LeBron James Wears Player-Exclusive Nike LeBron 21 ‘Oregon Ducks’ in Win Over Phoenix Suns

LeBron James donned an exclusive pair of his Nike LeBron 21s in Tuesday night’s win against the Phoenix Suns for the NBA’s In-Season Tournament quarterfinals. Although his black and yellow kicks matched his uniform, the colorway was made not for the Los Angeles Lakers but for the Oregon Ducks.

The player-exclusive sneakers come as part of a long history of Nike LeBron sneakers made for the University of Oregon, which is closely linked with the Swoosh because it’s the alma matter of founder Phil Knight. James may not be the only player who gets to wear them, as Oregon’s basketball team is routinely hooked up with pairs as well, but few have ever been released for the public to purchase.

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The LeBron 21 “Oregon Ducks” stands out from previously versions because of its complete lack of green. Instead of staying faithful to the school’s colors, the sneakers appear primarily in black with yellow accents for the Swoosh, outsole, and tongue branding that includes Oregon’s “O” logo on the left tongue.

Oregon’s athletic programs regularly wear exclusive sneakers and cleats, and its football team dons a completely new uniform designed by Nike in each game it plays. In September, the football team was given color-changing Dunk cleats for its highly anticipated game against the Deion Sanders-coached Colorado Buffaloes.

In 2021, Knight made his second donation of $500 million to the school’s Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact. Nike also put $13.5 toward the renovation of Oregon’s track and field stadium in 2016, and it designed the school’s “O” logo that was first used in 1998 and was adopted four years later across the entire university.

About the Author:

Ian Servantes is a Senior Trending News Editor for Footwear News specializing in sneaker coverage. He’s previously reported on streetwear and sneakers at Input and Highsnobiety after beginning his career on the pop culture beat. He subscribes to the idea that “ball is life” and doesn’t fuss over his kicks getting dirty.

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