I made all five of my shots right from the start, and the whole league was stunned.

Chapter 65 The Logic of Monetizing Infamy

Back to New York. Conference room.

On the television screen, CNN, Fox Sports, and ESPN were bombarding the same name—Li Xiangbei.

The New York Times wrote, "His selfish act of stealing the ball from his teammates stole LeBron's trophy and the very essence of basketball. This arrogance is a blatant trampling on team spirit!"

ESPN's commentator said, "This is the ugliest display of individualism in NBA history! If the Knicks don't address this, this team will sink like the Titanic sooner or later! Li Xiangbei must apologize! Immediately!"

The internet is ablaze with conflict.

LeBron's die-hard fans and so-called "moral guardians" stormed the Knicks' official website forum, with the comment section filled with insults such as "get out of the NBA" and "selfish."

The agent stared at the constant stream of negative news, clutching the press release he hadn't yet issued, his palms sweaty.

"Li, this is insane. This kind of public pressure could ruin your business image. Nike has even started secretly pushing for a boycott of you," Duffy said worriedly.

Li Xiangbei took off his headphones, glanced at the commentator on the screen criticizing him, and a playful smile appeared on his face.

"Bill, don't look so glum."

"You have to understand, in New York, the worst news is no news. As long as they're still talking about me, whether they're criticizing me or praising me, it means traffic."

……

Just then, the phone rang.

It's Kevin.

Duffy took a deep breath, thinking that his biggest financial backer was about to come and hold him accountable.

After all, no brand wants its spokesperson to be a public enemy.

He was prepared to be scolded.

"Hey, Kevin, let me explain..."

"Hahahahaha!"

Instead of a question, the voice on the other end of the phone burst into maniacal laughter.

"Explain? Explain what?! Bill! Didn't you see the stock market today?!" Planck exclaimed excitedly. "Since the All-Star Weekend ended, UA's stock price opened sharply higher on Monday, rising by more than 12%! Do you know how many dollars that means?!"

Duffy was stunned: "What?"

"Sales! Sales are simply phenomenal! The all-black Villain 1 sneakers Lee wore in the Slam Dunk Contest, and the T-shirt he wore when accepting his award... they all sold out within 10 minutes of going on sale on the official website! Even the pre-order slots were snapped up!"

"You have no idea how rebellious young people are these days! The harsher the mainstream media criticizes you, the more those old fogies rant, the cooler they think you are! You are their totem of rebellion against authority and hypocrisy! LeBron represents order, while Lee represents freedom!"

"We don't need apologies! We need more orders! I've already got all the factories in Baltimore running overnight!"

The phone hangs up.

Duffy looked at Li Xiangbei with disbelief in his eyes.

Li Xiangbei put down his water glass and said to Duffy:

"No explanation needed. Just compile the screenshot of the financial report Planck just sent, along with the latest sales data for Greater China."

"Go see Dolan for me first thing tomorrow morning."

……

10:00 AM the next day.

Knicks general manager Donnie Walsh was standing in front of a huge mahogany desk, reporting to owner Dolan.

Walsh is a traditional basketball man who believes in teamwork and discipline.

In his view, Li Xiangbei's actions at the All-Star Game were simply heretical.

"Boss, we have to take action," Walsh said seriously. "Lee's comments have severely damaged the team's image. More importantly, 2010 is a big free agency year, and LeBron's contract is expiring. We've always had a 'Recruit LeBron Plan.' If we let Lee attack LeBron like this, no superstar will want to come to New York and work with a madman."

Walsh took out a document and handed it to Dolan.

"I suggest that Li Xiangbei must issue a public apology. We cannot allow a rookie to be above the team."

Dolan sat in the leather boss's chair, toying with a cigar in his hand, his face revealing neither joy nor anger.

As a second-generation rich kid who inherited a huge family business, and also the lead singer of a rock band, his way of thinking has always been different from others.

Just then, there was a knock on the office door.

Bill Duffy strode in, carrying a thick file.

Li Xiangbei didn't come, but he had Duffy bring the sharpest weapons.

"Good morning, Mr. Dolan. I have a report here; perhaps I should take a look at it first."

Duffy laid out a document titled "Greater China Ratings and Consumer Influence Report" in front of Dolan.

This is data that could drive any businessman crazy.

"Mr. Dolan, please look at this page." Duffy pointed to a line of red numbers. "Since Lee joined the Knicks, our viewership in China has surpassed that of the Houston Rockets—Yao Ming's team. It's also twice that of the Lakers. Lee's individualistic style of play is simply made for television."

"Look at this page, merchandise sales. In just half a season, the sales of Knicks jerseys, hats, and other merchandise driven by Lee in Greater China were equivalent to the total sales of the Knicks over the past ten years."

Duffy paused for a moment, then unleashed his final trump card.

"Top Wall Street analysts believe that as long as Lee is in charge and he maintains this level of media attention, the Knicks' market value could conservatively double within the next three years."

Duffy pushed up his glasses and turned to look at Walsh:

"Media criticism is temporary; they might hate you today, but tomorrow they'll fawn over you for clicks. But consumer habits last a lifetime. In New York, being disliked is a huge asset that can be monetized. As long as you win, even if you're a monster, New Yorkers will pay for it."

Dolan looked at the report, his eyes growing brighter and brighter.

That wasn't a love for basketball; it was greed for money and the spotlight, and a resonance with the "spirit of rock and roll."

He slowly stood up and picked up Walsh's "recommendation".

"hiss--"

Dolan, right in front of Walsh, shoved the document into the shredder.

Dolan walked over to Walsh and patted him heavily on the shoulder.

"Donnie, we need to keep up with the times. Really."

Dolan's face broke into that fervent smile typical of artists.

"This is rock and roll! This is New York! This is the Showtime I want! People pay dollars to come in here not to watch a bunch of good kids passing the ball around, they come to see this scoundrel perform! They want to see how he humiliates his opponents, how he makes the whole place boil!"

"From today onward, ignore what those damn media outlets say. And ignore whether LeBron will come or not—if Lee can bring that much money, what's the point of having LeBron?"

"Li must be happy. His commercial value is paramount."

"If he wants to trash talk on the court, you go buy him the best megaphone! If he wants to dance in the locker room, you get him the best DJ! Got it?"

Walsh opened his mouth, but in the end he could only nod helplessly.

……

Li Xiangbei was sitting on the balcony of his apartment, enjoying the afternoon sun.

My phone vibrated.

It was a text message from the agent:

"Done. Dolan has gone mad. You can be a villain to your heart's content."

The Knicks locker room.

Randolph was holding a copy of the latest New York Daily News, the sports supplement, which contained a rather inconspicuous rumor: "Knicks looking to clear salary cap space, could Randolph be used as trade bait?"

This usually jovial, chubby man now had a furrowed brow and his eyes were filled with unease.