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<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n\u201cFor them to put their brand in someone so young\u2019s hands, it\u2019s knowing my opportunity could be there very soon, if I continue to do what I gotta do and take care of business,\u201d said Fears. \u201cBeing able to see Ant take on that role and become the face of the Three Stripe Life is dope.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With the 23-year-old \u201cAnt Man\u201d having already successfully launched his first signature shoe, the duo next up is hoping to make a similar impact with the brand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHe solidified himself and built that fanbase, where everyone would want to wear his shoes,\u201d added Edgecombe. \u201cThey want to jump like Ant or play like Ant. I feel like I have similar characteristics to that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We recently got up with both VJ and Jeremiah at the Adidas showroom in New York, to hear more about the biggest factors that went into signing with The Three Stripes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For Edgecombe \u2014 who played on the Adidas AAU circuit heading into his senior year of high school and blew up at Adidas EuroCamp in Italy to kick off the 2023 summer \u2014 the brand has been right there all along for his upward trajectory through the prep ranks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n These were the key factors that led VJ to The Three Stripes: <\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s one thing to sign with a brand as an ambassador and help headline statement sneakers on the pro level. It\u2019s another to work together out the gate to plan out a series of activations and givebacks to impact the region that made you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As his Adidas deal was being finalized during the early spring, Edgecombe knew he wanted to give back in the Bahamas off top. In April, he held a basketball camp for 50 kids in his hometown of Bimini, where he also officially declared for the NBA Draft. Each happy camper was given a pair of the latest AdiZero hoop shoe and a branded shirt that simply read: \u201cBimini To The World\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt was great, because growing up, I didn\u2019t have that,\u201d Edgecombe beamed. \u201cI just want to be that role model for the younger kids back home, just knowing how hard it is sometimes. Not everyone is fortunate enough to be able to go and buy a pair of shoes, so I wanted to give back.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Having already played on the Bahamas national team throughout international competition, and even weaving the vivid blue and yellow national color accents into his Draft night suit sleeves, Edgecombe is proud to carry his Bahamas heritage with him on his basketball journey and continue to champion the foundational traits he learned back home. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cStaying disciplined and staying true to who you are. Staying humble is something that I learned as time went on,\u201d he described. \u201cYou ain\u2019t going to just get recruited for D1 out of the Bahamas. The basic principles that I was taught by my mom, my grandma and my different role models have helped me. I\u2019m going to try to do as much as I can.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Everyone has a NBA star they look up to, and for Edgecombe, his hoop idol was playing across the continent in Portland. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGrowing up, Dame was my favorite player. I used to rock his shoes and thought I was Dame, to be honest,\u201d laughs VJ, as he motions a well-practiced \u201cDame Time\u201d wrist tap. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Watching the Adidas lifetime-deal-holding Lillard from afar, Edgecombe got accustomed to the Dame signature series of sneakers while emulating the explosive Top 75 scoring guard. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGoing into my senior year was the first time I played on the Adidas circuit. I went out there and did what I expected, and I opened some eyes,\u201d he reflects. \u201cI used to always wear Damian Lillard\u2019s shoes. I had the Dame 3, 4, 5 and 6. I had all of them<\/em>!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n As he rose the ranks in High School, Edgecombe was even invited to Lillard\u2019s \u201cFormula Zero\u201d camp, a hands-on series of skills sessions that also focuses on the integrity, the commitment, and the mindset that it takes to make a pro. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDame is a great person \u2014 super humble and down to earth,\u201d continued Edgecombe. \u201cHe can have a ego, but he doesn\u2019t, because of who he is.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Edgecombe went on to be named Formula Zero Elite Camp MVP by the end of that summer session in 2024. As the two continued to develop a relationship after the Formula Zero camp, VJ thinks back to how Lillard continued to reach out and check in, even in times that he was looking for guidance and support.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAfter my first game in college, I had a bad game,\u201d recalls Edgecombe. \u201cHe hit me and said, \u2018You\u2019re going to get in the flow of the game.\u2019 He was giving me advice and telling me how in basketball, you\u2019re going to have bad games, but you can\u2019t let that affect the rest of your time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n As Edgecombe begins his rookie season in Philly, he plans to wear a variety of sneakers to highlight all of the latest designs and innovations from the brand. He\u2019ll also definitely be wearing the new Dame 10, bringing his sneaker rotation full circle and highlighting his favorite players\u2019 signature series on the biggest stage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Thanks to the relationship he had built with the folks behind the scenes at the brand over the last few years, that familiarity added to the allure of officially partnering as a pro. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI always had a feeling that I was going to sign with Adidas,\u201d he says now. \u201cSince I played AAU with them and went to EuroCamp, it just opened my eyes up to the brand and gave me a full perspective of what\u2019s going on with the brand.