Chapter 54: The So-called Most Important Decision In Life
The first to engage in formal negotiations with Xu Ling’s team was still the domestic brand LN.
This time, they further raised the offer to 4 years 60 million US Dollars, once again showing astonishing sincerity. When LN’s representative calmly stated this number at the conference table, the conference room fell into a brief silence. Even Leon Rose, who had seen all kinds of big scenes, couldn’t hide his surprise—this not only far exceeded the price for a general rookie, but even in the entire history of Chinese business, it was an unprecedented bold contract.
Even more eye-catching was the horizontal comparison: on the same day, Nike had just officially announced a 7-year 60 million US Dollars endorsement contract with this draft’s other major hot pick Kevin Durant. On average, Kevin Durant’s annual salary was even less than 10 million. While LN’s offer to Xu Ling was not only more generous in total amount, it also conveyed an almost exceptional trust and expectation.
Xu Ling himself was also shocked. Although he had anticipated considerable offers, he didn’t expect a brand from his homeland to show such astonishing boldness.
Roderick Craig next to him almost jumped out of his chair, lowering his voice but unable to hide his excitement as he whispered in Xu Ling’s ear: “Brother, 4 years 60 million US Dollars! What are we waiting for? Take it!”
However, after a brief shock, Leon Rose quickly regained his calm. He clasped his hands on the table, looked sharply at the other representative, then slightly turned his body and analyzed to Xu Ling in a tone where reason overpowered emotion: “Eli, this is indeed an unbelievable offer, and LN shows a lot of sincerity. But we must look at it calmly—although LN is strong in the Asia market, in the NBA and international basketball market, its influence and distribution channels are still far inferior to global giants like Nike and Adidas. This contract has a high amount, but whether the brand’s own international platform and basketball genes are enough to push your influence to the world is something we must weigh.”
Xu Ling agreed with Rose’s rational analysis, but his gaze couldn’t help but sweep over the astonishing number on the contract again, sighing softly: “But this is a lot of money after all, isn’t it?”
“Yes, without a doubt.”
Rose nodded, he clearly knew that although he could provide professional suggestions, the final decision was always in Xu Ling’s hands.
Xu Ling turned to LN’s representative, his tone sincere and steady: “Thank you very much for your company showing such great sincerity, I am indeed very moved. This offer is not just a contract, but a heavy trust, which my team and I deeply feel.”
“Out of respect for this trust, and responsibility for my overall career planning, we still need to complete the previously agreed meetings with several other sportswear brands. I can promise you here: if the final offers from other brands cannot surpass LN’s plan, I will be very honored to sign with LN and embark on this journey together.”
LN’s representative expressed understanding of Xu Ling’s response. They were extremely confident in their offer—this astonishing number was enough to overwhelm most competitors.
What level of offer was this?
It was almost equivalent to the billion-dollar sky-high contract that Reebok once offered to LeBron James, shocking the league. However, thinking of this precedent, a shadow unconsciously fell over the LN representative’s heart.
Because LeBron James ultimately rejected that contract. It was Reebok’s all-out gamble to reverse its destiny, but the outcome was that LeBron James chose to join Nike’s elite camp, and Reebok itself was acquired by Adidas several years later.
“No, the situation is different,” the LN representative shook his head inwardly, trying to dispel this unease, “There shouldn’t be matching or even higher offers anymore.”
This was not out of doubt about other companies’ financial power, but based on industry internal rules and balance. What LN offered to Xu Ling was already at the level of an established superstar. For industry giants like Nike and Adidas, a 7-year 60 million contract like Kevin Durant’s was almost the limit of investment in a rookie. Offering higher treatment to a rookie who had not yet faced NBA tests would inevitably cause dissatisfaction among numerous established stars under them—the chain reaction from breaking the internal salary structure and endorsement levels was something no brand wanted to face.
So, no. He repeatedly told himself that this was almost a sure-win bet.
Four Seasons Hotel in Midtown Manhattan
Adidas global basketball executive Lawrence Norman stood in front of the suite window, overlooking New York’s jagged skyline. But his mood was far less open and bright as the view before him.
