Bronny James Faces Major Nike Setback After Unexpected Decision

Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James Jr., the son of legendary NBA superstar LeBron James, debuted shoes and apparel featuring his signature "B9" logo earlier this year.

But on Tuesday, James' Nike plans hit a serious roadblock curtesy of the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Nike's trademark application for James' "B9" logo was denied because of a "likelihood of confusion" with an already-registered trademark.

Examining attorney P. Scott Craven found the logo to be too similar to the "B9" logo created by Back9 Golf Apparel, a Texas-based company. Back9 Golf Apparel first started using the logo in 2020. The company filed for a trademark in 2021, and it was officially registered in 2022.

James first wore shoes bearing the "B9" logo in January. Nike applied for its trademark in February.

LeBron IX Witness PER for Bronny inspired by his recovery and journey back to the court. pic.twitter.com/NyR1VzgwKA

— Nike Basketball (@nikebasketball) April 12, 2026

"The marks are similar in appearance, sound and commercial impression," Craven wrote in his refusal letter to Nike, via ESPN. "In addition, the marks are essentially phonetic equivalents and, thus, sound similar."

Nike has three months to appeal the ruling.

Bronny James entered the NBA as the Lakers' No. 55 overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft, making he and LeBron James the first active father-son duo in NBA history.

The No. 4 seed Lakers are heading into a first-round playoff matchup against the No. 5 seed Houston Rockets. With both Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves sidelined with injuries, Bronny will be asked to step up and provide meaningful playoff minutes at the guard position.

Game 1 of the Lakers-Rockets series will tipoff at Los Angeles' Crypto.com Arena on Saturday night.