Braden Smith Breaks Assist Record, Signs NIL Deal with State Farm

0:00On March 21, Purdue Guard Braden Smith had a massive week in college basketball. He broke the NCAA all-time career assist record, and quickly signed an NIL deal with state farm, worth plenty in his growing portfolio. The record came Friday night against Queen's University. Less than eight minutes in, Smith dished his 1077th assist to teammate Tray Kaufman-Rin, passing Bobby Hurley for the top spot. Fans and brands took notice right away. Smith's $1.1 million NIL valuation ranks him 10th in college hoops and 32nd overall. State Farm praised his team for a style, adding him alongside stars like Caitlin Clark and Juju Watkins. This deal follows others, including a fresh partnership with Gray Clips tied to his big 10 assists mark, plus an existing one with 2K sports for. Their college basketball push. Smith will star in state farm's marketing and social campaigns through the NCAA tournament turning his record-breaking passes into real-world wins.