LeBron James turned heads when he arrived for the Los Angeles Lakers' game against the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday wearing what appeared to be a special-edition Liverpool jersey, designed in collaboration with the Premier League club.
- Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.)
A LeBron x Liverpool line was first teased in early 2020. On the same day Liverpool formally announced a major new kit deal with Nike, James posted on Instagram an image of a red embroidered Liverpool crest on the left and an enticing blank space (into which he tagged Nike) where another logo could be placed.
The prospect of a limited-edition Liverpool kit or clothing line was given added credence by James' business partner, Maverick Carter, popping up in the comments to say: "x Reds coming soon."
More recently, several leaked images had been circulated on social media of the custom jersey, which is expected to be officially revealed as part of a full LeBron x Liverpool collection next month.
The shirt, worn as LeBron arrived at the Crypto.com Arena for the Lakers' 113-104 win, is predominantly black with thin red pinstripes and carries both the Liverpool club crest as well as LeBron's own trademark "King James" logo displayed across the midriff.
The broad vertical stripes also feature a subtle repeating motif of the letters "YNWA" -- shorthand for Liverpool's famous club anthem and motto, "You'll Never Walk Alone" -- and "SFG," representing James' personal mantra: "Strive for greatness."
The basketball superstar -- who last week became the first player ever to have a 40-point game against all 30 NBA teams and is rapidly closing in on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's NBA points record -- was also spotted rocking a fresh pair of teal Nike Air Max 1 sneakers. These are also likely to feature in his imminent LFC line, given that the vibrant colour is regularly used by the Merseyside outfit in their own kits and apparel.
Nike LeBron 20 "Liverpool" ♨️ pic.twitter.com/kAchuJRfHs
— Nice Kicks (@nicekicks) January 26, 2023
LeBron has put his name to several Liverpool-inspired sneaker designs in recent months. The latest is the all-red LeBron 20 basketball shoes unveiled this week, which also bear the LFC crest embroidered on the heel.
James has been a minority shareholder in the Reds since 2011, when he bought a 2% stake in the club.
Since then, he has been spotted at several matches over the years, including the 2022 Champions League final, where the NBA legend watched Jurgen Klopp's side lose to Real Madrid at the Parc des Princes in Paris -- much to the joy of Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic.