For many NBA fans, shoes are as big a part of following the league as the games themselves. Just check in on Twitter any time a new signature shoe or colorway releases and Twitter is abuzz (not always nicely). But LeBron James and Nike realized one set of fans missed out on the excitement, so they did something about it. On Monday, James and Nike teamed up to release pairs of James Solider 10s with a twist. They were designed to make it easier to get into for disabled fans and athletes.
The shoes aren’t something James takes lightly. According to Nike, James was involved in the FlyEase project for a while now.
"“It’s about us empowering every kid and everybody to understand that we are all athletes,” he says. “For myself and Nike to be able to collaborate on a project like this has been special since the very first time it was brought to the table.”"
Of course, being James the project wasn’t complete without helping the Cleveland area. James met with a group of disabled young athletes from the Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital and distributed the new shoes.
The entire process is just another reminder of how lucky we are to have James. LeBron took time he could be resting and gave back to his community. But that isn’t what James does. Instead he shows up to events to make kids happier and does it with a huge smile on his face.
That matters. Just take a look at the kids in the Nike photo gallery and in the video. James taking the time out of his day to be with them matters. In an era where so many athletes are in the news for bad reasons, James never disappointing. And that doesn’t even count his on the floor contributions.
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So yeah, once again I implore people. Appreciate LeBron James while we have him. Not every league has someone like him that combines on and off court greatness.