Simply forward of the 2025 NBA Draft, Adidas formally signed each VJ Edgecombe and Jeremiah Fears to the roster, including a duo of explosive guards that undertaking to be two of probably the most thrilling prospects in your entire class.
Every of the excessive risers and proficient playmakers was taken within the lottery, with Edgecombe chosen third by Philadelphia and Fears taken seventh by New Orleans. With each the 76ers and Pelicans betting large on every younger gun, the duo will proceed to take the following step of their professional path as they start their Summer time League play.
In the event that they hoop as anticipated on the court docket all through their rookie seasons, Adidas has already proven a willingness to construct a sudden advertising and marketing push round every participant. Each gamers took be aware of how The Three Stripes quick tracked its push round Damian Lillard and Anthony Edwards within the final decade, after every participant took the league by storm of their first two seasons.
“For them to place their model in somebody so younger’s fingers, it’s realizing my alternative could possibly be there very quickly, if I proceed to do what I gotta do and deal with enterprise,” mentioned Fears. “With the ability to see Ant tackle that function and change into the face of the Three Stripe Life is dope.”
With the 23-year-old “Ant Man” having already efficiently launched his first signature shoe, the duo subsequent up is hoping to make the same influence with the model.
“He solidified himself and constructed that fanbase, the place everybody would need to put on his sneakers,” added Edgecombe. “They need to bounce like Ant or play like Ant. I really feel like I’ve related traits to that.”
We just lately received up with each VJ and Jeremiah on the Adidas showroom in New York, to listen to extra in regards to the largest components that went into signing with The Three Stripes.
Three Keys for VJ ///
For Edgecombe — who performed on the Adidas AAU circuit heading into his senior yr of highschool and blew up at Adidas EuroCamp in Italy to kick off the 2023 summer season — the model has been proper there all alongside for his upward trajectory by way of the prep ranks.
These have been the important thing components that led VJ to The Three Stripes:
Affect within the Bahamas
It’s one factor to signal with a model as an envoy and assist headline assertion sneakers on the professional stage. It’s one other to work collectively out the gate to plan out a collection of activations and givebacks to influence the area that made you.
As his Adidas deal was being finalized in the course of the early spring, Edgecombe knew he needed to present again within the Bahamas off high. In April, he held a basketball camp for 50 children in his hometown of Bimini, the place he additionally formally declared for the NBA Draft. Every completely happy camper was given a pair of the most recent AdiZero hoop shoe and a branded shirt that merely learn: “Bimini To The World”
“It was nice, as a result of rising up, I didn’t have that,” Edgecombe beamed. “I simply need to be that function mannequin for the youthful children again dwelling, simply realizing how onerous it’s generally. Not everyone seems to be lucky sufficient to have the ability to go and purchase a pair of sneakers, so I needed to present again.”
Having already performed on the Bahamas nationwide staff all through worldwide competitors, and even weaving the vivid blue and yellow nationwide shade accents into his Draft evening go well with sleeves, Edgecombe is proud to hold his Bahamas heritage with him on his basketball journey and proceed to champion the foundational traits he discovered again dwelling.
“Staying disciplined and staying true to who you might be. Staying humble is one thing that I discovered as time went on,” he described. “You ain’t going to simply get recruited for D1 out of the Bahamas. The essential ideas that I used to be taught by my mother, my grandma and my totally different function fashions have helped me. I’m going to attempt to do as a lot as I can.”
The Dame Impact
Everybody has a NBA star they give the impression of being as much as, and for Edgecombe, his hoop idol was enjoying throughout the continent in Portland.
“Rising up, Dame was my favourite participant. I used to rock his sneakers and thought I used to be Dame, to be trustworthy,” laughs VJ, as he motions a well-practiced “Dame Time” wrist faucet.
Watching the Adidas lifetime-deal-holding Lillard from afar, Edgecombe received accustomed to the Dame signature collection of sneakers whereas emulating the explosive Prime 75 scoring guard.
“Going into my senior yr was the primary time I performed on the Adidas circuit. I went on the market and did what I anticipated, and I opened some eyes,” he displays. “I used to at all times put on Damian Lillard’s sneakers. I had the Dame 3, 4, 5 and 6. I had all of them!”
As he rose the ranks in Excessive Faculty, Edgecombe was even invited to Lillard’s “Formulation Zero” camp, a hands-on collection of expertise periods that additionally focuses on the integrity, the dedication, and the mindset that it takes to make a professional.
