J.R. Smith trolls LeBron with the King’s signature shoe

It’s a dog-eat-dog world when it comes to collecting sneakers, even for professional athletes.

When it comes to copping a pair of the latest kicks, the first person to get their hands on a sought after pair is king.

When it comes to the new Nike LeBron 14’s, J.R. Smith is king. And he let King James himself know it.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BXILsMzDRQV/

Smith was given a Nike Tour in Hong Kong and got to be one of the first people in the universe to don a pair of LeBron’s new shoe.

He posted a photo of the red LeBron 14’s on instagram with the caption, “Hello World!!! (@kingjames ain’t even got these) . ”

You would think that Nike would want their crown jewel athlete (and the shoe’s namesake) to be the first person to put on a pair, but apparently J.R. is close enough.

LeBron posted a screenshot to instagram the next day showing of the two sharing a Facetime conversation, in which the shoe in question can be seen.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BXJa05KhfCr/

LeBron appeared to enjoy the playful ribbing almost as much as J.R. enjoyed the shoes. LeBron added the hashtag, #HeActuallyKissedThemWhileWeWereTalking.

A man and his shoes, a love story for our generation.

No word yet when LeBron will get his hands on his own pair of Nike LeBron 14’s. The King has kept busy this summer coaching his son’s AAU team and hosting workouts with new (and prospective) teammates.

For now, J.R. Smith stands triumphantly over LeBron in a pair of LeBrons.

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The sneakerhead community is an odd one.