Chapter 1025: The Underdog Advantage

Kyrie Irving, the first overall pick for the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2011, had an excellent rookie season and was voted the Rookie of the Year by a large margin. Like Curry, Irving is a point guard, and their height, weight, and body types are very similar. Their images are somewhat similar as well.

Nike chose Irving over Curry back in the day. This was an internal secret that Curry didn’t know.

"Why?" Lu Ke was genuinely curious. Not because he was friends with Curry, but objectively, Irving and Curry had many similarities, but... why Irving? Or, why couldn’t it have been Curry?

Leigh shrugged. "Because Irving can sell shoes."

"In a Coca-Cola commercial, Irving dressed up as an old man named ’Uncle Drew’ and went to play basketball on the street. ’Drew’ is Irving’s father’s nickname. This commercial gave people a glimpse into Irving’s family background and off-court personality, as well as the story of him and his father supporting each other. These are all things that can bring an audience closer," Leigh said simply.

Lu Ke nodded knowingly and then looked at Leigh meaningfully.

Leigh admitted frankly, "Yes, that’s right. I hope Jack and Annie can do interviews, or even talk about your story. That’s the reason. You know, as a second-generation immigrant, you came to San Francisco at the age of eight, started working hard, and with your parents’ support, you made it to where you are today. These stories can be converted into money."

Lu Ke replied with a smile, "But for us, those are memories and a part of our lives."

"Now I finally know why you and Stephen are friends," Leigh said with a chuckle. Curry is also very protective of his private life. There’s very little news about his wife and children, and he almost never talks about them in the media. Lu Ke’s other friend, Watt, is the same way.

So, Leigh went back to the topic at hand. "Compared to Curry, Irving is the cool guy, and he knows how to entertain. Nike made its choice. Last year, Irving’s shoe sales exceeded $20 million, and Nike was very satisfied with those numbers."

"But Irving isn’t the same type of player as James or Bryant," Lu Ke said, remembering what Leigh had just said.

Leigh nodded in agreement. "That’s right. Nike prefers muscular players. They like that kind of ’beast.’ Because that’s a brand image and a playing style. For young people on the street, they tend to like brands with a long-standing legacy like James and Bryant."

"So, Irving and Curry’s images overlapped, and they had to make a choice," Leigh concluded, bringing it back to the main point of his conversation. "Curry is more of an ordinary person. He also has a baby face and looks very cute. That’s not what Nike wanted."

"At the same time, Curry didn’t have the selling points that Irving did, so Nike made a choice," Lu Ke said, and all his questions were suddenly answered.

Leigh nodded. "Actually, it was the same with Yao back then."

"For one thing, Yao was a center, and centers contribute very little to the shoe market. For another, when Yao entered the league, Asian players were still very rare, so no one knew how well he would perform or how much of an impact he would have on the shoe market."

Then, Leigh asked another question. "Do you know the difference between big brands and small brands?"

"Money and no money?" Lu Ke asked with a rising tone.

"Haha, that’s one of them," Leigh laughed happily.

"The other thing is that big brands have already achieved enough success. Through countless failures and setbacks, they have accumulated enough experience, so they have their own way of doing things. But small brands are just starting out, and the future is full of possibilities, so they have to keep trying and challenging themselves. So, big brands tend to be more conservative, while small brands are more willing to take risks. Of course, this is relative, not absolute."

Leigh’s explanation made Lu Ke pause for a moment. He said, "Then why would Nike choose me? That’s definitely a risk."

"It is. The reason Nike has always been making plans instead of jumping the gun is exactly that." Since Lu Ke brought it up, Leigh decided to talk about it.

"They want to open the door to the Asian market for football. This will be another important step in their expansion, just like with Yao. But at the same time, they’re questioning your ability to sell shoes, just like with Curry. In a way, you and Curry have a lot in common."

Curry and Lu Ke’s careers do have a lot in common. He was turned away by Duke University and went to Davidson College. He was always underestimated. He was too skinny and too short. He didn’t seem to be able to handle the physical demands of basketball, and he wasn’t the kind of player people had in mind.

