LeBron James is one of the greatest basketball players of all time and as it stands, he is on a lifetime contract with Nike. When he first got to the league, he received $90 million from Nike and since that time, the contract has been expanded. Every single year, LeBron comes out with some new shoes and he is always looking to innovate. He performs at the highest level, and he knows what's needed for basketball players to be at their best.
Having said that, it should be no surprise that LeBron has been bestowed his own special building at the Nike campus in Beaverton, Oregon. This building is called the LeBron James Innovation Center and it is over 750,000 square feet. Within the building, you will find the Nike Sport Research Lab which is a modest 85,000 square feet. This is where date and research will be collected in order to come out with the best products possible.
Image via Nike
As James explained in a recent piece by Complex, this is a dream come true and as the years go on, he wants to continue being a leader on and off the court.
“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,” James told Complex. “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.”
Image via Nike
The building is filled with references to the brand, from the Winnebago that references Phil Knight, to the lounge dedicated to Sandy Bodecker, this is a space that is filled with the history of the brand. At this point, there is no better person to carry on this legacy than LeBron, and the building itself is a testament to his success, and what he means to Nike as a whole.
You can check out even more photos of the facility, down below.
Image via Nike
Image via Nike
Image via Nike
[Via]