Lebron James Debuts New Oregon Ducks Nike Sneaker

The new LeBron 23 PE shoe James wore, which prominently features a yellow Oregon "O" on the back heel, includes grey Oregon wing print on the top, a carbon fiber LeBron crown outsole, and green aglets with "quack" emblazoned in yellow.

Takai Simpkins Shows Off Another Oregon LeBron 23 PE

James' carbon fiber colorway isn't the only version of the athlete's shoes that went viral on the internet in recent memory.

Duck senior guard Takai Simpkins took to Instagram stories to share a video of a more traditional Oregon colorway of the LeBron 23 PE. These shoes feature a yellow upper half of the shoe with a subtle wing pattern like LeBron's carbon fiber variant, and a shiny green outsole crown with a grey "O" and detailing.

These sneakers, likely akin to James' most recent kicks, are exclusive to the Oregon basketball team.

LeBron James' History with the Oregon Ducks

One of basketball's brightest stars has long had a relationship with the Oregon Ducks that seems rooted in his connection to Nike and an unlikely coaching connection.

From 2010-2014 when James played for the Miami Heat, coach Erik Spoelstra, a Portland native, consulted with then Oregon football coach Chip Kelly about his speard offense. In a 2024 interview with J.J. Reddick on "Uninterrupted", James shared that Spoelstra used several elements from Kelly's coaching philosophies to bolster his leadership with the Heat.

"Spo is the reason why we were a better team, and our team was assembled more properly. That summer, he went to Oregon and hung out with Chip Kelly, and learned the spread offense," James said.

"But when he came back to us, he knew that in order for us to reach our potential, for one, I had to be *expletive* ten times better than I was in that previous June Finals," James added, referencing the 2010's Miami loss against the Dallas Mavericks. "But Chris Bosh had to go to the 5, and had to start working on his corner three."

James also famously visited Autzen Stadium with a few of his teammates in 2011, leading to photos Duck fans on the internet use to this day. Not to mention James' son, Bronny James, also was recruited by the Ducks before committing to the USC Trojans in 2022.