'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAFAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYH/8QAFQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQL/2gAMAwEAAhADEAAAAN9oij//xAAhEAACAQQABwAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgMABAUREiEjM3GRk//aAAgBAQABPwDNO1rnMJDb6SJpWklXn1BtI+E/QnyBRtoQe2vqv//EABYRAQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEAMf/aAAgBAgEBPwBwv//EABQRAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD/2gAIAQMBAT8Af//Z'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
5-star prospect Mikel Brown Jr. reflects how "playing at a high level" played an instrumental part in his NIL deal with sports giants
Adidas, one of the biggest sporting brands in the world, has continued dipping its toes in high school basketball, with NIL deals with the likes of five-star prospect Mikel Brown Jr.
The DME Academy point guard, who signed with Adidas several years ago, spoke with the brand's official YouTube channel regarding basketball and his experience with Adidas itself.
Mikel Brown Jr. started the interview off by explaining his history with the brand.
"The Adidas deal, it's been going on for quite some time, I've been with Adidas for two, going on three years now." (0:34-0:41)
He then talked about what it was like playing at a high level and having Adidas with him along the way.
"I think that alone, just being the building block of Adidas, playing at a high level, playing Under-17s for three years, I think that is what carried on into getting this deal done 'cause it's a family and I've been a part of their family for a minute," he explained. (0:46-1:05)
Mikel Brown Jr. is ranked by 247Sports as the No. 7 overall recruit from the class of 2025. He is also ranked the No. 2 point guard of his class and the No. 3 player in Florida. He already has several big offers for college, with Ole Miss, Kentucky, Indiana, Alabama, UCF and more all vying for his commitment.
Mikel Brown Jr.'s father comments on letting son choose his basketball path
Adidas also spoke with Mikel's father, Christopher Brown Sr. There, he opened up about being his son's coach and also letting him choose his path.
"So we had the options of saying 'Okay, well you can go play for this circuit, you can go play for that circuit.'" he explained. "When I was coming up, there was no circuits. It was just really you play Adidas. So with him, when it was time to choose between where to go, I just laid something on the table for him and I was like 'You can play 16U here on,' this was his 9th grade year. 'You can play 16U here or you can play 17U here on Adidas.'" (1:42-2:10)
He added that he never gave his son any names for his choices, just what type of circuit it would be, be it 16U or 17U, and he would often choose which had the higher age limit, and that he had been doing this during ninth grade.
Trending
