“Like father, like son” was a theme for the Los Angeles Lakers 2024 NBA Media Day juncture Monday. Ahead of the regular season tip-off, LeBron James and son, Bronny, continued to make history by posing for photo shoots and conducting interviews in matching Lakers threads. As the first father-son duo to ever play in the NBA at the same time, the storyline promises to be one of the upcoming season’s most captivating, and it’s already off to a strong start.
For the big day, the elder James laced up his third signature shoe, the Nike LeBron 3, in a throwback-inspired “MPLS” colorway. But one could make an argument that it was actually Bronny’s shoes which stole the show.
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James Jr. wore two different player exclusive styles of his father’s Nike LeBron NXXT Gen AMPD sneakers. One of the PEs leaned toward traditional Lakers colors with a light purple patent leather base. The second used a shimmering dark green upper which was somewhat reminiscent of the “Abalone” LeBron 21 colorway. The latter pair featured reverse Swoosh logos reminiscent of Travis Scott’s popular collaboration as well as James’ own “All-Star” Nike LeBron 20.
While it’s more than likely a case of convenient timing, James’ off-shoot NXXT Gen line seems to be the de facto unofficial signature sneaker for Bronny. In particular, the NXXT Gen AMPD model dons design characteristics from the first-ever LeBron Nike, the Air Zoom Generation, making it an even more fitting pair for Bronny to wear in his rookie year.
A public release for either of Bronny’s Nike LeBron NXXT Gen AMPD PEs is unlikely, but readers can expect Nike to continue to play up the father-son relationship on future sneakers.
The NBA preseason begins Friday with two games including the Lakers hosting the Minnesota Timberwolves. Looking ahead, Bronny, LeBron and the Lakers will help tip off the regular season when they once again meet the Timberwolves at home on Oct. 22.
