LeBron James Responds to Anthony Edwards' Adidas Ad

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Last month, Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards kicked off his third signature adidas basketball shoe alongside a sketch comedy show. In the first episode of "Minnatlantasota," Edwards joked about LeBron James' hair, age, and knees.
Edwards' adidas ads have always called out NBA stars, but this is the first time James has responded. One minute into the latest episode of the Mind the Game podcast, co-host Steve Nash's first question for James was about Edwards' sneaker ad. James didn't mince words.
LeBron James Responds to Anthony Edwards
The jokes come with the territory, and @KingJames is accepting all of them. 🤣 pic.twitter.com/UXj2jV4eEp
— Mind the Game (@mindthegamepod) October 13, 2026
"First of all, I didn't watch the spot, because I don't watch anything from the stripes," said James. "Nothing. Love Ant to death, but I don't watch s--t from the stripes, I just don't. So I don't even know what he actually said."
"And obviously you can see some of the headlines, like I think he said like he old, too old. He ain't want his knees to be cold. But then I was like, but I went to Philly, Ant. It's not like my knees are warmer in Philly." Nash suggested the script needed some editing, and James agreed, "Yeah. He just read off the teleprompter."
Welcome to Minnatlantasota. The Cold Blooded Anthony Edwards 3 drops tomorrow.
— adidas Basketball (@adidasHoops) September 17, 2026
Believe That. pic.twitter.com/dBntrumfSa
Edwards' exact words about James from the video were, "Speaking of old school, you see where Big Dog ended up? He was going to join me in Minnesota, but I guess his knees couldn't handle the cold weather.
It's cool, though. We know why he really made that decision. Philly got some of the best barbers in the world. Between him and old boy from Boston, they're going to have a whole lot of enhancements going on in the locker room."
LeBron James x Nike
"I'M A NIKE GUY"
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) May 22, 2026
23 years ago today, 18-year-old LeBron James signed a 7-year, $87 million deal with Nike.
Reebok reportedly offered $115 million & Adidas offered less than $60 million! pic.twitter.com/H6VuNPSGpG
James came close to signing with Reebok and adidas as a high school senior. However, he turned down the offers from both brands. In May 2003, James signed a seven-year, $87 million sneaker deal with Nike. In 2010, James signed a nine-year contract extension.
By December 2015, James and Nike agreed to a lifetime partnership worth $1 billion. In 2021, Nike opened the LeBron James Innovation Center at the Nike World Headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon.
Nike LeBron 24
The Nike LeBron 24 launches globally on November 24, 2026. pic.twitter.com/DPYQshl1A7
— Kicks ON SI 👟 (@KicksONSI) October 6, 2026
Earlier this month, Nike unveiled James' 24th signature basketball shoe. Beyond his signature sneaker line, James' footwear collection includes lifestyle, training, and even football cleats. So, it's easy to understand why James toes the company line so hard.
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Pat Benson covers the sneaker industry for Kicks On Sports Illustrated. As a leading voice in footwear journalism, he breaks news, spotlights important stories, and interviews the biggest names in sports. Previously, Pat has reported on the NBA and authored "Kobe Bryant's Sneaker History (1996-2020)." You can email him at 1989patbenson@gmail.com.
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