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The process for players to land their shoe deal is entirely different now in the NIL landscape. Rather than wait til the spring just weeks before the Draft, Edgecombe had been having ongoing talks with several brands that expressed interest over the last year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n He wanted to take his time with the shoe deal, and instead signed major deals with the likes of Panini and PSD Underwear during his freshman season at Baylor. <\/p>\n\n\n Rather than pocket all of his NIL money, he created a scholarship fund at Gateway Christian Academy in his hometown, where he\u2019ll cover the tuition, books and additional resources for at least three students each school year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Edgecombe highlights how he\u2019s already focused in on how to \u201cinvest and grow my money, instead of wasting it and spending it all,\u201d all before he actually steps foot on the NBA hardwood for his regular season debut. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m so happy that NIL came around while I was there in college,\u201d Edgecombe beamed. \u201cThere\u2019s definitely pros and cons, but there\u2019s a lot of pros. It helped me take care of my family. It\u2019s helped my mom and my little sister.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n As brands reached out last fall ahead of Edgecombe\u2019s expected one-and-done season at Baylor, he leaned on the importance of family throughout his life, and the familiarity he already had with Adidas. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhen I signed, it was still during my freshman year in college,\u201d revealed Edgecombe. \u201cI said, \u2018This is a family, and I\u2019m going to keep doing whatever I can do within that to help grow the brand.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unbeknownst to Jeremiah Fears, just before he began his freshman season at Oklahoma, Adidas execs had tabbed him as one of their very favorite players in the entire 2025 Draft class that they hoped to sign. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As talks with his agents at LIFT Sports Management heated up this spring and he shot up the mock draft boards after his impressive single Sooner season, Fears was locked in on the vision that the brand saw ahead for him. He now credits a trio of key elements towards his signing with The Three Stripes:\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n For both Edgecombe and Fears, the allure of breaking through as a pinnacle Adidas player proved to be a major factor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe relationship they have with their guys, and potentially having a signature shoe in the future was big<\/em>,\u201d Fears said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While his game is relentless on the floor, Fears also points to a variety of other qualities he brings to the table that brands saw considerable appeal in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMy mentality, being unique and my creativity,\u201d he said. “I\u2019m excited for the journey.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n As he landed deals like his major Adidas endorsement and a Tissot partnership ahead of the Draft, his understanding of the marketing world at just 18 years-old was already fast tracked thanks to the NIL landscape. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s been dope, being able to experience everything before it\u2019s time for the big leagues,\u201d said Fears. \u201cBeing able to go through photoshoots, meet so many new people and build relationships \u2014 and being someone that brands know they can trust and market well \u2014 has been really cool for me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He\u2019s been keeping tabs of the qualities that signature athletes at the highest level must have. How their top tier game is matched off the court by a presence that carries them into touchpoints of fashion, music and culture beyond just hoops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe swag is a little different,\u201d he adds. \u201cHow you carry yourself and how you can promote it on a big stage.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n As Fears dreams of his own low-top signature silhouette in the years ahead, he\u2019s mindful of the work that\u2019ll he\u2019ll have to put in towards building up his brand and his standing in the sneaker game. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEventually, you want to have little kids looking up to you,\u201d he continued. \u201cThat want to go get the Jeremiah 1s<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Growing up less than an hour outside of Chicago, a young Jeremiah soon had a childhood idol to follow as he was in elementary school. He loved how the Bulls\u2019 homegrown #1 pick and franchise player hooped. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When Derrick Rose exploded through traffic and attacked the lane with an arsenal of finishes and floaters, he was showcasing where the new era of scoring point guards was headed. The future generation in Fears was following. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As DRose headlined his own Adidas signature series and put on for the brand, Fears couldn\u2019t help but notice, and be inspired. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBeing able to get Derrick Rose\u2019s first pair of basketball shoes, I wore those for a long time,\u201d <\/em>he says now. \u201c<\/em>Playing on his AAU team as well, was my earliest memory of picking up more Three Stripes shoes. I was on his team in the 6th grade. We ended up going to Alabama for a Big Time Tournament on the Adidas Gauntlet and that was dope.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fears works out before the Draft with Pro Hoops Inc. in the Harden Vol. 9. (Courtesy @highlights.from.heaven<\/a> & @ProHoopsInc<\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Starting out with a love for Rose\u2019s line, Fears began to keep an eye on all of the key Adidas guards that followed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnt Man, Dame Lillard and James Harden, I\u2019ve loved all of their kicks,\u201d Fears says, thinking back through the last decade of Three Stripes staples. