On January 24th, the Thunder returned to Oklahoma City early. After a four-day rest, they would play four consecutive home games.
Overall, the Thunder's schedule before the All-Star Weekend was very light.
As soon as Durant returned home, his agent, Kleiman, immediately rushed over. Seeing Durant scrolling on his phone while watching a TNT program, he said impatiently:
"Kevin, I've contacted many brands. Don't you want to know how big a sneaker contract you can get?"
Agent Kleiman's eyes were already glowing green. When Durant first entered the league in this world, he harbored huge ambitions and rejected Nike's 6-year, $60 million sneaker contract.
At the time, Agent Kleiman was so anxious he was stomping his feet, yet he still couldn't change Durant's decision. Durant's reason for this showed his confidence:
"LeBron James signed a 7-year, $89 million contract in 2003. I'm better than him, so there's no reason for me to get less. I not only want to be the core of the Thunder, but also Nike's top star!"
Agent Kleiman was dumbfounded when he heard this. He had never seen anyone refuse free money.
But now, Kleiman had somewhat changed his mind. He believed Durant indeed had the potential to become a top star. Nike had already offered an initial letter of intent, and although there were many clauses, the contract amount truly surprised him.
"Come on, Kevin, you need to care about your sneaker contract. $300 million over 10 years, honestly, I almost agreed to it on the spot!"
When Durant heard "$300 million," his body stiffened slightly, then he suddenly jumped up and shouted:
"What the f*ck! $300 million? Are you serious? Sh*t! I'm f*cking rich! Wow, agree to Nike, God, this is insane!"
Agent Kleiman saw Durant excitedly pacing around and quickly motioned for him to sit on the sofa, then explained in detail:
"Kevin, this is just an initial intention. To get this big contract, we have to sign many clauses. Future matters aside, this season you must make it past the first round of the Playoffs, and ideally, reach the Western Conference Finals!"
"If you can win the championship, believe me, our signing process might become incredibly smooth. Of course, to be honest, I'm not optimistic about the Thunder; your interior is too weak. So, this season, you must stay healthy!"
Agent Kleiman's biggest fear at this moment was Durant suddenly getting injured, which could cause this impending big contract to slip away.
"If I sign this contract, does that mean I'll become Nike's top star? F*ck! My choice back then was indeed correct. I must surpass LeBron James!"
Durant didn't take Agent Kleiman's nagging to heart, but instead turned to ask the question he cared about most.
"Nike's top star will always be Michael Jordan. Of course, if we really sign this big contract in the offseason, in a sense, you will indeed have surpassed LeBron James."
Kleiman quickly flattered him. Durant was a walking cash cow right now, and he had to keep his employer happy.
"Yes! Haha, I knew this day would come!"
Durant laughed arrogantly, then leaned back in a big tactical recline, striking a boss-like pose to calm himself down, and resumed watching the TNT program.
"Did you notice LeBron James' expression? After losing to the Thunder at home, he went straight back to the locker room. His interview answers were as proper as ever, but we all know James is angry. Haha, I love the Thunder's trio!"
Charles Barkley was discussing last night's game between the Thunder and the Cavaliers, now showing a look of schadenfreude.
"If you just got the All-Star vote leader, but then lost by a large margin on your home court, and were dominated by a rookie, if it were you, you'd react exactly like James. It just goes to show how truly excellent the Thunder are."
Kenny Smith began to speak favorably of LeBron James. That's how this show works, one playing the good cop, one playing the bad cop.
"Perhaps, but Kayce is truly amazing. He'll still be the Rookie of the Month for January; he's swept that award."
"You know what, man, he reminds me of Tim Duncan. Kayce is already an excellent star player!"
Charles Barkley started his Kayce-fawning mode again; he had been completely won over by Kayce.
"Do you think Kayce can make an All-NBA team as a rookie, like Duncan? The competition at guard is very fierce right now."
Kenny Smith deliberately asked a question, also allowing his good partner to perform freely.
"Of course, I think Kayce definitely has the strength to make the First Team. Half of the regular season has already been played; is there anyone at guard who has performed better than him? The Thunder really found a treasure; he's the Tim Duncan of the guard position."
Charles Barkley began to lavish praise, also projecting an All-NBA team selection for Kayce.
"Why the Tim Duncan of the guard position? Hey, man, you might as well just say he's the Michael Jordan of today. You can't deliberately ignore Michael just because you lost to him."
Kenny Smith teased his old partner again, and the studio was immediately filled with a joyful atmosphere.
Durant, who was in a great mood, couldn't help but twitch his mouth when he saw this. Praising Kayce again? But then he thought, he was already firmly established as the core of the Thunder, so there was no need to dwell on these things:
"All-Star, scoring champion, $300 million sneaker contract over 10 years, Nike's top star. My position as the boss is secured. Kayce can just assist me with peace of mind!"