As the helmsman of Adidas basketball business, he knew better than anyone the predicament the company faced in the new century: although tied with Nike as the two poles of the world sporting goods, in the must-win territory of basketball, Adidas was losing ground steadily. They seemed to hold a good hand—the so-called “Adidas Five” were renowned. However, beneath this brilliant star map were flaws that couldn’t be hidden: McGrady’s glass physique doomed him to not reach the expected peak; AI’s brilliance mostly stayed in the regular season; Duncan and Kevin Garnett ultimately couldn’t escape the commercial curse of “inside players don’t sell shoes”; as for Billups. Norman smiled bitterly, no need to say more.
And the real fatal blow came from Kobe’s switch to Nike at the turn of the century. That not only meant the loss of a superstar, but completely broke the competitive balance. Now, Nike almost monopolized all outside superstars in the NBA, building an unshakable commercial empire.
Adidas had strong company strength and strong willingness; what they urgently needed was a superstar who could conquer the market and possess epoch-making influence.
Was Xu Ling the person Adidas had been waiting for? This question remained to be proven by time, but Lawrence Norman firmly believed in his heart: Xu Ling not only had the ability to surpass Yao Ming and become Asia’s new basketball icon, more importantly, as an outside player, he was very likely to pry open the China market with unprecedented influence, helping Adidas reclaim the most critical market share from Nike’s heavy encirclement.
Just based on this, he was already the one with the most commercial value among this year’s rookies.
Xu Ling and his team entered the suite, and Lawrence Norman stood up, shaking hands and exchanging pleasantries with them with professional enthusiasm. Then, without any delay, he quickly got to the point, his tone steady and confident.
“Eli, first allow me to state Adidas’s stance,” Norman’s opening was direct and powerful, “In basketball, we admit that Nike currently holds a slight upper hand. But ‘competition’ is the cornerstone of this industry’s healthy development, and Adidas has all the platforms to support any superstar’s success globally: top supply chain, worldwide distribution network, Germany’s headquarters engineering R&D center—our hardware strength is impeccable.”
Then, Norman slightly shifted his tone, with a hint of barely perceptible annoyance: “We made mistakes before, too obsessed with finding a ‘Jordan successor’ for ourselves. But history has proven that great brands never come from copying, but from creation. What we focus on now is not ‘the next who’, but the unique star of tomorrow.”
Hmm, Xu Ling had heard the story from Leon Rose about how Kobe broke off with Vanessa and everyone; the story sounded very bizarre, because Adidas didn’t seem possibly involved, but it happened.
Then, Norman showed Xu Ling sample shoes, claiming they added the most advanced materials today, with various verified scientific designs—these things Xu Ling naturally didn’t understand, but he was very satisfied with Adidas’s design aesthetics; it was a pair of beautiful basketball shoes.
The meeting quickly entered the contract discussion stage. The Adidas side almost readily agreed to all terms proposed by Leon Rose, from personal logo usage rights to performance rewards, showing great flexibility in cooperation. However, on the most critical endorsement fee, the two sides had a clear disagreement: Adidas’s offer was 7 years 50 million US Dollars.
Rose was obviously prepared for this. He calmly took out another document from his briefcase—it was exactly the 4-year 60 million US Dollars offer letter of intent from LN.
Rose calmly pushed it to Norman’s side.
“We highly recognize Adidas’s brand strength and sincerity,” Rose said in a steady tone, “but the foundation of commercial cooperation is value equivalence. Please look, this is the reality we face now.”
Norman’s gaze swept over the number on the document, his expression instantly grave. The air in the room seemed to freeze as well.
After a moment of silence, Norman did not directly refuse or argue, but picked up his mobile phone, looked serious, and said to everyone: “Please give me a few minutes. For this matter, I need to get headquarters’ authorization.”
A few minutes later, Norman walked over with joy on his face and said: “Headquarters agreed.”
Xu Ling said nothing, just nodded to Rose.
Leon Rose then made a statement on behalf of the entire team: “Lawrence, your company’s sincerity and determination have left a deep impression on us, and we truly felt Adidas’s sincerity. But out of respect for all negotiating parties, especially the prior commitment to Nike, we must complete tomorrow’s meeting. But I can assure you that this will be the last meeting.”
Although Norman hoped to sign immediately, he fully understood this professional code of conduct. He nodded in response: “No problem, we will wait for your final decision.”
The moment they walked out of the Four Seasons Hotel, Roderick Craig couldn’t help but blurt out the doubts in his heart: “Do we really still need to meet with Nike? Can they possibly offer better terms than this?”
