Bay Area basketball standout Ryan Pettis signs NIL deal with Pathwater Inc.

Ryan Pettis has signed an NIL deal with Pathwater Inc. of Fremont, California.

“I like it,” the 6-foot-4-inch Serra-San Mateo High School junior said. “It helps the environment and I like being able to do better for my community.”

NIL stands for Name, Image, and Likeness. It pertains to the use of an athlete’s name, image, and likeness through marketing and promotional endeavors.

Promotional video of Pettis shows him working out with an instructor, handling the ball, taking his patented jump shots, and stopping occasionally to sip Path Water out of an aluminum container.

The term “NIL money” refers to dollars an athlete can earn by signing an NIL contract.

NIL monetization is permitted, per CIF-State Article 20 Rule 212. At last count, 19 states allow student-athletes to profit from the name, image, and likeness.

Regulations permit a student-athlete to be compensated for their NIL, if there is no recognition of the student-athlete’s school, school logos, uniforms, or insignias.

Pathwater’s site says it is, “forging the path to end single-use plastic bottles.” The company manufactures a certified refillable and 100 percent recyclable bottled water packaged in an aluminum container.

DO IT ALL

Pettis was a first-team All-West Catholic Athletic League performer last season and is a standout for the Team Lillard 17U travel squad.

He led Serra to a 60-49 upset victory against Archbishop Mitty of San Jose in the Central Coast Section Open semifinals and to within one win of a section championship.

Pettis led all scorers with 22 points against Mitty and made the go-ahead 3-pointer from the wing with 23 seconds left.

“He did everything but sweep the floor after,” Serra coach Chuck Rapp told the San Jose Mercury News following the game. “He made big plays and that’s what big players do in a big game.”

'ESCAPE THE STRESS'

His father, Larry Pettis, played at Long Beach State and at Cal State Hayward which is now Cal State East Bay.

“I like making my team better and I love the compassion and energy of basketball,” the younger Pettis said. “It’s a way to get away and to escape the stresses of the world.”

The talented guard especially enjoys slamming home dunks and making passes to teammates for open shots.

His travels with Team Lillard are taking him to Nebraska, Texas, South Carolina, and Los Angeles.

Off the court, Pettis enjoys doing community service. That has included delivering food to the homeless in San Francisco.

“I like being able to give back,” he said.

BIG FISH

While they are the exceptions and not the rule, some high school athletes have profited handsomely from their NIL money. La Jolla Country Day girls’ basketball and social media star Jada Williams collects six figures a year via six endorsement deals.

According to On3.com, which estimates NIL valuations (a projected annual value), high school seniors Bronny James, the son of LeBron James, and Arch Manning, of the famous quarterback family, are capable of earning well into seven figures. 

Bronny James tops all current prep — and college — athletes at a valuation at $7.5 million. That's considerably more than even reigning Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams ($2.7 million).

The overwhelming majority of prep athletes with NIL deals, like Pettis, collect considerably less than those at the top of the food chain.