Chapter 41: Becoming a Millionaire, and the Wade Nine-Point Theory!

On the afternoon of the day before the Christmas Day game, Li Rui, who had just finished training, received a call from his agent, Rob Pelinka.

"Hey, Rob, what's up?"

"I've finally confirmed the endorsement fee with Louis Vuitton (LV): four million dollars for two years. Tomorrow morning at ten, we'll sign the contract at your hotel, followed by a brief press conference."

"Take a final look at the contract; I've sent it to your email. That's the exact one we'll be signing on-site."

"Got it!"

Hearing this, Li Rui instantly felt excited. Pelinka's efficiency was remarkably high, securing a brand endorsement for him in just a matter of days.

Having an endorsement meant having money.

Having lived in straitened circumstances for so long, the sudden prospect of becoming a millionaire felt a bit unfamiliar—both nerve-wracking and thrilling.

Opening his laptop and clicking on his email, Li Rui quickly downloaded the contract.

The endorsement contract set numerous requirements for Li Rui.

The primary focus was positive image cultivation: he was required to maintain an image consistent with the brand's tone in public settings (such as games, events, and social media), avoiding negative behavior or remarks that could damage the brand's reputation.

For instance, should Li Rui become involved in a scandal, the brand reserved the right to terminate the partnership and pursue breach-of-contract liabilities.

Next was participation in commercial activities; Li Rui was required to attend brand product launches, fashion weeks, charity galas, and other events as stipulated in the contract. As a Louis Vuitton spokesperson, he had to participate in the brand's global tours during the off-season and wear designated products.

Then came media promotion cooperation. He was required to participate in advertising shoots and interviews. The company requested that he shoot one promotional advertisement and one collaborative interview program annually.

There were also product usage requirements, dictating that he must prioritize using the endorsed products in public settings (such as games and daily activities)...

The entire contract contained many other provisions as well, quite rigorous and professional.

Endorsement contracts were generally of this type, with no unexpected issues.

The next morning, accompanied by Pelinka, Li Rui arrived at the decorated press conference venue.

"Hey, Li, from what I gather, your endorsement contract is exceptionally high for a rookie," Pelinka remarked to Li Rui.

Two million dollars a year—even after taxes, he would net around 1.1 million. Subtracting Pelinka's commission, that still left him with roughly one million dollars annually.

Li Rui's basketball salary was only 300,000 per year, making this three times his annual salary. Once the money hit his account, his student loans, his car, and other expenses would cease to be problems.

Hard work ultimately paid off.

Li Rui was not a player with extraordinarily high natural talent like Kobe Bryant or LeBron James; his current achievements relied entirely on his own relentless effort and the backing of his godfather.

"Well, I don't really have much of a concept for these numbers; I'll leave it all to you," Li Rui said with a smile. He genuinely didn't know where his endorsement value stood in the current market, and Pelinka was the professional.

"Keep playing hard. Once you make the All-Star team in the next two years, I'll find a way to get a few brands to sign lifetime contracts with you. The endorsement fees for All-Star players versus role players differ vastly," Pelinka noted.

"An All-Star? Why wait two years? Can't it be this year?" Li Rui shrugged.

"Don't be too confident..." Before Pelinka could finish his sentence, he suddenly remembered Li Rui's background. Back then, Chinese fans managed to vote Yao Ming into the All-Star starting lineup; given his current performance, Chinese fans could easily push Li Rui into the All-Star game as well.

"Hey, why did you stop talking?" Li Rui looked at Pelinka with playful amusement.

"Okay, in your case, you really don't need to worry about making the All-Star team. Just keep playing with consistent stability on the court," Pelinka conceded with a helpless chuckle.

Most of the time, the honor of being an All-Star represented a player's true strength.

Except when applied to Chinese players, where conventional logic didn't always strictly apply.

The signing ceremony went smoothly. After shaking hands with the LV executives, Li Rui signed his name on the endorsement contract.

A professional, commercial smile, holding up the contract.

"Snap, snap, snap!!!"