“Probably not.” Leon Rose smiled faintly.
“Then why are we still wasting time going?”
“Hey, Rock,” this time it was Xu Ling who spoke, “That’s Nike. Even if just to satisfy my curiosity, I have to see with my own eyes what kind of ‘invitation’ they prepared for me.”
The next morning, in the conference room reserved by Nike.
The atmosphere was completely different from Adidas’s enthusiastic pursuit. Nike’s negotiation team had two people: one was Thomas House, senior director in charge of basketball affairs from the Oregon Beaverton headquarters; the other was LeBron James’s close friend and business confidant—Maverick Carter. Since LeBron and Xu Ling were both represented by Leon Rose, Carter’s attendance was nominally “to assist communication,” but more like a display of stance.
Carter had previously met Xu Ling in a private meeting with James; his slightly flamboyant style relying on his superstar friend’s status didn’t leave much good impression on Xu Ling.
At the beginning of the meeting, the Nike side showed an almost taken-for-granted sense of superiority. Thomas gave a lengthy and exquisite brand self-introduction, detailing Nike’s glorious history with superstars like Jordan and Kobe.
“Eli,” House’s final summary was like stating a self-evident truth, “Choosing Nike is far more than choosing a contract. It means you will join a true elite club and become a member of the most powerful and prominent empire in the sports world. This is the pass that most athletes dream of.”
Maverick Carter immediately echoed, giving Xu Ling a knowing smile: “Exactly, LeBron always says that here, what you get is far more than a check, but a kingdom. It’s like you got the key to legend.”
Thomas House’s remarks were far less moving than Lawrence Norman’s. He spent a lot of time reviewing Nike’s glorious history, constantly emphasizing the “glory” brought by endorsing Nike, but almost never mentioned any specific, long-term development plans or brand investments for Xu Ling personally.
This gave a clear impression: what they valued was not Xu Ling’s own potential, but the China market he represented. This was blameless in itself, after all, all brands’ interest in Xu Ling stemmed from this. But the core issue was, what price were they willing to pay for this market?
After listening, Xu Ling showed a hard-to-read smile on his face and bluntly interrupted the other’s brand narrative: “Let’s talk directly about the contract, Mr. House.”
House seemed prepared, calmly signaling his assistant to hand a pre-drafted contract to the other side of the table.
Leon Rose took the document, quickly flipped to the key pages to read the details; those extra supplemental terms and rewards were more or less the same as Adidas’s. Then, Rose’s gaze lingered on the number for a moment, then he subtly turned the contract toward Xu Ling, his finger precisely pointing at the amount item.
7 years 40 million US Dollars.
Xu Ling’s gaze shifted from the contract to Thomas House, asking calmly: “I understand that your company just reached a 7-year 60 million US Dollars agreement with Kevin Durant, right?”
House seemed to anticipate the question and nodded: “Yes, Kevin is undoubtedly an extremely talented young man, and we are full of expectations for his future development.”
“Then,” Xu Ling leaned forward slightly, staring straight at the other, “Could you help clarify my confusion? Based on almost all visible standards—I have more brilliant NCAA achievements, leading a team with far less talent than the University of Texas to win the national champion. More importantly, it was in a head-to-head matchup with Kevin Durant, under his defense, that I hit the game-ending ultra-long three-pointer. Why, when I have proven myself to be the stronger player, do I end up with an offer that is a full 20 million US Dollars less than his?”
The conference room instantly fell silent. Leon Rose said nothing, just quietly watching House, waiting for his response.
Thomas House kept his professional smile. “Eli, when we assess a player, we value his future possibilities, not just past honors. Our judgment of commercial value relies on a complete set of mature prediction models. This considers many dimensions: such as the development space of physique talent, whether the technique style can continue to evolve, and whether you can truly integrate into and attract the North American mainstream market.”
“Frankly, your NCAA achievements are dazzling, but they cannot directly equate to NBA success, nor simply exchange for market commercial return. Our current offer is precisely the value embodiment assessed by this rigorous system—it accurately positions the interval you are currently in. What Nike has always insisted on is accompanying athletes’ growth with the most professional and long-term vision, rather than just chasing short-term hype.”
