Matt Walsh and Andrew Price (Breakers analytics guy) both followed him on Twitter earlier this week and US College Basketball insiders are expecting him to go overseas. He'll announce where he'll be playing on ESPN in about an hour.

Since he's announcing it on ESPN I think it counts as a global news announcement.

Just watching him on get up on ESPN now.

If they do get Hampton as a next star signing being so highly rated in the U.S then you would expect alot more from him than Ferguson or Bowen.
Great for the Breakers and NBL.

I'm so excited that I am jitzing in my pants,

So therefore anybody that doesn't agree with me is obviously a moron.

Hampton is a big step up from Ferguson and Bowen. Both of those guys were really athletic, but also super raw. Even still they were both able to be serviceable role players.

Hampton looks like he's ready to contribute right away and has skills that will translate immediately.

Will he start for the Breakers?

If this is the caliber of next stars coming this upcoming season then I'm excited to see him and others

"Global" might be stretching it a little, but this is definitely a HUGE signing.

People that follow this kind of thing have been hanging out waiting for this guy to commit to a College for next year, instead he is coming to NZ.

I don't know if he is coming under the Next Stars program, but this is precisely what it was set up to achieve. No, he won't perform at the level of a prime import, but he's not expected to. As a "Next Star" this is as good as it gets.

Look, jury is still out on whether this program will work. If he's the only one to come this season, then it starts to look like it needs a retune. But for the moment it looks like we're off to a good start.

On the other hand, if he's not a Next Star, just a regular import, then yes he will be a boy amongst men. But even so, not every team can fit 3 prime imports, so as a 3rd import in lieu of a local, he could still be good value.

And either way, this certainly keeps our league on the map.

Haven't followed previous Hampton chatter. Cool he’s coming here, but why not college? Can’t obtain the grades?

Bizarre that the Breakers posted this on their FB 10 mins ago, making it 2.26am NZ time....

Although it did coincide with the announcement on 'Get Up' so that would be why. Hahah

Next Stars players have their contracts paid for by the NBL and don't count as either an import or as a rostered player.

ESPN player announcement and it involves NBL? Nice exposure.

Loving the spelling in topic titles of late.

That was a tremendous video, really seemed like a level headed young man and good to see them give him and the league their props

Will he wear number 14? That's the big question!!

If he is part of the Next Stars "program", it shows that, yet again, there will be very little transparency in that next season.

Yep it is part of the Next Stars program. The league will pay his salary which, if i recall correctly, is a flat $100KAUD (whatever that translates to in NZD).

Yeah I wonder what he would be paid, Mike Schmitz saying in an interview he understands he could be getting paid 500K I was like LOL!! Bullshit

"if i recall correctly, is a flat $100KAUD (whatever that translates to in NZD)."

About $105k NZD.

or in Auckland currency, about 2 weeks rent, 1 meal out and petrol for a 30km round trip ;)

"Yeah I wonder what he would be paid, Mike Schmitz saying in an interview he understands he could be getting paid 500K I was like LOL!! Bullshit"

$500k wouldn't be far of the mark to be honest.

I don't think he would come here for a budget $150k type deal all up. He can easily command $500k given his marketability etc.

"$500k wouldn't be far of the mark to be honest.

I don't think he would come here for a budget $150k type deal all up. He can easily command $500k given his marketability etc."

Could he get $150k from NZ but $350k odd from a shoe company. Wasn't that similar to the deal Ferguson got

I understand that the NBL pays part and the club pays part. May be $500k though if the shoe deal comes with it (in the same way we look at Mudiay in China).

The question now is what role he'll have. I presume he'll start at Point - there's no way we're hiring another point guard to add to Ili and Weeks. We'll get two imports (can't see us having 3 now); one at the 5 spot and one presumably on the wing to move Abercrombie to the bench. Then there's the question of the last local - rumours it could be Ethan Rusbatch, but is Jack Salt still in the mix?

Import* / Loe
Delany / Ngatai / ???
Import* / Abercrombie
Webster / Weeks / ???
Hampton* / Ili

Yeah I get that but from the way Mike was talking that would be his salary as he then went on to say his shoe deal, sponsorship would be on top of that. Would NZ be paying him as the league is paying his salary or is the 100k an incentive to come out here then topped up with his wage?

Big news.

A lot of hate and saltiness around these types of forums, but jesus since LK has taken over the NBL is just going from strength to strength.

