As soon as the game ended, Kobe immediately left and returned to the locker room.
Not leaving midway was a sign of extreme restraint on his part.
He didn't want to stay and watch the victor enjoy worship.
"Little giant."
Zhang Zhiyuan received his first NBA nickname, and fans at the scene compared him to the trumpet Yao Ming.
Although it is not very appropriate, it is a way for fans to recognize his strength.
Zhang Zhiyuan naturally accepted it happily and waved to the fans.
Back in the locker room, Zhang Zhiyuan was teased by his teammates.
"It's almost done. Let him take a shower. He will have to deal with reporters later."
After pranking for a while, Yao Ming reminded.
After Zhang Zhiyuan's amazing performance in the first half, the game's ratings continued to rise.
And those reporters were like sharks that smelled the smell of blood, and rushed to Houston one after another.
For such big news, it is natural to get first-hand information.
In the bathroom, Zhang Zhiyuan let the hot water wash over his body, and his consciousness entered the system to check the harvest.
In this game, Kobe contributed a total of 840 hatred points to him.
Vujacic has 120 points, and the rest of the Lakers have a total of more than 200 points.
The total number exceeds one thousand, making huge profits.
At the same time, he also gained more than 100 friendship points from Yao Ming, Battier and others.
Yao Ming's personal friendship score with him has exceeded 100.
In other words, now that Zhang Zhiyuan has tied the chain to Yao Ming, he can increase Yao Ming's attributes by 6%.
The 6% bonus to Yao Ming's attributes is very small and of little significance.
Unless his teammates are extremely kind to him, or he himself has become a super giant, the bond chain should be thrown to the opponent first in order to obtain the maximum benefit.
After taking a shower, Zhang Zhiyuan began to wait for the post-match interview.
The first team to play was the Lakers, and Kobe was not absent.
"Kobe, you were defeated by an undrafted player in this game. Why is that?"
the reporter asked.
"First of all, I don't agree with the concept of smashing. I also scored a lot of points. Of course, my performance today was really bad, but everyone has this kind of time, and it is normal."
What Kobe said is very reasonable, every player has times when he performs poorly.
"How do you evaluate Zhang as a player?"
the reporter asked.
"He is a twitchy player, and he is very powerful when he occasionally breaks out."
Kobe gritted his teeth and praised.
There was no way, he couldn't open his eyes and tell lies, saying that Zhang Zhiyuan was trash.
If Zhang Zhiyuan who scored 41 points is trash, then wouldn't he who scored less than 30 points be worse than trash?
Kobe's words were complimentary on the surface, but in fact they were derogatory.
A player with convulsions subtly means that they are average at ordinary times.
"How did you feel after listening to Zhang's song? Is your poor condition related to this song?"
You can't escape what is coming, Kobe sighed secretly.
"It's nonsense. It's a pity the melody. I think he should change the lyrics."
Kobe said.
"Do you agree with the sentiments in the song?"
"Do you miss O'Neal?"
"Will you and O'Neal have another chance to join forces in the future?"
"Have you tried to persuade Zhang to stay with the Lakers after he left? Are there any conflicts between you two?"
…
The questions came one after another, making Kobe dizzy.
Fortunately, he does not need to answer all of them, just answer a few to fulfill the obligations stipulated by the alliance.
Kobe refused to answer, so reporters could only turn to Phil Jackson and ask him why the Lakers didn't keep Zhang Zhiyuan.
"This is a management decision."
Jackson got himself out, but he won't take the blame.
In interviews with losers, it is generally difficult to get the answers you want.
But it’s not a big problem. Journalists can write news based on their own guesses.
The Lakers' interview ended, and then the winner came out.
Fan Gundy, Yao Ming, and Zhang Zhiyuan attended.
"Zhang, congratulations on your wonderful game. How do you feel now?"
the reporter asked.
"I'm very panicked, worried, and scared."
Zhang Zhiyuan came up with a rather different answer.
"Why?"
Before Zhang Zhiyuan finished speaking, a reporter with a more impatient temper asked him first.
"Because this is not my true level, it's just that I'm lucky. I'm worried that people will mistakenly think this is my true level and praise me too highly..."
Zhang Zhiyuan actually wants to be so cool and cool, but he also knows that he doesn't have the strength yet, so he can only be humble first to avoid being praised.
When Zhang Zhiyuan said this, the reporters immediately understood and couldn't help complaining that Zhang Zhiyuan was too sensible and this was not their type.
"Let's talk about that song. Did you do that on purpose? Did you ever think that it was disrespectful to Kobe?"