Durant thought of his bright financial future, and his mood became even more cheerful. He couldn't help but pick up his phone, log into his alt account, and directly start ranting on Twitter:
"What Charles Barkley said is a pile of dog sh*t. KD is the strongest player after Michael Jordan!"
…
Meanwhile, in an Oklahoma City mansion, Kayce lay like a lazy fish in a study chair, looking at the incessantly chattering Chapman, and couldn't help but say loudly:
"Alright, man, just get to the point! Aren't we supposed to be discussing the sneaker contract? The songs for the first album have already been decided, no need to beat around the bush. We've been old friends for many years."
"Okay, Kayce, you saw through me. Let me first tell you what information I've gathered. Nike should offer you a sneaker contract in the tens of millions of dollars. Adidas should be the same; the amounts from both sides should be similar."
"Rick Blackshaw, the former Vice President and General Manager of Converse, is a good friend of mine for many years. In 2003, they were acquired by Nike for $305 million. So, Rick's information about Nike is absolutely reliable."
Chapman had a look that said, "I have connections," showing off his network.
"OK! That's good news, but you must have more to say than that, right? Are you suggesting I sign with Nike?"
Kayce looked relaxed. A contract in the tens of millions of dollars was basically in line with his worth, after all, he was just a rookie and hadn't achieved any results yet.
"Uh, signing with Nike is indeed a good option, but I have a bold idea. I want to acquire Keds. With Big Machine Records' profits plus some financial maneuvers, we might not even spend much money."
Chapman said in a low voice, but he became less confident as he spoke.
"Ahem, Keds, an outdated canvas shoe brand? Don't tell me you're also a nostalgic person. That's the brand Joanna liked when she was young. It has a hundred-year history, but Keds is outdated; young people really don't like this brand."
Kayce was also a bit confused by Chapman's words; that was a very sharp turn.
"Kayce, this is absolutely not an impulse. I have a detailed plan. I admit, Rick played a role, but what really made me decide was Taylor and your music. You two don't even know how much money you can make yet!"
"Let me give you a simple example: YouTube MV video plays, $0.005 per view."
"Your 'Shape of You' has already surpassed 100 million plays, and we believe this is far from the song's limit. Our expectation is 5 billion plays!"
"Music platform Spotify, $0.005 per play. Apple Music, $0.008 per play. We expect a total of 3 billion plays across both platforms!"
"Digital single sales are $1, but we expect it to sell well in many countries. Plus, YouTube royalties, and combined royalties from various TV and radio stations, approximately $3 million annually."
"Kayce, for this one song, you might eventually earn over $100 million!"
"Everything I've mentioned above is through our own channels. I haven't even included some collaborations with Universal Music!"
"And think about Taylor's popularity now. You two are practically walking ATM machines. So, after buying Keds, and then having you two endorse it, launching new product lines, we can revitalize this century-old brand!"
"This will be Big Machine Records' most cost-effective investment, definitely surpassing some of the internet projects invested in before."
"A few days ago, we followed suit and invested $3.5 million in Instagram. Those internet companies practically treated us like suckers, but acquiring Keds will definitely not disappoint you."
Chapman became more and more excited, talking a mile a minute, which left Kayce a bit stunned, especially when he heard that one song could earn $100 million.
"OK! OK! Man, don't get excited. Let me summarize simply: you think Taylor and I will make a lot of money in the future, so you want to acquire the century-old brand Keds, and then we'll re-operate it? So, the question is, how much will the acquisition cost?"
Kayce cleared his head and asked the crucial question.
"Uh, it might exceed $200 million. Although Keds' business isn't thriving, they don't have much debt. This is also information Rick gave me. So, I want to use some financial methods; I need Ms. Dutton's help!"
Chapman said with a serious expression. He had shares in Big Machine Records, so he naturally hoped the company would make a lot of money.
"Alright! I generally agree with your plan, and I'll also give Joanna a heads-up. Big Machine Records belongs to all of us, and I hope we all make money from this acquisition!"
"Also, if the acquisition is successful, we need to make the product line more youthful. I don't want to wear those old-fashioned canvas shoes!"
"After that, we also need to restart the basketball shoe production line. Although I don't care about signature shoes, more products mean more money to earn!"
Kayce thought about it and felt that this was reliable, after all, the music menu in the Dream Training Space still had a bunch of popular songs. Since singing was so profitable, he could "create" more in the future.
"Wow! You agreed! That's great, I believe Ms. Dutton will also support us. Oh, by the way, Kayce, you and Taylor will be accepting an MTV Video Music Award together during the off-season."
