Bronny James signs deal with Nike, which counts Ohio State among its clients

LOS ANGELES (WCMH) — A major step in the career of LeBron James’ son came Monday.

Bronny James, the oldest son of Akron native and Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, joined the Nike family as part of a Name, Image, and Likeness deal before he begins his college career next season.

Bronny James is believed to be considering Ohio State as his college choice. Nike made one of its biggest deals in 2016 with Ohio State with a 15-year, $252 million deal to provide “monetary support and products to enhance the student experience, a significant endowment for student scholarships and Nike internships for both athletes and non-athletes.” The deal at the time was the largest deal between Nike and a university.

LeBron James has been part of the Nike family of athletes since before the 2003 NBA draft when the corporation signed him on right after his high school days at St. Vincent/St. Mary in Akron. In 2015, James signed a lifetime deal with Nike with his son joining the brand seven years later.

In a statement, Nike said, “Through his partnership, Bronny wants to continue supporting the LeBron James Family Foundation and positively impacting communities that matter most to him.”

Bronny James is a senior at Sierra Canyon high school in LA and was in Columbus in September for his official visit to Ohio State with his family.

While visiting Columbus, James was seen attending the OSU-Notre Dame football game on the sideline and later posted to his 6.6 million followers on Instagram official photos in Buckeye basketball gear. The post garnered a whopping 2.1 million likes, raising hope for Buckeye fans Bronny could wear Scarlet & Grey come 2023.

According to 247Sports, James is the 41st-ranked recruit in the 2023 class with OSU, Memphis, and Southern California offering him scholarships. The site also lists Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, and Oregon as interested schools.

There is no word on when James will announce the college of his choice.