldn't be too long."

Tang Tian replied.

Although he hadn't participated in the negotiation before, he had heard them talking about around 8 million a year.

A million-dollar endorsement contract was rare in the league, and it was usually only for superstars.

But endorsements depended on popularity, and Tang Tian's popularity was there. Plus, he was a swingman who could sell shoes, so the price couldn't be low.

Nike wanted to sign Yao Ming at his peak with a contract in the hundreds of millions.

Of course, Tang Tian's biggest consideration for that price was the krypton value (ke jin zhi).

The endorsement contracts with those domestic brands had been renewed for another year or two, and the endorsement fees had increased slightly. Plus, there was the second-year contract with BMW.

These added up to about $2 million more in krypton value for him.

And before signing with the Pelicans, he had also negotiated with Demps to advance his first-year salary in the contract.

NBA players can advance up to 80% of their total contract, but that's when the contract is large enough. For regular contracts, players and teams have to negotiate privately.

Tang Tian's one-year advance was written into the contract after negotiation.

This meant he already had about $5 million in krypton value.

A $10 million endorsement fee, after deducting Fagan's commission and taxes, plus some tax avoidance measures, would net him about $6 million.

Added together, his krypton value would break $10 million.

And $10 million was the price to buy a purple skill.

With so much external doubt, buying a purple skill was basically a must.

"That might take a few days."

Fagan said after thinking about it.

8 million to 10 million was a different level, and it wouldn't be easy to negotiate.

Even though Tang Tian was popular, there were only a handful of players in the league with million-dollar endorsement contracts.

If Tang Tian was still with the Spurs, he would be more confident, but now that he was with the Pelicans, it was hard to say.

Tang Tian nodded, telling him to keep negotiating.

If it didn't work out, he could just find a new endorsement company.

There was no such thing as too many endorsement contracts. Durant had more than 30 endorsement contracts a year during his peak.

In the following days, Tang Tian went to train on his own, leaving Fagan to negotiate with Nike's people.

After a week, Fagan asked him to come to the scene.

The contract had been negotiated: 4 years, $40 million.

Tang Tian didn't want to sign a long-term contract, and neither did Nike. After all, Tang Tian was now a semi-risk player.

The term they finally agreed on was relatively suitable for both parties.

With the formal signing, Tang Tian had secured the first million-dollar contract of his career.

Compared to arguing with fans on Twitter, this was clearly a more powerful response.

You Durant said I'm a traitor, but your current contract is 7 years, $60 million. My annual salary is higher than yours!

Annoyed?

Very annoyed, but there was nothing he could do about it. Reality was sometimes cruel.

The day after the contract was signed, Tang Tian received his first year's endorsement fee from Nike.

It was about $6 million.

His team's tax avoidance efforts were very effective, adding more than $1 million compared to normal.

With this, his krypton value reached $11 million, exceeding $10 million and meeting the requirement to exchange for a purple skill!