Smail quit his nightclub job not only because Zhang Zhiyuan gave him a salary advance, but also because he has been very busy recently.
Various endorsements and teams have approached him for cooperation.
Thirty million in five years.
This is a tentative offer from Nike, which is full of sincerity.
It was only six years after Kobe Bryant won three consecutive championships that he earned 48 million.
At least, Smail is very satisfied with this contract. As long as Zhang Zhiyuan nods, he can get a commission of 3 million from this endorsement.
He became rich overnight and truly realized the American dream.
It's a pity that Zhang Zhiyuan said that we would talk after the playoffs.
"I'm really sorry. Zhang is preparing for the playoffs wholeheartedly and doesn't want to talk about endorsements at this time."
Smail told the truth, but the people at Nike didn't believe it.
They have seen many such bargaining tactics.
"Come on, man, this is a sincere offer, what else are you dissatisfied with?"
The people at Nike complained unhappily.
"I admit that Nike is very sincere, but Zhang really has no intention of commercial activities now. He just wants the championship."
Smail did not dare to offend Nike, so he could only explain with a smile.
This statement made everyone at Nike confused.
If you are dissatisfied with the quotation, at least you have to pay back the price. How can you negotiate if you don’t make a counteroffer?
Could it be that Smail was telling the truth?
The people at Nike felt a bit ridiculous.
There are actually players who are indifferent to tens of millions of dollars and just want to win the game and win the championship.
This is impossible, absolutely impossible.
"Does Zhang think he can perform well in the playoffs and help the Rockets win the championship?"
David smiled, he vaguely guessed Zhang Zhiyuan's intention.
If you perform better, you can get a bigger contract.
This idea is certainly correct, but it also carries considerable risks.
There have been some rookies who have done this, and some have succeeded, but many have failed.
Needless to say, there is currently such a loser in the Rockets.
Bonchi Wells, the Kings gave him a five-year, 38.5 million contract the year before last, but he tried to perform better and get a bigger contract.
The results got worse and worse, and the king gave up directly.
With no one interested, he could only sign a two-year, 5 million partially guaranteed contract with the Rockets.
His performance in the Rockets was even worse, and he was almost marginalized.
Maybe, his mentality has collapsed.
No matter who it is, it is impossible to take the loss of more than 30 million US dollars calmly.
Even if he didn't go to the balcony, he was considered strong.
David thinks Zhang Zhiyuan may be the next Wells, Sprewell...
"Of course, Zhang has always been so confident."
Smile said.
"If that's the case, then we'll just wait for Zhang's performance."
As long as Zhang Zhiyuan doesn't choose another brand, David won't panic.
It might not be a bad thing for Nike to wait until after the playoffs.
Maybe Zhang Zhiyuan was targeted in the playoffs, his weaknesses were exposed, and he performed poorly.
Then Nike can also take the opportunity to lower the price and spend less money.
After meeting with people from Nike, Smail went to appointments with Adidas and Reebok.
In the face of these two companies, Smail still said the same thing.
People in Adi are somewhat disdainful of Zhang Zhiyuan's greed.
The people from Reebok continued to express their sincerity, saying that they would negotiate as soon as possible after the playoffs.
There is no airtight wall in the world, and soon Zhang Zhiyuan’s rejection of the three major sneaker manufacturers was leaked and became a big news.
It is rare to reject them all.
"Good guy, he rejected 30 million in five years. Who does he think he is, Kobe? LeBron? Yao?"
"Adi also refused the seven-year offer of 40 million yuan. Is this Zhang a second-generation rich man?"
"What does this mean? Reebok refused seven years and seventy million. Madfak, give me seventy million and let me do anything."
"It is said that Zhang wants to get a higher value in the playoffs."
"Arrogant, he will regret it."
…
He will regret it, this is the view of many people.
An important reason why Zhang Zhiyuan is performing well now is that his opponents don't know much about him.
The playoffs are a best-of-seven game system. You have to play the same opponent frequently, and the opponent has enough energy to study and target.
The playoffs are more brutal and intense, and players who play in the playoffs for the first time often perform poorly.
On the 6th, the Rockets played against the Wizards at home.
Before the game, Zhang Zhiyuan was blocked by reporters and asked about the endorsement issue.
"Zhang, I heard that you rejected offers from Nike, Adidas and Reebok. Is that true?"
"It can't be considered a rejection, but the playoffs are about to start. I don't think players should be distracted at this time. I just want to play the game well now."
Zhang Zhiyuan still has the same beautiful words.
Not to mention, this kind of "dedication" that sounds very "dedicated" at first glance can really win the favor of many fans.
"Really? But there are rumors that you want to gain a higher value through the playoffs."
The reporter was not moved by Zhang Zhiyuan, but instead raised questions.
