Lance immediately understood. He was in the driver's seat now—or at least Donald had that confidence—and Lance chuckled softly.
"A check from Nike is still a check, just like one from Under Armour. To me, there's no difference. I imagine the real difference lies in a brand's marketing strategy and image positioning. That's what truly matters."
"If they don't have a clear plan, then signing with any of them just makes me another inconsequential ambassador. In that case, there's no fundamental difference between the brands for me."
From the corner of his eye, Mahomes glanced at Lance, surprised.
Even he hadn't realized that picking a sponsorship involved such considerations.
Lance, while inexperienced, was observant. He knew enough about athletes like David Beckham, whose global superstardom wasn't just about skill but the deliberate cultivation of his image.
Or rather, Victoria Beckham knew how to build that image.
The endorsement deals Beckham accepted, the persona he projected—everything worked in harmony to create a unified brand identity, turning him into a commercial powerhouse.
Clearly, this wasn't something to approach lightly.
Of course, Lance and Mahomes were both rookies, and their commercial value was still developing. For now, they relied on professionals like Donald to guide them.
On the other end of the call, Donald wasn't surprised. Lance's keen insights never failed to impress him.
Donald nodded slightly. "Even so, your preferences matter too. Right now, the choice is yours, and they need to tailor their pitches to your liking."
Lance laughed. "My preferences aren't important. What's important is who's trying to uncover them, right?"
"Let me guess," Lance added. "If you're leveraging LeBron, that means Nike has a slight edge?"
Donald replied calmly, "Not necessarily."
"Using LeBron is just to show these brands your impact—not just in the NFL but across professional sports."
"That's only a small piece of the bigger picture."
"If it's Nike, they need to address a key question: how do they position you? Are you the future face of the NFL, or just a tool to open the Asian market? The scale of their strategy will vary accordingly."
"If it's Under Armour or Adidas, they must decide whether they're ready to make you the centerpiece of their football division, building their campaign around you to challenge Nike's dominance."
In other words, LeBron was just a stepping stone to amplify Lance's value.
Lance raised his chin slightly.
He wasn't entirely confident.
He understood the challenges of being a sponsored NFL player, especially as a running back—a position with less marketability and higher injury risk. And as a rookie, he still had a lot to prove.
But Lance trusted Donald.
He was the expert, and Lance just needed to focus on being the face of their efforts. "So, does this mean I need to patch things up with LeBron? If so, I might need a game plan to salvage this."
Donald raised an eyebrow.
Knowing Lance, he rarely caused trouble. But judging from LeBron's earlier outburst, something must have gone wrong during their initial interaction. Now, Donald's curiosity was piqued.
Lance shrugged. "I told him my favorite player is Steph Curry."
Mahomes couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing.
Realizing his mistake, he quickly stifled his laughter, his cheeks puffing up like a pufferfish.
Donald was momentarily stunned but then couldn't help chuckling, finally understanding LeBron's frustration.
"So… is Curry really your favorite player?" Donald asked, suppressing his amusement.
Lance replied candidly, "Honestly, there are only a handful of NBA players whose names I even remember…"
Donald was caught off guard by the response, momentarily speechless before bursting out laughing. "Fair enough. At least it's better than the NFL. You still remember a few names there."
Hearing Mahomes trying to suppress his laughter in the background, Lance sighed helplessly. "I'm trying, okay? You have no idea how much I'm trying."
"Ha-ha-ha!" Mahomes could no longer hold back his laughter.
Los Angeles. The City of Angels. The home of Hollywood and the second-largest city in North America, after New York.
This entertainment capital is synonymous with movies, TV, and music, attracting countless dreamers from around the globe.
It's also a sports haven, boasting a passionate fan base for basketball and baseball.
However, football has always struggled to capture the city's heart.
Over the years, the Raiders, Chargers, and Rams all called L.A. home, only to leave for various reasons. Since 1994, the city hadn't hosted an NFL team.
It was an incredible gap for such a major market, but that changed in 2016.
Last year, the Rams returned to Los Angeles from St. Louis, marking the city's re-entry into the NFL after a 22-year absence.
This year, in 2017, the Chargers followed suit, relocating from San Diego.
From having no NFL teams for over two decades to hosting two in just two years, the league's ambitions to dominate the L.A. market were clear.
Last season, the Rams made waves by drafting Jared Goff with the first overall pick, hoping to energize their fan base.
But one season wasn't enough. The Rams struggled, and their poor performance didn't inspire fans to pack stadiums.
The city has a strong football culture, but its loyalty lies with UCLA and USC. Winning over Angelenos won't be easy.
As the Chiefs prepared to face the Chargers in Los Angeles, the NFL went all out with its marketing, plastering the city with Lance's face.
Los Angeles is home to the third-largest Chinese-American population in North America, and the league aimed to mobilize this community to fill the stands.
From his hotel's conference room, Lance could see a massive billboard featuring his face.
"Haha, stepping right off the poster and into real life," someone joked.
"You look even better in person."
For 20 advance chapters: .com/michaeltranslates