Master P, whose real name Percy Robert Miller, made a name for himself as a rapper and as a successful record producer and entrepreneur in the late 1990s, but some may not realize he was also an NBA basketball player. The founder of No Limits Records briefly played for both the Charlotte Hornets and the Toronto Raptors and he even owns a basketball league of his own called Global Mixed Gender Basketball. Now, his 19-year-old son Hercy Miller is following in his footsteps. In fact, he just made NCAA history. Read on to find out how.
RELATED: Dennis Rodman's 18-Year-Old Daughter Just Made Sports History Twice.
Hercy Miller signed a $2 million dollar endorsement deal, one of the first and biggest in college basketball.
Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty ImagesAfter the NCAA announced on June 30 that it was allowing college athletes to make money off their fame, Hercy was one of the first to accept a brand endorsement deal. For the hefty paycheck of $2 million dollars, Hercy will become the brand ambassador for technology company Web Apps America. Per the deal, the company will be able to market Hercy’s name, likeness, and image. According to his dad, the company sought him out because he was an A student headed to an HBCU (Historically Black Colleges And Universities.)
"It's incredible," Master P told TMZ. "This is gonna change the way college athletes want to stay in school. ... I'm proud of my son."
"Like my dad said, it's a blessing," Hercy added. "I learned from my dad, I'm gonna start off by giving back to the community and everyone around me. I have a camp July 21. ... I'm giving back to the kids."
Hercy did, however, say he was going to get his first car: a Tesla.
Hercy signed the deal before he's even started playing college basketball.
Hannah Foslien/Getty ImagesAfter the summer, Hercy, a point guard who stands at 6’3”, will join the Tennessee State University (TSU) Tigers men’s basketball team in Nashville, which competes in the NCAA Division I's Ohio Valley Conference. Previous members of the team have gone on to play in the NBA, including Ben Warley, Robert Covington, Dick Barnett, John Barnhill, Truck Robinson, Anthony Mason, and Carlos Rogers.
"Hercy Miller is one of the most dynamic high school guards in the country," TSU head coach Brian "Penny" Collins said in a statement when Miller committed to the school in the spring. "His defensive prowess will show when he steps foot on that Gentry Center floor. His leadership skills, toughness and infectious personality are a few of his traits that I'm really looking forward to coaching. Hercy will make TSU fans proud."
RELATED: See Luke Perry's Pro Wrestler Son, Who's the Talk of the Sport Right Now.
TSU was one of many schools courting Hercy.
Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty ImagesHercy also got accepted to a slew of other schools. According to 247Sports, Hercy also received offers from Vanderbilt, LSU, UCLA, USC, Missouri, South Carolina, Arizona, Georgetown, and several other larger schools. He decided to go with the Tigers saying he wanted to demonstrate to other young athletes that they could succeed in the sport by going to an HBCU.
“I want to be a leader and a dream of mine and a goal of mine is to change the narrative. I want to show people you don't have to go to one of these big schools, Power Five conference schools, just to be great,” Hercy said when he made his announcement in March, according to the Nashville Tennessean. “There are a lot of great people who came out of HBCUs or mid-major schools. I want to be the next one.”
Master P told the outlet: "I think this is bigger than just going to a school and bigger than basketball. What Hercy is doing is going to change the game and I think a lot of great players are going to want to go to HBCUs."
Hercy isn’t the only one of Master P’s kids who picked up their father’s basketball skills.
Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)Hercy is one of Master P’s nine children. Along with Hercy, two others have followed their father onto the court. There's rapper and basketball player Lil Romeo, 31; actor and producer/DJ Vercy "Young V”, 29; actor Veno, 29; actor Tytyana, 29; R&B artist Inty, 28; actor and singer Cymphonique, 24; actor Itali, 22; and basketball player Mercy, 15.
Lil Romeo was given a scholarship to play basketball for the University of Southern California Trojans in 2007. Mercy, also a 6-foot-3 point guard like Hercy, is another budding star basketball player in the Miller family. He played alongside Hercy for one of Minnesota's top basketball programs: Minnehaha Academy in Minneapolis. Master P also hinted to TMZ that he's working on a deal for Mercy as well.
RELATED: See The Rock's 19-Year-Old Daughter, Who's Climbing Up the WWE Ranks.
