Nike's "Shoe Bag" LeBron 23 Remembers How LBJ Rejected Reebok & adidas

How would you handle being at the center of one of basketball's most intense bidding wars at just 18-years-old? If your name is "LeBron James," you could confidently say something along the lines of "with a calm following of my intuition."

Over the last 23 years, the "kid from Akron" has been synonymous with the Swoosh—so much so that he signed a lifetime contract with the company in December 2015. This story, then, often goes unquestioned or under-discussed as it seems to have been inevitable, but that's far from reality. Truth is, the St. Vincent–St. Mary high schooler almost passed on the Oregon-based brand in favor of either adidas or Reebok. However, something told him to take a meeting with Nike before entering the NBA. The rest, as they say, is history.

As part of the ongoing launch cycle of Nike LeBron 23, the sportswear juggernaut is recalling the time "King James" chose it instead of its competitors. The thematic product releases live under the "Shoe Bag" banner, playfully nodding to the millions of dollars LBJ's initial signature athlete contract was worth. A sneaker and matching apparel commemorating the occasion are set to hit Nike.com by the end of 2026. While you wait, continue ahead for a brief history of how James rejected Reebok and adidas for Nike.

"Once I got into the A.A.U. program, started playing basketball, adidas took us over," said James on Episode 120 of New Heights podcast. His time at St. Vincent-St. Mary further cemented his love of and familiarity with the Three Stripes, making the German sportswear brand his preferred company of choice upon contemplating a signature footwear deal.

adidas Basketball pitched to the teenager ahead of him entering the NBA Draft in 2003. Other companies were also interested, but James only entertained meetings with Reebok and Nike.

As the story goes, the Three Stripes offered substantially less money than had initially been expected, landing on $60 million instead of the anticipated $100 million deal. Reebok's presentation at its Massachusetts-based headquarters, led by then-CEO Paul Fireman, impressed LBJ enough that he strongly-considered joining the heritage brand—which had been leaving a mark with Allen Iverson. Additionally, the company had an NFL contract at the time, a major interest for James. Fireman slid a $10 million check to the 18-year-old, separate from the signature deal, on the condition that the Ohio-native canceled his meeting with Nike and joined Reebok right then and there.

"My mom looked at me and she said, 'Son, trust your gut. If they're [Reebok] are offering you this, then who knows what the other companies may offer you," shared James on New Heights.

LBJ's next meeting was with Nike. Although the Swoosh offered less money than Reebok—$87 million over seven years—the home of Michael Jordan met the teenager with several prototypes in his size for what could form part of the Nike LeBron signature series. Furthermore, Nike pitched a global vision to the high schooler, presenting him as a figure that transcended basketball before he even suited up for his eventual Cleveland Cavaliers.

Today, LeBron James even has a part of the Philip H. Knight Campus named after him. His aforementioned lifetime deal is said to be worth at least one billion dollars.

And to think, everything that's panned out has done so because an 18-year-old bet on himself.