A new basketball league created for outstanding high school players is being forged with the construction of state-of-the-art facilities in Atlanta.
Overtime Elite announced Wednesday that it is building a 103,000-square-foot complex in which high school players train, study and compete. The new league targets top-notch players between the ages of 16 and 18 with the promise of academic training and a six-figure salary. It is another potential avenue to reach the NBA, in addition to the university, the G League development or abroad.
Last month, the league hired a head coach at Kevin
Ollie, which led to UConn to a national title in 2014. The league, which is scheduled to start in September, will feature 30 players – as yet unnamed – who will live and play Atlanta.
Overtime Elite was launched through the sports media company Overtime, which has among its investors the rapper and composer Drake and with players from the NBA as Kevin Durant, from Brooklyn, Carmelo Anthony, from Portland, and bring Young, from Atlanta.
“Overtime Elite is a welcome addition to the rich sporting tradition of Atlanta, which elevates the city as a global center for basketball development and a cultural center for people of all backgrounds, ”he said. Young in a statement while Hawks They head into the postseason as fifth-ranked in the East.
Each player is guaranteed a minimum salary of at least $ 100,000 a year, in addition to signing bonuses and company shares. They will also generate income from the use of your name, image and likeness, in addition to the sales of personalized t-shirts, business cards, video games and non-expendable tokens. One caveat: they would lose their right to participate in college.
The city of Atlanta it was selected after a year of searching. The facilities will be located in the neighborhood of Atlantic Station, near the campus of Georgia Tech.
“The city’s basketball history, diverse population, vibrant business community, and rich culture make Atlanta a city in which OTE wants to be engaged as an active contributor to the community,” said Overtime President and Commissioner. Elite, Aaron
Ryan, in a press release. Added the mayor of Atlanta, Keisha Lance Bottoms: “We are looking forward to welcoming the next generation of basketball stars to our city.”