Nate Ament has not even set foot in college yet, and he’s already surpassing Bryce James! The Highland School senior from Virginia is the same age as LeBron James’ younger son, 17. And yet Ament’s latest NIL deal is setting him apart. And even Shaq is impressed.

Nick dePaula just announced, “BREAKING: Reebok has signed top 2026 Draft prospect Nate Ament to a long-term NIL + NBA shoe deal  The 5-star hooper will be one of 1st High School NIL athletes to launch a PE sneaker at retail.” The Boardroom journalist continued, “He’s got superstar potential on the court,” says @Shaq.”

Shaquille O’Neal, the president of Reebok’s basketball division, resuscitated in 2023, is on the fast-track to bring the brand more visibility in the sport again. Ament is the up-and-coming talent that will join Reebok’s already star-studded roster, among them Angel Reese and Lexie Brown. But he’s not the only one with a succesfull NIL resume to boast.

Bryce James, often compared to O’Neal’s son Shaqir, has an NIL valuation of $1.3 million per On3. One of his major brand endorsements includes Klutch Sports, and is making the most of his image on social media with 2 million followers on Instagram alone. Surely following in his dad’s footsteps!

While Shaqir O’Neal is four years older than him and is a junior at the Texas Southern University, James is leaving him in the dust. But surpassing them all is Nate Ament, who has been personally welcomed to Reebok by Shaq.

Star high school athlete Nate Ament receives praise straight from Shaq

With this latest deal, Nate Ament becomes the first high school athlete to ever launch a Player Exclusive sneaker at retail. The No. 4 overall player in the class of 2025 per 257Sports, and the No. 2 power forward, Ament is among the new faces of the NIL generation. In an official statement, his simple words described all the emotion of the huge moment, “That’s crazy. It’s insane.”

He continued, “Back to when I first started playing and I was wearing beat-up KDs, I thought that was always going to be the case, that I’d have some beat-up shoes on. Thinking about having your own PE is special. It’s everything that a young basketball player wants to have.”

Popularly expected to be the No. 1 draft pick in 2026, Ament has not yet made a college commitment. Wherever he goes, he’s now got Shaq by his side. In an official statement, O’Neal added,

In supporting the Reebok brand, Nate Ament will focus on bringing more basketball fans to join the sports apparel giant. One focus will be their newly announced performance basketball shoe, the “Engine A.” As the brand looks to add even more star power to its roster, might they look to Virginia and sign a son after they lost his dad to Nike? Only time will tell!