Sorry just saw the other comments regarding the payments

"since LK has taken over the NBL is just going from strength to strength."

What strength is that? All I see is only the rich teams (Perth, United and Sydney) will win now. The rest have no chance. The only hope other teams fans can have is that their team is competitive. That is not the type of league I want to see.

Whinge whinge whinge. He's building a successful product on a national and international level. There are challenges in this, including some teams are playing out of very small markets.

You can whinge about parity and competitiveness, but not that long ago all teams and the entire league was at risk of financial implosions, no one in the media cared about the league on a local level let alone what we're getting now, and signings of this level, or playing NBA teams, or tv deals, or players going from NBL to NBA, or USA and Canada touring australia, or college prospects and lottery picks coming here, or etc etc etc I don't think I need to go on.

So yeah. Whinge whinge whinge.

And name a league that doesn't have the issues of smaller teams competing with the big dogs?

Ferguson wasn't a Next Stars player, Bowen was the first.

Great signing for the Breakers and the NBL, hopefully he succeeds and still goes top 5 in the NBA draft so he won't be the first 5 star recruit heading to the league.

Wasn't the Next Stars program going to be all players getting 100k and then the league assigning them to a team? That doesn't look like what this is. They might be calling it "Next Stars" but if the Breakers are paying him top import money, he's just a regular import.

Again, there is a distinct lack of transparency on this "program".

Can imagine the bitching on here if he went to Sydney or Perth lol.
I'm glad he hasn't gone to Adelaide, they are stacked in the backcourt anyway.

"I wonder if he has googled New Zealand, could be in for a shock"

Maybe if he was going to a place other than Auckland. Auckland is just like any other major city of the world these days albeit smaller (and probably a lot more expensive).

If he was going to Invercargill to play for the Southland Sharks I would agree with you though.

^^^ Good thread to post that in anon...

NZ signing one of the best prospects the leagues ever seen, garnering international attention

"I'm glad he hasn't gone to Adelaide, they are stacked in the backcourt anyway."

Warmest regards
Mrs Teys

Comedy gold HW.

I'm glad he hasn't gone to Adelaide, they are stacked in the backcourt anyway.

All those scouts at Breaker games means Rob Loe has a chance of forming the 4th component of the "Quad-Dirk".

RJ Hampton has a similar body shape to Dante Exum; long and wiry and deceptively agile. RJ appears to have a quicker release on his jumpshot and maybe slightly quicker foot speed.

Who cares what American commentators say they wouldn't know anything about the NBL?

It's $100K AUD flat.

The Australian National Basketball League is offering "Next stars" contracts that guarantee about $78,000 U.S. gross. The NBA's minor league affiliate is offering Select Contracts with a $125,000 salary.

You're making an assumption that because they've been referring to him as a "Next Star" that all of those above conditions apply. The lack of transparency in this "program" suggests that's a bold assumption.

Cram, you should read things first before making bold assumptions.

US teen sensation RJ Hampton will join the New Zealand Breakers as part of the NBL Next Stars program.

I never doubted that they are claiming he's part of the Next Stars program. Its in their best interests to say that he is to show off what a success their program is (despite the obvious fact that last year, it was a dismal failure).

What I'm doubtful of, is that they've stuck to the conditions that they claim to have applied to the Next Stars program. I think its unlikely.

I think the more likely explanation is that the Breakers paid well over the 100k to get him. The secrecy around the program means this will likely never be confirmed though.

The Breakers didn't pay anything to get him enough of your conspiracy theory nonsense.

"I never doubted that they are claiming he's part of the Next Stars program. Its in their best interests to say that he is to show off what a success their program is (despite the obvious fact that last year, it was a dismal failure). "

The kid has improved his chances of being drafted and was a serviceable role player on a playoff team. That's a funny looking 'dismal failure' there.

Food for thought, I wasn't talking about Bowen, I was talking about the "program" which comprised of exactly one player, with no transparency on how that one player ended up on one of the most stacked teams in the comp while a team like Cairns struggled to put a competitive team on the floor. That is a failure.

Zodiac, it isn't a conspiracy theory, its just lack of transparency. Why is he at the Breakers then? Were other clubs given the option to take him instead? Again, Cairns could REALLY use him.

Pretty sure Bowen's mum only came out here to visit at Christmas as the commentators made a big deal of her being at that Kings home game around Christmas time.