Karim López puts pen to paper with striped giant

Karim López, widely seen as the top international prospect for the 2026 NBA Draft, has taken a decisive step in his journey to the world’s premier basketball league. The 18-year-old from Hermosillo, Sonora, announced via social media that he has signed with Adidas.

For Adidas, landing López as a flagship athlete represents a huge opportunity to expand its presence in Mexico. Cam Mason, Director of Sports Marketing at Adidas Basketball, said the New Zealand Breakers player is the perfect vehicle to reach the wider Latin American audience.

“With Karim, Latin America becomes a market with enormous potential. How do we reconnect with that audience?” Mason said during the adidas Eurocamp. “Essentially, we’ll have the face of Mexican basketball. It makes total sense. For us, it’s a natural move.”

Other NBA stars linked with the German brand include Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves, James Harden of the Los Angeles Clippers, Donovan Mitchell of the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Damian Lillard of the Milwaukee Bucks.

Karim López’s numbers with the Breakers

The New Zealand Breakers have developed a strong reputation for sending players to the NBA through their Next Star program, with past examples including RJ Hampton, Ousmane Dieng, and Rayan Rupert. López saw the team as a crucial launchpad for his own NBA ambitions.

In his first season in Australia’s NBL, López averaged 9.6 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 22.8 minutes over 25 regular season games. Alongside that, he also gained valuable experience in Spain with Joventut Badalona, and played for Mexico in the Olympic qualifying tournament for Paris 2024.

That combination of exposure and high-level competition means whichever team selects him next year will be getting a young player with poise well beyond his years.

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