NBA: This Center Is So Stable

The new player is in place.

Chapter 160 New players are in place

“Rich, this schedule is too tight. Why did Coca-Cola arrange this time to shoot the commercial? I have to finish the shooting and return to Cleveland before tonight!”

James looked at his friend Rich Paul with a puzzled look.

James didn’t understand the schedule of Party A’s father. You know, he has the first regular season game after the All-Stars tomorrow evening.

The Cleveland Cavaliers can’t lose Ricky Davis again after trading him away.

“Well, the answer from Coca-Cola is that they need to finish the rookie’s commercial shooting before the playoffs, and they need to complete the publicity and sales before then.”

“Is it the same for the Asian rookie?”

“Yes, but he doesn’t need to finish the shooting in Los Angeles. I heard that Coca-Cola has temporarily built a shed in New York.”

James was a little dumbfounded.

After the last humiliating offer from Coca-Cola, after a market decision, James and his agency team still chose to sign with Coca-Cola.

Nothing else, except Coca-Cola, there is no other company in the market with such strong capital. As for the prices offered by other manufacturers, the big manufacturers are not sincere, but the small manufacturers are sincere. After comprehensive comparison, Coca-Cola has become the one with brand guarantee and relatively appropriate endorsement fee.

As Nike’s biggest rookie, it’s okay that the beverage endorsement fee is not as good as Wang Song, but there is a huge difference in the treatment of endorsement advertising shooting.

Perhaps seeing what James was thinking, Rich Paul comforted him: “LeBron, after all, it’s New York, with convenient transportation and things to do. Cooperate with the shooting, and we’ll finish it as soon as possible and rush back to Cleveland!”

Rich Paul couldn’t think of a second reason to excuse Coca-Cola, and now this situation has occurred in the first cooperation.

Especially Coca-Cola has signed a bet agreement with them, and the sales of the new series Sprite 6 Mix endorsed by James must surpass Wang Song in the United States.

Party A needs to see the appeal of the No. 1 pick in the local area, which is an important assessment item for their renewal of long-term contracts.

James finished the advertising shooting with a fake smile and subtle emotions, and Rich Paul breathed a sigh of relief.

According to his understanding of James, it is a success if he does not give up halfway after learning about what Coca-Cola has done. The endorsement fee offered by Coca-Cola is not very attractive. James’ team is more just to fill the brand vacancy in the sports drink sector, but once the breach of contract requires compensation for liquidated damages, it will also make James feel painful for a while.

“Let them be proud for a while, LeBron. When you have won so many honors, Coca-Cola will regret it!”

Rich Paul always has confidence in his best friend.

···

The next day.

The first game day after the All-Star Game.

Before the official game started, a huge piece of news came out.

A three-way deal involving the Knicks was completed before the trading market closed, and this news caused a sensation in the league.

First, the Pistons sent second-year player Tayshaun Prince and some cash flow to get the Rockets’ Maurice Taylor and the first-round pick of the 2004 draft.

It was not other teams that got Prince, but the Knicks who facilitated the four-way deal. They sent Mutombo and Tim Thomas together, freed up a huge salary cap, and got cash flow to renew the contract of Prince, who was still on a rookie contract.

The Rockets got Mutombo and Tim Thomas, two combat-ready players, to complete the reinforcement.

From the situation point of view, it is a win-win deal for all three teams.

The Knicks officially became a team of young people, and the Pistons got the first-round pick in 2004 and Taylor, who is ready to fight, as they wished. The Rockets also completed the signing of veterans to lay a good foundation for the next season.

Scott Layden and Grunfeld breathed a sigh of relief.

This extremely difficult transaction was finally completed before the free market closed, and it was considered to have caught up with the last train before the playoffs.

Now this Knicks starting lineup can be said to have great potential.

On the basis of keeping the playoff spot this year, it is entirely possible to consider impacting the Eastern Conference Finals to lay a solid foundation for the O’Brien Cup next year.

···

February 15!

Madison Square Garden.

Tonight will be the first game for the new players to arrive in New York, against the New Jersey Nets, the third in the East. Prince’s debut and the first game after the All-Star Game have attracted many New York players.

Fans came to watch the game on site.

On the court.

The two-sided players who were warming up were all warming up.

Most of the players did not have the opportunity to participate in the All-Star Game, which means that during the three days of the All-Star Weekend, most of the players’ bodies have not been active for a long time except for the coach’s training arrangements.

Wang Song is obviously not one of them.

Nash also exercised his muscles in the three-point contest.

As for the other players of the Knicks, most of them just came out of the joy after Wang Song and Nash won the championship.

“Welcome to join us, Prince! Don’t be nervous, forget Detroit, we are now the first in the East.”

Kurt Thomas was very enthusiastic about this new partner.

During the warm-up, he kept telling Prince the story of the All-Star Game, as if he was not a witness, but a participant.

“Kurt, have you practiced the 300 three-pointers you were asked to practice every day these days?”

Kurt smiled embarrassedly at the “mentor” and scratched his head awkwardly.

Under the call of the Knicks’ running and gunning team and D’Antoni, the team has become very focused on three-point shooting ability. Houston and Nash took the lead in setting an example, taking the initiative to practice three-point shooting every day after training, which inspired many teammates.

Looking at Nash’s dark face, Kurt consciously stood outside the three-point line.

Prince looked at his teammates who had just greeted him enthusiastically, and was suddenly pulled to the outside to shoot three-pointers, and couldn’t help laughing.

“Prince, do you want to practice together?”

Nash waved to his new teammates.

As the Knicks’ organizing guard, off-court communication with teammates is undoubtedly very important.

The transactions in the middle of the season are often unfamiliar. Except for a few occasional matchups, there is no other intersection between the players, so after a short period of getting along, they have to sharpen their guns and go on the court to see the chemical reaction.

For Prince, who has just arrived, the atmosphere in the Knicks is much better than that of the Pistons.

In Detroit, Prince had to see the guy with the afro every day. He was ranked according to seniority in the Pistons because of his seniority. What made Prince feel even more outrageous was that coach Larry Brown actually allowed this by default, which made Prince, who had just entered the league, suffer a lot in his rookie season.

Thinking of this, Prince became more motivated after the transfer.

Before the game with the Nets officially started, all Prince could do was to try his best to keep his touch and follow the coach’s arrangements.

“Of course guys, we can compare the three-point accuracy!”

Last season, the average three-point shooting rate was 42%. Even in the Pistons, Prince did very well in the 3D position in his rookie season.

(End of this chapter)