Bronny James 1 of 5 basketball student-athletes to join Nike
LOS ANGELES (BVM) – LeBron James Jr., known mostly by his nickname Bronny, needs no introduction. The eldest son of the NBA legend LeBron James, Bronny has carved out quite the reputation himself on the hardwood as he is a consensus top-100 player in the Class of 2023 and No. 34 on the ESPN 100. Like his father, Bronny is a prep basketball superstar as the 6-foot-3 guard enters his senior season at Sierra Canyon School in Los Angeles, but that’s not where the similarities stop.
On Monday, Nike announced it signed five collegiate and high school basketball players from across the country, one of them being Bronny. This makes Bronny, 18, the same age as his dad when he first joined the Nike family in 2004.
“For as long as I can remember, Nike’s been a part of my family,” Bronny said in a statement. “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.”
Nike sees Bronny, as well as the other members of the exclusive NIL deals, as athletes who are not only inspiring people with their on-the-court performance but also their off-the-court actions.
“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 and in their communities,” the company wrote in its press release. “Just as we support them in pursuing their goals, they push us to think even bigger about the change we can create together.”
Bronny is joined by fellow Class of 2023 boys basketball recruit DJ Wagner, fellow Sierra Canyon senior and 2023 girls basketball recruit Juju Watkins, University of Iowa women’s basketball star Caitlin Clark and Stanford University women’s basketball star Haley Jones.
We’re excited to announce the newest student athletes to join our Nike family: Caitlin Clark, Bronny James, Haley Jones, DJ Wagner and Juju Watkins.
Hit that ❤️ to show them some love and welcome them to the Nike Basketball fam. pic.twitter.com/xIPZN2raOS
— Nike Basketball (@nikebasketball) October 10, 2022
While Bronny is one of the top players in the Class of 2023, figuring out where he may go to college is more of a challenge. LeBron never attended college, instead bypassing his collegiate opportunities to go directly to the NBA when that was still allowed. This makes Bronny’s recruitment one of the more interesting if not the most scrutinized in the class.
Even though he is ranked as a top 100 prospect, many recruiting sites can’t get a feel for where Bronny could be headed with most only listing a handful of offers. Bronny himself has only made one visit that fans are aware of as he posted pictures he took at Ohio State University onto his Instagram back in September.
Though his future is a bit uncertain, one thing is clear: he will be a part of the Nike family just like his father who signed a lifetime deal with the company back in 2015.
Now with his NIL deal with Nike in hand, expect Bronny’s popularity to only increase as he prepares to take the court for his senior campaign. With fans eagerly waiting for the senior’s collegiate decision, plenty of eyes will be on Bronny, and thus Nike, throughout the high school basketball season.