“Dame is a good individual — tremendous humble and right down to earth,” continued Edgecombe. “He can have a ego, however he doesn’t, due to who he’s.”
As the 2 developed a relationship after the Formulation Zero camp, VJ thinks again to how Lillard continued to succeed in out and test in, even in instances that he was in search of steerage and help.
“After my first sport in school, I had a foul sport,” remembers Edgecombe. “He hit me and mentioned, ‘You’re going to get within the move of the sport.’ He was giving me recommendation and telling me how in basketball, you’re going to have unhealthy video games, however you’ll be able to’t let that have an effect on the remainder of your time.”
As Edgecombe begins his rookie season in Philly, he plans to put on a wide range of sneakers to spotlight all the newest designs and improvements from the model. He’ll additionally undoubtedly be carrying the brand new Dame 10, bringing his sneaker rotation full circle and highlighting his favourite gamers’ signature collection on the largest stage.
Constructing With Household
Because of the connection he had constructed with the oldsters behind the scenes on the model over the previous few years, that familiarity added to the attract of formally partnering as a professional.
“I at all times had a sense that I used to be going to signal with Adidas,” he says now. “Since I performed AAU with them and went to EuroCamp, it simply opened my eyes as much as the model and gave me a full perspective of what’s occurring with the model.”
The method for gamers to land their shoe deal is totally totally different now within the NIL panorama. Relatively than wait til the spring simply weeks earlier than the Draft, Edgecombe had been having ongoing talks with a number of manufacturers that expressed curiosity during the last yr.
He needed to take his time with the shoe deal, and as an alternative signed main offers with the likes of Panini and PSD Underwear throughout his freshman season at Baylor.
Relatively than pocket all of his NIL cash, he created a scholarship fund at Gateway Christian Academy in his hometown, the place he’ll cowl the schooling, books and extra assets for no less than three college students every faculty yr.
Edgecombe highlights how he’s already centered in on the best way to “make investments and develop my cash, as an alternative of losing it and spending all of it,” all earlier than he really steps foot on the NBA hardwood for his common season debut.
“I’m so completely happy that NIL got here round whereas I used to be there in school,” Edgecombe beamed. “There’s undoubtedly execs and cons, however there’s a number of execs. It helped me deal with my household. It’s helped my mother and my little sister.”
As manufacturers reached out final fall forward of Edgecombe’s anticipated one-and-done season at Baylor, he leaned on the significance of household all through his life, and the familiarity he already had with Adidas.
“After I signed, it was nonetheless throughout my freshman yr in school,” revealed Edgecombe. “I mentioned, ‘This can be a household, and I’m going to maintain doing no matter I can do inside that to assist develop the model.’”
Three Keys for Jeremiah ///
Unbeknownst to Jeremiah Fears, simply earlier than he started his freshman season at Oklahoma, Adidas execs had tabbed him as one among their very favourite gamers in your entire 2025 Draft class that they hoped to signal.
As talks along with his brokers at LIFT Sports activities Administration heated up this spring and he shot up the mock draft boards after his spectacular Sooner season, Fears was locked in on the imaginative and prescient that the model noticed forward for him. He now credit a trio of key parts in direction of his signing with The Three Stripes:
Jeremiah 1s??
For each Edgecombe and Fears, the attract of breaking by way of as a pinnacle Adidas participant proved to be a significant factor.
“The connection they’ve with their guys, and doubtlessly having a signature shoe sooner or later was large,” Fears mentioned.
Whereas his sport is relentless on the ground, Fears additionally factors to a wide range of different qualities he brings to the desk that manufacturers noticed appreciable attraction in.
“My mentality, being distinctive and my creativity,” he mentioned. “I’m excited for the journey.”
As he landed offers like his main Adidas endorsement and a Tissot partnership forward of the Draft, his understanding of the advertising and marketing world at simply 18 years-old was already quick tracked due to the NIL panorama.
“It’s been dope, having the ability to expertise every part earlier than it’s time for the large leagues,” mentioned Fears. “With the ability to undergo photoshoots, meet so many new folks and construct relationships — and being somebody that manufacturers know they’ll belief and market properly — has been actually cool for me.”
He’s been maintaining tabs of the qualities that signature athletes on the highest stage will need to have. How their high tier sport is matched off the court docket by a presence that carries them into touchpoints of style, music and tradition past simply hoops.