After a flurry of photos, the reporters moved on to a round of interviews.

Most of these interviews consisted of pre-arranged questions, the answers to which Li Rui had memorized beforehand.

Occasionally, there were impromptu questions about upcoming games, which Li Rui answered in a standard, straightforward manner.

The endorsement fees arrived remarkably quickly. Less than two hours after the signing ceremony concluded, the first installment (for the first year)—one million dollars—was deposited directly into his account.

The tax matters were left to the financial advisors hired by Pelinka to handle, meaning this was the net amount.

Looking at the $1,002,201 balance in his bank account, Li Rui felt immensely motivated.

He was determined to reach max-contract status within two years!

It would be exceptionally difficult, but Li Rui was willing to put in every ounce of effort.

At 1:00 PM, inside the Miami Heat locker room.

As the home team, the Heat had arrived earlier than their opponents.

Shaquille O'Neal was bent over, wiping down his basketball shoes over and over again with intense focus.

Nearby, Dwyane Wade rarely saw O'Neal behaving without his usual antics. Knowing it was because the Lakers were in town, Wade spoke up, "Shaque, I'll handle Kobe today. You just take care of the paint."

Hearing this, O'Neal looked up, flashing a wide, toothy grin as he said, "Small problem. Their interior defense is too weak."

O'Neal held no regard for Andrew Bynum and Kwame Brown.

Did Bynum hold the nickname "Little Shark"? He was the original Shark.

Was Kwame Brown considered a bust of a number-one draft pick? He was one of the most dominant number-one picks in history.

O'Neal didn't even deign to look those two players in the eye; his only concern was the Lakers' backcourt.

He knew Kobe's capabilities all too well—even Wade might not necessarily be able to stop him.

"By the way, you need to keep an eye on that Chinese guy too. His three-pointer is decent; Jason might not be able to handle him," O'Neal reminded Wade.

"That guy who's been all over the headlines lately? Fine, I'll make sure he feels miserable both on and off the court," Wade said with a smile.

"Shaq, Dwyane, time to come out for interviews." A Heat public relations staff member came over to call them out.

The Christmas Day game commanded massive attention, drawing a huge media turnout.

As soon as they stepped out, O'Neal and Wade were immediately surrounded by reporters. Accustomed to grand stages, both handled the situation with ease, answering questions in an orderly fashion.

Reporters relentlessly pressed O'Neal about Kobe, prompting O'Neal to pointedly flash his four championship rings so the cameras could zoom in for a close-up.

O'Neal understood Kobe thoroughly, knowing precisely how to inflict the maximum psychological blow.

Meanwhile, a reporter asked Wade, "Dwyane, the Lakers' Li is the hottest rookie right now. As a veteran, on a scale of one to ten, how would you rate his performances lately?"

Wade puffed out his cheeks slightly before replying, "Even though a lot of people want me to give him a perfect score, I won't. Let's give him a 9."

The reporter pressed, "Li has been doing wonderfully. Why only a 9?"

Wade said earnestly, "I've simply never seen a point guard with ball-handling skills that terrible. His level of play hasn't reached an NBA starting standard yet."

Wade's words were blunt, directly attacking Li Rui's glaring weakness.

Undeterred, the reporter asked, "Then whose performance do you think deserves a perfect score?"

Wade smiled and said, "I think Chris Quinn's performance deserves a ten. Quinn works hard and he's fantastic."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!!"

"Snap, snap, snap!!"

The reporters grew instantly excited, recognizing that Wade was deliberately stirring the pot.

Who was Chris Quinn? He was a former senior from the University of Notre Dame who went undrafted that year before being signed by the Heat. Averaging 3 points and 1 assist per game that season, his production was comparable to Li Rui's before his breakout, firmly establishing Quinn as an end-of-the-bench role player for the Heat.

Yet now, Wade deemed him worthy of a ten while giving Li Rui a 9, specifically criticizing Li Rui's ball-handling while suggesting Chris Quinn outclassed him in every other aspect. The double standard could not have been more obvious.