Nike had near-obsessive confidence in the accuracy of assessing player potential, and this offer was their conclusion written in contract amount: Xu Ling’s future development absolutely could not be compared to Kevin Durant.
At that moment, Xu Ling felt a familiar anger surging in his chest—that was the resentment accumulated during the tryouts, when Trail Blazers and SuperSonics dismissed and excluded him with vague reasons like “potential” and “future ceiling.” This emotion had dissipated with the Grizzlies’ recognition, but now it was reignited by Thomas House’s arrogant and official rhetoric, even more fiercely.
Just as he was about to tell Nike to “get lost” on the spot, Maverick Carter, who didn’t belong at the negotiation table and only squeezed in with his “LeBron brother” identity, suddenly smiled and interjected, as if he understood everything: “Hey, Eli, give me a minute, let’s chat privately.”
Without waiting for Xu Ling’s response, he walked to the rest area by the window on his own.
Xu Ling suppressed the words already at his lips and followed expressionlessly.
Carter immediately switched to a heartfelt posture, leaning close to Xu Ling, lowering his voice but unable to hide the excitement: “Listen, bro, I totally get it. Money, who doesn’t care?”
“But you gotta look long-term, look at the bigger picture. Nike is the pass to the basketball world, the ceiling of professional basketball. As long as you wear this logo, all doors will open for you—media, exposure, top industry resources. LeBron is also very much looking forward to you joining us; he told me personally, ‘Mav, that kid needs to look further ahead.'”
Carter leaned even closer, his tone more sincere: “The money thing isn’t without room to maneuver. As long as LeBron is willing to step in and say a word, the situation could be completely different. But that requires you to take the first step, show your sincerity and foresight, right? Don’t let this small gap in front of you block your view of the future. Trust me, signing this contract will be the most correct decision you make in your life. You know how many people try their hardest but can’t get such an opportunity.”
Xu Ling looked at Carter’s smug face, listening to his endless “guidance,” the anger in his heart almost burning through his reason.
Oh? Bro? I really don’t deserve that. You, who only got a seat at the table thanks to real brotherhood, actually came to personally guide my life? Truly touching.
Nike’s “elite club” threshold is really interesting—one side uses a contract 20 million less than Kevin Durant’s to precisely tell me “you don’t deserve it,” while the other side sends you to tell me how supreme this glory is? If LeBron’s face is really worth that much, can it be cashed in directly?
“I get it, it’s LeBron’s intention, right?” Xu Ling asked with an innocent smile.
“Exactly,” seeing Xu Ling mention LeBron, Carter got even more enthusiastic. “LeBron cares a lot about this; he always sees you as his little brother.”
“I see,” Xu Ling smiled, his tone relaxed, “Then I know what to do.”
Xu Ling turned and walked back to the negotiation table, sat down again, his gaze sweeping over Thomas House and the still somewhat complacent Maverick Carter.
“Maverick is right,” Xu Ling spoke, his voice clear and steady, “This might indeed be the most important decision in my life.”
Xu Ling continued: “So, after careful consideration, the only amount I can accept is 7 years 90 million US Dollars.”
“This is the only number that can reflect my value and make me willing to cooperate with Nike—this so-called ‘elite club’ in your words.”
The air in the conference room seemed drained, instantly freezing.
The unchanging professional smile on Thomas House’s face stiffened completely for the first time, his pupils contracting sharply from shock. It was as if he was hit by an invisible giant hammer, mouth agape but unable to make a sound.
This number was absurd enough to exceed his authorization range, even beyond Nike’s entire historical framework for rookie investments.
“This… this is absolutely impossible!” House’s voice was dry and hoarse, almost cracking, “Eli! Do you know what this number means? It completely subverts market logic! It even exceeds the offer we gave LeBron back then! The board will never approve…”
“Mr. House,” Xu Ling calmly interrupted him, “Market logic is defined jointly by the boldest buyers and me, the seller, not dictated by your budget committee. LN and Adidas have already redefined the logic. Now, it’s your turn.”
At that moment, Maverick Carter beside him moved. Unlike before, he didn’t fly into a rage; instead, a “as expected” expression flashed across his face, followed by a hypocritical smile mixed with regret and “I told you so.”
“Bro Eli, listen,” Carter’s tone became unusually “sincere,” as if pitying a misguided little brother, “I understand, everyone wants a big contract. But have you really thought it through? What are you giving up for this money?”
