"Sometimes it doesn't make sense to me, but I'm definitely honored"- LeBron James on having Nike's new Innovation Center named after him
LeBron James was humbled to have Nike's new development center named after him.
In a recent development, Nike honored the longtime sponsored athlete by naming their newest research lab as the 'LeBron James Innovation Center'. The lab will aim to serve as the center for the brand's efforts in sports research and technology development.
In the process, LeBron James has become one of three Nike athletes to have buildings to their names, the other two being Michael Jordan and Serena Williams. On being honored by Nike, LeBron James had this to say:
"Over the course of my career and my time here at Nike, for all of this to come together is surreal. Sometimes it doesn’t make sense to me, but I’m definitely honored. Having my name on the Innovation building feels very fitting because I’m always trying to figure out ways I can continue to innovate and continue to break the timeline of what they say is your prime."
Nike has unveiled the new LeBron James Innovation Center at its Oregon HQ 🏢
➖ 84,000 sq ft Nike Sport Research Lab
➖ 906 rooftop solar panels
➖ World's largest motion-capture system
➖ Full-size basketball court, turf pitch, 200m track, 500ft incline training ramp https://t.co/hEpyUTI8oA
The facility will feature state-of-the-art equipment to track and analyze athletes from all sports. It has a 100-meter track with two lanes of track and field, a full-sized basketball court and a one-third sized regulation football field with artificial turf. The center is fully powered by renewable energy.
How relevant is LeBron James' legacy?
LeBron James joined the NBA at a young age, and immediately emerged as a superstar in the league. Not many players have entered the league bearing the weight of expectations and living up to them the way James has.
At the age of 18, James signed a $90 million deal with Nike. That, over the course of his stellar career, has become a lifetime deal, estimated to be worth over $1 billion. While that says a lot about the popularity and brand value of LeBron James, it also puts the spotlight on his legacy as an athlete.
2003: 18-year-old @KingJames signs a $90M deal with Nike, still the largest rookie deal ever.
2021: Nike opens a 750,000-square-foot "LeBron James Innovation Center" at their global headquarters, including an NBA-size court, a soccer field, a track, and more.
Legendary 🙏 https://t.co/kGGkTAAAry
James has played at the highest level for almost two decades, something that is duly recognized by his peers. Stephen Curry has said that LeBron James' longevity is the gold standard for any athlete in the NBA. Sustaining a degree of excellence while also extending one's physical prime is certainly no easy feat.
Considered by many as one of the best players to have graced the NBA, LeBron James continues to add to his long list of accomplishments as he aims to win another title with the LA Lakers.