Ranking LeBron James' 10 Best Nike Shoes With the Lakers

Ranking the top ten Nike sneakers LeBron James wore during his Los Angeles Lakers tenure.

LeBron James wears the Nike LeBron 16 "Dunkman" colorway. | USA TODAY Sports

LeBron James' time with the Los Angeles Lakers is over. James' eight seasons in Los Angeles included the 2020 NBA Championship, breaking the all-time scoring record, and another incredible chapter in his sneaker history.

From the 2018-19 season through the 2025-26 season, James debuted several new signature shoes, retro models, and countless colorways. Below are the ten best basketball shoes James wore in a game during his Lakers tenure.

10. Nike LeBron 7 "Lakers P.E."

LeBron James wears the Nike LeBron 7 "Lakers P.E." colorway. | USA TODAY Sports

James started the unparalleled 2019-20 season by wearing the Nike LeBron 7 Retro at NBA Media Day. That purple and gold colorway eventually inspired a general release, but it was another Lakers-inspired design that was more memorable.

James wore the Nike LeBron 7 in a player-exclusive "Lakers" colorway during a win over the rival LA Clippers on March 8, 2020. The game was during a heated Western Conference race, just three days before the league shut down.

The shoes were never released to the public, but the Lakers' colorway animated sneakerheads old enough to remember James wearing his seventh signature sneaker with the Miami Heat over 11 years earlier. The team colors changed, but it resulted in another championship.

9. Nike LeBron 2 "Macabbi"

LeBron James wears the Nike LeBron 2 "Macabbi" colorway. | USA TODAY Sports

James wore the Nike LeBron 2 "Maccabi" colorway multiple times throughout the first half of the 2022-23 NBA season — pretty rare considering his almost never repeats shoes. It was a retro version of James' second signature sneaker in a white and gold colorway that paid tribute to the Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball team. The Cavaliers faced Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv during a preseason game in 2004. The Nike LeBron 2 "Maccabi" was released again in September 2022 and can be found on StockX.

8. Nike LeBron 23 "South Beach"

LeBron James wears the Nike LeBron 23 "South Beach" colorway. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Nike LeBron 23 took on the audacious task of 23 unique colorways, each telling a story from James' historic career. One of our favorite designs was saved as a player-exclusive for the king himself. James wore the Nike LeBron 23 "South Beach" colorway against the Miami Heat on March 19, 2026. The silhouette featured a teal, black, and pink color scheme inspired by previous hit shoes from James' time in Miami.

7. Nike LeBron 20-5-5 "Four Horsemen"

LeBron James wears the Nike LeBron 20-5-5 "Four Horsemen" colorway. | USA TODAY Sports

James always tips his cap to the Cavaliers when he returns to play in Cleveland as a visitor. On March 21, 2022, James wore the ultra-rare Nike LeBron 20-5-5 in the "Four Horsemen" colorway. It was a callback to his first playoff appearance with the Cavaliers and the first shoe not part of his signature line.

The white and gold "Four Horsemen" colorway eventually hit shelves in January 2006. James dug them out of the archives for his return to Cleveland. Fans will struggle to find these kicks in most sizes on sneaker resale websites.

6. Nike LeBron 15 "Griffey"

LeBron James wears the Nike LeBron 15 "Griffey" colorway. | USA TODAY Sports

During the final season of James' second stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers, he dazzled sneakerheads with the "#LeBronWatch" campaign. With Nike's help, James debuted several nostalgic-inspired colorways of his 15th signature sneaker. James reprised the Nike LeBron 15 "Griffey" colorway against the Memphis Grizzlies on February 12, 2021.

The black, white, and teal design is a clear homage to Ken Griffey Jr.'s Nike Air Griffey Max 1 'Freshwater' colorway. The shoes were originally released in April 2018 and are available in some sizes on sneaker resale websites.

5. Nike LeBron 20 "Scoring Champion"

LeBron James wears the Nike LeBron 20. | USA TODAY Sports

James can easily make the case for the greatest basketball player of all time, but his longevity and production are what set him apart. James broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's all-time NBA scoring record on February 7, 2023.

James wore a player-exclusive pink and silver colorway of the Nike LeBron 20 during the historic game. The colorway never hit shelves or even got a nickname. But the low-key design with handwritten notes to his family made the shoe a part of NBA history.

4. Nike LeBron 16 "Watch The Throne"

LeBron James wears the Nike LeBron 16 "Watch The Throne" colorway. | USA TODAY Sports

Jay-Z and Kanye West's legendary 2011 album "Watch the Throne" inspired multiple sneakers for King James. His eighth signature shoe was the first to introduce the "Watch The Throne" colorway, and he brought it back on the Nike LeBron 16 for the 2019 NBA All-Star Game. The Nike LeBron 16 "Watch The Throne" colorway is still available in select sizes on StockX.

3. Nike LeBron 8 "Watch The Throne"

LeBron James wears the Nike LeBron 8 "Watch The Throne" colorway. | USA TODAY Sports

Speaking of the album-inspired colorway, James reprised his sample version of the Nike LeBron 8 "Watch The Throne" on Christmas Day 2021. The silhouette featured a Metallic Gold upper, a black speckled midsole, and premium materials fit for a king. Unfortunately for fans, the iconic kicks were never released to the public.

2. Nike LeBron 21 "Prime Year"

LeBron James wears the Nike LeBron 21 "Prime Year" colorway. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

James debuted the Nike LeBron 21 "Prime Year" colorway at the 2024 NBA All-Star Game. The colorway was the first of multiple collaborations with Deion Sanders' signature sneaker line. The black and white clawmark design was a direct homage to the Nike DT Air Max 96. James' All-Star colorway never hit shelves, but other versions of the shoe are still out there on sneaker resale websites.

1. Nike LeBron 16 "Dunkman"

LeBron James wears the Nike LeBron 16 "Dunkman" colorway. | USA TODAY Sports

James surpassed Michael Jordan for 4th on the NBA's all-time scoring list against the Denver Nuggets on March 6, 2019. James honored Jordan by wearing a Nike LeBron 16 player-exclusive colorway inspired by the Air Jordan 3.

The silhouette featured a white Battleknit 2.0 upper with the iconic elephant-print mudguard. The gold Dunkman logo replaced the Jumpman logo, while the "Nike Air" branding on the heels completed the tribute. The colorway was reminiscent of the Air Jordan 3 that Lakers legend Kobe Bryant wore during his 2002-03 sneaker free agency season.