LeBron James’ son Bronny has followed in his father’s footsteps, signing his first lucrative multi-million dollar NIL deal with Nike just days after his 18th birthday.
The sportswear giant announced Monday that it had signed James Jr and a handful of other young athletes to make deals on names, images and likenesses.
Bronny is now officially part of the Nike family, nearly 20 years after his father signed LeBron to the brand in 2003, also at age 18, prior to starting his own NBA career.
However, it is not the first NIL deal that Bronny signed. In February, he signed an agreement with underwear brand PSD, in which he designed his own underwear collection, but the Nike deal is expected to be significantly more lucrative.
The 18-year-old, who has 6.6 million Instagram followers, made more than $5 million in NIL deals as early as February, according to On3 Projects, and that number will have increased significantly with the addition of Nike.
LeBron James and his son, Bronny, celebrate after James high school win in 2021
James Jr. paid an official visit to Ohio State University with LeBron and his mother, Savannah
‘The King’ has been a staunch supporter of Nike throughout his career, even amid criticism
James’ oldest son is currently a senior at Sierra Canyon High School in Los Angeles, Cal. and expects to announce his involvement with a college basketball team in the near future.
“Nike has been part of my family for as long as I can remember,” said Bronny via Complex, in response to his latest NIL deal. “Having the opportunity to work with them and carry on my family’s legacy both on the field and in the community is wild — it really means a lot to me.”
Four-time NBA champion James signed a lifetime deal with Nike in 2015. Reportedly worth over $1 billion.
James has often worn elaborately designed sneakers, including in his 2016 NBA Finals triumph
James has been a face in Nike’s basketball and sports campaigns since his NBA debut in ’03
The four-time NBA champion, like his son, signed a deal with Nike when he was 18 years old
Nike also signed student athletes Caitlin Clark, DJ Wagner, Haley Jones and JuJu Watkins. Bronny, Watkins, and Wagner are all currently high school athletes, while Clark and Jones play basketball at Iowa and Stanford, respectively.
Wagner’s father, DeJuan, is a previous teammate of LeBron James on the Cleveland Cavaliers.
James Jr., often under immense speculation about his NBA credentials, will qualify for the pros in two seasons, with 2022 being his senior year at Sierra Canyon HS in Los Angeles, CA.
Bronny is already something of a TV star, as there’s an Amazon documentary that follows his team’s journey through high school.
The third season, which airs October 31, follows the school’s efforts to win the California Interscholastic Federation state championship in 2022.
Bronny’s college commitment is the most anticipated basketball commitment in recent memory. While other precocious talents like Josh Giddey and LaMelo Ball have played overseas, that seems unlikely.
‘Bronny wants to have a college career,’ Savannah told James Illustrated Sports in August. “I think it would be really cool for him to start playing collegiate basketball just to start his legacy there.”
James was an avid public supporter of his son throughout his high school basketball career
James Jr. sent Ohio State fans into delirium last month after attending the Big 10 power on a visit. He summarily posted a picture in Buckeyes uniform to… Instagram, captioned ‘buckeye nation? #uncommitted.’
Ohio State has long been known to be a school close to LeBron’s heart. The Akron, OH. Native has stated on multiple occasions that he rooted for the Buckeyes and would have gone to Ohio state had he not dropped out of college for the NBA.
LeBron’s oldest son is ranked 34th in the ESPN 100 and 41st in the 2023 class by 247Sports. According to the latterJames Jr. has offers from Ohio State, USC and Memphis.
Bronny is currently in his senior year of high school at Sierra Canyon before entering college
James’ children have long been in the spotlight, including his youngest son, Bryce (R) and daughter, Zhuri (C)
Interest has been expressed by traditional powers such as Duke, North Carolina, Kansas, Michigan and Oregon – all Nike-sponsored schools.
James revealed his plans to play his final NBA season with eldest son, Bronny the athletic in February.
“My senior year is played with my son,” James said in an interview with Jason Lloyd. “Wherever Bronny is, there I’ll be. I would do anything to play with my son for a year. It’s not about the money at that point.’
LeBron James has been a Nike athlete since 2003 – before being taken first by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2003 NBA Draft. Now Bronny is on his way to follow his path
James is eager to play with his oldest son, who will be eligible for the draw in two seasons
The Nike deal comes just days after Bronny celebrated his 18th birthday with his famous father, friends, family and rapper, Travis Scott, who performed in front of the audience at West Hollywood hotspot, Harriet’s Rooftop.
Houston rapper Scott, 31, rocked the shirtless crowd while performing his hits, including Sicko Mode and Butterfly Effect. Bronny danced around to “Sicko Mode” while LeBron also sang along with Scott on his 2018 hit.
The birthday party consisted of non-alcoholic blue slushee drinks, pizza and an ice cream parlor, provided by Harriet’s Rooftop Lounge. LeBron and his wife Savannah, 36, also have 15-year-old son Bryce and seven-year-old daughter Zhuri.
Bronny led his Sierra Canyon team to a California championship title in the ’19 . season
James could join Bronny in the 2025 NBA season if he hasn’t stopped playing basketball yet
James was joined by his sons in his latest promotional video for Nike ahead of his 20th signature shoe with the company.
The Nike LeBron 20s will be released in the near future, but a date has not been released publicly.
Much to the surprise of his three children, the king jumps in and acrobatically out of the pool.