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LeBron James Debuts Nike Shoe Collab With JuJu Watkins

LeBron James and JuJu Watkins teamed up on an upcoming Nike basketball shoe.
Pat Benson|
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James debuted the Nike LeBron NXT Gen "JW" colorway.
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James debuted the Nike LeBron NXT Gen "JW" colorway. | Nike

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The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Golden State Warriors 105-99 on Saturday night. Lakers forward LeBron James provided 20 points and 10 assists, while also debuting a new sneaker collaboration.

James debuted the Nike LeBron NXT Gen "JW" colorway. The unreleased shoe is part of a collaboration with USC Trojans women's basketball star JuJu Watkins.

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Nike LeBron NXT Gen "JW"

The Nike LeBron NXT Gen "JW" colorway features a monochromatic design with shades of grey and silver. The Nike Swoosh logo pops off the sides with a glossy metallic finish.

The Silver Lining launch colorway further emphasizes Watkins' story and style, capturing her ability to turn to her community to find light in the most difficult moments. Every surface of the shoe bends light differently, reminding athletes that adversity is often just another angle and growth happens in the shadows.

The LeBron NXXT Gen by JuJu will be available globally in the Silver Lining colorway this summer at nike.com and select retailers.

"JuJu is a great ambassador of today’s game, and this shoe gives her one more tool to chart her own path on and off the court," said James.

"Nike footwear has been another way for me to share my story with athletes and fans around the world, so it’s exciting to share the NXXT Gen platform with JuJu for a shoe that will inspire a new generation of hoopers to put in the work and believe in themselves."

JuJu Watkins

Unfortunately, Watkins will miss this entire NCAA season after tearing her ACL late last year. However, the future first-round pick has played a major role for Nike Basketball. She has had the rare honor of having her player-exclusive designs released to the public.

While fans wait for the Nike LeBron NXT Gen "JW" to hit shelves, they can shop James' signature sneaker collection at Nike.com. That includes the Nike LeBron 23, which James also debuted a new colorway of last night beginning in the second quarter of the nationally-televised game.

"Working with LeBron to co-create a first is wild," said Wakins. "It's built for my game, my story. Shaping something to share with the next generation of hoopers means everything."

Nike LeBron 23 "Fairfax"

James switched into the Nike LeBron 23 "Fairfax" colorway during Saturday night's game. It was a never-before-seen design inspired by Fairfax High School, which has a long history of working with James and Nike.

The "Fairfaix" colorway featured a red-and-yellow design with the Lion mascot on the heels. Unlike many of the shoes James has worn this year, the "Fairfax" colorway is a player-exclusive that will never be released to the public.

Nike LeBron 23

It was also a highlight for the Nike LeBron 23, which has not lived up to the hype entering the season. Nike is in the process of rolling out 23 colorways that tell stories from James' historic career, but many of the designs have been either head-scratching or forgettable.

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The Nike Kobe 6 Protro '3D' returns after 15 years to celebrate NBA All-Star Weekend.

The Nike Book 2 "Spiridon" drops this week.

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Pat Benson
PAT BENSON

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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