Kicks

Bronny James Wears LeBron's Nike Shoes in Dunk Contest

Bronny James wore an unreleased colorway of LeBron's Nike shoes during the Powerade Jam Fest.

Pat Benson

In this story:

It has been a momentous season for LeBron James. Not only did the Los Angeles Lakers forward break the NBA scoring record, but he has been celebrating two decades with Nike throughout this year.

The timing could not be better for his best signature shoe in years to drop. James and his sons, Bronny and Bryce, wore the Nike LeBron 20 last summer before the shoe's highly-anticipated launch.

So, it was only fitting that the shoe synonymous with his family be worn during the 2023 Powerade Jam Fest. Bronny, a top high school recruit, wore an unreleased colorway while jumping over his younger brother during Monday night's dunk contest.

Bronny's hot pink colorway of the Nike LeBron 20 is a player-exclusive colorway that has not been released to the public. It is similar to the shoes his father wore when breaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's scoring record earlier this year, but there are some key differences.

The shoes fans saw last night are a much bolder shade of pink, and the Swoosh logos are outlined in gold rather than silver. There is no word if the shoes worn by Bronny will release to the public. However, there is good news for fans wanting to purchase a pair of James' 20th signature shoe.

Nike LeBron 20

View of pink Nike LeBron shoes.
A detailed look at Bronny James' shoes / © Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

The Nike LeBron 20 launched in September 2022 in full-family sizing. Luckily for fans, several colorways are still available (including some marked down in price) on the Nike website.

The Swoosh has spared no expense when celebrating the historic year of arguably the greatest player of all time. Nike has released over a dozen colorways that spotlight important moments in James' career.

"The stitched tag inside the tongue says, ‘Designed and Engineered to the Exact Specifications of the Next Generation.’ We took that line seriously as we designed the shoe. We had players like LeBron’s sons Bronny and Bryce in mind. We wanted to get in their heads and learn about what young players were looking for." - Jason Petrie, Senior Footwear Designer for Nike Men’s Basketball and lead designer of the LeBron line.

Most importantly, the performance basketball shoes live up to the hype. The soft foam midsole is supplemented by large Zoom Air units in the forefoot and the heel. Meanwhile, the synthetic-wrapped lateral guardrail and carbon fiber midfoot plate provide added stability.

The confluence of James' 20th anniversary with Nike, breaking the scoring record, and his sons embarking on their own hoops journey could not have worked out any better. Fans should not sleep on these hoop shoes as they are sure to go down in sneaker history.

The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website.

Recommended For You

Look: LeBron James debuts newly-released shoes in first game back from injury.

News: UCLA Bruins guard Kiki Rice debuts the Air Jordan 38.

Story: The top 16 sneaker legends in March Madness history.

Published
Pat Benson
PAT BENSON

Pat Benson covers the sneaker industry for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Previously, he has reported on the NBA, authored "Kobe Bryant's Sneaker History (1996-2020)," and interviewed some of the biggest names in the sports world. You can email him at 1989patbenson@gmail.com.

Home/News