Entries tagged with “Brandon Jennings” from Global Sports Buzz
Brandon Jennings may be setting the precedent for future high school phenoms with his decision to play for Vitmas Rome of the Italian League rather than go to college. Can Europe's team first mentality shape Jennings into being one of the best point guards in the NBA? According to Yahoo! Sports, one Western Conference general manager said, "To me, this is the best path to get ready for the NBA." Jennings is signed to a three-year $1 million dollar contract but has an out to enter the NBA draft after either the 1st or 2nd year of his contract. He has also signed a four-year contract with Under Armour, who will pay him comparably to the top 3 picks in the 2008 NBA draft according to Yahoo! Sports.
This path will not be easy for Jennings. No one is going to hold his hand. Brandon Jennings is the first high school player to ever make this move and if successful then European franchises will be hungry to invest in next years High School class. He is taking a huge risk and the repercussions can be fatal, but if all goes well, then the rewards will be well worth it.
Under Armour has decided to launch a new basketball campaign and the first face of this campaign is 19 year old Brandon Jennings. Jennings has recently decided not to play college basketball and instead he will be playing in the Italian pro league. Under Armour has signed Jennings to a multi-year deal making this young man the first person to sign a basketball endorsement deal with Under Armour.
From www.bizjournals.com
Jennings decision to surpass college and go to Italy is seen as a way of getting around the NBA's ban on taking players out of High School. I believe that this isn't the best move for the young man but it seems to be paying off. Being able to ignore sports giants such as Nike and Adidas shows that this move will definitely pay off for him in the long run. It is uncertain whether or not Jennings will return to America and play in the NBA when he is eligible in the 2009-2010 season. As of now whether or not this young man made the right decision remains to be seen but what is certain is that he will be the face of the Under Armour basketball campaign.
Brandon Jennings made quite a buzz when he decided to go overseas and play basketball instead of attending the University of Arizona. Now he is in the news again, after it was unveiled that he would be the face of Under Armour's new basketball clothing line. He signed a multi-year deal to be the first basketball player to sponsor the company. "Jennings will wear Under Armour's highly anticipated basketball sneakers, expected to be released in early 2009." Jennings was represented by Sonny Vaccaro in the deal, who is a long time sports marketing executive.
When the NBA created its age limit for, it was meant to help players get experience and improve their game in college before stepping into the NBA. They forgot to factor in a person's right to make money and support his family. When Brandon Jennings decided to forgo college and go play in Italy for money he was doing what he thought was best for him. If he were in college he would not have been able to sign the lucrative deal with Under Armour and he would be in a completely different situation. Instead he is now on his way to being a millionaire and being a household name as well as the face of a brand new sneaker.
The NBA needs to step back and let the kids who are coming out of high school decide for themselves if they are ready to make the jump to the NBA. If they fail they have no one to blame but themselves. But for kids like Jennings it is easy to understand taking millions of dollars and going overseas for a year, instead of sitting in a college dorm room making no money!!!
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