After a few routine questions, the reporter started to make things difficult.
"It's intentional, but it's just out of respect for Kobe. It's because I recognize his strength that I take the trouble to use some extraordinary means. Others want to be influenced by my writing songs, but I don't have the energy.
You know, it’s not easy to write a good song. For Kobe Bryant’s song, my two pens ran out of gas.”
The reporter laughed when he heard this, and seemed to agree with Zhang Zhiyuan's explanation.
"There are rumors that you left the Lakers because you didn't get along with Kobe. Is that true?"
the reporter asked.
"Of course not."
"Then what is the real reason why you left the Lakers? Don't use the contract as an excuse. The contract the Rockets gave you is not as big as the Lakers' contract?"
the reporter asked.
This is a mystery that many people don’t understand and are very curious about.
"Because I'm not strong enough. If I were the top pick in the draft, and if I showed great potential, I could have one person for a city. But I'm just an undrafted player. It's normal for me to wander around."
Of course Zhang Zhiyuan would not tell the real reason, he could only talk nonsense.
However, there is nothing wrong with his nonsense to reporters.
"In other words, will you leave the Rockets in the future?"
This question is very tricky.
If Zhang Zhiyuan said no, it would be a slap in the face immediately.
But he couldn't admit it, because that would be tantamount to breaking up with the team.
This kind of problem can only be avoided, there is no other way.
"Please, do you dare to ask further, such as asking about my plans after retirement, my plans when I get old? I can tell you that when I get old, I plan to climb Mount Everest and go diving. It's nonsense, isn't it, because I
It’s just nonsense, because I never thought about such a long time ago..."
Zhang Zhiyuan talked a lot and successfully changed the topic, leaving the reporters in tears.
From this, they determined that Zhang Zhiyuan was not easy to interview and it was unlikely that he would say the wrong thing.
Afterwards, the reporter turned the microphone to Van Gundy and Yao Ming.
The answers given by Van Gundy and Yao Ming were quite satisfactory. They were nothing more than some words of praise, nothing new, and reporters could even roughly predict the contents.
In contrast, they found that Zhang Zhiyuan's answers were somewhat fresh and could be used for reporting.
The next day, Zhang Zhiyuan beat James Kobe and others to make the front page of NBA news.
The first player in history to score 40 as an undrafted player, and he was playing against Kobe.
This achievement alone is enough for him to leave his name in the league.
What's more, he is still young, has just started playing in the NBA, and has a promising future.
Although Zhang Zhiyuan kept a low profile during the interview and stated that this was just a super performance.
However, the media still ignored this point and praised it lavishly.
He said "James didn't do it either" and praised him very highly.
Moreover, some people actually believed it.
Just after the game against the Lakers, Smail received a call. A team was trying to inquire about Zhang Zhiyuan's whereabouts next season.
Many people noticed Zhang Zhiyuan's thoughts from the one-year contract he signed.
The Rockets may be just a springboard, and he plans to stay with the Rockets for a long time.
At the same time, some small brands have also approached Smail and want to find Zhang Zhiyuan to endorse.
This is a kind of gambling, taking advantage of Zhang Zhiyuan before he becomes famous.
Once Zhang Zhiyuan becomes a superstar in the future, it will be a bloody profit.
Big brands such as Nike and Adidas are not so hasty. They still need to observe further.
On the 29th, McGrady, who had only rested one game, applied to play.
"Didn't the team doctor recommend two games of rest?"
Van Gundy asked.
"Coach, I have fully recovered."
Maddie said jumping up and down.
"Tracy, you can rest a little longer."
Van Gundy said.
"Coach, I have fully recovered."
Maddie said jumping up and down.
"Get in good shape and play in the playoffs. This season is our best chance. I don't want any surprises."
Van Gundy.
"Coach, I have fully recovered."
…
In the end, Van Gundy still couldn't defeat McGrady.
On March 30, the Rockets played against the Jazz, and Zhang Zhiyuan returned to normal, making 5 of 10 shots and scoring 13 points.
He has worked very hard in this game, but Kirilenko is really difficult to deal with.
Another important reason is that his opponents no longer despise him.
How could the Jazz not target a man who scored 40 points in front of Kobe Bryant?
More importantly, with McGrady's comeback, Zhang Zhiyuan's shooting rights have been greatly reduced.
There is also less playing time.
At the same time, Kobe Bryant scored 48 points against the Knicks, proving that the last game was just an accident.
After scoring 48 points, Kobe still had some regrets. He would have preferred to score 48 points against the Rockets.