"We adjusted the release time of Taylor's single 'You Belong With Me', which can ride on your popularity. Universal also helped us with the operations, so winning is 100% certain."
Chapman shouted excitedly, and then told Kayce about an off-season activity.
"Shit! An album from '08, and they're still releasing singles now. This is truly the crazy fan economy. Don't tell me this MV is the one I made a friendly appearance in back then?"
Kayce truly felt the power of the fan economy at this moment.
"Yes! The two of you acted perfectly. We can also use this opportunity to hype you up as a couple, then you two can sing a song together, then hype up a breakup, and then even get back together..."
"..."
During the afternoon training session on January 27th, Kayce and Durant both appeared approachable. Having earned a lot of money, the two no longer clashed during training, which made other teammates feel a bit uncomfortable.
"Don't you think Kevin and Kayce are both acting very strange?"
Jeff Green's shoulder injury had fully recovered. Although he might have limited playing time in tonight's game against the Chicago Bulls, this was still good news for the Thunder.
"Just like usual! Green, you always overthink things. Coach Brooks is the strange one today; his training demands are much stricter!"
Russell didn't notice Kayce's and Durant's performance, because Coach Brooks had been criticizing him for making tactical errors multiple times.
"Kevin, after catching the ball, you must pay attention to your shot selection. You can learn from Kayce and use your footwork more; this will improve your shooting percentage!"
"Ibaka, you need to move on offense. Don't stand still waiting for the ball. You need to observe the situation on the court. Once the defense doubles Kayce, you need to cut to the basket immediately."
"Kayce, in the upcoming games, you need to appropriately increase your mid-range shooting. We need you to solve problems with your mid-range shot when the team is struggling."
Coach Brooks had been reviewing the game against the Grizzlies with the coaching staff for the past two days, trying to understand why the team's offense suddenly stalled. If they encountered the strong defense of a Twin-tower team again, how should the team attack?
They couldn't rely on the inside, so they had to solve problems from the outside. After much discussion and research by the coaching staff, everyone agreed that if they encountered a defense similar to the Grizzlies again, the team should simplify its playstyle and rely on the individual abilities of its stars to solve problems.
That is to say, reduce screen plays and pass the ball directly to the most reliable player on the court. Whether it's an isolation play or a pick-and-roll, getting the ball in is a success. To summarize it in one sentence: "Give the ball to the best player on the court."
In recent training, Kayce also took the advice of trainers Tony and Meg, utilizing the triple threat more after catching the ball, either shooting or driving, to make his offense simple and efficient, reducing unnecessary dribbling.
Halfway through the regular season, due to Kayce's excellent outside shooting performance, most teams didn't dare to guard him too closely, which gave his triple threat immense power.
Kayce recently mainly adjusted his offensive footwork, such as the crossover step after a triple threat. Trainer Tony asked him to dribble forcefully on the first step. These small detail changes could make his shooting and driving easier.
Also, when facing a mismatch against a bigger player, when holding the ball high, there's no need to lower his center of gravity too much. Using in-and-out dribbles with changes in footwork, he can quickly exert force and easily shake off the big man's defense.
These small detail changes were all summarized by trainers Tony and Meg after watching game footage, tailoring technical moves suitable for Kayce. Halfway through the regular season, Kayce's strengths and weaknesses had all been exposed.
Trainer Tony saw Kayce's triple threat outside the three-point line, then a right-hand crossover step drive, two consecutive forceful dribbles, and a right-hand fadeaway shot over Durant's defense, making the basket. He couldn't help but smile and say to Meg beside him:
"Don't you think Kayce is improving too fast? After we gave him advice, this guy only took half a month to optimize his moves impressively. Look at his one-on-one with KD; now they're almost evenly matched."
"It is surprising, but I want to say, don't look at Kayce with ordinary eyes. He is a true genius. The only thing he lacks now is game experience, and also increasing his shooting hot zones, but these all take time."
As Kayce's physical therapist and body coordination trainer who traveled with him everywhere, Meg understood Kayce's body best.
Leaving aside his skills, just his recovery ability alone was astonishing. He was completely unaffected by back-to-back games; he was simply a beast!
Kayce didn't know that his trainers were discussing him, otherwise he would surely be laughing wildly in his heart:
"Systematic training optimization even while sleeping? This is how a 'King of Grinding' is made!"
After making a right-side fadeaway mid-range shot, Kayce completely won today's one-on-one training game, which made the approachable Durant feel very frustrated.
"Kayce, how did you train your left hand? There's almost no difference between your strong and weak hands? This is too hard to defend, it's practically cheating!"
"Talent! Believe me, Kevin, it's just like Michael Jordan's hang time; some things you just can't force."
