The eldest son of NBA superstar LeBron James has signed a multi-million dollar NIL deal with Nike, following in his father’s footsteps. According to BET, Bronny James signed the contract days after turning 18 years old, just like his father did 20 years ago.
The announcement came after the sportswear behemoth signed Bronny and four other athletes to their roster. Caitlin Clark, DJ Wagner, Haley Jones, and JuJu Watkins are the other four athletes.
“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.”
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.”
Bronny’s second NIL deal is with Nike. He signed a deal with underwear brand PSD in February of this year to design his own underwear.
Bronny, who has 6.6 million Instagram followers, is said to be earning over $ 5 million from NIL deals, and that figure is expected to rise with the Nike deal, according to On3 Projects.
According to Marca, Bronny is currently deciding which college he will attend before entering the NBA. According to Sports Illustrated, Bronny’s mother believes he will play college basketball instead of entering 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.”