Lebron James set the sneaker world on fire Sunday night with his surprising debut of a pair of Nike Lebron 21s that paid homage to Deion Sanders. The Lebron 21s were designed after the newly re-released Nike Air Diamond Turf Max ’96 shoes. “The Deions” as they are commonly called are arguably the most popular shoe in the Deion Sanders signature series.
On Thursday the Colorado head coach received his own pair of the shoes from the All-Star game, courtesy of James and Maverick Carter.
“Wow I will be rocking this, I like the integration, now that’s tight,” Sanders said as he marveled at the shoe while sitting at his desk.
The shoes were hand delivered by Michael Smith, CU’s assistant athletic director for sports equipment services, and the two discussed the beauty of the shoe. Smith worked at Nike for 16 years before returning to Colorado for a third stint.
Coach Prime took the time to notice small details of the shoe that was hard to ascertain while watching the All-Star game. He also took a moment to predict how much longer he expects James to play in the NBA. He seemed to be really surprised when he saw a golden foil image of himself on the insole of the shoe.
You can see the entire video of Coach Prime unboxing the shoes here.
“I predict about 25 years. Because he has to wait until his shorties come. If that was me I would definitely be waiting until my sons come. I promise you that,” said Sanders.
There’s been no announcements made by Nike regarding a release of the “Diamond Turf Max 96” LeBron 21. The Air Diamond Turf ’96 was released in limited quantities earlier this month, selling out instantly. A wider launch is expected later this year.
