Adidas indicators Kaleena Smith as Bradn’s first NIL highschool basketball participant.
Courtesy: Adidas
Adidas signed one in every of its youngest athletes ever.
The German sportswear model introduced Thursday the signing of Kaleena Smith as its first title, picture and likeness, or NIL, highschool basketball accomplice.
Smith, a 16-year-old sophomore in Ontario, Calif., is highest rated rookie within the class of 2027. She has already obtained nearly 20 college offers from packages together with the College of Southern California, the College of Louisville, the College of Connecticut, the College of California, Los Angeles, Louisiana State College, and the College of South Carolina.
The younger basketball phenom represents Candace Parker’s first addition since she took over as adidas president of girls’s basketball in Might. Parker, a former first-round WNBA draft decide, performed 16 seasons within the WNBA and is a three-time WNBA Champion and seven-time WNBA All-Star.
Adidas patted her to assist develop the corporate’s ladies’s basketball enterprise.
Kaleena Smith is Candace Parker’s first addition since becoming a member of Adidas in Might.
Courtesy: Adidas
“Signing Kaleena as our first highschool NIL ladies’s basketball athlete is a pivotal second for us as we cleared the path in advocating for ladies’s sports activities and constructing larger entry and illustration within the recreation all of us love,” Parker stated.
Adidas stated Smith will characterize the model on the courtroom throughout all of her video games with Ontario Christian Excessive Faculty, along with her an AAU team. She represents one in every of Adidas’ youngest athletes. The model signed its the youngest current athlete15-year-old soccer star Chloe Ricketts, in March.
“I am blessed to be part of one thing that Candace is creating and to have the ability to try this with a model like Adidas that takes a distinct strategy to enjoying a job in serving to develop the sport for gamers like me,” Smith stated.
The 5-foot-6 level guard was MaxPreps Nationwide Freshman of the 12 months averaged 34.9 factors, 6.5 assists and 4.2 steals per recreation.
Smith stated he’s trying ahead to carrying James Harden’s Adidas sneakers this season.
Though Smith is the primary highschool lady to characterize Adidas, the model has signed a roster of feminine basketball gamers, together with Chelsea Grey, Kali Copper, Aaliyah Boston, Aaliyah Edwards, Neka Ogumike, Bethnia Laney-Hamilton, Leishia Clarendon, Sophie Cunningham, Erica Wheeler, Zia Prepare dinner, Alicia Clark and Jania Barker.
Adidas has been busy within the NIL house of late.
Model signed quarterback Miami Cam Ward final month to a deal. In August introduced the signing of six Texas Tech athletes as a part of Patrick Mahomes’ NIL initiative with Adidas. The model additionally signed 15 student athletes to NIL offers in July 2022 to rejoice the fiftieth anniversary of Title IX.
