LeBron James 2011 Miami Heat Game Worn & Signed Sneakers

The conversation regarding the greatest basketball player of all time may forever continue to be up for debate, but one thing is for sure, LeBron James will always be a part of the discussion. At 38 years old, amidst his 20th season in the NBA, James’ resume puts him on many NBA fans' Mount Rushmore.

A 4-time NBA champion, 4-time league MVP, 4-time Finals MVP, and 2-time Olympic gold medalist (to name just a few accolades), James currently sits at number two on the NBA all-time list for points scored and field goals made, and recently passed Magic Johnson to move into 6th place on the all-time assist leaderboard. He has played more NBA playoff games than anyone in the league's history and sits atop the leaderboard for all-time career playoff points.  

A savvy businessman, LeBron is also the first player to receive a lifetime deal from Nike, and his off-court endeavors have made him the first active NBA player to become a billionaire. He joined Michael Jordan as only the second NBA player to reach billionaire status in the history of the league. 

From LeBron’s first season with the Miami Heat, these game worn and signed Nike Air Max LeBron 8's have been photomatched to the Heat’s 90-85 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on April 6, 2011. James registered 29 points, 8 assists and 2 rebounds. This pair is one of two pairs worn during that game by LeBron. 

The sneakers have been photomatched by The MeiGray Group and are accompanied by a photomatch letter and graphic. In addition, a letter from James Spence Authentication regarding the signatures is also included.

Going Deeper | LeBron James

LeBron’s legacy began in his hometown of Akron, Ohio. As a high school phenom at St. Vincent - St. Mary, LeBron and his teammates, dubbed the 'Fab Five', led the school to three state championships in four years. 

During his high school career, LeBron garnered national attention, appearing on the cover of Sports Illustrated as a high school junior in 2002 with the headline 'The Chosen One', and achieving honors such as the Gatorade Player of the Year in 2002, and the McDonald’s All-American MVP in 2003.   

At 18 years old, LeBron James was selected first overall in the 2003 NBA draft, directly from high school, by his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers. Immediately making an impact upon entering the league, LeBron became the first player in franchise history and the youngest player in NBA history to win the Rookie of the Year award, at 19 years old. 

In his first seven seasons in the NBA, James led the Cavaliers to 50 or more wins on four separate occasions, including a franchise record 66-win season in 2008-2009, collected two league MVPs, and led the Cavaliers to their first trip to the NBA Finals in 2007. However, LeBron and the Cavaliers would fail to bring a championship to Cleveland that year. 

In the 2010 offseason, LeBron entered free agency for the first time in his career. In an ESPN televised event titled ‘The Decision’ - an event that raised over 2 million dollars for charity - a seemingly uncomfortable LeBron informed the world that he would be “taking his talents to South Beach” to join forces with fellow All-Stars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami. 

The backlash was immense - teams and fans throughout the league felt like they had been played - as LeBron had taken meetings with six different teams during the free agency process. However, perhaps no fan base and organization felt as betrayed as the Cleveland Cavaliers. With Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert publicly scrutinizing James, and Cleveland media outlets calling for a ‘LeBronfire’ (prompting fans to burn jerseys and LeBron memorabilia), LeBron packed his bags for South Beach.

While the off-the-court backlash was hard to ignore, on the court, the Miami trio of Wade, Bosh, and LeBron enjoyed tremendous success. The ‘Big Three’ would play a total of four seasons together with the Heat, from 2010-2014, reaching the NBA Finals each season. 

In 2011, the Heat fell short against the Dirk Nowitzki-led Dallas Mavericks in six games, before winning back-to-back titles in 2012 against the Oklahoma City Thunder, and 2013 against the San Antonio Spurs. In a 2014 rematch with the Spurs, the Heat fell in five games.

James was named Finals MVP during both of the Heat's championship runs.