USA Today via Reuters
NBA fans can now witness LeBron James and his son Bronny on a unique sports trading card as part of a new multi-year deal with Fanatics. Fanatics has secured approximately $700 million from a consortium of investors, leading to a valuation of $31 billion for the sports merchandise company.
More specifically, the star James duo has signed with the trading card division of the online sports retailer, Fanatics Collectibles. In his latest Instagram post, Shams Charania, senior lead NBA Insider for The Athletic confirmed the news. Neither party has yet disclosed the terms ever since it has been effect from January 12. Charania posted,
“Lakers Star LeBron James has signed an exclusive multiyear trading card deal with Fanatics Collectibles.” His caption read, “James had been with Upper Deck. He and Bronny James signed a one-of-one card that releases Jan. 19.”
The premier trading card shows LeBron and his iconic St. Vincent- St. Mary High School jersey alongside Bronny in his USC garb. As shared in a press release by the company, LBJ stated, “In sports there is so much greatness to celebrate and I’ve always been one to take a moment to recognize that in athletes at the top of their games. It’s all about celebrating the journey and enjoying those moments, with many more to come.”
A post shared by Shams Charania (@shamsnba)
As a part of the initiative, the company will also release its ‘Origin of Greatness’ video. It is narrated by LeBron James and focuses on the first moment of several athletes; it could be a first down, a first upset, or any defining moment. Set to release on January 19 from the set of the 2023-24 Bowman University Chrome Basketball, both LBJ and Bronny will be decked up in their high school uniforms from St. Vincent St. Mary and USC respectively.
Just three days ago, King James teased his online community of followers about the possibility of an incoming deal on Instagram. Sitting in an office setup, James was seen smiling as he was reading up a few documents with a logo of Fanatics on them.
Now further, after suffering a cardiac arrest, Bronny’s NIL net worth dipped a bit, but considering the latest move with his father, his $5.9 million valuation will probably rise again. Since recovering from his health concerns, Bronny has been playing restricted minutes for the Trojans and appears to have a nice groove in his game.
LeBron James ended his 20-year partnership with Upper Deck for Fanatics Inc!
While his partnership with Fanatics is new, it is worth noting that James had partnered with Upper Deck for 20-years. The old partnership saw his memorabilia routinely auctioned for millions of dollars. As per information available, LeBron James had initially signed a five-year contract with Upper Deck in 2003. He made $1 million per year and also received a $1 million signing bonus. At that time, it was reportedly the largest trading card and memorabilia deal in history.
Now, the athlete is with Upper Deck’s rivals, Fanatics! The company has created a space of itself in memorabilia sales in recent years. In fact, they struck a deal with the NBA in 2021 to become their exclusive trading card producer in 2026, replacing Panini.
