Nike Basketball announced its Class of 2025 NIL signings on October 3, adding three of the nation’s top high school basketball prospects to a roster that includes some of the sport’s most prominent young players.
Key Takeaways
- Nike signed No. 1 ranked women’s player Aaliyah Chavez, who averaged 35 points per game as a senior and scored nearly 4,800 career high school points
- The Class of 2025 includes Tyran Stokes, the top-ranked male prospect, and top-tier forward Brandon McCoy from Sierra Canyon High School
- Nike’s NIL basketball roster now features athletes who have collectively won multiple FIBA World Cup gold medals and national championships
- The company provides NIL athletes with product access, styling support, media training, and content development resources beyond traditional sponsorship payments
- Chavez becomes the first No. 1 overall women’s recruit to sign with the University of Oklahoma
Building the Next Generation of Brand Athletes
Nike’s latest NIL signings represent a continued investment in elite high school talent across both men’s and women’s basketball. The three athletes bring extensive competitive credentials and alignment with Nike’s existing youth basketball infrastructure.
Aaliyah Chavez, headed to the University of Oklahoma for her freshman season, led Monterey High School in Lubbock, Texas to a state championship while averaging approximately 35 points and nine rebounds per game during her senior year. Her high school career totals of nearly 4,800 points and 1,300 rebounds place her among the most prolific prep scorers in recent history. She also captured Nike Nationals championships with her AAU team in 2022 and 2024 and earned selection to the 2025 USA Women’s Nike Hoop Summit Team.
Tyran Stokes, ranked No. 1 in his class, averaged 21 points and more than nine rebounds per game last season as a junior at Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, California. His international resume includes U19 and U17 FIBA World Cup gold medals over the past two years, plus a FIBA U16 Americas Championship in 2023.
Brandon McCoy transferred this summer from St. John Bosco High School in Bellflower, California to Sierra Canyon High School in Chatsworth. He averaged nearly 16 points and seven rebounds per game during his junior season, then ranked third among all scorers at Nike’s Elite Youth Basketball League Peach Jam with 22 points per game. McCoy also won championships at the Mamba League Invitational and U19 FIBA World Cup.
Strategic Roster Development
The three signings join a Nike Basketball NIL roster that already includes high-profile prospects Ace Bailey, Jazzy Davidson, AJ Dybantsa, Dylan Harper, Jerzy Robinson, and JuJu Watkins. This roster composition reflects Nike’s positioning across both the men’s and women’s game at the high school and early collegiate levels.
Chavez specifically noted the growth trajectory of women’s basketball in her announcement. “The women’s game is on the rise, and Nike and its athletes are a huge reason for that growth,” she said. “Partnering with Nike to help grow the game even more is really exciting. I want to show the next generation of young girls that if you put your mind to it, you can achieve it.”
The timing of these signings corresponds with Nike’s ongoing engagement in grassroots basketball through events like the Nike Nationals, the Elite Youth Basketball League, and the Nike Hoop Summit, all of which featured the newly signed athletes during their high school careers.
Infrastructure Beyond Sponsorship Payments
Nike describes its NIL partnerships as extending beyond traditional sponsorship into what it calls “career-building collaborations.” The company provides athletes with individualized support that includes product access, styling services, media training, and content development assistance.
McCoy referenced this support structure in his announcement, saying the partnership means “knowing I’m backed by an elite program with elite players and great people, on and off the court, gives me even more hunger to go harder, be the best version of myself.”
Stokes emphasized the product development component, noting his interest in providing “feedback on our footwear and apparel, not just from me, but from my community.”
The approach represents Nike’s effort to differentiate its NIL offerings in an increasingly competitive market for high school athlete endorsements, where apparel brands, footwear companies, and other sponsors are pursuing similar talent.
Implications for Youth Basketball Ecosystem
Nike’s Class of 2025 signings underscore the company’s continued integration of NIL partnerships into its broader youth basketball strategy. The athletes’ participation in Nike-organized events before signing, their continued involvement in Nike’s grassroots circuit, and the company’s infrastructure for supporting them create interconnected touchpoints across the youth basketball landscape.
The signings also reflect the growing market for NIL deals at the high school level, particularly for elite prospects in high-visibility sports like basketball. As state regulations continue to evolve around name, image, and likeness rights for high school athletes, major brands are establishing earlier relationships with top talent.
For youth sports operators and facility owners, these developments signal the increasing professionalization of elite youth basketball pathways and the role that brand partnerships play in shaping athlete development trajectories. The infrastructure Nike describes, from product testing to media training, represents a model of athlete support that extends well beyond traditional sponsorship.
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