Orlando Magic guard Anthony Black’s brother, Beckham, has landed a historic ESPN merchandising lead. Together with No. 1 girls player on the SC NEXT 100, Kaleena Smith, Black has become one of the first high school basketball players signed to an ESPN-backed merchandise partnership through SCNEXT.
Black, the No. 2 boys player on the SC NEXT 100, is a five-star point guard in the 2027 class. He plays at Southeastern Prep Academy in Orlando and has already drawn recruiting attention from blue-blood programs.
ESPN analyst Shams Charania reported the deal on X, which has gotten a lot of attention among college basketball circles. The post below has already received 636.9K impressions and over 3,000 likes.
Fans shared their reactions on this major step from ESPN’s SCNEXT brand, possibly shifting the way elite athletes are marketed before they enter college.
“Am just getting tapped into that class but hes number 2??” one fan questioned. “How good is this class? i feel like hes good but doesnt have superstar potential correct me if i am wrong.”
“If you told someone ten years ago that ESPN would be directly signing merchandising deals with high school players, they would have called you crazy. We are living in a completelyyy new era of sports business. 🤯,” one fan wrote.
“Give it to an NBA players brother cause he totally needs it,” another suggested.
“Oh my god two demon brothers on the magic soon,” one fan predicted.
“Ive seen enough let us gamble on high school sports,” one fan reacted.
“Beckham Black getting a deal while big bro hoops in Orlando… that family pipeline is DIFFERENT,” one fan commented.
Beckham Black Reveals Goals For Next Year Amid Kentucky Interest
Beckham Black ranks No. 8 overall and No. 2 at his position by Rivals. He plays on the EYBL circuit for AB Elite based out of North Texas, where he averaged 22.0 points (on 50/40/90 shooting splits), 5.1 assists, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.0 steals per game. He led his team to a 5-2 record through two sessions.
Black’s goal is to be ranked as the top player in the 2027 recruiting class. Odds are also trending in the right direction, as they predict Black could be ranked inside the top five by the time the next Rivals’ update comes.
“I feel like there’s still always something to prove,” Black told KSR. “I mean, obviously I’m one of the top guys, for sure, but I just got to continue to prove it to the best of my ability. … (My goal) is to be the best player in the class, for sure. That’s my short-term goal. Long-term, it’s being one of the best pros, being the best in the NBA, you know? Making it up there, obviously, and just competing with those guys at the top level.”
Being a point guard himself, Black didn’t hide the fact that he also likes Kentucky, a program that has produced elite guards like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Devin Booker, De’Aaron Fox, and more.
Read More News:
“Destination Job”: Amid Regular Job Shifts, Kentucky AD J Batt Discusses How Long He Plans to Stay
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in baseball, tennis, college football, men’s college basketball, women’s college basketball, and college baseball!
