“Every Kid Is Buying Bronny Shoes”: Gilbert Arenas Is Shocked Nike Hasn’t Dropped Shoes For LeBron James’ Son

Bronny James is unlike any other rookie that’s ever played in the NBA. The 20-year-old has been in the public eye on an international level since his days in middle school. His anomalous existence in the NBA as the 55th pick has made Gilbert Arenas wonder why Nike hasn’t jumped on an opportunity yet, claiming, “I’m surprised, Nike didn’t drop a shoe.” Kenyon Martin agreed, “I’m very surprised.”

Martin also added to the point about Bronny’s popularity, revealing his son’s reaction when he met the 20-year-old. “I have a 6-year-old at home and [was] just as excited when we went to the game that he saw Bronny as he was to take a picture with LeBron with his dad,” he said on an episode of Gil’s Arena.

Agent Zero then talked about how Nike could benefit from Bronny’s stardom. He wants people to know that it’s not about the stats, a signature shoe has more to do with an athlete’s popularity.

The youngster is pretty well settled in that department. Despite his duds in the NBA, he has remained one of the most popular names on the Lakers. Nick Wright of Athlon Sports reported in December last year that over 500k Bronny jerseys had been sold, generating over $50 million in revenue.

There’s no questioning Bronny’s popularity as is evident from the jersey sales. Keeping that in mind, Arenas believes that Nike should make him an offer. He said, “You already know that every mother****n kid is buying Bronny’s shoes.” 

All the kids will be buying Bronny’s signature shoe 👟📈 pic.twitter.com/Y8FzgKN5aa

— Gil’s Arena (@GilsArenaShow) February 8, 2025

 

As marketable as Bronny is, the reason why Nike might’ve kept the signature shoe plan aside for now is because they’ll be criticized for it. It’s not a secret that the 20-year-old is struggling in the NBA, averaging 0.9 points, 0.4 rebounds and 0.4 assists.

In addition to that, he is still fighting the allegations that his being drafted by the Lakers had nothing to do with his talent. So, we might have to wait for a while to see a Bronny x Nike collection when it comes to a signature line.

Zaire Wade has his own signature shoe collection

While Bronny might not get his signature collection for a while, the son of another NBA superstar, Dwyane Wade already has his. Zaire Wade hasn’t even been drafted in the NBA yet, but he still managed to ink a shoe deal with Li-Ning.

D-Wade has signed a lifetime deal with the Chinese company which made it easier for Zaire to get the deal. The collection is called ‘The Li-Ning Son of Flash’ and debuted in February 2023. Since then, Zaire and Li-Ning have released several models of the collection.

In a way, it’s understandable why Zaire was able to lock in a shoe deal. D-Wade has a huge influence in the East Asian, Chinese market, and it’s easy for him to pull strings behind the scenes to make anything happen. On the flip side, the same gripes that exist with Bronny when it comes to potentially having a signature shoe exist with Zaire.

‘Z-Wade’ has never touched NBA hardwood as a 23-year-old. The closest he ever got was playing for the Utah Jazz G-League affiliate team, a team that his father has a minority stake in. Despite this, he has been awarded a signature line.

One can take solace in the fact that Zaire’s collection has gotten great reviews, especially as an outdoor performer. Although it doesn’t have a hold on the market nearly as strong as Nike, those who have bought the Son of Flash are happy with their purchase.