JuJu Watkins Nike Deal: Clubbed With Bronny James, Caitlin Clark, USC Freshman’s Blockbuster Explored

The University of Southern California Trojans’ freshman JuJu Watkins had made waves before arriving in the college basketball circuit. Apart from a flurry of awards that she received in the high school circuit, she also penned extravagant NIL deals that helped her share the stage with some of the major athletes in the country.

Watkins stands at a NIL valuation of $199K and one of the major deals has been with Nike which has helped establish credibility to the rising celebrity.

Nike Deal with Caitlin Clark

The sportswear brand Nike made one of its biggest moves in 2023 when it signed five basketball players. The athletes ranged from high school to college level. It had some of the biggest superstars namely – Caitlin Clark, Bronny James, Haley Jones, DJ Wagner, and Juju Watkins. The deal was very significant for JuJu Watkins as the NCAA 2023-24 season has been her freshman year and she has been a breakout star this season.

Signing an NIL deal with Nike and being included in the same list with Clark sent signals in the college basketball circuit that Watkins had arrived. Nike’s mission statement with the NIL deals was quite evident since the company claims to “inspiring young athletes.” With the NIL deal in October, a new world waited for Watkins who would later step into the college basketball world. Nike thus secured athletes who would later go on to become stars in basketball much similar to how Watkins’ case has been this year.

The deal was quite special since Watkins hadn’t made a move to the college basketball level. At the time of the agreement, Watkins had bagged 2x MVP awards along with two gold medals at the U17 USA Basketball. This clearly meant that Nike wanted to encourage women’s participation in the sports and working with Watkins would change how women were perceived in the game.

As per Forbes (h/t: The Grio) Watkins had stated that “My family’s always given back to the community, and now it’s my turn.” Furgthermore, she was extremely enthusiastic about influencing people near her in her community and helping the game spread its roots in and around Los Angeles. “With Nike’s support, I know I can make a difference. I can’t wait to share my love for the game with young athletes in Los Angeles — especially in the Watts community — and around the world,” Watkins remarked.

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The other four players had also expressed their gratitude for getting a deal with Nike and had shared how the sporting conglomerate aligned with their vision. This was the first time that Watkins’ name was taken with the Iowa Hawkeyes star  Clark, a thing that would become a norm later on with Watkins en route to the college basketball star’s NPOY awards with her mindblowing performances.

Previous NIL deals

The 18-year-old had previously been in the spotlight for her NIL deal with Lids. She inked a deal with other athletes namely – Brea Beal, Dereck Lively II, Nick Smith Jr, and Chris Livingstone. As a part of the deal, Watkins got a chance to work with the Lids designing team and have her own stylized custom embroidery. These athlete designs were rolled into the stores for the fans to purchase in different phases during the month of November.

Watkins had also received a 2023 Mercedes EQS due to a partnership between the House of Victory and Fletcher Jones Motorcars in April this year. She thus became the first athlete to get an advantage from an agreement between the collective and the dealership. Displaying her humility, Watkins had divulged that her grandmother would be the first person she would Facetime to show her brand new car. Additionally, she had also shared that she loved listening to Bryson Tiller while driving.

Today, Watkins has 340K followers on the social media networking platform Instagram which shows how popular she is with basketball fans. The platform has been her go-to to establish a bond with her audiences. She shares her day-to-day life including her advertisements and partnerships with various companies. She has therefore leveraged the power of the community to her advantage and that is one of the core reasons for her getting such major deals at such a young age. 

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Juju looks to have made prominent advances towards being a star and given her performances this season, she will only look to materialize more such NILs. That will push her valuation further and also establish her as a home name in the coming times.