AUSTIN, TEXAS — The United States Patent and Trademark Office has refused Nike's trademark application for Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James' "B9" logo, citing a likelihood of confusion with an already-registered mark. The refused logo is the same one featured on shoes that Nike posted images of on April 12, 2026, and that James has worn multiple times this season.

Nike applied in February 2026 for the "B9" logo, which features a lowercase "b" in gothic lettering with the number "9" embedded in the center where a hole normally would be. According to USPTO documents, examining attorney P. Scott Craven deemed the mark too similar to a "B9" logo owned by Back9 Golf Apparel of Austin, Texas. Both marks were filed for clothing and apparel uses.

Back9 Golf Apparel began using its "B9" mark in 2020, filed for the trademark in 2021, and had it officially registered in 2022. The Back9 logo has a black background with a capital "B" and a "9" of the same size next to each other, somewhat overlapping in a racing font. The two logos use different fonts.

Craven wrote in his refusal letter: "The marks are similar in appearance, sound and commercial impression. In addition, the marks are essentially phonetic equivalents and, thus, sound similar." The letter also states, "Similarity in sound alone may be sufficient to support a finding that the compared marks are confusingly similar."

Nike has until July 13, 2026, to appeal the ruling and explain why the company believes the marks are different enough to coexist. According to a trademark attorney, the USPTO could grant Nike's registration if Back9 consents to Nike's usage of the mark.

"I think it gives them an argument to make, but it is a little bit of an uphill battle here," trademark attorney Josh Gerben said. "Technically, this is a sound refusal by the government. Nike has got its work cut out for them to work around it," he added.

Nike is currently selling shoes featuring the "B9" logo. James has three other approved trademarks — "Bronny," "Bronald," and the signature "B J Jr." — which he applied for in 2022 under a different trademark company.