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Who is Jalen Lewis? 16-year-old becomes youngest American pro to bag $1M multiyear deal

Jalen Lewis, who is 6'9 tall, and weighs 215 pounds, will now reportedly be banned from playing high school or college basketball

 
A high school junior basketball player, Jalen Lewis has bagged a lucrative deal that only a few can imagine. The 16-year-old has apparently become the youngest ever basketball player ever to sign a one million dollar deal with new a sports league known as Overtime Elite.

Sources spilled the beans to the sports publication The Athletic revealing the multiyear deal is apparently more than a million. Jalen Lewis, who is 6'9 tall, and weighs 215 pounds, might have signed the well-paid deal but unfortunately, he will now reportedly be banned from playing high school or college basketball. Apart from the impressive money, Lewis will also get both health and disability insurance. Overtime Elite is a new sports league started by the sports media company Overtime in March 2021. The league reportedly aims to rope in 30 players who have the potential to go big and play NBA in the future. The basketball league has apparently signed 10 players so far.

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Who is Jalen Lewis?

Jalen Lewis was born in 2005 and plays from Oakland, California (Bishop O'Dowd High). He stands at 12th position in the Class of 2023 in the 247Sports Composite Rating. According to sources, as reported by Daily Mail, Kentucky, Duke and UCLA were among the schools who were eyeing to recruit Lewis. Sharing the big news on his Twitter account, the teen basketball player posted, “110% Committed! OTE Let’s Rock!”

According to the same publication, the Overtime Elite team will play against preparatory schools as well as teams abroad. Lewis will be joined by Overtime Elite teammates Matt and Ryan Bewley, twin brothers and five-star juniors. The twins had signed a two-year deal worth $500,000 per year each in May 2021. The league will commence its first season in September 2021. Former University of Connecticut men's coach Kevin Ollie will act as the head coach and head of player development.

‘This is a tremendous opportunity for Jalen and his family’

According to the Daily Mail, Aaron Goodwin, a prominent agent and advisor to the Lewis family said, “This is a tremendous opportunity for Jalen and his family. The Overtime Elite Professional League provides another pathway for top prospects.” He added, “OTE presents young athletes with a true partnership and the opportunity to immediately benefit from the business side of the game.”

Taking Lewis’ lucrative deal into the spotlight, OTE executive vice president and basketball operations Brandon Williams said in a statement, “Jalen is one of the most exciting young talents in the country, and we are humbled that he has chosen Overtime Elite to elevate his professional development on the court and academically while building his brand internationally.” He added, “This is a foundational signing for our league and another acknowledgment of the need and desire for our program.”