Chapter 30: The Agent!

Before facing the Knicks, the Lakers players were granted a day and a half of rest. After a grueling back-to-back schedule, the players' stamina had reached its limit. Despite the break, Li Rui did not slack off; instead, he headed to the practice facility with Kobe Bryant for extra training. Kobe practiced his shooting, while Li Rui continued to work on his ball-handling.

During a break, the two sat on the floor to rest. Li Rui handed a bottle of mineral water to Kobe, who took it, tilted his head back to take a sip, and said, "Li, your ball-handling has improved since before."

Kobe had observed this during their recent session. The 17-point boost to Li Rui's ball-handling attribute was no joke; he was now capable of performing far more complex drills. Li Rui shrugged and replied, "Consistent practice eventually leads to progress." He couldn't exactly tell Kobe he was using a system cheat; that sort of thing was too difficult to explain. Kobe, suspecting nothing, found it perfectly normal that Li Rui, who practiced his dribbling every single day, would show improvement.

Taking advantage of the rest, Li Rui opened his phone and frowned at the constant stream of notifications popping up on Twitter. Seeing this, Kobe remarked, "Li, if you're short on money for a car, you can keep driving mine for as long as you need."

From his initial skepticism to his growing approval, Kobe’s attitude toward Li Rui had shifted significantly. In Kobe's mind, Li Rui was still on a non-guaranteed contract that didn't reflect his performance on the court, and he felt it was important to continue encouraging such a rookie to train hard.

Li Rui was somewhat surprised by Kobe’s offer of help, but he quickly understood—this was classic "Big Brother" behavior from Kobe. Though Kobe was known for his harsh criticism and bullying of teammates on the court, he was a genuinely good person in private life. When a teammate truly needed help, he would assist within his means rather than adopting an indifferent attitude. Kobe was the type of person who made a good friend; he didn't treat you differently whether you were at your peak or in a slump. Li Rui remembered how Kobe had helped Lamar Odom when he ran into trouble after leaving the NBA.

"Would you mind lending me a million dollars?" Li Rui asked casually.

"What happened? Are you buying a car or a villa?" Kobe reached for his gym bag, pulling out a checkbook and a pen, ready to write.

"Haha, just a joke." Seeing that Kobe was genuinely prepared to lend him the money, Li Rui quickly shook his head. "You misunderstood. Actually, money isn't that big of a problem for me, but I'm struggling with the issue of an agent. I don't know how to find a suitable one. As long as I have an agent, I can sign a few endorsement deals to make some money. Could you help me recommend one?"

Yesterday, Li Rui's Twitter following had exploded, leading to a flood of endorsement offers from various brands. The sheer volume of messages was overwhelming. He felt he needed a professional to handle these affairs; once he secured one or two deals, his financial predicament would be resolved, and buying a car would be a trivial matter.

For an NBA player, an agent is crucial. They serve as both an "amplifier of commercial value" and a "shock absorber for risks." They need to be well-versed in the Collective Bargaining Agreement, possess a sharp eye for investment, demonstrate crisis management skills, and maintain cross-industry resources. Barkley once said, "A good agent can help you play five years longer, earn an extra 100 million dollars, and even change the historical standing of your career." From a rookie contract to retirement planning, every decision made by an agent reshapes a player's professional trajectory. Because the impact was so significant and the requirements for professionalism and character were so high, Li Rui was very cautious. He figured that seeking help from the experienced Kobe might provide the answer.

Kobe thought for a moment, put his checkbook and pen back in his bag, stood up, and said, "Hmm, I see. Let's finish training first." With that, he went back to shooting.

*Sigh.* Boss, what does "I see" mean? Boss, are you going to help or not? Say something... Li Rui was left baffled. Kobe loved leaving things half-said, which was truly frustrating.

However, after returning to the hotel following the afternoon practice, Li Rui received a call from an unknown number. It didn't seem like a spam call, so he answered.

"Li, hello, this is Rob Pelinka."

This was Kobe's agent—the future general manager of the Lakers! What would he want with him?

Li Rui replied, "Oh, hello."

"It’s like this: Kobe just spoke to me about your situation, and I think we have room for collaboration..."

...

The next day at noon, after finishing his morning workout, Li Rui met Rob Pelinka at the steakhouse in the hotel where the Lakers were staying. Pelinka happened to be in a city near New York and, after a brief communication with Li Rui the previous night, had scheduled a meeting for the next day.

"Li, good afternoon." Rob Pelinka stood up and reached out his hand as Li Rui approached.

"Hello, Rob." Li Rui nodded and shook his hand.

Pelinka made a great first impression: well-dressed, hair slicked back, clean-cut, and wearing a constant smile—every bit the professional agent.

"You’ve been playing great these last few games. Kobe keeps saying you’re the best shooter the Lakers have." After pulling out a chair for Li Rui, Pelinka snapped his fingers and called, "Waiter, we're ready to order."

When Pelinka received Kobe's call the day before, his first thought was that he had to sign Li Rui; the kid was clearly a major client. Pelinka had just left his previous agency to start his own firm, and he didn't have many players on his roster yet.

Once the waiter brought the menus, Li Rui ordered a steak. "Rob, let's skip the small talk. I really just want to understand: if I sign with you, what can you do for me?"

Time was precious to Li Rui, and he didn't want to waste it on idle chatter. Of course, he couldn't help but feel a small sense of pride hearing Kobe boast about him to Pelinka.

Seeing that Li Rui had no interest in flattery or nonsense, Pelinka didn't hesitate to present his own strengths: "Beyond just making money together, I can help you resolve many kinds of trouble..."

Pelinka’s core clients included Kobe, Derek Fisher, and Andre Iguodala, with Kobe being his biggest client. His partnership with Kobe began during the 2003 "Eagle County incident," when Kobe was mired in sexual assault allegations. As both a lawyer and agent, Pelinka helped him navigate the legal crisis. Pelinka assisted Kobe in completing multiple contract renewals (such as the 7-year, $136 million extension with the Lakers in 2004) and spearheaded the restructuring of his commercial endorsements (such as Nike and McDonald's).

By the time the steaks arrived, Pelinka had finished detailing the responsibilities of an agent and his own resume. Li Rui began eating, considering the information as he chewed. From the perspective of Li Rui's future knowledge, Pelinka was clearly an excellent agent. He would eventually become the GM of the Lakers, demonstrating both immense professional capability and high emotional intelligence. More importantly, his character seemed solid; he hadn't been known to screw over his players during his career. Furthermore, someone Kobe trusted enough to have a deep relationship with couldn't be all bad—there was a reason why referrals from acquaintances were so effective.