Parents and family members gathered to eat pizza and drink soft drinks in what would normally be the press box at OTE Arena on Saturday night. It was the opening week of the fifth season of what was once a basketball experiment for young players looking to go pro, and has since sent players to the National Basketball Association (NBA), high-level Division I NCAA programs, and overseas.
The family members watched their relatives, young basketball prospects like Marcus Spears, Jr., David Baliraine, Kam Mercer, Mathias Vazquez, Taylen Kinney, and Tyran Frazier move up and down the court. Former NBA All-Star and McDonald’s All-American Jermaine O’Neal roamed the sideline for one of the teams, Faze. Still looks like he could play a couple of minutes at the age of 47.
Fans of all stripes filled the stands inside OTE Arena. Another opening weekend sellout was taking place.
Basketball was in the air in Midtown.
Five years ago, the idea of hosting a high-level basketball game in Atlantic Station was just that – an idea. Bringing in young, talented amateurs who would give up their eligibility to turn pro and play for Overtime Elite was like nothing the sport had ever seen. Would it work? Flash forward five years, and success stories like the Thompson twins, Amen and Ausar are playing significant minutes for the Houston Rockets and Detroit Pistons.
Overtime Elite is working, says the league’s co-founder and CEO, Dan Porter. Asked what he believes are the reasons why, Porter said, “If I had to pick the top three reasons, I’d say that we never forget that we’re in the audience business. I also think that young people want to see people who are like them. There’s something about seeing someone and saying, ‘I can be like him one day. ’
Sitting back in his seat, Porter paused before he gave his third reason.
“Atlanta,” he said. “The city really welcomed us.”
At halftime, fans made their way over to the multiple concessions stands around the arena and over to the gift shop. During the league’s first year, there were barely any concessions for sale. Other fans were making signs at the poster station. Small improvements like these are part of the league’s growth.
“To me, personally, it speaks to the power of possibility and the ability to take an idea and turn it into reality,” said Anna Karefa-Johnson, the VP of Experiential Strategy and Live Events.
The buzz around OTE feels like it hasn’t subsided over the years. There are 20 new players in the league this year, with 12 of them being ranked among the top 100 2026 recruits in the country. Players like Kinney and Spears, Jr., are being recruited by hundreds of collegiate programs.
Karefa-Johnson said the continued high level of interest from college programs is more proof that five years in, OTE is working beyond any expectations.
“What we have been able to prove is that there isn’t a problem or challenge we’re not able to meet,” Karefa-Johnson said.
Mindy DeBruce, OTE’s Head of Player Services and Experience, has been with OTE for the past four years. The former head softball coach at Historically Black College and University (HBCU) Albany State University, DeBruce’s focus is on the players. Having been in charge of a non-revenue sport at an HBCU, DeBruce understands the importance of balancing the needs and wants of players.
“I believe it’s going incredibly well because of our ability to pivot in the marketplace,” DeBruce said. “We’ve grown and grown.”
During the game, the first of two on Friday night, DeBruce could be seen making her way down a hallway while escorting the family of one of the players.
“We provide multiple options for the kids,” said DeBruce, a wife and mother.
One of the players OTE personnel hopes will grow up during this season is Vazquez. A 6-foot-8 forward from Brazil in his first season with OTE, on one particular trip upcourt, Vazquez took a jab-step, pump-faked his defender, and instead of driving by him, he took a three-pointer. The ball went through the net. The chances of a talented young player like him with full college eligibility getting a shot at a Division I scholarship at a Power 5 program like the ones at Georgia Tech or the University of Georgia are assured. He could also go play overseas after he’s done at OTE. Like DeBruce said, these players have options, and that is why they continue to choose OTE five years after the first group signed on the dotted line. The experiment that is OTE continues.
“It’s unique, it’s not patterned after anything else,” Karefa-Johnson said about OTE.
Asked what she’s most proud of after being a part of the program from day one, Karefa-Johnson said it was the opportunities this league has been able to provide to players and staff members.
“We’ve found the best people,” she said.
