November 26th 2023.
Adidas Basketball is making a big bet on the future of basketball player Darryn Peterson. Peterson, a 6'5 combo guard, is currently the top-ranked guard in the class of 2025 at Huntington Prep in Canton, Ohio. He is the first high school player to ever sign a deal with Adidas.
Boardroom reported that Peterson had over 30 D-1 scholarship offers, and he sees this as a major opportunity for his "brand" to go to the next level. This is reminiscent of the situation faced by LeBron James in 2003, when Adidas, Nike, and Reebok all attempted to court the Ohio sensation. James chose Nike's $87 million fully-guaranteed contract, though the other two were reportedly offering deals above $100 million.
In the past few years, NIL deals have significantly changed the prospects of certain high schoolers from a financial standpoint. Peterson, at only 16, already sees himself as a "brand". While some of the bigger attention has gone to college players, a few high schoolers have also been inked to deals.
Juju Watkins, Bronny James, and D.J. Wagner all signed Nike deals as seniors last year, and now Peterson is the first high school player to sign a major NIL deal with a shoe company before their senior year. Peterson is clearly grateful for the chance, saying, “It means a lot. For Adidas to choose me out of all the high school basketball players in the world? For them to take a chance on me is a big deal. It’s an honor and a blessing."
His success and performance in his sophomore season, where he averaged 31 points and 9 rebounds, would have certainly helped his stock. He has some advice for other young basketball players out there: “Keep the main thing the main thing. Focus on whatever that dream is, and the business part will come with it. Don’t let that drive you. Stay humble and be self-motivated.”
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