Shedding tears of envy

On the way to meet with the manager of Adidas, Austin said, "Carlos, you acted impulsively. Nike has already offered the same as Adidas. Choosing Nike will undoubtedly lead to a better future for you."

Carlos shrugged, "Do you think I can get good resources with his attitude? Why should I endure such treatment just for a little more money? No, I can't do it for the sake of money and endure this humiliation."

"Fair point." At a red light, Austin rolled down the window a bit and continued, "Money is one thing, popularity is another. Signing with Nike, which has a bigger market than Adidas, can really make you better. Besides, Phoenix is a bit small, lacking the resources of a big market, which may be detrimental to your future development."

"Yes..." Carlos nodded, acknowledging that Nike indeed had more resources.

But, before signing, Nike's aggressive attitude had already made Carlos uncomfortable. Once the contract was finalized and if the cooperation turned unpleasant, Nike could sideline him, and at that point, regret would be too late.

Most importantly, Carlos didn't want to be treated differently in this way.

Feeling a bit heated, Carlos opened the car window a bit more and added, "Austin, do you think Cleveland's basketball market is big?"

"It's very small, even smaller than Phoenix," Austin honestly replied.

"That's right..." Carlos nodded, took a deep breath, and said, "Cleveland is so small, yet LeBron James alone caused the basketball market to soar by billions. Why can't I, Carlos, achieve that?"

Buzz! Austin's pupils suddenly contracted.

Carlos's bold statement shook him, and he couldn't help but admire Carlos's determination. In his heart, he sighed, realizing that Carlos, with such ambition and strength, had an unlimited future.

"Alright!" Austin slapped the steering wheel, laughing. "Carlos, just because of what you said, I believe in you. I believe you'll outshine LeBron, surpass Kobe, and be the most dazzling figure in the future league!"

Several hours later...

Carlos and Austin met with Wagner, the manager of Adidas, at a quiet restaurant.

"How about it, Mr. Carlos? Have you made a decision?" Wagner asked with a warm smile.

"Well..." Carlos thought for a moment and said, "5 years and 100 million is a bit too much. Give me 5 years and 80 million, but I hope the personal stake can be increased by another 5 percentage points."

"So, 5 years, 80 million dollars + 35% personal stake," Austin consolidated the offer.

"No problem!" Wagner decisively agreed and added, "Mr. Carlos, first of all, thank you for choosing us, even though we are only the second-largest sneaker company after Nike. However, we are aware that there is currently a gap with Nike. So, we really appreciate your choice, and we absolutely believe in your future, believing that you can create a lot of wealth for Adidas. It's a win-win! Since you chose us, we also have absolute confidence in your future. So, the offer remains 5 years, 100 million dollars, with a fixed price. In addition, we give you 35% personal stake, an extra 5%, consider it a bet on the future. Confirming all the details, 5 years, 100 million + 35% personal stake. Take your time to consider."

Upon hearing this, Carlos reached out his hand to Wagner, who shook hands with him in slight astonishment. Carlos smiled and said, "Pleasure doing business!"

Adidas was so straightforward, and Carlos was equally decisive.

"Hmm?" Wagner was momentarily stunned, then understood. He firmly shook Carlos's hand and said, "Sure, sure, pleasure doing business."

Thus...

Carlos signed a blockbuster deal with Adidas, a five-year contract worth 100 million dollars, and an additional 35% personal stake.

After Adidas signed the superstar center Carlos, they immediately made an official announcement on Twitter. The news quickly exploded across the league.

"Are you kidding me?!"

"A 5-year, 100 million deal with 35% personal stake? Is this a joke?"

"Oh my God, Carlos, a rookie, just signed a contract even more lucrative than LeBron's 'King' James back in the day. It's terrifying."

"Is this news for real?!"

"It's on Adidas's official Twitter. Can't you see the logo? How could it be fake?"

"Carlos is too strong!"

"Haha, Carlos is invincible in the universe."

"Hey, with his raw talent and the phenomenon-level offensive performance, if he keeps it up, he might change an era or even lead a new one. Thinking about it, this offer to Carlos is worth it."

"Bingo!"

"I don't understand this change or leadership stuff, but after Carlos signs this contract, is his value really over a hundred million? Handsome, tall, talented, and rich. Where can you find such a perfect guy? Carlos, let's date. I'll give my all just to win a date with you."

"Count me in, sister upstairs. I don't mind sharing, as long as Carlos goes on a date with me too."

"Shedding tears of envy..."

The comments under Adidas's official Twitter exploded. Apart from the fans, countless players in the league, upon learning this news, couldn't help but sigh at Carlos, a rookie, signing such a monstrous contract.

The most impacted were the two former number one draft picks, Wall and Griffin. Before becoming this year's number one pick, Wall had signed a 5-year, $25 million contract with Reebok, which might sound "generous." However, in reality, this misleading contract meant he could only get $2.5 million in his rookie season. As for last year's number one pick, Griffin, his shoe contract was a meager $400,000 per year, even lower when compared to Carlos's astronomical guaranteed $20 million per year.

Both of them were extremely frustrated.

The next morning...

[Carlos: Signs a record-breaking 5-year, $100 million + 35% personal stake deal with Adidas.]

[Mexican center Carlos secures the biggest rookie contract in history with Adidas!]

[...]

Similar news reports were everywhere.

At the Suns training facility, players like Curry, Nash, Carter, and others couldn't help but admire Carlos. It wasn't until Coach Gentry came over that everyone happily calmed down.

Gentry gathered everyone, held up the schedule, and said with a smile, "I'm sure everyone already knows about Carlos signing with Adidas. Congratulations to Carlos. Also, now that we've achieved a 13-game winning streak, it's something worth celebrating. However, we can't slack off because our upcoming opponents are the 76ers, Cavaliers, Raptors, and... the Lakers!"