Nike has announced NIL endorsement deals with five of the top amateur basketball players in the country headlined by Bronny James, the son of NBA superstar LeBron James.
According to the press release, Caitlin Clark, Haley Jones, DJ Wagner and JuJu Watkins also inked deals with the brand.
Bronny, who recently celebrated his 18th birthday, expressed his excitement about signing with Nike.
“For as long as I can remember, Nike’s been a part of my family,” he 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.”
In his freshman year at Sierra Canyon High School in Los Angeles, Bronny was the only player to appear in all 34 games of the season. Also, he took home an MVP in a victory against St. Vincent-St. Mary High School, his dad’s alma mater.
“Each athlete is recognized as a player who is paving the way for the next generation on and off the court,” Nike’s statement read. “These athletes push Nike to think about new ways the game can break barriers, bring people together, build community and shape the future.”
Clark, a junior point guard at the University of Iowa, is a consensus first-team All-American, Big Ten Player of the Year and Naismith Trophy finalist.
A senior guard at Stanford University, Jones was a five-star, top recruit out of high school and has continued to impress in the collegiate ranks.
Wagner, a point guard from Camden, N.J., is a top prospect in the class of 2023 and the son of former NBA player DeJuan Wagner.
A high school senior guard from Watts in Los Angeles, Watkins is a leading player in the class of 2023 and has twice been named the Los Angeles Times Player of the Year.
Nike also plans to partner with each student-athlete on several community projects in their hometowns.
All five student-athletes play for Nike-sponsored schools.
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