Credit: Eleven Warriors, Lebron “Bronny” James Jr, CC BY-SA 2.0
LeBron’s recent suggestion that he would do everything he can to play on the same team with his son shouldn’t come as a surprise. As we alluded to in our recent Lakers-Warriors preview, the Lakers are at the point where they’re struggling even when James plays well. So long as this continues, it’s only getting easier to imagine him leaving LA to sign with whatever franchise ultimately drafts his son.
This is, of course, a genius moves from the professional player, as it’s pretty much ensuring that whoever manages to sign Bronny James will get his famous father as part of a package deal. However, his son is already a pretty favorite inside and outside the courts and would probably have no issues getting multiple offers. He has a growing number of followers on social media and has already appeared on important magazine covers. But what exactly do people need to know about Bronny James that could affect his future career in the NBA?
Millions of People Follow Him Online
Fearing that social media would have a negative influence on his son if he was exposed too early, LeBron James forbade his son from opening an account for three years. Today, Bronny James has more than 6 million followers on Instagram and 5.4 million on Tik Tok. The numbers are nothing impressive compared to the almost 80 million his father has, but the numbers are constantly growing.
He’s a Member of an eSports Clan
Bronny James’ social media presence has transferred, to a certain extent, to his Twitch streams, where he can be seen playing games like Among Us, Fortnite, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. The popularity of his channel has earned him membership in the FaZe Clan, joining other athletes like Pittsburgh Steelers’ Juju Smith-Schuster, and Philadelphia 76ers’ Ben Simmons. In fact, James’ first Sports Illustrated cover doesn’t feature him on the court; instead, he is accompanied by other famous members of this clan.
He is a Sneakerhead
The relationship between basketball and sneaker culture has never been stronger. Brands like Adidas and Nike are constantly making collaborations with NBA players to release unique models, or even start an entire clothing line. The good news for those companies is that Bronny James is already a big fan of sneakers, having been seen shopping for models around Los Angeles. We wouldn’t be surprised if we see the first Nike x Bronny James released even before his first professional match
He Just Signed His First NIL Deal
Bronny James is not wasting time when it comes to turning himself into a brand, even before his professional NBA career begins. He has already registered multiple nicknames, including Bronny, as trademarks. However, the most exciting development comes from a clothing company. James has signed his first NIL deal with PSD Underwear, a company known for signing athletes like Kyrie Irving and Jimmy Butler. Whether this endeavor becomes as successful as his father’s clothing line is yet to be seen.
He has Already Considered Multiple Colleges
Before we see Bronny wearing the jersey of a famous NBA brand, he will start showing his skills in college basketball. James seems to be very aware of this and has already considered institutions like Tennessee and Ohio State and has even started visiting different campuses like Duke, paying close attention to the sports facilities. His first important decision will likely come in the form of choosing between scholarship offers from highly prestigious colleges.
It might be too soon to make any specific predictions regarding the future career of Bronny James. But so far, it seems evident that the kid understands the value of choosing the right college, working on his brand, as well as the importance of a huge social media following. Something that doesn’t surprise anyone considering he’s receiving advice from one of the most successful basketball players of all time.
