Earlier today, Nike announced its roster for the EYBL Select Team, a group of high school prospects that have been invited to the Bahamas to train and face off against the local competition. Although it may sound like an innocent talent exhibition on paper, CBS Sports points out that there could be some ulterior motives at play.
While Nike's event will run from August 19 through August 23, Under Armour has its own yearly event known as the UA Elite 24 that begins on August 22. There's been speculation that Nike created its event with the sole purpose of pulling players away from Under Armour, and while that may seem far-fetched, it's already started happening.
Harry Giles, Jayson Tatum, and Malik Monk are just three of the twelve players announced by Nike today, but they're noteworthy because last year they accepted invitations for the UA Elite 24. In other words, the wheels are already in motion.
"Nike did what it wanted to do. They wanted to keep as many top prospects as possible from wearing Under Armour gear live on ESPN. Regardless of what they say, that's what this whole thing is about," one industry expert said.
Meanwhile, Under Armour seems rather unfazed by the whole thing. "The fact that they're putting something together, kind of last-minute, tells me they're trying to play defense. It's interesting to see them react to our event in this way," an Under Armour basketball director said.
