When theDemon Deaconsreturned from St. Louis triumphant, every player unconsciously puffed out their chests, watching the students and townspeople on both sides of the street waving and cheering at them along the pre-arranged bus parade route.

However, on the day of the parade, every timeZackhigh-fived the pretty college girls around him, he felt a pair of intensely murderous eyes staring at him.

"I’m just expressing my joy to my supporters,"Zacksaid righteously, turning to look atRachel, who was standing right behind him.

But the next second,Rachelmercilessly tore off his mask. "Great Final Four MOP, if you’re expressing joy to your supporters, then why are you only high-fiving the young and pretty girls?"

Seeing this,Zackdidn’t bat an eyelid and said, "You know, I’ve always been good at finding beautiful things... just like right now, I only have eyes for you."

Hearing that,Rachelplayfully punchedZack, then suddenly whispered, "Lynn Merritt wants to meet with you."

Zacknodded. "I definitely need to meet this important figure who’s been pushing me from behind."

After March Madness concluded, since bothZackandPaulpublicly announced their intention to declare for the draft this year, the NCAA’s various regulations regarding college players naturally became void. Of course, before proceeding to hire an agent,Zackcould still choose to stay in college for another year.

However, considering the NBA teams’ current eagerness to acquire him,Zackabsolutely wouldn’t choose to imitate his senior.Zackknew very well how difficult those years were for tanking NBA teams from 1995 to 1997. In short, it was a tough period where half the league was praying forDuncanto enter the NBA quickly and stop torturing each other.

Moreover, compared to continuing to hone his skills in college basketball, having already tasted the sweetness of a championship and showcased his potential as a franchise cornerstone to NBA teams,Zackcurrently had an urgent need to enter the NBA and continue improving himself. Because in the visualized data of the[Summit] System, there was a clear prompt:

As the host’s current ability value continuously increases, only higher-level games and training can help the host better realize their potential.

On the 14th,Zack, gradually settling down from the joy of winning the championship, met with the Nike executive who had been secretly building hype for him, at a coffee shop in Winston-Salem. Although this wasMerritt’sfirst official meeting withZack, Merritt had already established a partnership withZacklast year throughRachel, his "undercover" contact.

Therefore, at the beginning of the meeting,Merritt, skipping the pleasantries, went straight to the point. "We hope you can become a Nike endorser."

SinceZackhadn’t yet hired an agent,Merrittdidn’t discuss too many specific details about the partnership withZackduring this meeting. Instead, he directly showedZackNike’s sincerity.

On the coffee table, a pair of red-and-white sample shoes with-style patterns embedded on the side of the sole immediately caughtZack’seye. This was a tactic Professor Vacarro had givenMerritt: when recruiting a sure-fire money-maker likeZack, don’t just talk about future promises; put genuine sincerity directly in front of him.

"I haven’t thought of a name for these shoes yet, but I believe they will definitely become an excellent aid for you in the future,"MerritttoldZack.

It truly was an excellent aid.Zackknew very well that at the end of his sophomore year, when he was just a lottery pick in mock drafts, the reason he became viewed as a potential No. 1 pick at the beginning of the 2004-05 season was definitely due to Nike’s relentless promotion behind the scenes.

ThroughRachel, this "undercover" channel, Nike first hadIra Berkow, a highly influentialNew York Timesreporter, create an image for him as a "prodigal son" who had turned over a new leaf, with immense untapped potential. Then, as the season progressed, the numerous news reports that praised him to the high heavens gaveZacka momentum comparable toDuncan’sback in the day.

Although, based purely on his on-court performance,Zackabsolutely deserved the "potential No. 1 pick" title, Nike’s behind-the-scenes promotion greatly accelerated this process, giving him commercial value comparable to star players even before entering the league.

Yes, a "son of ###" with extremely high commercial value before entering the league was Nike’s ideal partner. Especially after experiencing the loss ofYao Ming.

