He’s SC’s top basketball recruit. And he’s leaving high school to turn professional
Jazian Gortman is bypassing his senior year of high school and getting a jump on his professional basketball career.
Gortman, the No. 1 ranked prospect in South Carolina and a top 10 national recruit, is leaving Keenan High School to join the upstart Overtime Elite league that launches in September and bills itself as a “transformative new sports league that offers the world’s most talented young basketball players a better pathway to becoming professional athlete.” He’ll make more than a half-million dollars with the move, one national media outlet reported.
Gortman sent out a tweet Wednesday announcing his decision.
“Thanking the creator above, my family, former coaches, trainers and supporters,” Gortman tweeted. “I also want to thank all the colleges I was recruited by. ... I am beyond happy to announce that I have signed with and will be playing with Overtime Elite!”
Gortman started to receive professional interest back in June, Keenan coach Zach Norris told The State, and took the last couple months to think about it. Norris said Gortman informed him of his final decision this week.
“I told him to sit down and think about it and make the best decision for you, whatever you think is right,” Norris said. “I understand the reasons he did it. He told me it is best suited for him to get to the NBA and I can understand that. I wish him all the luck because it ain’t easy going out there and do this.
“… You got to treat everything like a job but he loves the game of basketball. He understands the game and can play it with the best of them. He is going to be a success because that is what he wants to do and he will strive for it.”
Overtime Elite head of of basketball Brandon Williams, in a statement, said that landing Gortman is a big win for the upstart league. Gortman becomes the 14th player to sign with Overtime. Others include top prospects Jean Monterro of Dominican Republic. Jalen Lewis, Amen and Ausar Thompson, Matt and Ryan Bewley, and Jai Smith. Monterro is projected to be a first-round pick in ESPN’s 2022 mock NBA Draft.
Overtime Elite is expected to announce more signings in the coming weeks.
“Today we landed a critical piece that hits at the core of what we’re building. Jazian brings a relentlessness, tenacity and leadership capability to the OTE family,” Williams said in a news release. “Jazian is widely regarded as one of the top talents in his class, elevating himself this spring through a visible commitment to developing his craft.”
Gortman is believed to be the first player from Columbia to go straight from high school to the pros since Jermaine O’Neal did so in the 1990s. O’Neal, who played at Eau Claire High School, was a first-round pick by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 1996 NBA Draft and played 18 years in the NBA. But that was when players could bypass college and go straight to the NBA.
The NBA now requires players to have one year of college or professional experience. Enter leagues like Ignite of the NBA’s G-League and now Overtime Elite, which will be in its first year of existence.
Gortman is the second Columbia-area player to leave his high school in the past week. Blythewood’s Julian Phillips, a top 30 national recruit, announced he will play his senior season at Link Year Academy in Missouri.
Overtime Elite is sponsored by Overtime media company, which was founded in 2016 and produces original sports content on various social media outlets. Financial backers in Overtime include Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, rapper Drake and NBA stars including Atlanta Hawks Trae Young and Phoenix Suns’ Devin Booker.
According to its web site, Overtime Elite “offers a year-round development program combining world-class coaching; cutting-edge sports science and performance technology; top-notch facilities; and a rigorous, highly personalized academic program that energizes and enhances each athlete’s journey from proficiency to pro for the next generation of athlete empowerment.”
Each athlete will receive a guaranteed minimum salary of least $100,000 per year, plus bonuses and shares of equity in Overtime, as well as revenue from sales of jerseys, trading cards and video games. Sources told The State that Gortman’s deal annually might be worth more than that and is for two years. Stadium’s Jeff Goodman reported Gortman is expected to earn $650,000.
Former UConn national championship coach Kevin Ollie is Overtime Elite’s director for player development. The league will be based out of Atlanta in a 103,000-square-foot facility.
“Jazian takes our guard play to the next level with his explosiveness, ability to score, pass, and defend,” Ollie said. “I get excited about players who always bring level-5 energy — in games, practice, the weight room, the film room, and the classroom. Jazian always brings it and that’s why so many have taken notice of him.”
Gortman is a five-star prospect, according to major recruiting services, and ranked No. 8 nationally by 247Sports Composite. He averaged 23.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.3 steals and 2.5 assists last season.
Gortman took official visits to Florida State and Wake Forest, and South Carolina was recruiting him very hard. He took an unofficial visit to the Gamecocks and talked to The State in June about the recruiting process.
“The Florida State visit was a really fun experience for me. I got to meet all the coaches and most of the players,” Gortman said. “South Carolina, I spoke to the coaches and they talked to me about the culture and how big it would be to be part of the program. Their biggest (pitch) is to stay home and put on for my city.”
This story was originally published August 11, 2021 at 8:56 AM.
