LeBron James had a little something extra in his bag as the Los Angeles Lakers squared off against the crosstown rival Clippers on Sunday afternoon.
James debuted his new “Lakers” LeBron 7 sneakers as the top-seeded Lakers battled the second-seeded Clippers for Hollywood supremacy:
.@KingJames debuting new “Lakers” Nike LeBron 7s today 🟣🟡
📸: @Lakers pic.twitter.com/YcKGHXtUTA— Complex Sneakers (@ComplexSneakers) March 8, 2020
The Lakers star has released multiple iterations of the shoe in different colorways, including a “Chlorine Blue” release prior to the NBA All-Star Game in Chicago.
Much like Michael Jordan before him, James' signature shoes are among the most popular in the sport. He has been the top shoe salesman for years with the Nike brand.
In fact, James has been so valuable to Nike that they signed him to a lifetime deal in 2015, one that is expected to pay James close to $1 billion in totality.
As impressive as those numbers are, what James is doing on the floor is equally eye-opening. LeBron continues to butt his way into the MVP conversation with a series of spectacular performances.
James is averaging 31.0 points, 11.7 assists and 9.0 rebounds and two steals in his last three games before Sunday, including a 37-point performance in a win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday.
LeBron entered the Lakers' matchup against the Clippers with the NBA lead in assists per game (10.7), and he also ranked third in VORP, per Basketball-Reference. All of this stellar production is coming at the age of 35 and in his 17th season.
Perhaps the shoe debut was a sign of acknowledgement from James with respect to the importance of this game against the Clippers. Maybe he merely wanted to add some flair to the occasion.
In any case, the Lakers and Clippers might very well be playing each other in the Western Conference Finals, and James will need every bit of his greatness to make it back to the NBA Finals.
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