Nike EYBL Peach Jam brings together NBA stars of today and tomorrow
There is arguably no better place to get a gauge of the NBA's stars of tomorrow than Nike's Elite Youth Basketball League that is held every summer.
The EYBL has consistently served as a hotbed for future NBA All-Stars – Bradley Beal, Jayson Tatum, Trae Young, Anthony Davis and Ben Simmons are among those to have participated in the recent past – and the Nike EYBL Peach Jam is where the best gather to see who reigns supreme above all.
This year, the Peach Jam had no shortage of star power or talent on hand with the high school class of 2022's top two prospects, Emoni Bates and Jalen Duren, taking the stage.
Duren, with the help of fellow five-star center Dereck Lively, led his Philadelphia-based Team Final program to the Peach Jam title with a 64-61 win over Bradley Beal Elite in the 17U division.
Bradley Beal Elite was led by five-star shooting guard Nick Smith Jr. from Arkansas, who led all scorers with 31 points.
The Peach Jam final featured six players ranked in either the ESPN 100 for the class of 2022 or ESPN 60 for the class of 2023.
As for Bates, while his Bates Fundamentals squad didn't qualify to play in the championship bracket, he still managed to put on a show every step of the way during his time in Augusta.
Bates' matchup against Strive For Greatness and Bronny James, a consensus top 50 recruit in the class of 2023 and the son of LeBron James, was the perfect platform for him to display the skill set that has him ranked as the top prospect in the country.
He scored 27 points to lead a comeback win for Bates Fundamentals over SFG.
Other five-star prospects on hand that also made their mark were Dariq Whitehead of Team Durant, as well as D.J. Wagner of New Jersey Scholars.
It should come as no shock that the EYBL and Peach Jam continuously house some of the top talents in the country considering the amount of time and dedication current NBA stars give to the youth in the form of sponsored teams.
Kevin Durant (Team Durant), Carmelo Anthony (Team Melo), Chris Paul (Team CP3), Russell Westbrook (Team Why Not), Blake Griffin (Team Griffin) and the aforementioned Bradley Beal Elite and Strive For Greatness are all sponsored by current NBA stars who are routinely seen on the sidelines with their respective teams offering advice and coaching.
The 2021 Peach Jam continued the tradition of the highest possible talent level for grassroots basketball, all while bringing the NBA's stars of today closer to the league's stars of tomorrow.
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