Matt Varga Just a couple weeks after ringing in their partnerships with an HBCU adidas Basketball collection, adidas is continuing their momentum by announcing deals with four of the most notable athletes in Overtime Elite, with Karter Knox, Mikel brown Jr., Ian Jackson and Adam Oumiddoch becoming latest adidas signature atheletes.
The move here represents an expansion of adidas Basketball athletes, and NIL deals more broadly, outside of the traditional realm of NCAA college athletics. Along the G-League’s Ignite, Overtime Elite stands as among the premier non-traditional paths for prospects to shoot for the league. Notably, twins Ausar & Amen Thompson, drafted #4 and #5 in the 2023 NBA Draft became the first OTE alumni to get selected in the first round. It came just a year after Jalen Green made similar history, picked #2 after eschewing college for a year on the Ignite roster.
Those landmarks are clearly not lost on brass from either side. In the press release, adidas General Manager of Global Basketball Eric Wise said the partnership was aimed at “champion[ing] the future leaders of basketball,” while Overtime VP of Brand Partnerships Jack Jenkins highlighted adidas’ “focus on the next generation athlete.” As for the players themselves, it’s a ton of incredibly promising talent included in this first OTE-adidas class. Two McDonald’s All Americans and top 20 prospects in their respective classes are represented in this crop.
Below you can find official images of the four rising stars clad in adidas gear.
In related news, one of adidas Basketball’s premier NBA stars debuted a brand new model with the adidas James Harden Vol. 8.
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- Mikel Brown Jr. from the Class of 2025 has been recruited and offered by over a dozen Division I schools, projecting the potential of an NBA future.
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- 2024 McDonald’s All American Karter Knox, the younger brother of current NBA-er Kevin Knox. Lauded as a true three level scorer, he is currently fielding offers from the likes of Kentucky & Louisville.
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- 2024 McDonald’s All American Ian Jackson, who just committed to UNC last month.
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- Adam Oumiddich from the Class of 2026. Though still a few years off from potential college offers, he stands as the only underclassman in OTE averaging double digits.
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