"Although this rumor is untrue, it's okay even if I think so. Should I hope that I don't do well in the playoffs?"
Zhang Zhiyuan asked rhetorically.
"Of course it's no problem, but are you sure you can do better in the playoffs?"
the reporter asked.
"I refuse to answer because you doubt my confidence."
Zhang Zhiyuan laughed and teased.
After getting the answer he wanted, the reporter let Zhang Zhiyuan go.
Players enter and warm up.
The commentators were also gossiping about Zhang Zhiyuan.
There is no way, his gossip is more topical.
Rejecting three major brands and turning down US$70 million is a rare thing.
"This is a smart choice. As a Chinese, he will definitely enter the All-Star next year. His commercial value is great."
Smith.
"Moreover, at his current age, he will definitely be able to grow in the future. There is really no need to rush to sign endorsement deals, otherwise he will easily suffer losses, just like Paul and Kobe."
Buckley agreed.
TNT is now suspected of being a fan of Zhang Zhiyuan, and the commentators on other TV stations are not so friendly.
"Maybe that's what his teammate Wells taught him."
"He will regret it, I guarantee it."
…
In China, the news about Zhang Zhiyuan gave a small boost to the development of Chinese basketball.
"Seventy million U.S. dollars, how profitable is it to play basketball?"
"What does this mean? Yao Ming got a higher contract than this a few years ago."
"Damn, I want to play basketball."
"Others are collecting cash at the age of 19, but I am still collecting money at the age of 19."
…
Some people's views on basketball are changing, and some people are taking action.
On site, the game begins.
The Rockets have lined up the starting lineup of Alston, Tracy McGrady, Battier, Zhang Zhiyuan and Yao Ming.
Zhang Zhiyuan's rebounding ability is slightly inferior to that of Hayes, his defense is about the same, but his offense is much better.
McGrady and Battier's starting lineup is unbeatable, so Hayes has to make sacrifices.
The Wizards are Arenas, Stevenson, Caron Butler, Jamison and Brandon Haywood.
A lineup with strong offense and weak defense.
No matter who it is, it's easy to be inspired by playing with the Wizards.
The Wizards are difficult to guard, but don't worry too much, because it will be easier to score against the Wizards.
Yao Ming won the jump ball and the Rockets attacked first.
When Zhang Zhiyuan faced Jamison, he had no idea what it meant to respect the elderly and care for the young.
He was obviously much faster than Jamison, and he even put the dog leash on the opponent.
Thanks to his much faster speed, Zhang Zhiyuan got rid of Jamison in his running position.
Alston passed the ball in time, and the cooperation between the two was much better than the previous days.
Zhang Zhiyuan caught the ball and broke through, but no one else on the Wizards responded and failed to make up defense in time.
Zhang Zhiyuan took the shot easily and scored.
In the transition between offense and defense, the Wizards have an advantage.
Arenas is already strong, but Alston's defense is poor.
Arenas didn't even look for his teammates. He took the ball to the three-point line and shot directly.
Alston couldn't block it and the ball was scored.
"If the Rockets change their point guard, the lineup will be perfect."
Some Rockets fans can't help but think so.
When the Rockets attack, the Wizards players are paying careful attention to Zhang Zhiyuan, ready to defend at any time.
They just have poor defense, it doesn't mean they don't want to defend.
With too much attention on Zhang Zhiyuan, it is much easier for Yao Ming to grab position under the basket.
Arriving at a familiar position, Alston passed the ball over. Yao Ming received the ball and hit Haywood, then turned around and shot a jumper.
The ball goes in.
Then the two teams engaged in a battle.
Originally, the Rockets were a defensive-oriented team, but now they also have an advantage and lead in the attack.
So Van Gundy didn't call a timeout to change his style of play, and he wasn't that rigid.
Of course, another important reason is that it would be too comical if a timeout is called when the team has the advantage and the team falls behind later.
In this case, even if the coach has a thousand reasons, he can't explain it clearly, and the fans won't buy it.
The two teams continued to attack, and by the first official timeout, the two teams scored 16 to 23.
Yao Ming and Zhang Zhiyuan scored 17 points together and took over the team's offense.
"The Rockets have become a Chinese team."
espn's commentary complained.
The fact that the Rockets' star player is Chinese has already alienated some Americans.
Now that Rockets has a stronger Chinese flavor, some people are even more unhappy.
Of course, this is only a small part, most fans don't feel this way, they just think the Rockets played well.
The timeout ended and the Wizards made some defensive adjustments.
But they are very unlucky. Van Gundy just made a new arrangement, letting McGrady focus on the attack.
Van Gundy needs to consider McGrady's emotions and not make McGrady feel jealous.
