words, photography and design // Nick DePaula
By the time the already named “King James” appeared on the cover of SLAM #78 midway through his rookie season, the most hyped prospect in league history was already meeting and even surpassing the hype.
“It’s just the beginning” read the cover text.
He laced up his first signature shoe, the Nike Air Zoom Generation, during his historic 20.5.5 rookie year. Only Oscar Robertson and Michael Jordan combined for points, rebounds and assists in their rookie seasons.
It was not only the League that marked him as the future. Nike made him a “generation” with a record $90 million rookie shoe deal and signature line.
To celebrate SLAM’s 30th anniversary in 2024we teamed up with industry brands to highlight the players, jerseys and sneakers that have made their mark on hoops culture along the way. As a result, we created several fire blocks, layering the details and memories that led to this SLAM makes his mark as a Hall of Famer All these years later for the class of 2024.
One of the most frequent cover athletes in SLAM history, LeBron James has undoubtedly had a generational impact on the magazine.
The history between SLAM and Bron is also long stamped. SLAM was there early, shooting young James during his SVSM high school days in Akron and throughout his tenure as the perennial “Mr. Ohio” Player of the Year, where he led the Irish to three state championships.
The text behind the tongue of the new SLAM x Nike Air Zoom Generation updates from the cover and says as much.
“From the beginning…”
Rounding out the hues of his first shoe, rich red takes the primary colorway, while a number of design details that marked his debut silhouette all come to life.
The red and black colorway ties in with the original cover and promotional images from the shoe’s iconic first print magazine, where James wears era-specific red suede pants.
Also featured is his first PE, the “Laser” Generations wore on Christmas Day, which was also the first laser ring shoe to hit the NBA hardwood.
We created a detailed laser graphic highlighting the SLAM logo, James’ upbringing in Akron and his first year with Nike that tells the story behind it.
“I created the hype myself, playing the way I play,” reads the interior laser print.
It’s a reference to a prominent quote from James in the cover feature when he was asked what sparked the circus and the expectations that surrounded him at the time.
In January 2003, when Nike first wanted to fast-track the design process for a shoe for LeBron, who was in the middle of his senior season at SVSM, several potential shoe names emerged.
The Air King James was an option in the very first email, offering an accelerated timeline to design and develop the shoe to make the December launch.
When original developer Jeff Johnson entered the shoe into Nike’s internal factory development system, he instead made up an (easy to crack) codename because LeBron hadn’t officially signed with Nike yet;
“Air Zoom Norbel”.
There are a variety of Easter eggs and details from the early days of the LeBron generation’s starting point, with Nike incorporating a laser-cut side panel graphic, box sleeve design, and outsole.
While a full Nike tracksuit and Nike headband might have given it away, when he appeared at a press conference on May 22, 2003 to announce which brand he would be signing with, all that was needed was a simple statement:
“I’m a Nike guy” said James.
That statement, his original “LJ23” logo, the “KING23” graphic from his first apparel collection, and the then-viral “CHOSEN1” back tattoo are incorporated into laser graphics along the sneaker.
These SLAM Zoom Generation molded parts that make his much talked about silver Hummer H2 are all chrome in honor of his 18th birthday present. Along the heel, “SLAM” is also embroidered in Hummer font. Both the original “LJ23” logo and the SLAM “S” can be found stitched along the tongue tabs.
For the first time, there’s a collar Swoosh placement, just as designer Aaron Cooper originally envisioned them. The location of the logo was a major debate throughout the year, leading up to the late 2003 launch, with the Swoosh “jumping back and forth” on different designs, according to Coop, until the very end.
“It was a constant question. “Is that a Nike shoe or LeBron’s signature shoe?” Cooper told me last year.
“If he was already famous in the NBA and it was a bolder shoe, it would have been called “Air LeBron” directly, raised the “Swoosh” on the collar and written “KING” instead of “NIKE”. ”
With Nike dropping the aforementioned $90 million and the pressure on the shoe all the while, a bigger logo would only help establish the brand and the player better from the start, so the thinking went.
Before reaching Phil Knight or Mark Parker’s call from the top, the logo dilemma simply resulted in a LeBron vote.
“In our conversations, LeBron felt like he didn’t prove himself,” Cooper continued. “He said: “Since I haven’t played yet, it has to be a Nike shoe first.”
At the very end of the sample process, Cooper grabbed Whiteout to cover the heel Swoosh, and drew a new logo along the midsole of the shoe.
As we all know, LeBron more than proved himself with an updated version of the Air Zoom Generation’s logo placement that speaks to the true generation’s impact on the game and acts as a “bolder shoe” with his legacy long cemented. .
As SLAM turns 30, LeBron has also made an impact on the magazine, readers and sneakers all these years later.
This special edition of the Air Zoom Generation was created for reference by friends and family SLAM teams up with Bron again for one of the most detailed releases of his first signature sneaker to date.
BUY YOUR COPY OF THE 30 YEAR SLAM!
