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Chapter 595 - 257. Coach, could you align with the management on the style?_2

Chapter 595: 257. Coach, could you align with the management on the style?_2

Until this summer when the Rockets were again knocked out in the first round, and the Bobcats unexpectedly clinched the championship, with Zhang Yang earning Second Team and Finals MVP honors, Yao Ming fiercely requested a transfer, rejecting the basketball association’s demand for him to stay with the Rockets. The association’s propaganda that touted the ’superiority of our player development system’ and the lie that ’the CBA is the second-best basketball league in the world’—especially after the Argentina Team won the Olympic gold in 2004 and the Spanish team won the World Championship—were exposed. Public opinion was in uproar, and the association had no choice but to reach out to Zhang Yang.

What followed was three months of negotiations between Tellem and the basketball association.

The association put forward many demands. Their reluctance to summon Zhang Yang wasn’t just a matter of face; an important reason was that they had no right to take a cut from Zhang Yang’s salary or endorsement fees and were worried about not getting a piece of the pie.

Representing the national team at the Olympics would inevitably increase Zhang Yang’s commercial value domestically. Although this didn’t affect the association officials much, it was difficult for them to watch a goldmine from which they couldn’t extract a single penny.

In the negotiations, Tellem displayed the full greed of an agent, strongly rejecting the association’s unethical demands. He also subtly hinted that if the negotiations fell through and the association spread rumors, he would expose their demands and fight to the bitter end.

After consulting with Zhang Yang, Tellem came to an agreement—if Zhang Yang couldn’t join the national team and thus couldn’t use the Olympics to enhance his domestic commercial value, it wouldn’t affect his current off-court income. Most of Zhang Yang’s endorsements were with American brands, and his main domestic sponsors were those supporting the Bobcats. Even if there were losses, it would be Jordan’s loss.

And if the association got a cut of the money, Tellem’s share would decrease. Was that just money? It was his life!

The main thing was that they had a legitimate reason to refuse. Zhang Yang had never been cultivated by the association, he had never enjoyed any benefits from it. Even if things broke down over money, he would stand tall, unafraid of the association’s public opinion attack.

Zhang Yang was different from Yao Ming. Yao was willing to compromise on national team matters, considering interests beyond basketball itself. Zhang Yang didn’t need to care about his relationship with the association—let it be.

In fact, if the association really spent those sponsorship fees on the development of domestic basketball, regardless of how small a contribution Zhang San could bring to the development, as long as it helped the youth basketball training endeavor, he would be willing to sacrifice some personal interest... After all, one should have some dreams, and he too longed to see the Chinese men’s basketball team stand at the top of the world one day.

But the basketball association hadn’t improved much more than the sneaker brands; the domestic basketball development flourished in the past decade or so solely due to the constant emergence of talented players like Hu Weidong, Liu Yudong, Wang Zhizhi, and Yao Ming. The role of the association might be... a hindrance?

Zhang Yang preferred to earn less than to let those people take advantage of him.

After three months of back-and-forth, the association had to compromise.

Especially since Zhang Yang had just won the Finals MVP, his popularity in the domestic sports world was at its peak, and with the Olympics coming up next year, the association couldn’t afford to wait and let the momentum pass. The public was watching, and the association had to give up its unjust demands and formally approve Zhang Yang’s application to join the national team.

Yes, it was Zhang Yang’s "voluntary application" to join, which the association "carefully considered" before approving. Unable to steal benefits, they returned to the issue of saving face.

Zhang Yang was speechless about this, but he had no objections—if begging to join was what it took, so be it. If the association thought they could use this to smear his reputation, he actually thought it wasn’t such a bad thing.

He flipped through the documents the association officials had sent—confirmation of his application approval, the national team’s training schedule, national team regulations, and the arrangement of commercial activities they had agreed upon...

Seeing Zhang Yang looking at the planned group commercial activities for the national basketball team, Tellem said, "Don’t worry, I’ve checked everything thoroughly. The sponsors for these commercial activities won’t conflict with our own endorsement brands."

Zhang Yang nodded but decided to review everything again, just to be cautious. In case anything was overlooked, he could communicate with the association in a timely manner.

While he managed to retain most of his interests, he had to sacrifice a small amount to participate in a few commercial activities with his teammates... And it was also an opportunity to make a public appearance as a member of the national team, which to him was worth more than the little he had given up.

This negotiation with the association made Zhang Yang appreciate the benefits of having an agent who prioritized interest above everything else!

...

The next day, October 1st, brought a new month, and NBA training camps began, marking the start of the 2007-2008 season.

Zhang Yang arrived at Tuhang Stadium before 7 a.m. to participate in a live broadcast on the imperial court station.

Facing the camera, Zhang Yang sent birthday wishes to his country: "I wish the great motherland prosperity, and I hope that my efforts on the basketball court can contribute to the development of our country’s sports and add my brick to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation."

After speaking, Zhang Yang felt something was amiss. It seemed that this phrase wasn’t coined yet at this time... Not important, it’s the National Day, the happiest matter is to celebrate.

The rest of the Bobcats also got up early to send their well-wishes in front of the live cameras. Some wanted to be seen, some were helping Zhang Yang, and some were forced to do business... Owner Joe was the most eager, and in Zhang Yang’s eyes, the God of Basketball had turned into a downright shrewd businessman.

After the imperial court station’s broadcast and well wishes, they also conducted an exclusive interview with Zhang Yang.