LeBron James rocked some unique footwear during the Los Angeles Lakers' game against the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night.
James paid tribute to Florida A&M University by wearing a special version of the LeBron PE 18's that featured neon green and orange colorways. He also tweeted out support for FAMU after the game and gave this special shoutout:
MAJOR S/O @FAMU_1887!!!! Looking forward to what the future holds! 🙏🏾✊🏾👑 https://t.co/ArmX9iJoAl
— LeBron James (@KingJames) March 3, 2021
The rationale behind James' support became clear on Thursday.
Nick DePaula of ESPN shared that Nike has signed a six-year school-wide apparel contract with the HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) located in Tallahassee, with the men's and women's basketball teams donning James' logo on their jerseys and also wearing exclusive Rattlers LeBron sneakers.
DePaula also says Nike's partnership with FAMU will include support for “student-athlete development programs, internships & networking.” More details here:
Nike says the @FAMU_1887 deal will also support student-athlete development programs, internships & networking.
The brand says it has increased HBCU hires from 8%Â in 2019 to 18%Â in 2020 through partnerships with orgs such as National Black MBA Association & @ReachingOutMBA. https://t.co/YgzssqhWAS
— Nick DePaula (@NickDePaula) March 4, 2021
Financial and vocal support for HBCUs was frequent during the buildup to the NBA restart.
The league will also be pledging $3 million to HBCUs and communities of color as part of its All-Star weekend in Atlanta:
As previously announced, the NBA family, including partners AT&T, MTN DEW®, State Farm® and Taco Bell®, will collectively provide more than $3 million in initial support to the HBCU community through the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF), UNCF (United Negro College Fund), National Association for Equal Opportunity (NAFEO) and Direct Relief’s Fund for Health Equity.
James has always made education a priority in terms of using his platform to influence change off the floor. His I Promise School in Akron has had tremendous success.
Now, Nike and LeBron are leaving their stamp on FAMU in support of HBCUs.