Historically, to remedy the consequences of losingYao Ming, Nike almost always included agreements requiring their NBA star collaborators to promote products in market. For example,LeBron James, whom Nike signed for an exorbitant price in that three-way battle, accepted this agreement when he signed with Nike (Note ①).

"I really like these shoes, but right now, I still need a reliable agent. Do you have any good suggestions?"ZackaskedMerrittthat day.

Hearing this,Merrittinitially wanted to recommendAaron Goodwin, who had always maintained a good working relationship with Nike. However, recallingLeBron James’ recent complaints about Goodwin’s overly controlling nature,Merritt, knowing thatZackhad already started planning his future through people around him since his junior year, immediately thought of another excellent agent.

"How aboutJeff Schwartz? He just recently went solo and started a company calledExcel Sports."

Jeff Schwartz? Perhaps he wasn’t famous yet, butZackknew that in fifteen years, he would become the most powerful agent in the entire NBA.

As an articulate agent who was extremely skilled at marketing his players’ images, Schwartz’s future classic achievements included marketingAnthony Bennettas a No. 1 overall pick and convincing all NBA management thatJames Wisemanwas the undisputed second overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.

Indeed, those NBA general managers who were sweet-talked by Schwartz probably wished they could skin him alive afterward. But for players, a talent like Schwartz was absolutely a rare and valuable mentor and friend. Moreover, despite hating Schwartz’s manipulative tongue, many teams still had to be grateful to him. For example, in the future, after the Lakers andRussell Westbrookhad irreconcilable differences, Westbrook was able to escape Los Angeles through Schwartz’s maneuvering. Furthermore, knowing that Westbrook at the time desired honor more than salary, Schwartz never demanded excessive amounts from teams that wanted him.

"Whatever my clients want, I give them. If they want a big contract, I’ll fight for it. If they want to compete for a championship on a minimum salary, I’ll immediately help them contact teams that can contend for a championship."

In this life,Zackindeed planned to build his own team in the NBA. However, for now, bothRachelandEvansneeded time to grow. So, shortly afterMerrittintroduced Schwartz as an agent,Zackimmediately decided to interview Schwartz.

Although Schwartz wasn’t as well-known at this time as he would be in the future, having worked as a sports agent since 1992, he was no longer a novice. Having a good relationship withMerritt, he had already accumulated a certain network within the industry.

"If I sign with you, what can you give me?"

"I can’t take care of your every need like some player managers do. But when you need me, I will always stand behind you."

With that, Schwartz directly presentedZackwith his past success stories.

"Many NBA teams currently want me to accept their tryouts. What do you think about that?"

"Reject them. Reject all of them."

"Why?"

"Because we’ll only try out for the team that gets the first overall pick."

It must be said that Schwartz truly left an excellent impression onZackduring this interview. Throughout the interview, Schwartz was logical and never made empty boasts. Additionally, judging by the existing successful cases he presented, he had already established good working relationships with several media outlets. ForZack, who was about to enter the commercial league that is the NBA, this was definitely a plus.

So, after asking Schwartz about his future business plans for him,Zacksuccessfully reached an agreement with Schwartz. The two signed a four-year contract. In it, Schwartz would collect 4% ofZack’splayer contract as compensation. As for commercial endorsements, Schwartz would take 10% ofZack’scommercial contracts as his fee.

Overall, it was a fair and equitable contract where the player and agent were on equal footing at the time. Although Schwartz would deduct the highest percentage allowed by NBA regulations (4%) fromZack’splayer contract, in reality, givenZack’scurrent commercial value, his commercial contracts were clearly the larger portion. According to industry standards, Schwartz could have demanded a maximum of 20% of the commercial contract remuneration.

But Schwartz, believing in earning his keep, felt that sinceZack’scurrent commercial value had nothing to do with him, and it was their first collaboration, he didn’t want to leaveZackwith the impression of being a leech.

