LeBron James Gifts Ohio State Rare Nike Cleats for Penn State Game

The Ohio State Buckeyes received unreleased Nike LeBron 23 football cleats for the Penn State game.

LeBron James supplied the Ohio State Buckeyes football team with new Nike LeBron cleats. | Joe Maiorana-Imagn Images

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Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James has not yet played a game this NBA season due to a sciatica injury. However, James continues to make gains in the footwear industry with Nike.

Earlier this month, Nike launched James' 23rd signature basketball shoe. The Nike LeBron 23 has dropped in two colorways, with several more on the way to retell important stories from James' historic NBA career.

The King always brings the 🔥

Thank you for our cleat heat for the Penn State game @KingJames 👑 pic.twitter.com/3m7h3RbkTG

— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) October 27, 2025

While the Nike LeBron line has produced football cleats in the past, there are no Nike LeBron 23 cleats yet—unless you are the Ohio State Buckeyes preparing to face the Penn State Nittany Lions.

On Sunday night, the Buckeyes' social media team shared an exclusive video of James speaking on the importance of football and Ohio State.

"Ohio State means a lot to me," James said. "If you followed my journey, I'm a big-time football fan. I played football all the way through high school. It's always been fulfilling to me and an honor for me to give back."

LeBron James hooked up the Ohio State Buckeyes with special cleats inspired by his “Grand Opening” Nike LeBron 23 👑👀 pic.twitter.com/idgG9v1eJj

— Nice Kicks (@nicekicks) October 27, 2025

James has made it no secret how much he misses playing football, but made it extra clear on his Instagram story last night. The 40-year-old captioned the video with the message, "These make me even more wish I could suit up one last time!!"

Of course, James skipped college and went straight to the league as the number one overall selection in the 2003 NBA Draft. Over the years, James' answer on which college he would have attended has wavered. However, his commitment to the Buckeyes' athletic program has been steadfast.

For the past two decades, James has teamed up with Nike to treat Ohio State's football and basketball programs with myriad player-exclusive apparel and footwear.

CLOSER LOOK: Ohio State’s LeBron 23-inspired cleats 👑 @KingJames @OhioStateFB https://t.co/dxKibwGEF9 pic.twitter.com/ovHhDhjnHL

— Sole Retriever (@SoleRetriever) October 27, 2025

Unfortunately for athletes and fans, the Nike LeBron 23 cleats will not be released to the public anytime soon. However, online shoppers can buy James' signature footwear at Nike.com. Currently, the Nike LeBron 23 basketball shoes are available in the 'Miami Twice' and 'Chosen One' colorways.

Despite the Penn State football team facing adversity this season, its game against Ohio State will be spotlighted on Big Noon Kickoff, which airs at 10 a.m. EST on Saturday. The game kicks off at noon and will air on FOX. Look for several Buckeyes players to lace up their rare Nike LeBron cleats.

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