LeBron James has been one of Nike’s top stars for over 20 years.
Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James signed with Nike in 2003. Since then, he has enjoyed an incredible partnership with the brand.
Obviously, LBJ has appeared in many Nike ads. In light of James’ 23rd signature shoe, Nike dropped a rather large commercial.
Despite being the face of the NBA for over 20 years, James couldn’t stand criticism from basketball fans.
In fact, as the 4X NBA champion career progressed, the Lakers star hatred became numbered. With that in mind, the new bold commercial from Swoosh brand James has been stoking the basketball community.
“They called him the one they chose. He had all the weight of expectations on his shoulders, but he never broke. We were all witnesses.
“All the rivals were defeated. All idols were destroyed. He took the crown and kept it. Behold, he is the eternal king,” the narrator said.
“The narcissism on display here is wild for LeBron too,” one fan wrote. Another was added, but “He’s not a goat and he’s never going to be.”
“OMG, this ad is a ‘decision’ level of hearing impairment,” said the third fan.
“He’s 1-3 in the final against Steph. That’s not destroying anyone,” added a Stephen Curry fan.
“This is incredibly frizzy,” the fifth fan said.
As great as James, this ad certainly didn’t work out among NBA fans. Some failed in the 2011 NBA final, while others pointed to the Golden State Warriors dominance of his time.
Over the years, NBA analyst Bill Simmons has shared mixed reviews of James. Given that Simmons is a well-known Boston Celtics supporter, he has moved on to James’ negative spectrum since joining the Lakers.
Back in the Nike ads for the virus, Simmons calls it with X, saying, “This is a full-fledged ‘Yikes!”
Simmons’ comments reached former NBA player Eddie Johnson. Eddie Johnson defended the 21x NBA All-Star by bringing Nicola Djokic into the equation.
“Now, close your eyes, listen to the commercial again and imagine it’s a joke. You’ll applaud like a church,” Johnson writes.
Does this lead to a new rivalry between Simmons and Johnson? Fans will likely find it in future episodes of The Ringer Podcast.