Media company Overtime launching pro league for HS-aged athletes
Digital sports media outlet Overtime is launching a basketball league that would see high school players earn six-figure salaries, the company announced Thursday.
The Overtime Elite (OTE) is the latest development in the trend away from amateurism among athletes with eyes on established professional leagues, such as the NBA.
Participants in the 30-player league would receive: at least $100,000 guaranteed, health care coverage and disability insurance, an academic program with a focus on financial literacy, media training, and advocacy. They would also receive up to $100,000 in college tuition funding "should they decide not to pursue a professional basketball career."
Other benefits touted by Overtime include equity in the company and additional revenue from the use of the players' names, images, and likenesses, which would encompass merchandising opportunities such as jersey sales and the inclusion of the players in video games.
"OTE is leading the way (in empowering athlete success) by offering players a comprehensive route that fully develops the athlete - not just basketball skills, but also education, economic empowerment and building their own brand," Portland Trail Blazers forward Carmelo Anthony, an Overtime investor and OTE board member, said in a statement. "Having this type of guidance for high school players is critical in setting them up for a successful career both on and off the court."
By receiving compensation, the athletes would lose their amateur status, thus forfeiting their ability to play at the collegiate level under current NCAA rules. However, top NBA prospects are increasingly finding other avenues to the world's top pro circuit beyond the traditional, unpaid college route.
Star Charlotte Hornets rookie LaMelo Ball played professionally in Lithuania while still high school-aged, and while satisfying the NBA's draft eligibility requirements, he played the 2019-20 season with the Illawarra Hawks of Australia's National Basketball League alongside future 2020 first-round pick R.J. Hampton, now of the Denver Nuggets.
Additionally, the G League launched an elite prospect team - Ignite - this season. The team, which features a number of top recruits from the 2020 high school class - including No. 1 recruit Jalen Green and No. 4 recruit Jonathan Kuminga - also compensates its players while allowing them to hone their skills ahead of the 2021 NBA Draft.