RKMBs Forums .::Robegories::. Sports and Wrestling Break out yer wallet: it's Air LeBron!

Check out the latest from ESPN.com:

Associated Press

BEAVERTON, Ore. -- In his school, LeBron James wore the signature shoe of his idol, Michael Jordan.

Now fans can wear James' shoe.

Nike launches the product endorsed by the Cleveland Cavaliers' rookie Saturday, and store managers nationwide are expecting teenagers to sleep outside, just as they did for debuts of the Air Jordan line.

James' shoe launches in 2,225 stores nationwide, starting at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, when New York City's Foot Action opens its doors.

"You could call it the Harry Potter of sneakers," said Jamelah Leddy, a sportswear analyst with McAdams Wright Ragen Inc. in Seattle.

The hype has spilled from TV talk shows into Web sites, including e-Bay, where 54 of the embargoed $110 pairs are selling and bids approachd $200. In November, when Portland's Niketown offered a limited edition of the shoe, the sneaker sold in 18 minutes, leaving a line of teens still waiting outside.

What's the appeal? "Obviously, it's LeBron," 15-year-old Peter Koehler explained. "People will buy Jordan even if they don't like the way it looks -- because it's Jordan."

It's an insight clear to those who labor behind the locked doors of Nike's "Innovation Kitchen" in Portland. In a room stuffed with easels, designers struggled to graft James' star appeal onto a sneaker.

"This is a watershed project," said Tinker Hatfield, Nike's chief designer, who created the Air Jordan prototype two decades ago. "We're taking everything we learned and applying it."

Under Hatfield's direction, each Air Jordan prototype shoe mirrored a different aspect of his personality. The panther he loved, the fighter jet he admired, even his Ferrari, all became design elements, translated into color schemes and lines.

First launched in 1984, Air Jordans became so popular that by 1998, Nike agreed to move launch dates to Saturdays so students wouldn't skip school to line up at stores.

When James signed a reported $90 million endorsement deal with Nike, it ended a bidding war that included Adidas and Reebok.

But Nike wasn't waiting for the deal to be signed to try to figure out how James' personality could be sewn into a shoe. At the time, James was driving a $50,000 Hummer, which he said was a birthday gift from his mother.

"The original Hummer is pure utilitarianism. Pure function. No luxury -- like his game," said 35-year-old Eric Avar, one of the two other designers.

The designers made more than 100 sketches, producing a design in which the Hummer appears as the metaphor throughout _ from the metallic lace holes, which mirror the shape of the vehicle's wheel, to the chevron sole, a reference to the Hummer's tire tread.

But after all that work and attention to detail, it really doesn't matter what the shoe looks like, analysts and basketball fans say.

"Everything that has to do with LeBron is popular -- it's not just the shoe," said Romain Rousseau, co-founder of Basket-ball.com. He says the player's name has been the most popular key word on his Web site since the NBA draft.

It is incredible what LeBron has accomplished in the media. Just picture if Bill Willoughby or Darryl Dawkins came out NOW. Or even Spencer Haywood, who sued the NBA and WON in order to play. The ultimate rebellious act. Kids would eat that up like anything nowadays.

The "Chocolate Thunder/Dr. Dunkenstein" would be the man if he was just coming out now!!

But is "King James" anymore skilled that Dr. J, Oscar Robinson, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlin, Kareem, Bird, Magic or MJ? Or even Carmello Anthony, TMac, KG or AI? The jury is still out on that!!

But it is not just about "talent" anymore, the NBA's hype machines (i.e. PR firms) are seeing to that!! Anything that can bring attention to the League is focused on!!

It's their job to put butts in seats, and that's exactly what they do. I think the hype's gotten a little out of control(and I don't know LeBron will ever be able to quite live up to the career expectations), but it's helped jumpstart the popularity of my favorite sport, so I can't complain.

P.S-I don't think Wilt was particularly "skilled", at least not nearly as much so as the others you mention(or LeBron). Still a great player, though.

He would be in this era. Wilt was an incredible all around athlete who, despite his height, ran track in high school as well. He was far and away better than anyone in his day. Were he to come out now, his game would adjust to today's level, IMO.

I think the hype has a lot to do with the fact that LeBron is with Nike. I got their annual report and they made serious BANK last year. And if you've ever read Raw Recruits you'd see just how influential the Nike spin machine is. But personally, I think Carmelo will win Rookie of the Year.

Animalman,

I agree with you!!


Jafabian,

I also think Carmello will be rookie of the year!!