"In the future, if I successfully elevate your commercial value, then in our next collaboration, I will definitely demand higher commercial remuneration, but that is not now," Schwartz said after signing a series of agreements withZackand obtaining his relevant authorizations.

"Ronnie is my close comrade-in-arms from college. Next, I plan to have him shadow you and handle my affairs during NBA games. What do you think about that?"Zackasked Schwartz.

Hearing this, Schwartz smiled. "That’s a good thing. Your foresight fully demonstrates that you’re ready for the NBA. Once you’re drafted, your friend can not only learn from me, but I’ll also help him apply for a Player Liaison position with your team. This way, he can make all the arrangements for you when you’re playing or traveling."

UnlikeGoodwin, who always disdained the people around his star clients, Schwartz knew very well that with changing times, every NBA star needed a few absolutely trustworthy people around them. SinceEvanswas someoneZacktrusted, Schwartz naturally found a way to helpZacktrain Evans.

"Regarding your media liaison, do you also want to arrange someone you trust?"

"I already have someone in mind for the media liaison, but she won’t graduate until next year."

"Then, before she graduates, I’ll select a reliable assistant from my company to help you deal with the media."

Since the internet had already become a crucial platform for NBA stars to promote themselves, even thoughZacktrusted Schwartz’s marketing abilities, he still neededRachel, who was close to him, to oversee things. This summer,Zackplanned to haveRachelintern at Nike headquarters again. After all, when it came to promoting and building sports and images, Nike headquarters was the best "university."

However, that day, whenRachelsaw the media liaison Schwartz had arranged forZack, she, who was still wondering how to "educate"Zackthat evening, was suddenly dumbfounded. The beautiful young lady, with Slavic ancestry and a striking resemblance toMarina Aleksandrova, the actress inCatherine the GreatfromZack’smemory, had a pair of "peaks" on her chest thatRachelcouldn’t hope to match, no matter how much she tried to "turn over" them.

Honestly, Schwartz, true to his word, indeed arranged a very "reliable" assistant forZack. Hearing this,Rachel, having swallowed a whole jar of jealousy, sighed and said, "This is the most complete defeat I’ve ever had."

Hearing this,Zackchuckled. "Who says you lost? How do you know I only like the big ones and not the cute ones?"

Seeing his expression,Rachelblinked her big eyes and asked, "Really?"

"Really,"Zacksaid without batting an eyelid.

With the agent confirmed, the details ofZack’scollaboration with Nike would now be handled by Schwartz. As for tryouts? Before the lottery results were announced on May 25th, Schwartz had already officially announced thatZackwould not participate in this year’s NBA Draft Combine or accept individual team workouts.

At this moment,Zackdidn’t need physical test data or game performances from the Combine to prove himself. Historically, many future No. 1 overall picks would make the same choice. For example,Victor Wembanyama, famous beforeZack’stransmigration. Of course, compared toBen Simmons, who was so arrogant that he even rejected all team tryouts before his draft, Schwartz still hopedZackwould accept the invitation to try out for the team holding the No. 1 pick after the lottery results were out, as was customary.

In short,Zack’scurrent reputation and popularity dictated that he would be the one interviewing the team that won the No. 1 pick, not the other way around.

May 25th. ESPN had been hyping it for almost a month as theDay of Destiny. That day, the teams with a chance to win the No. 1 pick were quietly waiting for the answer to be revealed. AndZack,Rachel, andEvanswere eating hotpot while waiting for the team that would win the No. 1 pick.

Before the lottery ceremony began,Evansasked curiously, "Which team do you hope wins the No. 1 pick?"

Hearing this, after scanning the teams that had a chance to win the No. 1 pick,Zackreplied, "Would you believe me if I said none of these teams are to my liking?"

Evansnodded. "Of course, I believe you. But that’s how it is for NBA players; you don’t have a choice, or rather, you can’t decide which team you play for early in your career."

Zack, who didn’t deny this, mused, "So, let’s see which team will be the lucky one to take my ’first blood’ in the NBA..."

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by lotustale.com