Siddid Dey Purkayastha|Published December 29, 2023
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USC Trojans player Bronny James (6) drives the ball as Auburn Tigers take on USC Trojans at Neville Arena in Auburn, Ala., on Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023. Auburn Tigers defeated USC Trojans 91-75.

The NIL deals, officially mandated by the NCAA on July 1, 2021, have allowed college athletes to earn significantly through brands leveraging their name, image, and/or likeness in marketing and promotional campaigns.  Popular college athletes like Olivia Dunne and Caleb Williams have earned millions through these deals by endorsing brands and other market campaigns. LeBron James‘ son, Bronny James, has also profited heavily from these deals, currently standing on top of college basketball’s NIL rankings with a $5,900,000 valuation.

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Popular sports influencer Andrew Petcash recently listed several sports industries that are growing to become more valuable asset classes daily. In his list, Petcash mentions that the NIL and youth sports industry is estimated to reach an anticipated valuation of $90 billion by 2028, with Bronny James being one of the flag bearers of this industry.

It’s interesting to note that less than three months before the start of the 2023-24 college basketball season, Bronny James emerged as the most valuable player in terms of financial valuation. As per the NIL evaluations, James was valued at a whopping $6,200,00, which is five times greater than Northwestern State’s No. 2 ranked Hansel Emmanuel, valued at $1,200,000.

That said, Bronny’s place on the charts shouldn’t come as that much of a surprise. He has been a very popular figure in the gaming world, and on social media while being a very good basketball player. And of course, being the son of LeBron James doesn’t hurt either. And now, because of all his effort in growing his image throughout the years, he is earning millions before his time in the NBA has even begun.

Bronny James returned to playing college basketball after recovering from cardiac surgery

While Bronny James seems like an extremely potent candidate for brands’ marketing campaigns, his future in basketball seems quite uncertain at this point. After committing with the USC on May 10, Bronny experienced a sudden cardiac arrest during a practice session with the team on July 24. Bronny was immediately rushed to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and eventually discharged on July 27.

Bronny’s father, LeBron James, did not elaborate much on his son’s recovery process after this massive health setback. However, during the Lakers’ media day, James assured Bronny was doing “extremely well” after successful surgery.

After recovering rather swiftly, James is now back on the court. Playing limited minutes, he is averaging 5 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1 assist per game.

While those numbers aren’t bad, James’s draft stock needs to be kept an eye on. At the moment, it no longer seems likely that he will go in the lottery, should he declare for the 2024 NBA draft. Perhaps the Lakers will be able to snatch him up with one of their late first-round picks.

However, if Bronny doesn’t improve as the college season progresses, the best option may be to declare for the 2025 NBA draft instead of the upcoming one.