Naasir Cunningham, No. 1 high school basketball recruit of 2024, to sign with Overtime Elite, keep college eligibility

Naasir Cunningham, the No. 1 basketball prospect in ESPN's Class of 2024, is signing with Overtime Elite (OTE), he told ESPN Monday.

«This is best place for me to develop as a player, while getting the right education to fall back on at the same time,» Cunningham said. «Overtime built a relationship with my family and I, which was a big factor in trusting them with my future. I want to be the best basketball player I can, a NBA draft lottery pick and hopefully one of the best in the league. Overtime is going to put me in position to become the best player I can.»

Cunningham is the highest-ranked recruit ever to sign with the upstart league and is considered a prospect with significant upside for the NBA ranks, standing 6-foot-7 with a 6-foot-11 wingspan, impressive fluidity and dynamic perimeter shooting ability.

Cunningham will be the first player to forgo being paid a salary by OTE, which should preserve his eligibility to play college basketball after graduating high school. He will still be eligible to make money off his Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) in high school, providing him with additional earning potential over the next two years, without jeopardizing his amateur status.

«Being able to keep my eligibility for college was important as that gives me more options when I'm done with high school and ready to decide my next move,» Cunningham said. «At Overtime you still get the same academics as a regular high school, but not every school has the same equipment and facilities they do, which are top of the line, as well as the best trainers, coaching staff and other elite players. Competing against the best and working with the best there is, that's what will help me reach my goals.»

Cunningham, who is from West