Leaning forward, Carter lowered his voice as if sharing a huge secret: “It’s LeBron’s friendship, Nike empire’s resource tilt, future countless opportunities more profitable than this contract! LeBron really hopes you join, but he also hopes his little brother is someone with foresight who understands the ‘big picture,’ not just fixated on this small difference.”
He deliberately emphasized “difference,” as if the tens of millions gap was negligible.
“Sign this contract, you get a kingdom. Refuse it, and you might… lose a lot.” Carter’s smile became somewhat playful, “Think about it, in the league later, who will be your most powerful friend? Who could… inadvertently make things difficult for you? Business decisions aren’t always about money, bro. Sometimes, standing with the right team is more important.”
This was a naked threat wrapped in “brotherhood” candy. Coming from LeBron James’s closest confidant, its weight was self-evident.
Leon Rose’s face darkened instantly; just as he was about to speak, Xu Ling slightly raised his hand to stop him.
On Xu Ling’s face, a clear, unmasked cold laugh appeared for the first time.
“‘Bro’?” Xu Ling repeated the term, laughing mockingly, “So, your so-called ‘brotherhood’ means first throwing out an insulting offer, then sending you to tell me that not accepting it is not considering the big picture?”
“This whole play of yours reeks of calculation from the start. First use LeBron’s relationship to get close, then send you, this damn lackey, to tell me that refusing Nike is being unreasonable and disrespectful to LeBron. In the end, you’ve never intended to give me the respect I deserve; you just want to turn me into a pawn on Nike empire’s chessboard at the lowest cost, and incidentally earn you credit in front of James and within Nike. Am I right?”
The smile on Carter’s face completely vanished, his complexion turning extremely ugly. He didn’t expect Xu Ling to tear through all the pretense so directly and precisely, exposing all the under-the-table calculations to the surface.
“As for the friendship with LeBron you mentioned?” Xu Ling chuckled lightly, the laugh devoid of warmth, “If a genuine friendship requires losing tens of millions of US Dollars and accepting an insulting offer to exchange for it, then this friendship is too expensive. I don’t need such friendship.”
Then, Xu Ling’s gaze turned back to the downcast Thomas House, delivering the final verdict: “Seven years, 90 million US Dollars. One cent less, and there’s no need to continue talking. This is not negotiation; this is notice. Please contact Beaverton Nike headquarters immediately to get authorization, or…”
Xu Ling stood up, and Leon Rose and Roderick followed suit.
“We don’t need to waste each other’s time. LN and Adidas’s representatives are still waiting for our good news.”
The so-called most important decision in life often has an astonishingly short decision window.
The “time” in Xu Ling’s mouth was actually just the mere 40 seconds it took for him, Rose, and Craig to ride the elevator from the Nike conference room to the hotel lobby. In those 40 seconds, there was no emergency call from Beaverton headquarters, no chasing apology, only silent quiet as the elevator descended.
Forty seconds, just enough for a person stung by arrogance to resolve to embrace true respect.
“Adidas it is.” As the elevator doors opened on the first floor, Xu Ling calmly said to Leon Rose.
“This won’t put you in a difficult position, right?” Xu Ling teasingly looked at Leon Rose. Today’s negotiation outcome with Nike was far from graceful; Maverick Carter came bearing James’s expectations, and as agent for both Xu Ling and James, Leon Rose’s position was very awkward.
But Rose was a professional agent; he gave Xu Ling a professional smile: “An agent is only an agent when by your side; in other words, today I serve only you, and you have the right to make the most beneficial decision for your own interests.”
The so-called most important decision in life is sometimes not a difficult choice between two perfect options, but easily making the only choice that fits intelligence and dignity between sincerity and arrogance.
“Not to mention that’s a 20 million US Dollars difference!” Craig interjected indignantly, as if that anger was still stuck in his chest, “Nike is just pure shit!”
Xu Ling smiled, not refuting. He took out his mobile phone; the screen lit up with the final confirmation message from Lawrence Norman a few hours ago, ending with—”Adidas big family always welcomes you.”
And the so-called “elite club” pass is sometimes just a piece of waste paper they print everywhere themselves and try to make you buy at a high price.
This is the so-called most important decision in life.
