The eldest son of NBA star LeBron James has followed in his father’s footsteps and signed a multi-million dollar NIL deal with Nike. Bronny James signed the deal days after he turned 18 years, as his father did 20 years ago, according to BET.
The sportswear giant made the announcement after signing Bronny and four other athletes to their brand. The four other athletes include Caitlin Clark, DJ Wagner, Haley Jones and JuJu Watkins.
“To serve the future of athletes and sport, Nike is teaming up with inspiring young athletes who are leading the way now– both on the court ad in their communities,” Nike said in a statement. “Just as we support them in pursuing their foals, they push us to think even bigger about the change we can create together.”
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The deal now makes him an official member of the family although Bronny is not a stranger to Nike as he has been wearing LeBron’s shoes on the court.
“For as long as I can remember, Nike’s been a part of my family,” Bronny told Complex. “Getting a chance to team up with them and continue my family’s legacy both on the court and in the community is wild—it really means a lot to me.”
The Nike deal is Bronny’s second NIL deal. In February this year, he signed a deal with underwear brand PSD in which he designed his own underwear.
With 6.6 million followers on Instagram, Bronny is said to be earning over $ 5 million from NIL deals and the number is expected to increase with the Nike deal, according to On3 Projects.
Marca reports that Bronny is currently deciding on the college he will play at before heading to the NBA. Sports Illustrated quoted Bronny’s mother as saying he is more likely to play college basketball instead of going directly to the NBA.
“Bronny wants to have a college career,’ Savannah James said in August. “I think it would be really cool for him to start with collegiate basketball, just to start his legacy there.”
Bronny is ranked 34th in the ESPN 100 and 41st in the 2023 class by 247Sports. Meanwhile, the latter reports that Bronny has offers from Ohio State, USC and Memphis.
In an interview with The Athletic in February, LeBron revealed his desire to play his final NBA season with his oldest son.
“My last year will be played with my son,” he said. “Wherever Bronny is at, that’s where I’ll be. I would do whatever it takes to play with my son for one year. It’s not about the money at that point.”
