Nike Teases JuJu Watkins' LeBron NXXT Gen Shoe in New Video Ahead of 2026-27 CBB Season

Nike is hyping the release of USC women's basketball star JuJu Watkins' upcoming sneaker collaboration with LeBron James.

The brand released a teaser of the LeBron NXXT Gen by JuJu Friday on social media.

The sneaker is set to debut this summer ahead of Watkins' senior college season in 2026-27, according to Nike.

Watkins is looking to make her comeback this season from the torn right ACL she suffered while playing for USC in the 2025 NCAA Tournament.

"I may be out, but I'm still locked in," Watkins said in the teaser. "They think my game is on ice, but I never stopped working."

Watkins originally signed with Nike during her senior year in high school in 2022, then re-signed with the brand in 2024, landing one of the most lucrative extensions in women's basketball history, per ESPN's Shams Charania.

She is the first athlete to co-create a shoe as part of the NXXT series, per Andscape's Aaron Dodson.

Watkins spent 18 months designing a new silhouette for the brand, Dodson reported. The shoe is expected to retail for $160.

USC announced last September that Watkins would be sitting out the entirety of her junior 2025-26 season while recovering from her injury.

Watkins was coming off a historic sophomore campaign at the time. She started out the 2024-25 campaign by recording her 1,000th career point in her 37th college contest, tying for the second-fewest games to the milestone in DI history.

She finished the season by winning the Naismith Trophy and leading the Trojans to the NCAA Tournament while averaging 23.9 points and 3.4 assists per game.

USC's hopes of making a title run in 2027 will receive a major boost with Watkins back in the lineup. Trojans coach Lindsay Gottlieb told the California Post's Ben Bolch that Watkins is expected to join in summer workouts starting June 15.

After her senior season, Watkins is expected to declare for the 2027 WNBA draft, where she will headline a deep class that could also feature Texas' Madison Booker and Notre Dame's Hannah Hidalgo.