Otherwise, we definitely won’t be able to make it far into the playoffs.
The ok combination is still strong in the later stage, but they can't win without concerted efforts.
Adding Payton and Malone won't work either.
The Wizards were in tragedy. They carefully watched Zhang Zhiyuan and Yao Ming, but McGrady kept taking shots.
But they can't immediately leave Zhang Zhiyuan to guard Tracy McGrady.
Once they did this, Zhang Zhiyuan dared to throw wildly, and he really dared to score.
"The Rockets' firepower is too strong. I can't imagine this is a Rockets game."
Smith sighed.
Before Zhang Zhiyuan came, the Rockets averaged only 95 points per game.
In the seven games with Zhang Zhiyuan, the Rockets' scoring average was as high as 108, a direct increase of 13 points.
Can multiple players score more points? That's nonsense.
If multiple people take action, the number of other people's actions will decrease.
The Rockets' increase in points per game can only mean one thing, their offensive efficiency has improved.
"It turns out that an undrafted player can really change a team. I think managers of other teams should spend more energy on undrafted players, and maybe they can find some treasures."
Buckley said.
On the court, the first quarter of the game has been played.
30 to 37, the Rockets lead by 7 points.
Yao Ming played 9 minutes and scored 9 points.
McGrady played 11 minutes and scored 11 points.
Zhang Zhiyuan played 9 minutes and scored 10 points.
The three of them arrived just in time for the entire Wizards team.
"The Big Three of the Rockets, these are the real Big Three."
Sun Zhengping smiled.
"If we keep playing like this, I feel like the Rockets can win the championship this year."
Zhang Lili sighed with emotion.
In the past, they often said that the Rockets had hope of winning the championship, but that was just a good wish and a way to attract fans.
Only now, Zhang Lili is serious.
The Rockets' defense has always been strong, but when Yao Ming's physical strength declines, there will be problems on offense.
And now, Zhang Zhiyuan has solved this problem perfectly.
Not only Zhang Lili thinks so, Barkley and Smith also said on the show that there is one more favorite to win this year, and other teams need to pay attention to the Rockets.
Some Mavericks, Spurs, and Suns fans couldn't help but curse.
The West is already very difficult, and now a dark horse appears. It is really difficult.
Lakers fans feel the same way, although they have no reason to worry.
In the second quarter of the game, Zhang Zhiyuan came on to lead the bench.
Van Gundy found that Zhang Zhiyuan's physical strength was unstable, sometimes full and sometimes weak.
Therefore, he has to train Zhang Zhiyuan in the regular season to prevent Zhang Zhiyuan from being able to adapt to the intensity of the playoffs.
Zhang Zhiyuan is very satisfied with this, he needs to practice during his substitute time.
Only in the substitute lineup can he fire unlimitedly.
When the Rockets attacked, Zhang Zhiyuan did not move, but reached for the ball for a single.
Open shots are definitely more efficient, but Zhang Zhiyuan cannot blindly pursue open opportunities.
As a man who wants to become a superstar, he must practice various offensive skills and accumulate experience.
With the ball in his hands, Zhang Zhiyuan pushed forward with one hand against Thomas.
Thomas was extremely nervous and did not dare to let Zhang Zhiyuan get close to the basket.
Unexpectedly, Zhang Zhiyuan suddenly stopped jumping and leaned back to take action.
Thomas followed suit, but the movement looked more like a show.
The start is too slow and has no defensive effect at all.
The ball goes in.
In the next round, Zhang Zhiyuan made a back-turn jumper.
In the next round, Zhang Zhiyuan turned around and broke through to get a foul and made two free throws.
Wizards coach Eddie Jordan reluctantly replaced Thomas and replaced him with Caron Butler.
Caron Butler's defense is considered relatively good among the Wizards.
In the first round, he blocked Zhang Zhiyuan.
But Zhang Zhiyuan did not back down and continued to beat Butler in singles.
Strike, strike, strike again... In, and again.
Really Kobe style play.
It wasn't until the Rockets replaced Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady that Zhang Zhiyuan stopped.
He scored 10 points in the five minutes he led the team, but the team lost 10-13 by 3 points.
After Yao Mai came on the court, Zhang Zhiyuan dropped to the bottom corner and acted as a pure shooter, attracting the defense.
It's not that he is "sensible", the main reason is that he is tired.
Playing alone with the ball consumes much more energy than watching a show from the sidelines.
Now even if my teammates pass the ball to me, he can't attack. I need to take a breather.
Subsequently, Yao and Mai took turns to fire and took over the game.
Barkley joked: "They panic, they panic, they are already doubting Zhang's purpose of going to the Rockets. This Kobe-style play is not to help the team win the championship, it is clearly to compete for the boss."
