BEAVERTON – LeBron James will celebrate his return to Cleveland wearing a brand-new signature shoe with a band of Cavaliers ready to take the NBA season by storm and the virtual Biblical prodigal son whom Nike Brand president Trevor Edwards calls “the face of basketball” said recently he’s back where he belongs.
James, 29, welcomes the new NBA campaign against the New York Knicks in Cleveland on Oct. 30 and the speculation is that’s when he’ll break in his latest personal edition LeBron 12 which was introduced in a global launch at the Nike World Headquarters here last week. But nobody knows for sure when James will play in his new kicks. Matt Nurse, director of the Nike Sport Research Lab (NSRL), couldn’t commit a date, much less what of the seven colorways will mark the debut, saying it’s all up to King James.
The LeBron 12 shoe will hit the markets globally on Oct. 11 but will be available in China earlier on Oct. 1. The seven colorways will be introduced in stores sequentially – the NSRL turquoise and grey with orange and blue accents on Oct. 11, the Heart of a Lion red and white upper and blue outsole on Oct. 30, the Dunk Force grey with lime green accents on Nov. 11, the Instinct purple with orange and black accents on Nov. 22, the Six Meridians orange with yellow and blue accents on Nov. 29, the Trillion Dollar Man silver and copper with lime green accents on Dec. 1 and the Data black with red accents on Dec. 20. None of the editions matches the Cavaliers’ wine-and-gold colors, indicating the Nike series preempted James’ decision to return to Cleveland. The LeBron 12 was reportedly three to four years in the making.
Edwards said the LeBron 12 was designed to advance James’ game. “I’ve always been impressed by his greatness,” said Edwards during the launch. “His DNA is fueled by athletic performance. When I first sat with LeBron right out of high school, I was blown away by his obvious athletic gifts but his character was what struck me the most. He’s been totally passionate and committed to what he could do. He was a leader in the making from the start, a future champion. Now, he’s the face of basketball with the passion and drive to be the best and the pulse burns even brighter. LeBron pushes us at Nike as hard as he pushes himself. We try to keep pace with him. His latest signature shoe is defined by extreme precision and explosiveness. It’s everything LeBron wants in a shoe, it’s the best and it’s for and from LeBron.”
James began his NBA career in Cleveland, his home state, in 2003-04 then after seven years, moved to Miami for four seasons, two of which ended with NBA championships. Now, he’s back in Cleveland where James said he belongs.
The Cavs went on a tailspin after James’ departure. The high point of Cleveland’s early history with James was making it to the 2007 Finals only to be swept by San Antonio. Cleveland hasn’t been to the playoffs since James left and the four-year drought was painfully marked by consecutive losing records, 19-63, 21-45, 24-58 and 33-49. Before the slump, the Cavs had qualified for the playoffs in five straight seasons.
James’ return has rekindled hope for the Cavs. Lindy’s Pro Basketball Yearbook picked Cleveland to finish second to Chicago in the Central Division and chose James as MVP. Pro Basketball Preview and Fantasy Guide predicted the Cavs to surge to the Finals but forecast Oklahoma City to win the title, 4-1.
The new-look Cavs will be piloted by rookie NBA coach David Blatt who led Russia to the 2007 FIBA Eurobasket title and third place at the 2012 London Olympics. This past season, Blatt steered Maccabi Tel Aviv to the Euroleague crown. Blatt, 55, has also coached in Italy, Turkey and Greece and his wealth of international experience is expected to usher in a fresh system in Cleveland geared towards the European style. He learned the ropes from legendary Princeton coach Pete Carril as a varsity point guard from 1977 to 1981. How James will adapt to Blatt’s system of ball movement and spacing under a dynamic team concept is what makes the Cavs the talk of the season.
James will be surrounded by a cast of standouts. Kyrie Irving, coming off an MVP showing at the FIBA World Cup in Spain, was described by James as potentially, the best point guard in the NBA. Kevin Love, Shawn Marion, James Jones, Mike Miller, Finnish national player Erik Murphy, rookie Joe Harris and Brendan Haywood join James as the Cavs’ new pieces. There are also holdovers Anderson Varejao of Brazil, Matthew Dellavedova of Australia, Dion Waiters and Tristan Thompson.
James signed a two-year $42.1 Million contract with the Cavaliers last July with the option to become a free agent after this season. He obviously wants to keep his options open and his future plans will depend on how the Cavs perform with Blatt at the helm.
Taryn Hensley, Nike director of cushioning innovation, said James’ talent inspired the creation of LeBron 12. “LeBron is in a category by himself when it comes to his athleticism and his overall game,” she said. “He puts huge demands on his body and he needs real explosive power. So our challenge was to find the balance between providing him the cushioning he needs while also enabling him to play with more speed and more explosiveness. LeBron 12’s Hex Zoom Air cushioning is relentless. Its performance doesn’t let up even after hours and hours of play. The cushioning and explosiveness is the same at the end of the game as it was at the beginning. LeBron is relentless and needs a relentless shoe.”