Boardroom catches up with the legend and the No. 1 high school hooper in the country to discuss the deal, designing for the next generation, and the future of Adidas basketball.
When Candace Parker became the first and only women’s basketball signature athlete with Adidas in the late 2000s, she knew she was making history in the sneaker game. Now, after the WNBA icon’s 16-year career came to a close, racking up every accolade for the taking, Parker serves as President of Adidas Women’s Basketball, guiding the very footwear category that she helped build from the ground up.
So, it’s only fitting that the legend’s first major move is a historic one.
Parker revealed to Boardroom that Adidas has signed Kaleena Smith, the No. 1 high school player in women’s basketball, to a multi-year NIL shoe deal. The 16-year-old sophomore Smith, who stars at Ontario Christian just outside of Los Angeles, will headline Adidas Basketball products as the brand’s first-ever women’s NIL high school hooper.
“At Adidas, we want to identify the people that are next,” Parker told Boardroom. “I was a sophomore when I first started rocking Adidas and Three Stripes. For us, it’s identifying at a young age who are the hoopers and the ballers that could potentially be with our brand for a really long time.”
The signing points to a strategic shift for a brand that had primarily focused on signing NBA players in recent years. Now, Adidas has a wide net of top college and high school hoopers already signed to the brand, including 2026 NBA Draft prospect Darryn Peterson, UNC’s Ian Jackson, and seven additional players.
The brand also landed a key leaguewide uniform partnership with Overtime Elite, the top alternate platform for high school players. As Adidas’ list of official endorsers gets younger and younger, players like Smith are looking to lead the way in inspiring the next generation of players.
“I definitely want to be one of the youngest to have my own shoe,” Smith said while smiling. “Being able to inspire the youth, especially the young girls that are like me, don’t have that opportunity, but can continue to work and hopefully get the opportunity one day.”
On the set of their photoshoot recently held in Los Angeles, Boardroom caught up with both President Parker and Kaleena Smith to hear all about the brand’s new groundbreaking signing.
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Nick DePaula: This is, of course, a unique and first-of-its-kind deal. How have you navigated this whole process early on, Kaleena?
Kaleena Smith: It’s been great, to be honest. Coming off of a great summer and getting a call from my agency saying, “Adidas wants to do a partnership with you,” — I just feel like my hard work from the summer paid off. Being a part of a great brand, everything is just going great for me right now.
NDP: How soon did you realize that landing a shoe deal could even be possible?
KS: To be honest, over the summer. I wasn’t really thinking about it, especially with NIL always changing. But this summer, it hit me — I could do it.
NDP: For you, Candace: Why Kaleena? How did this process start from your end?
Candace Parker: First and foremost, at Adidas, we want to identify the people that are next. I was a sophomore when I first started rocking Adidas and Three Stripes — the red Tracy McGradys. For us, it’s identifying at a young age who are the hoopers and the ballers that could potentially be with our brand for a really long time. Obviously, I think she fits with everything that we’re trying to do in the future.
In this day and age, there’s value in finding people that are hoopers and are great people, that are going to be a part of the Adidas brand and the Adidas family. Watching her this summer just continued to speak to the reason why we wanted her to be a part of our family.
NDP: You’re watching hoops all the time. What immediately stuck out about her game that made her so unique?
CP: I think it’s the way that she moves. I’m big on that. You can identify a hooper before they even shoot a shot, just by the way that they move and how they handle. Her being a point guard, running the team and also being that vocal leader. If you watch her highlights and you watch her play, her game speaks for itself, before she even opens her mouth.
As a brand, we felt like this was a perfect fit, and we were happy that she wanted to be a part of it as well.
NDP: When I was watching you over the summer at the Elite 24 All-Star game in New York, there was a buzz every time you got the ball, and you were hitting spin moves and big shots. Have you always had that type of exciting style as part of your game? Where did that start?
KS: I’ve definitely had it since I was younger, being one of the best players on the floor. What really had got my energy going — cause I was also nervous, too — I just felt like I got disrespected in a little way by coming off the bench. I was like, “OK, I’m about to go crazy!”
NDP: How would you describe your relationship with Candace, and what will it be like joining the brand knowing that she’s the President of the category?
KS: It’s going to grow even more, and having that mentor, especially with all of the things that she’s done in her career — I feel like it’s going to really help me, and we’re going to grow together.
NDP: What kind of advice have you given her regarding navigating this wild wild west world of NIL and everything that’s ahead?
CP: It is the wild wild west, but you have to keep the main thing the main thing, and I don’t have any worries about that with her. She truly loves basketball, and as you continue to grow in the game and continue to get farther away from when you started playing, you have to remember why you started playing. Once you go through all the ups and downs outside, inside the lines, it’s literally still a game. Remembering that, there’s going to be ups and downs, but you keep rolling with it and we’re here to support in any way that we can.
NDP: How would you describe your style and the shoes you like?
KS: Definitely wearing crazy colors. I like standing out and having the best drip on the court.
NDP: How do you see her fitting into the vision and direction of what Adidas Basketball is going to stand for design-wise?
CP: We are going to listen and learn. It’s crazy because my daughter is 15, and [Kaleena’s] only 16. I think from that perspective, realizing what this generation likes … it’s really the standout and loud shoes. Having your own personal style and speaking to that. As a brand, we’re going to continue to grow with that next generation and learn from them. I hope that she communicates with us and empowers us to grow. That’s what we want to do as a brand. We don’t pretend to know everything, and we want to listen.
NDP: Where did “Special K” come from, and how excited are you to make your mark with that nickname?
KS: When I was younger, I used to play against boys, and I would be the best player on the court. My old coach and my family would always say, “You’re special. You’re special.” It just came together, and after every game, people were saying, “You’re special.”
NDP: When you signed with Adidas, creating the “Ace” logo was a huge part of getting started. How are you looking to establish Kaleena’s branding early on here? Are you already exploring logos?
CP: 100%. We are entering a time where we can continue to push the needle of how younger players now are established within fans. You’re able to learn about them at an early age and tell their story. We definitely want to lean into storytelling, uplifting, and growing together with the brand.
NDP: You started the role in the spring. What does it mean for you to have landed the #1 player in the country already?
CP: It just speaks to us as a whole. I’m not the only one, and we have an amazing amount of people that are a part of growing this. I’m excited to work with them every single day, have personal relationships, and I’m able to be on another team now, after my career. The communication, growth, and vision — we’re all pushing each other to be better. This just speaks to what we’re capable of doing. We’ve set our goals. We want to be the best brand. We want to be the No. 1 brand for generations to come. It starts somewhere. It started when I was fourteen or fifteen years old, and hopefully, we have her for years to come.
NDP: Candace, who is the first and only woman at Adidas to have her own shoe, once told me that having a signature shoe was a goal of hers from a young age. How big are you dreaming and already thinking ahead of what you can build with Adidas in the future?
KS: I definitely want to be one of the youngest to have my own shoe. Being able to inspire the youth, especially the young girls that are like me, but don’t have that opportunity, that can continue to work and hopefully get the opportunity one day.
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