JuJu Watkins requires no introduction for many. Her high-energy performances have time and again proven fruitful for her teams. Outside the lines, they have the same effect, bringing in profits for the sophomore. One such benefit was when the USC Trojans star joined the Nike family in October 2022 as a senior in high school. Now, after bagging a huge deal with the sports athleisure mogul, she has also grabbed the attention of LeBron James.

On Friday, Watkins shared a picture on her Instagram, donning the “The LeBron Trainer 1s.” However, Watkins’ popularity exceeded expectations with the Chosen One himself sharing the snap on his Instagram story with a four-word message. “Gotta keep you right, Ju!!,” James posted on his Instagram story on Friday.

Interestingly, JuJu knows Bron and has been seen practicing with Bronny and Bryce on many occasions. Now that she has signed “one of the richest shoe endorsement deals in women’s basketball,” we will probably also see a link-up between the Lakers icon and the Trojans star.

Released in September this year, the TR1s are known for being lightweight with ergonomic design. The shoes are marketed as one of the best training shoes of the generation and were available only in select retail stores. Watkins was wearing the brown colored shoes with a white Nike swoosh. And most probably they got to Watkins due to her link with Rich Paul.

JuJu Watkins x LeBron meet Klutch Sports

Watkins got into Klutch Sports Management agency during her junior year in high school in 2022, thus, becoming the first female athlete to be represented by the company. Since then, the agency made sure to uplift Watkins’ NIL deals, getting her agreements with reputed companies like Nike. Additionally, in a list of firsts, she was the first high schooler to be represented by the agency, in whose inception, James had a big hand.

Bron first met Paul in 2002 while awaiting a flight to Atlanta. Till then he had already been featured in sports magazines and people knew about him. He was impressed by the Warren Moon Houston Oilers jersey that Paul wore and the two instantly bonded over their love for sports. And when James was drafted into the NBA, he offered Paul a position on his payroll, which the latter instantly accepted. In 2012, James left the CAA to join Klutch Sports Management company. Since then, the two men have inked impressive deals in the NBA together.

This is nothing short of an achievement for Watkins since stars like James are noticing her. Hopefully, someday she will also get a chance to see James during one of her games, cheering for her on the sidelines.