OTE
High school basketball has been a crucial part of the sports scene forever. It’s the first chance we get to see the next generation of young stars.
Another element of high school basketball history is the exclusive group of outstanding high school talents that skip their collegiate careers to head straight for the pros. Starting with Moses Malone in the 70’s going straight from high school to the ABA, to the mid 90’s with names you know like Kevin Garnnet, Kobe Bryant, Jermaine O’Neal and Tracy Mcgrady making the jump. However, the basketball world went crazy when in the early 2000’s, the greatest prospect emerged. A 6'9” kid from Akron Ohio, Lebron James broke onto the high school stage. Soon, his high school games were shown on ESPN, including his infamous game against Carmelo Anthony and Oak Hill Academy. Lebron rose to stardom becoming the first player to get drafted from high school and go #1 in the NBA Draft. Yet, In 2005, The NBA signed a new bargaining agreement prohibiting prospects from going straight from high school to the NBA, which would later become known as the one and done rule. Fast forward seventeen years and the internet has elevated high school basketball into “prime time”. From games on streaming live TV, to Youtube Mixtapes to AAU Tournaments broadcast across the country, high school basketball stars have become household names.
One of the newest developments in elite high school basketball is the Overtime Elite Academy aka OTE. OTE is a basketball academy located in Atlanta, Georgia, focusing on developing top high school basketball players. As shown on their website, after looking at the current path of top youth prospects,(skipping college, switching schools, training at home and playing overseas), the team behind OTE has crafted a new path for prospects. Kids can get supreme basketball training and access to facilities while getting an education at the Academy. OTE has also created a league with games streaming on Prime Video, and where fans can buy tickets to sit in the now famous OTE Arena.
OTE is helping kids utilize their image and likeness not only to create buzz in the minds of NBA and college scouts, but to also use their likeness to create financial opportunities for themselves. Players are paid a minimum annual salary of $100,000, The League and the Academy caters to prospects between the ages of 16-20 years old, from the US and overseas. A signing bonus and shares in the OTE business are within reach, if they waive their college eligibility, setting their sights on professional basketball. If they chose not to waive their college eligibility, they can play in the League without receiving the salary and play college basketball later on. Overtime provides health insurance and sets aside another $100,000 in college scholarship money for Kids if they choose not to play professional basketball. The league is filled with tons of stars, but the two players dominating currently are future first rounds picks Ausar and Amen Thompson. The 6'7” twin guards have an almost identical playing style, crazy athleticism, elite handles and steals. Through Overtime, the two twins from Oakland are about to be first round picks in the upcoming NBA Draft. They didn't go to college, did not play overseas or for the NBA’s G-league team. They went to OTE, worked on their craft and got results.
All this brings up an important question for young prospects - which path is best? Should you mature to go on to play college basketball, start your pro career earlier in foreign leagues, or get noticed by OTE and make a bigger name for yourself there? The answer is, it all depends. If you're a top top talent but need to gain more recognition, go to college. If you're already fully developed and you're looking for competition, head to the G-league or overseas. And if you want to work on your game and build some financial stability in the process as a top talent, go to Overtime Elite Academy. In the end, the arrival of OTE increases the choices available to young talented players, which I think is a good thing. It’s also good news for basketball fans. We're getting more high school basketball (or high-schoolers playing basketball) and it’s more exciting than ever.