With the live period finishing up, the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League, the Under Armour Association and the Adidas Uprising Gauntlet circuits have caught the eyes of many college coaches all around the country. Whether you like it or not, shoe companies undoubtedly have taken over grassroots basketball. Inevitably, players want to represent the shoe company that they like to wear and in most cases, players like Nike. Nike has always been on top and it seems like they always will be on top. In fact, this year Nike made $27.8 billion dollars in revenue while Adidas made $19.53 billion in sales and Under Armour made $3 billion in sales. That’s a big reason that the Nike EYBL is on top. The EYBL finals (the Peach Jam) are broadcasted on ESPN and the EYBL is simply more popular. However, this is when problems and controversy arise.
Since when was AAU a popularity contest? All three shoe companies have done a fantastic job at giving these kids a stage to perform in front of the most elite schools in the country and that’s all that should matter. Every high major Division 1 school in the country has scouted at all three of these circuits so why is there so much rivalry? Nike doesn’t put out advertisements telling kids not to play with Under Armour, but the “beef” is there and everybody in the AAU world knows it.
Kids shouldn’t be looking for gear, they should be looking for scholarships. Don’t play for that EYBL team if it isn’t the right fit. Search for the right fit that will put you on the right stage and that’s all that should matter. Gear seems just as important to kids nowadays as competition & exposure. These shoe companies don’t care about players nearly as much as they care about money. Young basketball players need to worry about their future’s, not a pair of shoes. Shoe companies have helped AAU make a huge leap but they can just as easily become the downfall of grassroots basketball.
