Lakers News: Bronny James Turns Back Clock 21 Years to Honor Dad LeBron’s Rookie Season with Retro Nike in 1st Photoshoot

Bronny James is his dad’s biggest fan. Truly, the biggest! And why wouldn’t he? Kids and adults worldwide idolize LeBron James and look up to the living legend. So why wouldn’t he be thankful that he was born as LeBron James Jr.? As such, it’s only natural that the firstborn child would look for ways to honor his champion father. When an opportunity fell in Bronny’s lap in the form of the Lakers photoshoot, he decided he would use it as a tribute to the all-time leading scorer and 4x NBA champion.

And what was his ingenuous plan? Footwear aficionado Nick DePaula answers that question in his latest tweet. “Bronny James laced up @KingJames’ 1st Nike signature shoe for his NBA rookie portraits.“

We don’t have to remind all you sneakerheads that LeBron‘s signature shoe debut was a highly anticipated affair in league history. Having inked a fully guaranteed 7-year, $87 million deal from Nike, even before his NBA draft, Bron’s sneakers were the talk of the town. And when the Air Zoom Generations dropped, fans were thrilled!

For the majority of his 2003-04 rookie season, the ‘Chosen One’ was spotted with the popular black and white colorway with varsity crimson accents more than 30 times. As opposed to the bold and daring colors we now see among the players, the 2004 ROTY had to keep in mind league rules on color restrictions (the NBA abolished the color restriction rule in 2018).

Even with such limitations, James’ AZG got the royal treatment from Nike.

As per DePaula’s 2021 Boardroom article, “the Zoom Generation was the only Nike shoe of his signature series designed by a trio of iconic Nike designers that included Tinker Hatfield, Eric Avar, and Aaron Cooper.” Suffice it to say, LeBron’s first Nike signature shoe is special for a lot of reasons. And now, the father of 3 has another reason and another memory to hold the AZG close to his heart.

Interestingly, Bronny might have provided a subtle hint of this surprise in a recent interview. Surely, you couldn’t have forgotten?

Bronny James reveals how he’s “growing with his style”, picks out his favorite sneakers

In their 300th episode of the Sneaker Series, Complex invited a special guest to go sneaker shopping. First time in a physical store since COVID, Bronny James fielded questions about sneakers, family, and Combine, as he arrived with Joe La Puma at SoleStage in LA. As the pair talked about his exclusive access to every sneaker enthusiast’s dream, the eldest James Jr. revealed his favorite among Bron sneakers. “My favorite Brons’ to play in [are] the Zoom Generations … I love playing in those. They’re super light, they look great. Love those!” he said with a big smile.

While these will remain his all-time favorites, Bronny’s current favorites are the Nike Vomero 5 (off the court) and Nike LeBron NXXT Gen (on the court). Vomeros, though, seems to have taken a special place in his current sneaker journey. When he was asked if he was a guy who would buy one of each color or multiple pairs of the same color, the 19-year-old had an adorable answer. “Right now, I’m only wearing three. And it’s like basic colors – black, white, and tans. [But] I’d wear any of these. These are my favorite,” he said.

Having inked a NIL deal himself with Nike, it won’t be too long before the former USC guard has a signature line of his own. After all, he does know the process. He and his brother Bryce James were part of the testing of the next generation of LeBrons, released in 2022.

Which is your favorite or favorites? Let’s be honest, there is no way we can limit ourselves to just one!

 But before you go, be sure to check this video of Leonard Armato’s take on the deadly duo, Shaq and Kobe.

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