An Ode to the Nike LeBron 20

LeBron James made basketball and sneaker history in his 20th signature Nike shoe.

Late July through early September is notoriously the slowest stretch of the NBA calendar. After the Summer League wraps up, basketball fans will rely on homemade workout videos to see their favorite players in action.

However, one of the silver linings of the slow period is it is often used as an opportunity for signature athletes to tease their newest sneakers. LeBron James had already shown off his unreleased 20th signature model by this last time last year.

It will not be long before we see the Los Angeles Lakers forward in his next Nike sneaker. But before we gear up for the 21st installment of the Nike LeBron line, we must look back at the historical significance of the Nike LeBron 20.

The timing of the LeBron 20 could not have been any better. James' two-decade anniversary with Nike coincided perfectly with breaking the NBA's all-time scoring record.

The Nike shoes LeBron James wore when breaking the NBA scoring record / © Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

The LeBron 20 got off on the right foot because it was about family. The patriarch of the "James Gang" has always made family his number one priority, and it was no different with the rollout of this shoe. 

James and his two sons, Bronny and Bryce, soft-launched the shoe together last summer. That trend continued as James' two heirs embarked on their own basketball path, often debuting new colorways of the LeBron 20 during games and dunk contests.

While James and his sons could make any shoe look cool, it does not hurt that the LeBron 20 was a renaissance for Nike Basketball's premier signature line. The Nike LeBron line had grown stale in recent years because of its clunky, heavy designs. Nike had the unenviable task of creating a shoe capable of supporting James while also making it appealing to the public.

View of the Nike LeBron 20 / © Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

But Nike's design team took a different approach with the LeBron 20. The brand explicitly designed the performance model with the next generation of athletes in mind. What resulted was a sleek, low-cut silhouette with two Swoosh logos jetting off the lateral side. It was the sneaker equivalent of one of James' thunderous slam dunks.

The icing on the cake was Nike's marketing of the model. The brand rolled out a multi-pronged ad campaign that hit sentimental notes about James' roots and hilarious concepts of James battling Father Time (played by Jason Momoa).

Much like Father's Time's overbearing presence, this phase of James' career will soon pass. Luckily for fans, the LeBron 20 has been marked down by as much as 23% in select styles on the Nike website. 

It will be almost impossible for James and Nike to replicate the success they had this year with whatever comes next. Yet, after 20 years of witnessing greatness, we should know that James and Nike are an unstoppable duo.

The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website.

Recommended For You

News: The five most popular shoes worn in the NBA.

List: Every retro LeBron James sneaker available on Nike's website.

Rankings: LeBron James' ten best sneakers of the 2022-23 NBA season.