Nike surprised basketball fans by announcing the upcoming "LeBron 13," the latest in the Cavaliers star's signature basketball shoe line.
James wore a pair of his shoes to Cleveland Cavaliers media day, which kicks off the NBA preseason. The pair James wore was a yellow-and-black model nicknamed the "Bumblebee."
Among the improvements is better cushioning support in the shoe, which Nike cites as an important feature for a player like James, whose on-court mileage can equal 12 marathons over the course of an NBA regular season.
The shoe also features unique touches to personalize it for LeBron. The outsole of the shoe features the word "Akronite," and other smaller details tribute his birthday in December 1984.
Other NBA players have also received advanced releases of the shoe, though not all of them were smart to wear them to team activities. Los Angeles Clippers big man Marcin Gortat was quickly instructed not to wear the custom shoes of the enemy.
Gortat on what he learned from Paul Pierce: “Not to wear LeBron James’s shoes to practice.” He mentioned some other things, too.
— Jorge Castillo (@jorgeccastillo) September 28, 2015
Hard to blame Gortat too much -- the shoes are pretty impressive.