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As he takes his own step into the pro stage, he\u2019ll soon be facing off against each of the players he looked up to during his prep career. He now officially feels a shared Adidas connection with his fellow endorsers, as one of the brand\u2019s next up-and-coming guards. <\/p>\n\n\n \u201cIn the future, we\u2019ll build that relationship,\u201d said the 18 year-old. “When I play against them, I won\u2019t wear their signature shoe against them though. But I\u2019ll definitely show them a lot of love.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n For Fears, there\u2019s still a line to draw as a competitor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s off limits, definitely,<\/em>\u201d he added, with a smile. \u201cThat would be a one up thing, and I don\u2019t want nobody to have a one up on me. I won\u2019t wear their shoes against them, but definitely when I\u2019m playing against someone else.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n For his rookie season, look for Fears to help headline the new Dame X, along with a key rotation of sneakers from Anthony Edwards and James Harden\u2019s lines. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThree Stripes have been doing something special for awhile now,\u201d continued Fears. \u201cBeing able to be join the team and join the wave is great. The Harden Vol 9s are great<\/em>. I really enjoy the material on the shoe and the way the shoe is designed, it sticks out to me. The feel and comfort is amazing.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Over the years, Fears has found a few phrases that resonated and pushed him. Mantras that he rallied behind that have led him to already reaching some of his biggest dreams. Some he\u2019s even tattooed along his left leg for inspiration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDream Until Its Your Reality\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBe Different\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n “The Creator of My Own Destiny”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Even his #0 jersey selection went viral for its double meaning: \u201cZero Fears\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n Since a young age, one phrase stuck out amongst them all. Just a 7th grader at the time, Fears was often training with fellow Chicago-area native and eventual pro DJ Steward, when he first heard of his charging tagline. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI just asked him,\u201d Fears says now. \u201c\u2018Why do you say GOLA<\/em>?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGrind or Live Average,\u201d <\/strong>Steward responded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n From that point on, he was locked in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI went home later that day, and I thought about it the whole time<\/em>,\u201d reflects Fears. \u201cYou can either grind and get the life that you want, or you can just continue to dream about it and talk about it, but not put any of the work in.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ever since that day, the newly-turned teenager has worked towards living out his dreams. He credits the phrase with powering him further, leading to his eventual path as a top selection in the NBA Draft and a hopeful future in the Association ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI have it tattooed on my leg, right underneath my knee cap,\u201d he added. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As he continues to build with Adidas to begin his NBA career, he’s hoping to showcase his story through marketing, and highlight how that dedication and commitment can inspire others to grind towards their own dreams. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019ve just carried that with me every step of the way,” said Fears. “And throughout everything that I did.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just ahead of the 2025 NBA Draft, Adidas officially signed both VJ Edgecombe and Jeremiah Fears to the roster, adding a duo of explosive guards that project to be two of the most exciting prospects in the entire class. Each of the high risers and talented playmakers was taken in the lottery, with Edgecombe selected […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":218,"featured_media":832306,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,3],"tags":[13012,65424,65423],"yst_prominent_words":[],"class_list":["post-832183","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-archives","category-kicks","tag-adidas","tag-jeremiah-fears","tag-vj-edgecombe"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/832183","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/218"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=832183"}],"version-history":[{"count":42,"href":"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/832183\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":832334,"href":"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/832183\/revisions\/832334"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/832306"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=832183"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=832183"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=832183"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=832183"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/VJ_1.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThree Keys for VJ \/\/\/<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Impact in the Bahamas<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/VJ_1B-copy.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/VJ_2.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe Dame Effect <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/imYhBZgMv6uCFM_2-copy.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nBuilding With Family <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThree Keys for Jeremiah \/\/\/ <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Jeremiah 1s??<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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The DRose Effect <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Fears_4-780x1080.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Fears_6-1-774x1080.jpg\")
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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nContinuing To Grind <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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