"Suns for the championship!"
"Suns for the championship!"
"Suns for the championship!"
The Warriors lost the series, but their home fans were cheering for the Suns.
As the Suns team bus left the arena, it was stopped by enthusiastic fans.
"We want Wade Dong!"
"We want Curry!"
"We want Thompson!"
The fans held up these signs and chanted, "Suns for the championship!"
The bus moved slowly.
It took about half an hour to leave the Chase Center and head to the hotel.
But upon arriving at the hotel, they were surrounded by fans again.
It was already 11 PM by the time they finally made it to their rooms. If it weren't for the fans wearing Suns jerseys, the Suns players might have thought they were being ambushed by Warriors fans for defeating the Warriors.
...
Lu Qingyan also traveled to the Bay Area with the Suns and was staying at the same hotel as Wade Dong.
After Wade Dong returned to his room, Lu Qingyan joined him, leaving the door open.
These were the little details that mattered. Lu Qingyan was only two years older than Wade Dong, and she was also a beauty. If she had closed the door, it might have raised suspicions, especially since it was late at night.
It was a delicate situation. Even if they were behaving appropriately, if Lu Qingyan had closed the door, Wade Dong might have felt uncomfortable.
The original plan was for Wade Dong to meet up with Lu Qingyan after returning to the hotel, but now that there were fans surrounding the hotel, Wade Dong couldn't leave. This unexpected turn of events caught them off guard.
Lu Qingyan suggested, "They probably won't arrive for another half hour. I'll ask the hotel for a small conference room."
"No need~"
Wade Dong waved his hand, "Let's just chat in my room. You can order some food to be delivered."
About half an hour later.
Huang Yu and Dudley arrived at the hotel and went straight to Wade Dong's room.
Lu Qingyan had specifically requested the hotel to prepare Chinese dishes and send two bottles of white wine to the room.
"Dong Ge~"
"Dong Ge~"
When Huang Yu and Dudley entered the room, Wade Dong was lounging on the sofa, watching a replay of the Heat's game.
The Heat had also swept the Bucks 4-0 to advance to the second round of the playoffs.
The Suns' opponent in the NBA Finals this year would likely be either the Heat or the Bulls. Rose had been injured earlier in the season and was out for about two months, but he seemed to be in good form after returning.
After Huang Yu and Dudley arrived.
Wade Dong got up and said, "Qingyan, since our two idols are here, let's get down to business before we drink and chat."
Huang Yu and Dudley had come to discuss an important matter.
Dudley had ended his contract with his agency at the end of the season, and Huang Yu had not signed with any agency yet.
They both wanted to sign with Wade Dong's sports agency, and Dudley had even terminated his contract with his previous agency for this purpose.
Wade Dong's sports agency was fully managed by Lu Qingyan.
The agency not only handled player contracts but also focused on developing players' market value. It had expanded to include all four major professional sports leagues in the US, not just the NBA, including the NFL, MLB, and NHL.
Huang Yu and Dudley had come to sign with the agency. They didn't even read the contract but signed and stamped their fingerprints where Lu Qingyan indicated.
The deal was sealed.
"Welcome, welcome~"
After signing the contract, Wade Dong happily hugged Huang Yu and Dudley, "From now on, we're family."
In fact, many players wanted to sign with Wade Dong's sports agency, not just because of Wade Dong's fame but also because of the two treasures behind it.
One was Wade Dong Sports Equipment Co., Ltd., a company invested in by Guo Zifeng and Zhang Yang. In just one year, it had become a strong competitor to the world's two leading sports equipment companies.
The other was a well-known fact: Lu Qingyan, the head of Wade Dong's sports agency, had been a manager at Daniu Entertainment, and as a fellow Chinese, Wade Dong had a good relationship with Zhang Yang. This connection allowed Wade Dong's sports agency to maximize the commercial value of its players.
Most players' incomes were not limited to their team salaries; their commercial value was also a significant source of revenue.
Dudley opened the box of white wine, "Dong Ge, we must celebrate. I'll open the wine."
"Let's celebrate!"
Wade Dong happily said, "Let's drink."
After Huang Yu and Dudley arrived, the door to Wade Dong's room was closed. The three of them drank together, while Lu Qingyan quietly listened to their banter and occasionally took a bite of food.
After a couple of drinks.
Wade Dong asked Huang Yu, "What are your plans for the off-season?"
Huang Yu replied, "I'll be going back to China in a few days to visit my hometown and focus on training."
"That's great."
Wade Dong nodded, "I'll give you Coach Deng Hua's contact information. You can also help guide the national team players when you're back in China."
Aside from Wade Dong, Huang Yu was the strongest Chinese basketball player.
Despite the Warriors' loss to the Suns, Huang Yu averaged 31.5 points in the four games, which was superstar-level performance.
"Aside from training, do you have any other plans?"
Lu Qingyan suddenly asked a question, her first since the contract was signed.
Huang Yu shook his head, "No~"
Lu Qingyan said, "Daniu Entertainment and Zhejiang TV have a variety show called 'Running, Brothers.' Are you interested in being a guest on the show?"
"Participate in a variety show?"
Huang Yu hesitated; he had never thought about this before.
Lu Qingyan explained, "You joined the Warriors this season and became popular among Chinese fans. Appearing on a variety show will increase your recognition and enhance your commercial value."
In other words, among the players signed to Wade Dong's sports agency, Huang Yu had the highest commercial value in China.
Wade Dong, as the boss, didn't count. Moreover, Wade Dong had no interest in appearing on variety shows and rarely accepted endorsements.
As Li Jiajia once said, aside from playing basketball and managing his two companies, Wade Dong's life was like that of a primitive human, as if he were disconnected from the world.
When Li Jiajia wasn't around, if Gentry and the others came to visit Wade Dong, he would have a drink with them.
When he was alone, Wade Dong would play 'Snake' to pass the time or watch game footage of other teams.
"What do you think, Dong Ge?"
Huang Yu looked to Wade Dong for his opinion, as he couldn't decide on his own.
Wade Dong smiled, "James and Kobe also go to China during the off-season and often appear on variety shows. I don't see any problem with you appearing on one."
"Okay."
Huang Yu agreed.
Since he was already going back to China, appearing on a variety show to increase his fame and earn some appearance fees seemed like a good idea.