For Bronny James, juggling between the G-League and the main roster is not a problem because he has survived a bigger threat to pursue his dream. LeBron James is sharing the court with his son for the second straight year, but that dream was once not possible, as the 21-year-old had a cardiac arrest during his USC days. Enduring the mental and physical battle, James Jr. is back on his feet and made sure to use that moment as an inspiration.

NiceKicks shared, “Bronny James debuted a new Nike LeBron IX Witness PE inspired by his recovery and journey back to basketball after suffering cardiac arrest at USC.” It consists of his signature logo, a lowercase “b” which is stylized “9,” in red on the heel. Representing Bronny’s resilience and strength, the colorway features an all-over digital camo print in dusty tan shades of brown. This marks another step in Bronny James’ growing partnership with Nike Basketball.

The Swoosh is the same brand that signed LeBron James to a lifetime deal with Nike in 2015. All the true figures are not revealed, but the 41-year-old’s close confidant, Maverick Carter, revealed that the figure is north of $1 billion. This was a historic and first of its kind in Nike’s history. Reaching this stage if he does, wil require a lot of effort for Bronny James. But this was his second colorway and partnership with Nike.

A few months ago, Bronny debuted his pink-accented Nike LeBron Witness 9 PE. For now, the Bronny James x Nike LeBron Witness 9 is exclusive to the 21-year-old himself. But it’s an old tactic to figure out the demand for shoes, and in the future, there can be a bigger announcement. Because the reaction for James Jr. has been electric in away gyms.

Earlier this year, Bronny received a massive cheer from the Cleveland crowd after executing a steal and a dunk, mimicking the LeBron-esque style of play. Washington Wizards supporters at Capital One Arena were not far behind and erupted with MVP chants for the sophomore Lakers guard. Even Barclays Center loudly chanted ‘Bronny Broony’ during the game against the Lakers. It’s proof of fans drawing towards the 21-year-old based on his hard work and the journey so far.

Before he even debuted as a USC Trojan, during the summer of 2023, Bronny suffered a cardiac arrest incident during practice. That incident temporarily put a pause on his basketball career. Recently, LeBron James was a little emotional as it meant a lot for him to son back on the court. “So, like I said before, like the kid, he doesn’t have to do this,” LeBron said to The Athletic. “After having the situation that he had, you think he had to really, like, work his way to get back in shape and play basketball? He could have been like ‘Man, f— this s—. Like ‘I’m gonna do anything I want.’”

They continue to break records as they had First Father-to-Son Assist and, over a week later, they created another record, this time with the First Son-to-Father Assist. Speaking about these accolades, LeBron James said, “Not taking it for granted, just being in the moment of us being on the floor once again”. While the critics may be questioning the Lakers for investing in Bronny as he gets very limited minutes, not everyone has that point of view.

LeBron James’ son gets the backing of the Lakers legend

On paper, in his rookie year, Bronny had featured in just 27 games and 6.7 minutes per game, producing just 2.3 points on 38.1 eFG%. Sophomore year wasn’t the big leap many expected. JJ Redick still didn’t trust LeBron James’ son enough and again assigned him to G-League duties. His minutes increased to 8.9 per contest. For some, that won’t be noticeable, but James Worthy saw the improvements.

“Bronny, he’s making progress. It’s not always noticeable because he’s not getting a minute, but he’s starting to understand his space on the floor. Really good defensive end. Deflections. Not afraid to knock down shots. I like his progress.” The 65-year-old, a three-time champion with the Lakers, praised Bronny after his 21-minute outing against the Warriors, where James Jr. contributed with 10 points, 3 assists, and a rebound.

His shooting confidence has increased, as in his second year, Bronny scored 40% from the field and 38% from beyond the arc. Thus, his eFG% rose to 50%. Such metrics get lost when the focus is only on points and minutes. But Worthy saw this as a player growing more comfortable within the flow of the offense.