Team Insight went around the country to gain first-person thoughts and advice for dealers and vendors. Their answers are both predictable and surprising. One hint: Ballers really like Nike.

Casey Lesman

16, Westminster Christian School

The Warriors, Miami, FL

Casey, a rising junior, has been playing basketball for fun since she was in the fourth grade and didn’t start taking the sport seriously until she was in the eighth grade. She uses her 5’-5” frame to do whatever is necessary on the court. She admits that much of her athleticism probably comes from her parents as her father played cornerback on the football team at the Air Force Academy and her mother grew up playing high school volleyball and running track in North Dakota. She also attributes her success on the basketball court to her head coach (Emily May).

Her brand loyalty rests 100 percent in the Nike camp for shoes and socks. “I wear Nike because the product is always reliable,” she explains.

And she likes the look and feel of a Wilson basketball.

Kayli Kellogg

17, Morgantown High School, The Mohigans, Morgantown, WV

Kellogg has grown up in a basketball household as her mother (Trisha) played at Rocky Mountain College and at Montana State University-Billings (NCAA Division II).  Her older brother (Camden) just finished his high school basketball career at Morgantown High school and her father (Mark) is the current head coach of the women’s basketball team at West Virginia University.  Her dad also played college basketball at Austin College in Texas.  

It’s fair to say that Kayli has been dribbling and shooting a basketball for nearly as long as she has been walking. “I started playing basketball when I was three,” says Kayli.

Kayli just finished her junior year of high school, but she didn’t play basketball this past season because she was recovering from an ACL injury suffered in June 2025.  But, she is healthy again, and playing travel basketball this summer with the Sports City Angels from Cincinnati, OH.  That squad is a Nike-sponsored AAU club. Kayli is focused on winning a West Virginia state championship.  

“That’s the goal for next year,” stated Kayli, who is a 5’ 7”-point guard.
When it comes to dribbling and playing with a specific brand of basketballs, her number-one choice is Wilson.
In footwear, Kayli prefers Nike, specifically the pink Kobe model, though she has worn some Under Armour shoes in the past.
When it comes to uniforms, Kayli likes Nike uniforms. Why Nike? “I like the look, style and the great material used to make uniforms,” said Kayli.

Socks? Also Nike. “I like the white Dri-Fit socks with the black checks,” said Kayli.

Carter Stein

17, Seymour High School, The Owls, Seymour, IN

In many respects, Carter Stein is a high school athlete from a bygone era as he’s a three-sport athlete. In the fall, he plays tennis where he wields a Babolat racquet; in the winter, he heads indoors to play basketball; in the spring, he’s a second baseman on the baseball diamond where he uses a Heart of the Hide glove from Rawlings. He was quick to respond when asked what is his favorite sport to play.

“My favorite sport is always the one that I’m playing that season,” he says. “I started playing travel baseball when I was five years old and I’ve been playing for as long as I can remember.”

He is one of three children in his family.  As you would expect of a family from Indiana, all three of them play basketball.
On the court he and his teammates wear a team shoe from Adidas – the Donovan Mitchell model – supplied by Kratz Sporting Goods in Clarksville, IN. Outside of basketball season, Stein wears a Sabrina (Ionescu) model shoe from Nike.  
And, when it comes to socks, he has a specific brand loyalty. “I always wear white socks from Nike. But, if it’s an ankle sock, it’s always from Adidas.”

In his world, the three most recognizable brand names in basketball are Nike, Adidas and Wilson.

Max Frey

18, Morgantown High School, The Mohigans, Morgantown, WV  

When Frey steps onto the court, he, too, likes to wear the shoes decorated with the Swoosh for two primary reasons — comfort and functionality.

“I wear Nike because I feel the most comfortable not to get injured in them and they also feel like I’m not even wearing shoes because they are so light,” he says.

When it comes to uniforms and warmups, Frey loves patriotic color schemes from Nike and the Jordan brand.
“I love the red, blue and white. It’s, by far, my favorite combinations of colors. The Nike and Jordan brands are definitely the best and most comfortable brands to play in.”

Without a doubt, Frey is true a modern-day consumer since he doesn’t shop at retail stores to buy his basketball gear.
“I buy all of mine from the Nike app or from Amazon, if it’s not in my size,” he says.
Even though Frey is still a teenager, he saves his money to help pay for his basketball gear and if he needs financial assistance, his mother and grandmother make up the difference.

And when it comes to what style uniforms and gear for his high school team, his coach allows the veteran players to provide input. “Our coach always lets his older guys get to have a say in certain things, but other than that he handles most of it.”

Collin Ridgeway

17, Morgantown High School, The Mohigans, Morgantown, WV

Collin wears shoes for Nike for two reasons — one of them is not price. “I wear Nike because they are the most comfortable and they have the lightest shoes,” he explains, adding that he has similar sentiments when it comes to uniforms and warmups.
“I like the quality of the material. It is very enjoyable to play in.”

Ridgeway is not tied to one retail outlet to buy his basketball gear since he buys from Nike stores, Dick’s Sporting Goods and, from time to time, he will purchase out-of-stock items on other reseller apps.

When it comes to subsidizing his hooping, he tries to pay his fair share. “My parents and I mainly go half on everything, but sometimes they will buy me shoes,” he points out.

Canaan Gedeon

17, Wellington High School, The Wolverines, Wellington, FL

Canaan, a rising senior, has been playing competitive basketball since the sixth grade and he has no plans to slow down. He gives all the credit and encouragement for him playing basketball to his older brother and his dad.
“The game looked fun and I fell in love with the sport and now I’m playing 12 months a year.”

When Gedeon is not playing with his high school teammates, he’s playing for the local travel basketball organization, the Wellington Wolves, or he practices his dribbling and shooting at the local LA Fitness outlet. “I used to practice shooting on outdoor courts, but I’m only playing indoors these days,” he explains, adding that he prefers using a Wilson basketball.
His favorite footwear brands are the JA 1 from Nike or the Harden Vol. 9 from Adidas. When it comes to socks, Gedeon is rather particular as he prefers to only wear white socks from Polo. And he feels the top three most visible, recognizable and trusted brand names in basketball are Nike, Adidas and Under Armour.  

Canaan says his closet is filled with a variety of branded shorts and shirts, but his favorite color combinations involve black, blue and white, which just happen to be the school colors for Wellington High School.  “You must look good and be color-coordinated,” he says.

Despite that fashion sense, he admits that he’s 100 percent reliant on his dad to pay for those color-coordinated shoes, socks, shorts and shirts, along with travel expenses.