Vertical Academy’s Mikey Williams recently landed a deal that could possibly open opportunities for the futures of high school basketball players. On Oct. 29, the 17-year-old — who is eligible for the 2024 NBA Draft — signed a multiyear footwear and apparel endorsement deal with Puma, making him the first American high school basketball player to sign a sneaker deal with a global footwear company, ESPN reports. The historic announcement was made on social media with a trailer of Williams titled, “Not Yet Rated.” The trailer is here. Welcome to the fam Mikey Williams @619PRESIDENTIAL 🐾 NOT. YET. RATED. pic.twitter.com/JPdr6g0ji4 — PUMA Basketball (@PUMAHoops) October 28, 2021 “I am excited to join the Puma family this early in my basketball journey,” Williams said. “Puma really understands how to mix hoops and culture, two things I am passionate about.” Along with being ranked as the 11th best prospect in his high school class by ESPN, Williams’ has over five million followers across...

It’s no secret that collegiate athletes have been cashing in on deals after recent changes to the name, image and likeness (NIL) laws. Now, one startup wants to help them take advantage of the changes by cashing in through another method — the monetization of video content. Curastory — a creator tool — helps student-athletes by “connecting brands in need of video content with athletes, influencers and actors who create video content and are willing to create directly for brands,” Sport Techie reports. “So if you have a video talking about your pregame meditation routine, multiple brands can sponsor that, like Calm,” Founder Tiffany Kelly told Sport Techie. “As opposed to making an influencer post for Calm, it’s natural. You don’t mention Calm, other than audio and logo attribution between breaks, and Calm’s logo just so happens to be on the video.” The unique technology not only allows athletes to have more creative power over their digital content, but Curastory also opens doors...