Keeping with their modus operandi (MO) of locking up top prospects in the lead up to a National Basketball Association (NBA) draft, American multinational corporation Nike signed Grand Bahama native and likely top seven pick Chavanno "Buddy" Hield on Saturday.

The multi-year endorsement deal was negotiated by Hield's agent, Rob Pelinka, of Landmark Sports.

As a senior at Oklahoma, Hield averaged 25.0 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game while shooting 50.1 percent overall and 45.7 percent from three-point range. He also won the John R. Wooden and Naismith Trophy as college basketball's best player.

Just a few days prior to Hield's signing, Nike agreed to a deal with presumptive No. 1 overall pick Ben Simmons, and it's expected that they'll target many more of this year's top prospects in short order.

Hield will learn where he will begin his professional career when the draft takes place on June 23 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Despite the fact that Nike remains the most popular shoe brand among NBA players, they're facing tough competition from Adidas, which has significantly ramped up its offers compared to previous years...

Randy Smith, Guardian Sports Reporter

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