"But here’s the thing. What Nike sees as a weakness, I see as an advantage," Leigh continued. "It’s the same for both you and Curry."

"Why? Imagine those kids. They can never be like LeBron James or Cam Newton, 6 feet 5 inches and 250 pounds, who can jump 40 inches. It seems that without that kind of talent, it’s impossible to make it to the pros."

"Then you and Curry came along. You look like the boy next door, and yet you created your own miracles and accomplished incredible feats on the field. So, if you can do it, those kids can do it, too."

"Remember your rookie season last year? Everyone was marveling at all the miracles you created. Yes, you’re not Peyton Manning or Tom Brady. You’re not Cam Newton or Robert Griffin III, but you are you. You’re an even more amazing kid than Kurt Warner or Joe Montana."

"The times have changed. With the rise of social media, we need grassroots icons, just like ’American Idol’ was able to run for so many years. Not those unreachable gods and heroes. Even among superheroes, Spider-Man and Batman are still the most popular. The former because he’s a high school student, and the latter because he has no superpowers."

"You and Curry, you’re Batman and Spider-Man."

He was just talking about a serious matter, but then he changed the subject and started to joke.

Lu Ke shook his head with a laugh, but he still emphasized his choice. "Okay, from now on, Stephen is Peter Parker, and I’m Bruce Wayne."

Vincent, in the driver’s seat, whistled. "Then I’m Robin?"

"No, you’re just a driver," Leigh said, immediately crushing Vincent’s fantasy. He then continued, "In the upcoming negotiations, I will mainly emphasize this point. The times have changed, and the way we sell shoes needs to change as well."

"But one thing is certain: It’s always been hard to sell football shoes. Whether it’s Nike or Adidas, they have to be prepared for that. Under Armour’s approach today is one way. I don’t know if other brands have other ideas. If we only stick to the football shoe market, this endorsement might not be very profitable, and the amount won’t be very high."

Lu Ke nodded to show that he understood and didn’t say anything more.

Leigh waited for a moment, then asked Lu Ke’s opinion frankly. "So, what do you think? If you don’t like Nike, we can stay with Under Armour or choose Adidas."

"I don’t know," Lu Ke said honestly. "You know, I don’t have any special demands when it comes to sponsors. I don’t think there will be a huge difference between Nike and Under Armour. Maybe Nike’s shoe designs are a little better-looking?" This honest response made Vincent laugh, and even Leigh smiled.

"But in the end, I don’t have any special thoughts," Lu Ke continued. "However, I have to admit that Nike can probably offer more, and they will naturally have to consider more. They will definitely want more in the future. For now, the partnership with Under Armour has been very pleasant. I can feel their sincerity from our conversations. That’s all there is to it."

There was one more thing Lu Ke didn’t bring up, but Leigh wouldn’t forget: Nike’s use of Lu Zhengze and Jiang Younin to get close to Lu Ke. That move was not very smart. Fortunately, their subsequent damage control was timely and effective. Otherwise, Nike might have lost Lu Ke completely because of his parents.

As an agent, Leigh must have a good understanding of Lu Ke’s preferences and be thorough. This is the key to a long-term partnership.

As for now, Leigh had a good understanding of Lu Ke’s attitude and opinion. Regardless of which brand they ultimately chose, Leigh would still be negotiating between the brands for a while, stimulating healthy competition, and eventually, they would choose the best partner.

Indeed, top brands have the upper hand and are wealthy, but if a player’s ability reaches a high enough level, they can also have some say. Lu Ke is in that position now, and what’s more, he is one of a kind in the league.

With the business talk out of the way for now, Leigh continued, "Oh, right, Under Armour’s first batch of your exclusive shoe series will be ready by the end of the week at the latest. You can get used to them in practice. If there are no issues, you can wear them in the playoffs. They will hold a press conference to officially announce them later. If they don’t feel comfortable, even the slightest issue, we can postpone it. It’s no problem."

"Okay, no problem!" Lu Ke nodded simply.

Lu Ke is in charge of training and games, and Leigh is in charge of business and negotiations. Their collaboration is still working out well.

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