Matt Varga NBA Media Day(s) are now in the rearview, meaning the countdown to the 2025–26 NBA regular season is finally upon us. While LeBron James aims to help his Los Angeles Lakers to title contention for a storybook capper on a career defined by top-of-the-line success, Bronny James will be aiming to build on promising flashes from his rookie year to become a bona fide contributor in the purple and gold’s rotation.
Of course, the first same-team father-and-son combo had to get some shots in during the festivities, and doing so illuminated what we can expect from either in terms of footwear. Unsurprisingly, LeBron Sr. sported the Nike LeBron 23, one of the more significant plotlines we’re tracking this season, fittingly opting for the family-focused “The Chosen and The One Who Chose.” Son Bronny instead went with what’d surely be a Travis Scott-approved “Reverse Swoosh” edition of the Nike LeBron Witness 9, continuing his lean towards dad’s various takedown models (he most frequently opted for the NXXT Gen line when he wasn’t sporting Kobe’s).
Though typically any shoes we’d see in this context could comfortably be called PEs, the lines have gotten blurred in recent years. Take the SHAI 001 “White,” which debuted in this same fashion, largely expected to hit the public sometime in the coming months, or the “Bronny” NXXT Genisus that launched earlier in the year. As it becomes clearer whether you’ll have the chance to grab this pair or if they’ll remain exclusive to the younger James, we’ll keep you updated via this page. In the meantime, check out the full-res shot of father and son below.
