In 1997, Tracy McGrady was among the top NBA recruits entering the draft. Coming straight out of North Carolina’s Mt. Zion Christian Academy, the 18-year-old athlete initially dreamed of playing college basketball before entering the draft. However, a massive endorsement deal changed the game. Before his plans to join the University of Kentucky team, McGrady was offered a six-year, $12 million shoe endorsement deal with adidas. “Tracy McGrady has never played a college game, but the 18-year-old basketball star is making a $12 million leap into the big leagues. The money is coming, not from an NBA team, but from Adidas,” AP News reported on June 19, 1997. Over two decades later, the agreement between McGrady and the popular shoe company could end.