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A lot of buzz surrounds Bronny James.
The former University of Southern California (USC) basketball player and son of superstar LeBron James has been set on making it to the NBA with the intentions of forging his own path.
“I think I’ve put in the work, and I’d get drafted because of not only the player but the person that I am,” he said during a press conference held at the 2024 NBA Draft Combine in May.
On June 27, 2024, it was revealed that he was drafted to the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round as the 55th overall draft pick.
“Welcome to the #Lakeshow, @bronny,” the team wrote via Instagram.
James joins his father, LeBron, who is currently on the team’s roster. Their presence in the league is historic as this will be the first active father-son duo in the NBA, CBS Sports reports.
“NBA history could be made next season, and should be made in a Lakers uniform,” Lakers General Manager Rob Pelinka said, according to the NBA.
Now, James is poised to receive a rookie contract, with many speculating what it will entail. He will also be walking in with some deals already under his belt thanks to his documented success in the name, image, and likeness (NIL) era.
NIL Deals
As AFROTECH™ previously reported, James’ NIL valuation coming out of high school was $7.2 million. This was, in part, due to landing deals with Beats by Dre and PSD Underwear.
Nike
In 2022, he cemented a deal with Nike at the age of 18, just like his father.
“For as long as I can remember, Nike’s been a part of my family,” James previously shared in a statement, per 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.”
Later, he made a historic move with Nike by becoming one of the initial college athletes of the NIL era to introduce a jersey.
Fanatics Collectibles
As for James’ most recent assets in business, they include one that provides compensation in the form of exposure. In January 2024, it was announced that LeBron signed a multi-year deal with Michael Rubin’s Fanatics Collectibles, a company worth $31 billion in 2022, per CNBC. This led to the creation of a trading card and would benefit his son with exposure.
Past And Future Feats
According to Blavity, in 2023, Bronny James was the highest-paid high school NIL athlete in the U.S., having snagged most of his deals before enrolling in college.
After being featured in an Android ad and while attending USC, Business Insider reported in March 2024 that “only time will tell just how lucrative James’ college career could become.”
Fast forward to June 2024, and he’s now in the NBA.
At the time of this writing, it is unclear what endorsement deals he will receive as an NBA player. However, he is reportedly set to earn more revenue through his rookie contract. Per The Sporting News, he will reportedly earn a base salary of $1.2 million.
