IN PICS: USC's JuJu Watkins continues her Nike era as she models LeBron Trainer 1s in latest IG snaps
JuJu Watkins is certainly reaping the rewards of her extraordinary freshman season. After signing a multi-year contract extension on her NIL deal with Nike on October 8, the USC Trojans star took to social media to show off her swanky new trainers.
Earlier today, Watkins shared a post on Instagram where she sports a pair of the LeBron Trainer 1 shoes, which are also known as the LeBron TR1. She posed with intensity in all the pictures, which appeared to be exercises for a strength and conditioning workout.
Launched on September 19, the LeBron TR1 is the latest and the first non-basketball signature shoe of four-time NBA champion LeBron James. Ahead of its launch, James revealed this shoe is "designed for athletes to use during any workout, any time, any place."
A pair of LeBron TR1 shoes costs $130, and comes in a range of colors. Even though the post included pictures of the popular neon green and dark gray "Dunk Man" color scheme, she wore the orange "Better With Age" shoe during the photo shoot. The only color scheme currently available to the public is Dunk Man, while Better With Age will be released on November 11.
JuJu Watkins signs with Nike and Gatorade in the same week
Just two days after extending her existing NIL deal with Nike, JuJu Watkins became only the third college basketball player after Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers to sign an NIL deal with Gatorade. While her current NIL valuation stands at $576,000 per On3, it looks set to increase during her sophomore season with the Trojans.
Watkins took women's college basketball by storm in her freshman season. She finished second in the nation for points average with 27.1 and broke the single-season national record for points scored by a freshman with 920.
Watkins also averaged 7.3 rebounds and led the Trojans in average assists with 3.3 and average steals at 2.3. Her impressive performances saw her win several accolades, including First-Team All-American honors from AP, USBWA, The Athletic and Sporting News.
Watkins was named the National Freshman of the Year and finished as a finalist for the Naismith Trophy, Wade Trophy and Honda Award. She also won the Ann Meyers Drysdale Shooting Guard of the Year award and won an ESPY for Best Breakthrough Athlete.
In 2024, the Trojans had the best NCAA tournament finish for the program in the last 30 years. All eyes will be on Watkins coming into the 2024-25 season.