"Welcome to the sig crew" - LeBron James hypes A'ja Wilson as WNBA star scores Nike deal

By Rishabh Bhatnagar

Modified May 12, 2024 04:22 GMT

LA Lakers superstar, NBA legend, and long-term Nike athlete LeBron James congratulates LA Aces’ WNBA star A’ja Wilson on her signature shoe deal with the global giants. Wilson will now have her signature shoe with the company with the series named ‘A’One.’

Wilson, 27, is looking for her third straight WNBA title with the Aces this campaign, and has often been seen sporting a range of Nike shoes during her basketball career.

The move was announced by Wilson via an Instagram post, in which she was seen wearing a Nike hoodie which said the following:

“Of Course I have a shoe dot com”

LeBron James responded to the post above via his Instagram story, and had a heartwarming message for his fellow basketball professional:

“Congratulations SIS. Welcome to the sig crew. Well overdue.”

LeBron James congratulates A'Ja Wilson on Instagram. (Image via LeBron James, Instagram)

LeBron believes that Wilson deserved her signature shoe brand, and used the opportunity to congratulate the 5-time WNBA All-Star.

A’Ja Wilson joins a handful of female athletes to have signed an athlete deal with Nike. The list includes the likes of Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka, Megan Rapinoe, and, as covered extensively, Sabrina Ionescu.

A’ja Wilson to get her own signature Nike shoe

Wilson is excited to have signed with Nike and claimed that it is effectively a dream come true. Wilson claimed that every detail of the shoe has been fine-tuned to her game, and style:

“It’s been incredible working with Nike toward a dream of having my collection, and it really is an honor to take this next step and become a Nike signature athlete,” Wilson said in a statement, per Boardroom. “From my logo to the look of the shoe and the pieces throughout the collection, we’ve worked to make sure every detail is perfectly tuned to my game and style.”

The athlete also claimed that while the process took some hard conversations with Nike, it proved to be utterly gratifying after the product was designed. Wilson claimed that her biggest requirement was that the shoe should be lightweight, and comfortable:

“The design process with Nike was really gratifying, and I didn’t realize how much goes into designing a shoe. My biggest asks were that the shoe was light and comfortable for all the hours I spend on the court, and that it also looks really good. It’s versatile, and I hope people will wear it when they’re hooping but also just when they’re walking around every day.”

Further details about the A’One are set to be released in the future, with no news yet on the actual release of the first shoe.