CINCINNATI — Overtime Elite 6-foot-5 point guard Kameron Mercer, a former Winton Woods Middle School basketball star, has signed a multi-year, multimillion-dollar deal with Panini America.
Craig Mercer, Kameron’s father, Craig, made the announcement on Facebook Wednesday night.
Tone Stakes, Head of Basketball Licensing for Panini America, confirmed the name, image and likeness (NIL) deal with Kameron to WCPO 9 Sports on Thursday afternoon.
“Thanks to everyone at Panini for believing in Kameron at such a young age,” Craig Mercer wrote in the Facebook post. “The work isn't done and there are still a lot of things left to accomplish. But thankful for everything.”
Panini America, based in Irving, Texas, specializes in officially licensed collectibles including trading cards, stickers, comics and children’s magazines. The company includes collectibles involving athletes in the NBA, NFL, NASCAR, FIFA and college. (Topps will reportedly take over the NBA licenses Oct. 1).
Mercer, 15, said he's looking forward to signing autographs for the Panini basketball brand. Mercer could realistically be included in a basketball product during the first quarter of 2026, according to Stakes.
“It will be very cool seeing myself on a card that’s professional,” Kameron Mercer wrote in a text message. “It honestly feels like a dream. I’m looking forward to it!”
It's not just cards. Autographed basketballs, photos and jerseys are also part of the Panini brand.
Craig Mercer said Panini reached out with interest in Kameron regarding a partnership through NIL. Cards and memorabilia are just one dimension of the agreement. Panini is committed to assisting Mercer with his overall brand and community involvement as he continues his basketball journey, Stakes said.
The company identified Kameron as one of the top players in the 2028 class. Craig said he is grateful for the opportunity presented to his son.
"This is big time," Craig Mercer said. "It's life-changing. It's kind of surreal."
Kameron is the first rising sophomore basketball player in the 2028 class to join Panini through an NIL agreement.
"As the first rising sophomore to join Panini, it's nothing but a shocker for me," Kameron said. "Not too many people in the world get this opportunity let alone a rising sophomore."
Stakes said Panini has a group of scouts who evaluate elite-level basketball players in different age groups, along with USA Basketball participants. It's not just hoops.
The scout vets character traits off the court. Mercer's name consistently arose in the "top five of everybody's list," Stakes said.
The news arrived the same day that the City of Springdale made a proclamation of “Kameron Mercer Day” on July 2.
Ranked the nation’s No. 6 boys basketball player in the 2028 class by ESPN, Kameron helped USA Basketball’s U16 National Team win a gold medal at the FIBA U16 Men’s AmeriCup in Juárez, Mexico in June. The five-star player averaged 5.8 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.2 steals in six games off the bench.
The teen told WCPO 9 Sports his summer is going well. He earned 25 points in The Smith League at Woodward High School this past weekend.
“Everything has been going great,” Mercer wrote. “Just putting in work, a bunch of two-a-days preparing myself for Peach Jam.”
The annual Peach Jam is a prestigious Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball event held in South Carolina.
Kameron, who always makes it known that he’s from Greater Cincinnati, averaged 11 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists this past season for Huntington (W. Va.) Expression Prep. He has scholarship offers that include the University of Cincinnati, Xavier University, Ohio State and Missouri.
He signed with Overtime Elite in May. He plans to join Atlanta-based Overtime Elite in August.
Panini America isn’t the only NIL deal for Kameron. There are other agreements including Pahhni, a Hamilton-based alkaline water bottling company, and 24 Apparel, which is based in Phoenix, Ariz.
