words // Nick DePaula:
LeBron James certainly didn’t come out of nowhere. He was literally the singular Chosen One for the sport of basketball, and it’s been incredible to watch his NBA journey every step of the way. His first sneaker was dubbed the Zoom Generation, and he’s since become the league’s redefining player of the modern era as he now enters his 14th season. ‘Bron is a truly generational talent.
Last night, in front of a full house of fellow Ohioans, the King delivered a ring to the franchise that drafted him some thirteen summers ago. That lifelong dream of his was finally a reality.
I specifically remember every part of LeBron’s very first NBA game. I was crunched into a small lounge chair, packed in my sweet 9 x 15-foot two-dude dorm room at the University of Oregon, watching along with three friends from my hall on my fatscreen 13-inch TV.
It was the most anticipated NBA game since probably Game 6 of the ’98 Finals. And an 18-year-old actually named King James delivered at every point of the show. It wasn’t the 25 points / 9 assists / 6 rebounds statline that wowed me most. Or even the selfless pass to my favorite selfish player ever, the one and only Tricky Ricky Davis.
It was the unreal blend of power, speed and finesse that was all enveloped in what was essentially Karl Malone’s exact frame. I’d never seen anything like it before -– and I wasn’t sure of where the limitless growth of his game could take him.
Two specific plays forever stuck with me. One, a picturesque tomahawk during the first quarter that would live on to be a trademark ‘Dunkman’ slam of LeBron’s, and soon even a logo on his shoes. Second, a right-to-left-handed swooping layup that players of his size just didn’t pull off.
I knew exactly at that moment that the League, and everything that revolved around it, was headed to a new place. Luckily for Nike, their initial 7-year, $90 Million investment in LeBron has more than worked out. The two are now thirteen signature shoes in, continually pushing innovation, technology and design in footwear that naturally requires unparalleled support and comfort to harness LeBron’s beastly power.
Last night’s moment was thirteen seasons in the making — which is why I was so letdown by the ‘Champ Pack’ that Nike Basketball eventually rolled out to celebrate LeBron’s very first ring in Cleveland Cavaliers franchise history. It’s the first title for the city of Cleveland since 1964.
There’s no better brand at storytelling through footwear, creating lasting impact through simple graphics and colorways, or making a moment feel grander than it even is. This is a brand capable of convincing everyone that an 18 year-old from Akron, Ohio is the game’s next generational player, before he ever even stepped on the pro hardwood.
There’s a champion in the NBA every season — but this moment wasn’t just any other season. LeBron famously left Cleveland in 2010, and I wanted to see the struggles and letdowns of those first seven seasons celebrated here.
It was the perfect opportunity for Nike to re-release LeBron’s first seven signature shoes — and break the ice on “LeBron Retro” — over a series of weekly individual launches leading up to last night’s celebration. We’ve seen the brand showcase each of Kobe Bryant’s signature shoes through moments like the “Prelude Pack” that led up to the launch of the Kobe 9, and later the “Fade To Black” pack as he closed the chapter on an iconic 20-year career in the league.
This was LeBron’s iconic moment.
I love Kyrie Irving’s game, and his first two signature sneakers have each been awesome, both in design and performance. This isn’t about Kyrie though — so I was disappointed to see the two share a pack that highlighted each of their four Finals wins. I would’ve loved to instead see two series of packs, nine shoes total, celebrating LeBron’s aspirational story in Cleveland.
The Destined Pack:
Vivid graphic individual re-releases of the Zoom Generation and LeBron 2-7, highlighting his journey to resurrect the Cavaliers and the city of Cleveland after being selected 1st overall with the immediate responsibility of being a franchise savior. LeBron didn’t come out of nowhere. He was a hometown kid with global aspirations, and he was destined for this moment. We all Witnessed it, afterall.
Whether it was storytelling around living up to, and exceedingly surpassing expectations, the Zoom Generation could’ve taken on new life, launching the pack with the same energy and impact that we saw on LeBron’s debut opening night game in Sacramento way back in 2003.
The second through seventh LeBron signature sneakers each featured a series of innovations and great designs that would’ve equally made for creative storytelling, new colorways and impactful launches. There’s an endless imagination amongst the team of graphic designers and product marketing teams working away on the 4th floor of the Jerry Rice Building on Nike’s sprawling Beaverton campus. I have no doubts they could’ve delivered incredible layered products.
As the brand looks to recover from an admittedly down year surrounding the 13th model, The Destined Pack could’ve singlehandedly reinvigorated the category from an energy standpoint, rallying around a Finals comeback that LeBron’s newest commercial even calls “a defining moment in your career.”
The Soldier Champ Pack:
LeBron’s first trip to the NBA Finals was brutal. He was swept in four games in 2007 at the hands of the seasoned Spurs, airballing a free throw and aimlessly doing all he could with a roster of journeymen and unheralded players alongside him. In his first Finals, he debuted a custom colorway of the Zoom Soldier 1 in a clean white base with gold accents throughout. The patent toe and custom ‘Witness’ inscription along the collar marked one of Nike’s first efforts to create Finals-specific footwear, which is an industry given now.
That’s what made this year’s championship so much more satisfying.
He was wearing the Soldier X this past spring, a three-strapped, laceless sneaker that looked incredible on court all throughout this year’s NBA Finals. Bridging the gap as the model celebrates its tenth anniversary with a dual-shoe Soldier 1 & Soldier X pack would’ve brought the story full circle, encompassing the disappointment and defeat that pained him in 2007, and highlighting the glory, pride and vindication that he accomplished in 2016.
As LeBron now enters his 14th season, he’s been routinely spotted in newly made Retro editions of his early signature models, whether it’s an all-navy Zoom LeBron III Low for Media Day, a triple-red Zoom LeBron IV worn during a 2016 Finals shootaround, or even croc-enhanced iterations of past PEs.
LeBron Retro is seemingly on the way. Building off of the unforgettable moment of him finally delivering on his championship aspirations to the city of Cleveland would’ve made for a truly memorable and iconic pack of sneakers to encapsulate last night’s destined celebration.
