High School

The positives and negatives of OTE basketball

OTE is a beloved league by many but that hasn't stopped some of the basketball fanatics around the country from criticizing the newer league

Caleb Sisk

Amari Evans with the City Reapers OTE team in Atlanta, GA
Amari Evans with the City Reapers OTE team in Atlanta, GA / Amari Svans Instagram

Overtime Elite better known as OTE is a league that has received mixed reactions from high school basketball fanatics.

OTE is based out in Atlanta, Georgia which is the home of many of the nation’s best prospects. Some of the most notable players in OTE currently include Taylen Kinney, Amari Evans, Eli Ellis, Maleek Thomas, and many more.

To many, Overtime Elite (OTE) is considered a professional basketball league for high school-aged players. The league offers players a salary, signing bonus, and shares in the Overtime business. Players can also choose to receive a scholarship and maintain their college eligibility.

The OTE league has many positives and some negatives to tag along with it. Here are the positives and the negatives of OTE.

POSITIVES

  • Media: The media aspect is great for the players as they have a camera in their face consistently. This is great for the players who hope to play NBA basketball as this quickly prepares them for a professional league.
  • Talent Level: The talent level is great as no game will go without stars. The players playing in these games are future NBA stars and the future of the league as a whole. You can watch ideal high school based match-ups.
  • Exposure: The OTE social media team does a good job promoting players and games for the league. They also stream games on YouTube and Prime Video which gains more viewers than typical basketball games which ultimately grows the individual player’s audience. 

NEGATIVES

  • Seriousness: The OTE is often pushing media for funny interviews and unserious content. This isn’t necessarily the best for the players who are looking to play in the NBA one day as the NBA is professionally run and expected to host professional players in the league.
  • Lack Of Teams: The OTE only has 8 teams currently which is not good. Fans want more teams to have a more competitive league.
  • Repetitiveness: The same teams typically stay at the top simply due to the repetitive nature and lack of teams. You can expect RWE, City Reapers, and YNG Dreamerz to run the show every game as upsets are often not happening. It seems as if upsets are more likely in normal high school basketball games which is backwards compared to the NBA, where upsets are more common than other professional leagues.
  • Loss of traditional high school experience: Since the players are professional and not playing for a traditional high school, they are removed from the normal high school experience enjoyed by high school student-athletes. They miss out on seeing their school mates in the stands, cheering them on during a big rivalry game. The concept of being the big man on campus just doesn't exist in the OTE. There is no such thing as playing for a state championship and raising a banner for your school and community.

OTE will likely evolve over time as the newer league has improved every year since its 2021 foundation. There are still things to prove. To fanatics of the game of basketball, however, it is easy to tell the positives of this competitive league.

One thing that’s certain is if you like entertainment and you like basketball, this is the perfect mix for you.

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Caleb Sisk
CALEB SISK

Caleb Sisk is a talented sports journalist from the state of Georgia. Originally from Chattanooga, Tennessee, Sisk's passion for sports grew. Bringing years of recruiting coverage experience, he has been named a National Recruiting Reporter and covers various college sites on the On SI network. He takes pride in covering recruiting and has been featured by numerous companies for his excellent coverage and knowledge. He has also spent time at other companies, including Rivals, where he covered the Tennessee Volunteers.

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