LeBron James celebrates the official launch of his newest signature shoe, the LeBron XXIII. He then put them on for the first regular-season NBA game of his career, as the 23rd No. This launch is a big milestone in his collaboration with Nike. Their partnership dates all the way back to 2003 with a revolutionary seven-year, $87 million footwear and apparel endorsement deal. The LeBron XXIII is part of Nike’s new “Forever King” collection, celebrating James’ illustrious career as he becomes the first NBA player to enter a 23rd season wearing a signature shoe designated by the same number.
Nike dropped the first images of the LeBron XXIII on Wednesday, showcasing its new innovations and career commemorative colorways. With a full-length ZoomX drop-in midsole, it’s the first time that James’ line takes strides on those super-resilient bouncy-bois. This innovative technology combines to maximize performance on the court! Ross Klein, LeBron’s design team leader, stated that they embedded James’ well-known crown logo into the cushioning system, symbolizing his legacy in basketball.
The new “Uncharted” launch colorway of the LeBron XXIII celebrates James’ utterly extraordinary milestone. He’s the second player ever to score more than 40,000 points in his career! A second colorway, named “Miami Twice,” to honor James’ two NBA championships and Finals MVP honors while with the franchise. Nike will be dropping 23 darling colorways of the LeBron XXIII. Together, they each tell a different chapter of LeBron James’ unparalleled professional basketball odyssey.
Twenty-three years ago, Nike and LeBron partnered to make history,” said Karrie Conner. In particular, she made sure to praise the awesome, monumental impact of their partnership. Conner added that “there’s no version of sneaker history that doesn’t spend a chapter or two, or even three, on LeBron’s line, his iconic colorways and his industry-challenging innovation.”
The “Forever King” tagline hits home in a major way when considering James’ everlasting impact. Jarrett Mann said this tweet is about as good a reminder of James’ on-court greatness as you’ll find. We carefully designed the shoe to ensure that LeBron could continue to do all the great stuff he was doing on court, Mann said. He further elaborated on the intention behind the tagline: “This was legacy-defining, regardless of if this was his last year that this could stand the test of time.”
This collection includes The Chosen One and the One Who Chose colorway pictured above. In honor of LeBron and his son Bronny who will make history as the NBA’s first-ever father-son duo to play for the same team, beginning October 22, 2024. This personalized element serves as a tangible representation of family and how integral family is to James’ life and career.
One great aspect touched on by Klein is that whenever LeBron is working with the design team, they keep his whole family in mind. “When we work with LeBron, we work with Bryce and Bronny,” he said, indicating a collaborative approach that includes personal narratives in their designs.
The LeBron XXIII will be making its China-exclusive release on September 25 before a worldwide release on October 3. The excitement foreshadowing this release is a testament to James’ importance to the sport as well as Nike’s dedication to creativity and technology.
In preparation for this launch, Will Green recalled an intense creative process where numerous ideas were proposed: “I just remember in the conference room, we must’ve had over 50 stories.” This commitment to narrative serves to better enrich the bond between the athlete and his audience.
Over the course of his career, LeBron has never stopped revolutionizing the game on the court and sneaker culture off it. The LeBron XXIII is definitely in that spirit. It pays tribute to his amazing story, from high school phenom — where he got the nickname “King James” — to worldwide basketball superstar.
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