Nike Let LeBron James' Fans Down on Historic Night

Nike should have looked back to Kobe Bryant on how to handle LeBron James' historic moment.

Tuesday night was an unforgettable moment in NBA history. Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the league's all-time scoring leader. The league, Lakers organization, and Nike treated "King James" like royalty. 

Shortly after James broke the record, Nike unveiled a heartfelt tribute video alongside a YouTube series featuring puppets mocking sports debate show hosts. Additionally, the Oregon-based brand gifted James a custom pair of his 20th signature shoe - the Nike LeBron 20.

Still, Nike didn't do enough. Not for everyone, at least. Sneakerheads nervously refreshed their phones, waiting on a shock drop of the pink shoes James wore during the game. Besides a t-shirt and hoodie, nothing ever happened.

It was a rare miss and a major loss for the brand that has done such an incredible job of celebrating two decades with arguably the greatest player of all time. Especially when they already had the formula from a similar scenario in 2014.

Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bryant celebrates in 2014 / Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

With 5:24 remaining in the second quarter of a game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves on December 14, 2014, Kobe Bryant was sent to the foul line for two free throws.

Naturally, the "Black Mamba" sunk both free throws, which elevated him above Michael Jordan on the league's all-time scoring leaderboard. Similar to James' moment on Tuesday night, the game paused to celebrate Bryant's scoring milestone. However, Nike took a different course of action in 2014. 

Bryant wore a pair of Nike Kobe 9 Elite Low PE shoes in a green and purple colorway. The brand immediately released the “Mamba Moment” Kobe 9 Elite Low NikeiD option for a limited time. The green and purple Flyknit upper was a preset, but fans could customize every other component of the performance basketball shoe.

Fans mistook the moment as the twilight of Bryant's career, while it was actually the death throes of the golden era of Nike Basketball. 

Nike still produces the best basketball shoes on the market. In fact, they essentially have the NBA and basketball world on lock. Perhaps that is why they have forsaken the level of detail that made fans fall in love with their hoop shoes in the first place.

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