"Zhang, sign it, 2 million for five years. Daisy is very sincere."
After the game, Smail persuaded.
After the game against the Lakers, Smyer received a cooperation intention from a shampoo brand.
The other party offered two million dollars over five years, and Smail was very satisfied, which meant he could get two hundred thousand dollars.
Unfortunately, Zhang Zhiyuan vetoed it.
Two million in five years. If Smail hadn't introduced him to the current endorsement contracts of other players, he would have suspected that the other party was humiliating him.
"Don't panic, please have some faith in me."
Zhang Zhiyuan complained.
He explained his plan to Smail. He would not sign any endorsements this season and would wait until the playoffs were over.
The moment you win the championship and perform brilliantly in the finals is the best time to sign a contract.
Unfortunately, Smail is not as calm as Zhang Zhiyuan. He just wants to be safe and earn one point first.
Players are short-lived, and Smail has seen too many.
"Okay, in that case I'll go to a nightclub part-time for a while."
Smile said helplessly.
Since he is not signing any endorsement deals this season, he has nothing to do for the time being and no additional income.
Therefore, he needs to earn some extra money to support himself.
"..."
Zhang Zhiyuan was shocked. He didn't expect that Smail was already in such a tight situation.
"You won. Congratulations on becoming the first agent to be supported by a player."
Zhang Zhiyuan complained while signing a check for fifty thousand US dollars, which was regarded as an advance salary.
He had no choice, he didn't want to be exposed by the media that his manager was still working part-time as a gigolo in a nightclub.
"How can this be so embarrassing?"
Smail accepted the check "very embarrassed."
Entering April, the end of the season, the competition becomes more and more fierce.
In order to gain home court advantage and a spot in the playoffs, many teams have begun to fight tooth and nail.
The Rockets battled the Pistons and Nets in a row, winning one and losing the other.
Zhang Zhiyuan scored 16 points and 9 points respectively.
Standard role player statistics.
Seeing his performance, many people felt relieved, and this was in line with their perceptions.
If an undrafted player regularly scores 3040, they'll go crazy.
Seeing Zhang Zhiyuan's stable performance, Nike, Adidas, Anta and other sneaker companies officially took action to try to win Zhang Zhiyuan.
Although Zhang Zhiyuan's points per game have dropped by 20, he is a Chinese player.
Yao Ming's first season was only 13.5, and most of the brands that invested in Yao Ming have already made a lot of money.
Although Zhang Zhiyuan does not have the static talent that is visible to the naked eye like Yao Ming, Zhang Zhiyuan is still young and has strong mental attributes.
When he first entered the league, he forced himself on Garnett and Kobe. There is a high probability that such a player could become something big.
What's more, there are many topics about Zhang Zhiyuan.
Either he has a grudge with the mvp, or he has an affair with the future queen.
If we don’t invest in this kind of potential stock as soon as possible, the executives of Nike and Adidas will resign.
Try your best to sign Zhang Zhiyuan, this is the consensus of many brands.
There is only one question now, and that is how much to pay for the contract.
If the contract is too big, you risk losing money; if the contract is too small, you may not be able to get it.
"How about 5 million in 5 years? Paul's contract is only 2.4 million in 4 years. Don't you think he can be better than Paul?"
At Nike headquarters, an analyst put forward his own opinion.
"Wake up, David. We must admit that we took a huge advantage in Paul, but that doesn't mean we can sign Zhang like this.
Don’t forget, this guy dared to ask for 16 million for four years after playing five games. Judging from the fact that he only signed a one-year contract with the Rockets, it’s obvious that he has absolute confidence in himself.”
Another analyst countered that he felt five million over five years was too little and was simply an insulting offer.
Making such an offer may damage Nike's image in Zhang Zhiyuan's mind.
"Times have changed. Nowadays, player contracts are getting bigger and bigger, and we can only increase accordingly. I think 20 million in five years is still okay. There is a Chinese market, and the risk is actually very small."
"It's better to talk to Smile. I don't think we can get it done even with 20 million."
"It is also important to find out the bottom line of competitors such as Adidas and Anta."
"In short, we must win Zhang. We have lost Yao and cannot make such mistakes again."
Nike once had the opportunity to renew Yao Ming's contract. The psychological expectation of Yao Ming's team was 5 million per year, but Nike made an insulting offer of 1.6 million for four years.
So much so that even though Nike later offered a 100-million-yuan contract, it was unable to retain Yao Ming.
…
Everyone was talking a lot, studying Zhang Zhiyuan's value and how to extract value from Zhang Zhiyuan.
