LeBron James Debuts "Prime Year" Nike Sneakers for Deion Sanders

LeBron James debuted the Nike LeBron 21 "Prime Year" colorway honoring Deion Sanders.

LeBron James debuted the Nike LeBron 21 "Prime Year" colorway. / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

The vibes are not great right now for the purple and gold faithful. On Thursday night, the Denver Nuggets took a commanding 3-0 series lead over the Los Angeles Lakers, and LeBron James gave a dispiriting post-game press conference.

James logging 26 points, six rebounds, and nine assists in 42 minutes was not enough to save the Lakers last night. Not even his best sneakers of the season could do the trick. However, the colorway is legitimately historic.

As always, we seek to highlight the good news, and there was plenty of it with the footwear worn during last night's NBA Playoff games. The NBA's all-time leading scorer easily had the best kicks of the night.

James debuted the Nike LeBron 21 in the "Prime Year" colorway, which was a direct tribute to Deion Sanders and his retro signature sneakers. Below is a detailed look and breakdown of the beautiful hoop shoe.

New Diamond Turf LeBron 21s for @KingJames at home! #NBAKicks pic.twitter.com/Jq44zoxUtu

— 🏀 #NBAKicks 👟 (@NBAKicks) April 26, 2024

The Nike LeBron 21 "Prime Year" colorway closely mirrors the design of Sanders' iconic Nike DT Max 96 signature shoe. Everything from the white upper to the red claw marks and gold accents was picture-perfect.

The colorway is a reminder of what Nike did in its golden era (and could still be accomplished with some effort). Sanders, now the Colorado Buffaloes head football coach, was a multi-sport icon back in the day. So, it is only fitting that his cross-trainers get some love on the basketball court.

Fans should not expect this colorway to hit shelves. However, Nike plans to release more of Sanders' signature sneakers over the next year (and Sanders has already begun giving some sneakers away for free). Plus, online shoppers can find multiple colorways of the Nike LeBron 21 on the Nike website.

James is nearing the end of his 21st season (also known as his "Prime Year"), which means the conclusion of another chapter in his sneaker history. Whenever it ends, James and Nike certainly made the most out of the campaign. Follow Sports Illustrated's FanNation Kicks for all your sneaker news from the NBA and the rest of the sports world.

Further Reading: LeBron James wore Deion Sanders-inspired sneakers in the 2024 NBA All-Star Game.