Kayce sat on the sidelines, taking a short break, and then teased Durant again. This guy was very arrogant today, so it seemed he had encountered something good.
"Shit! Don't think I can't tell you're complimenting yourself! I will practice my left hand!"
The Thunder players heard Durant's laughing curse and immediately burst into laughter. If it weren't for Kayce, everyone would be completely dominated by Durant in one-on-one, and they wouldn't see Durant like this.
On the evening of the 27th, in the player tunnel of the Ford Center, the Chicago Bulls players felt the fiery atmosphere and couldn't help but look at each other. Is this really the Thunder's home court?
"Rose, when you came to Oklahoma City last year, was the atmosphere this crazy?"
Rookie Gibson was a bit bewildered. The game hadn't even started, and the arena was already noisy, with many fans holding cheering signs, and warm-up activities coming one after another.
"Far from it. Last year, the Thunder had just moved here, and their popularity was very average. After all, they only won 23 games last season. The United Center Arena isn't bad either!"
Don't let Rose's second-year status fool you; he was already the undisputed core player of the Chicago Bulls, naturally displaying a big-shot demeanor as he comforted his younger teammate, Gibson.
In fact, Rose also felt a bit envious of the atmosphere, but then he thought that the Chicago Bulls' record was indeed not as good as the opponent's, and he couldn't help but silently vow:
"We must win this game. No one can defeat me consecutively!"
When the lights in the Ford Center dimmed and the arena DJ began introducing the starting lineups, the atmosphere in the stadium immediately reached a climax. After not being able to watch a home game for several days, the Oklahoma City fans fully released their enthusiasm.
The home commentator Twin also began to introduce the home team's starting lineup:
"For this game, we finally have a complete roster. Jeff Green is back from injury. Although his playing time is limited, this is great news for the Thunder. We hope he can quickly get into game rhythm tonight!"
"The starting backcourt is still Russell Westbrook and Kayce. The forwards are Kevin Durant and Jeff Green, and the center is Nenad Krstić."
"The Chicago Bulls are still on their regular rotation: Derrick Rose and Kirk Hinrich in the backcourt, Luol Deng and Taj Gibson at forward, and Joakim Noah at center."
"The Chicago Bulls have been in good form recently, having just defeated the San Antonio Spurs in their last game, but I believe the Thunder's young men are ready!"
The referee signaled Kostić and Noah to the center circle, and players from both sides exchanged brief greetings.
"The game begins! Noah tipped the ball to the Chicago Bulls. Oh! Rose dribbles past half-court and drives straight to the basket!"
After winning the tip-off, the Chicago Bulls' offense started very quickly. Rose made a wide body-fake crossover, shaking off Russell's defense.
Taking advantage of the Thunder's defense not being fully set, he drove straight to the rim, evaded Kostić's block in mid-air, and finished with a right-hand reverse layup.
"Swish" Two points in the paint.
Kostić was a bit unaccustomed. Without Ibaka's help defense, his defensive pressure greatly increased. Rose easily scored on the first possession, and Kostić quickly raised his hand to signal it was his fault.
The Thunder quickly inbounded the ball. Russell dribbled past half-court and quickly passed to Durant, who came off a screen. Durant caught the ball, took a quick step, and drove to the basket. The Chicago Bulls' defense immediately collapsed, and Durant passed the ball directly to Jeff Green in the corner.
The latter caught the ball, made a slight adjustment, and shot an open three-pointer.
"Bang" He bricked it.
Hinrich collected the long rebound and passed it to Rose. The Chicago Bulls quickly initiated a fast break, but the Thunder players retreated quickly. Seeing no fast-break opportunity, Rose immediately slowed the pace and signaled Gibson to come up for a pick-and-roll.
After the pick-and-roll, he drove left. Facing Jeff Green, who had switched onto him, he suddenly pulled the ball back between his legs, then accelerated with his right hand, stopping and starting quickly, easily shaking off Jeff Green's defense, and finished with an underhand layup into the basket.
"Boo!!!"
The Ford Center immediately erupted in boos. Rose's move almost made Jeff Green stumble.
Thunder on offense. A high double screen. Kayce cut across, receiving the ball at the left 45-degree angle outside the three-point line. Facing Gibson, who had switched onto him, he drove with a left-hand crossover, easily shaking off his defender.
Noticing that the Chicago Bulls' defense had collapsed completely again, Kayce quickly passed the ball to Jeff Green at the top of the arc. The latter caught the ball and, without hesitation, shot a three-pointer.
"Bang" Another brick.
The rebound was again collected by the Chicago Bulls. Kayce quickly retreated on defense, while a bad feeling surged in his heart:
"If Jeff Green's shooting is cold tonight, then this game will be really tough. After all, when a teammate is wide open, you still have to pass."