Rich Paul Ripped Over Air Jordan and LeBron Sneaker Opinions

Legendary sports agent and entrepreneur Rich Paul has stirred up a debate over sneakers on social media. In the most recent episode of his podcast with Max Kellerman, Paul shared a lot of incredible insights into the footwear industry.

He also gave his opinions on Air Jordans and recounted stories about LeBron James' meetings with Nike. Those parts of the discussion have generated pushback from sneakerheads.

Why Fans Buy Air Jordans

Rich Paul on the real reason people wear Michael Jordan shoes 👀

“People didn’t buy MJs because they wanted to be like Michael Jordan. That was half of the people. You know what the other half was? They wanted to be like Max who had the BMW and the cute girl and that had on the… pic.twitter.com/b1FYkPn8b5
— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) January 2, 2026

When discussing the reasons why Michael Jordan's signature Air Jordan sneaker line resonated with so many fans, Paul attributed a lot of the credit elsewhere.

Paul reasoned, "People didn't buy MJs because they wanted to be like Michael Jordan. That was half of the people. You know what the other half was? They wanted to be like Max, who had the BMW and the cute girl, and that had on the Michael Jordans."

Many old-school NBA fans took exception to the idea that anyone other than Jordan is what made his sneakers incredibly popular with an entire generation of fans.

LeBron Wants Affordable Sneakers

Brons cost $210 man lmao https://t.co/QaxNyExFpJ
— Niko (@nikotaughtyou) January 4, 2026

Additionally, Paul said his client, LeBron James, pushed Nike for his signature basketball shoes to be affordable. Fans jumped on that statement, as the Nike LeBron has consistently been one of the most expensive options for over two decades.

"And LeBron in his meetings all the time, he had one of the biggest issues because he would say all the time, 'I don't want to outprice kids that come from where I come from'."

As many sneakerheads have pointed out, the Nike LeBron 23 has a retail price of $210 before taxes and shipping are applied at checkout.

During a recent podcast interview with Max Kellerman, Rich Paul made a bold claim about the popularity of Jordan Brand and the appeal of Michael Jordan’s shoes 😮 pic.twitter.com/0zzA0bzt4s
— Ball Exclusives (@ballexclusives) January 3, 2026

Despite the controversial takes, the entire conversation is fascinating and worth a listen. Paul and Kellerman discuss the sneakers of Allen Iverson, Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, and Kyrie Irving. Additionally, Paul broke down the process of starting a signature sneaker line and growing it internationally.

It is safe to say the debate between Jordan and James (as well as their sneakers) will never end. Stay locked into Sports Illustrated's Kicks On SI for all your footwear news from the NBA and beyond.

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