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 challenge to be two of probably the most thrilling prospects in the complete 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 courtroom 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 observe 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 palms, it’s figuring out my alternative might be there very quickly, if I proceed to do what I gotta do and deal with enterprise,” stated Fears. “With the ability to see Ant tackle that position and turn out to be 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 impression 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 leap like Ant or play like Ant. I really feel like I’ve comparable traits to that.”
We just lately bought up with each VJ and Jeremiah on the Adidas showroom in New York, to listen to extra in regards to the greatest 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 time — the model has been proper there all alongside for his upward trajectory by the prep ranks.
These had been the important thing components that led VJ to The Three Stripes:
Impression 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 sequence of activations and givebacks to impression the area that made you.
As his Adidas deal was being finalized through the early spring, Edgecombe knew he wished to present again within the Bahamas off prime. 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 joyful 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 position mannequin for the youthful children again house, simply figuring out how exhausting it’s generally. Not everyone seems to be lucky sufficient to have the ability to go and purchase a pair of sneakers, so I wished to present again.”
Having already performed on the Bahamas nationwide workforce all through worldwide competitors, and even weaving the vivid blue and yellow nationwide coloration accents into his Draft evening swimsuit 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 house.
“Staying disciplined and staying true to who you’re. 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 fundamental ideas that I used to be taught by my mother, my grandma and my completely different position 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 appear as much as, and for Edgecombe, his hoop idol was taking part in 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 sincere,” laughs VJ, as he motions a well-practiced “Dame Time” wrist faucet.
Watching the Adidas lifetime-deal-holding Lillard from afar, Edgecombe bought accustomed to the Dame signature sequence of sneakers whereas emulating the explosive High 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 College, Edgecombe was even invited to Lillard’s “Components Zero” camp, a hands-on sequence of abilities 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 all the way down to earth,” continued Edgecombe. “He can have a ego, however he doesn’t, due to who he’s.”
Edgecombe went on to be named Components Zero Elite Camp MVP by the tip of that summer time session in 2024. As the 2 continued to develop a relationship after the Components Zero camp, VJ thinks again to how Lillard continued to achieve out and verify in, even in occasions that he was searching for steerage and assist.
“After my first sport in faculty, I had a foul sport,” recollects Edgecombe. “He hit me and stated, ‘You’re going to get within the stream of the sport.’ He was giving me recommendation and telling me how in basketball, you’re going to have unhealthy video games, however you may’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 quite a lot of sneakers to spotlight all the newest designs and improvements from the model. He’ll additionally positively be carrying the brand new Dame 10, bringing his sneaker rotation full circle and highlighting his favourite gamers’ signature sequence on the largest stage.
Constructing With Household
Due to the connection he had constructed with the parents 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 happening with the model.”
The method for gamers to land their shoe deal is solely completely different now within the NIL panorama. Fairly 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 wished to take his time with the shoe deal, and as a substitute signed main offers with the likes of Panini and PSD Underwear throughout his freshman season at Baylor.
Fairly 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 tutoring, books and extra assets for at the very least three college students every faculty yr.
Edgecombe highlights how he’s already targeted in on how you can “make investments and develop my cash, as a substitute of losing it and spending all of it,” all earlier than he truly steps foot on the NBA hardwood for his common season debut.
“I’m so joyful that NIL got here round whereas I used to be there in faculty,” Edgecombe beamed. “There’s positively professionals and cons, however there’s a variety of professionals. 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.
“Once I signed, it was nonetheless throughout my freshman yr in faculty,” revealed Edgecombe. “I stated, ‘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 the complete 2025 Draft class that they hoped to signal.
As talks together with his brokers at LIFT Sports activities Administration heated up this spring and he shot up the mock draft boards after his spectacular single 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 the direction of his signing with The Three Stripes:
Jeremiah 1s??
For each Edgecombe and Fears, the attract of breaking by as a pinnacle Adidas participant proved to be a significant component.
“The connection they’ve with their guys, and probably having a signature shoe sooner or later was large,” Fears stated.
Whereas his sport is relentless on the ground, Fears additionally factors to quite a lot of different qualities he brings to the desk that manufacturers noticed appreciable attraction in.
“My mentality, being distinctive and my creativity,” he stated. “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 because of the NIL panorama.
“It’s been dope, having the ability to expertise all the pieces earlier than it’s time for the massive leagues,” stated Fears. “With the ability to undergo photoshoots, meet so many new folks and construct relationships — and being somebody that manufacturers know they will belief and market properly — has been actually cool for me.”
He’s been conserving tabs of the qualities that signature athletes on the highest stage will need to have. How their prime tier sport is matched off the courtroom by a presence that carries them into touchpoints of vogue, music and tradition past simply hoops.
“The swag is somewhat completely different,” he provides. “The way you carry your self and how one can advertise on an enormous stage.”
As Fears desires of his personal low-top signature silhouette within the years forward, he’s aware of the work that’ll he’ll need to put in in the direction of build up 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 exterior 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 choose and franchise participant hooped.
When Derrick Rose exploded by 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 longer term technology in Fears was following.
As DRose headlined his personal Adidas signature sequence 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. “Taking part in on his AAU workforce as properly, was my earliest reminiscence of selecting up extra Three Stripes sneakers. I used to be on his workforce 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, pondering again by the final decade of Three Stripes staples.
As he takes his personal step into the professional stage, he’ll quickly be dealing with off towards every of the gamers he appeared as much as throughout his prep profession. He now formally feels a shared Adidas connection together with his fellow endorsers, as one of many model’s subsequent up-and-coming guards.
“Sooner or later, we’ll construct that relationship,” stated the 18 year-old. “Once I play towards them, I received’t put on their signature shoe towards them although. However I’ll positively present them a variety of love.”
For Fears, there’s nonetheless a line to attract as a competitor.
“It’s off limits, positively,” 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 received’t put on their sneakers towards them, however positively after I’m taking part in 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 strains.
“Three Stripes have been doing one thing particular for awhile now,” continued Fears. “With the ability to be be part of the workforce 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
Through the years, Fears has discovered a number of phrases that resonated and pushed him. Mantras that he rallied behind which have led him to already reaching a few of his greatest desires. Some he’s even tattooed alongside his left leg for inspiration.
“Dream Till Its Your Actuality”
“Be Completely different”
“The Creator of My Personal Future”
Even his #0 jersey choice went viral for its double which means: “Zero Fears”
Since a younger age, one phrase caught out amongst all of them. Only a seventh grader on the time, Fears was typically 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 Dwell Common,” Steward responded.
From that time on, he was locked in.
“I went house later that day, and I thought of it the entire time,” displays Fears. “You possibly can both grind and get the life that you really want, or you may simply proceed to dream about it and speak about it, however not put any of the work in.”
Ever since that day, the newly-turned teenager has labored in the direction of residing out his desires. He credit the phrase with powering him additional, resulting in his eventual path as a prime 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 advertising and marketing, and spotlight how that dedication and dedication can encourage others to grind in the direction of their very own desires.
“I’ve simply carried that with me each step of the way in which,” stated Fears. “And all through all the pieces that I did.”