“The swag is slightly totally different,” he provides. “The way you carry your self and how one can put it up for sale on a giant stage.”
As Fears goals of his personal low-top signature silhouette within the years forward, he’s aware of the work that’ll he’ll must put in in direction of increase his model and his standing within the sneaker sport.
“Ultimately, you need to have little children trying as much as you,” he continued. “That need to go get the Jeremiah 1s.”
The DRose Impact
Rising up lower than an hour outdoors of Chicago, a younger Jeremiah quickly had a childhood idol to observe as he was in elementary faculty. He cherished how the Bulls’ homegrown #1 decide and franchise participant hooped.
When Derrick Rose exploded by way of site visitors and attacked the lane with an arsenal of finishes and floaters, he was showcasing the place the brand new period of scoring level guards was headed. The long run technology in Fears was following.
As DRose headlined his personal Adidas signature collection and placed on for the model, Fears couldn’t assist however discover, and be impressed.
“With the ability to get Derrick Rose’s first pair of basketball sneakers, I wore these for a very long time,” he says now. “Enjoying on his AAU staff as properly, was my earliest reminiscence of selecting up extra Three Stripes sneakers. I used to be on his staff within the sixth grade. We ended up going to Alabama for a Huge Time Match on the Adidas Gauntlet and that was dope.”
Fears works out earlier than the Draft with Professional Hoops Inc. within the Harden Vol. 9. (Courtesy @highlights.from.heaven & @ProHoopsInc)
Beginning out with a love for Rose’s line, Fears started to keep watch over all the key Adidas guards that adopted.
“Ant Man, Dame Lillard and James Harden, I’ve cherished all of their kicks,” Fears says, considering again by way of the final decade of Three Stripes staples.
As he takes his personal step into the professional stage, he’ll quickly be going through off towards every of the gamers he seemed as much as throughout his prep profession. He now formally feels a shared Adidas connection along with his fellow endorsers, as one of many model’s subsequent up-and-coming guards.
“Sooner or later, we’ll construct that relationship,” mentioned the 18 year-old. “After I play towards them, I gained’t put on their signature shoe towards them although. However I’ll undoubtedly present them a number of love.”
For Fears, there’s nonetheless a line to attract as a competitor.
“It’s off limits, undoubtedly,” he added, with a smile. “That will be a one up factor, and I don’t need no one to have a one up on me. I gained’t put on their sneakers towards them, however undoubtedly once I’m enjoying towards another person.”
For his rookie season, search for Fears to assist headline the brand new Dame X, together with a key rotation of sneakers from Anthony Edwards and James Harden’s traces.
“Three Stripes have been doing one thing particular for awhile now,” continued Fears. “With the ability to be be part of the staff and be part of the wave is nice. The Harden Vol 9s are nice. I actually benefit from the materials on the shoe and the way in which the shoe is designed, it stands proud to me. The texture and luxury is wonderful.”
Persevering with To Grind
Over time, Fears has discovered just a few phrases that resonated and pushed him. Mantras that he rallied behind which have led him to already reaching a few of his largest goals. Some he’s even tattooed alongside his left leg for inspiration.
“Dream Till Its Your Actuality”
“Be Totally different”
“The Creator of My Personal Future”
Even his #0 jersey choice went viral for its double that means: “Zero Fears”
Since a younger age, one phrase caught out amongst all of them. Only a seventh grader on the time, Fears was usually coaching with fellow Chicago-area native and eventual professional DJ Steward, when he first heard of his charging tagline.
“I simply requested him,” Fears says now. “‘Why do you say GOLA?’”
“Grind or Reside Common,” Steward responded.
From that time on, he was locked in.
“I went dwelling later that day, and I thought of it the complete time,” displays Fears. “You possibly can both grind and get the life that you really want, or you’ll be able to simply proceed to dream about it and discuss it, however not put any of the work in.”
Ever since that day, the newly-turned teenager has labored in direction of dwelling out his goals. He credit the phrase with powering him additional, resulting in his eventual path as a high choice within the NBA Draft and a hopeful future within the Affiliation forward.
“I’ve it tattooed on my leg, proper beneath my knee cap,” he added.
As he continues to construct with Adidas to start his NBA profession, he’s hoping to showcase his story by way of advertising and marketing, and spotlight how that dedication and dedication can encourage others to grind in direction of their very own goals.
“I’ve simply carried that with me each step of the way in which,” mentioned Fears. “And all through every part that I did.”
