Among the many storylines that will develop throughout LeBron James' first season as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers is the continuation of his signature sneaker line, which is set to enter its 16th year. The Nike LeBron 16 design has likely been in the can for quite some time, but a move to Hollywood opens up new possibilities that Nike is considering ahead of the new NBA season.
Talking with TMZ, Nike Vice President of Innovation Tinker Hatfield confirmed that there's buzz about the move at Nike and seemed particularly excited about the new storytelling opportunities it provides.
"I think we're all excited about the fact that LeBron is really still interested in winning more championships," said Hatfield. "He's coming to LA to do that. We're all excited to participate. If we can help him do that by, first of all, designing a product that helps him play at his highest level, that's job one. Job two, of course, is how can we leverage his personality moving to LA and kind of build a nice story around that. And then, of course, from that, style can be unique and interesting and it can be what I would call a groundbreaking kind of product."
As of now, there's not a confirmed launch date for the Nike LeBron 16, but fans can expect more consumer-driven releases next season.
"We're always looking for opportunities to not just design products, but to leverage storytelling into meaningful designs that people can connect with," said Hatfield.
