-- NBA FanHouse

Nike Trying to Go the Brand Jordan Route with LeBron's Brand

As mentioned here a few weeks back, the uniforms that the Ohio State basketball team wore during the NCAA tournament had LeBron's LB23 Logo on it. This was amazing to me because it showed that Nike most likely plans to have the LeBron brand become a brand that transcends LeBron's career and is around even after LeBron retires. Nike did the same thing with Jordan Brand when they began placing the Jumpman logo on college jerseys and started having players other than Jordan (including some from outside of the sport of basketball) endorse Jordan Brand products. And just like the Jordan Brand sponsored college teams also wore Air Jordan sneakers, the LeBron Brand sponsored Ohio State team was also outfitted in LeBron's Zoom LeBron IV sneaker. Obviously the move to have LeBron's logo on the Ohio State Uniform would have been better if Ohio State would have actually won the NCAA tournament, but I think it was still a good move on Nike's part. However, I did find a couple of problems with Ohio State's LeBron Brand uniforms.

First, the LB23 logo wasn't prominent enough on the uniform (You could only see it on the shorts...see the photo above). Second, the uniforms weren't even unique. The Arizona Wildcats wore the same exact style of uniform in the post season. The only difference between the uniforms (other than the school names and colors) was that the Arizona uniform contained a Nike logo instead of LeBron's logo. Nike probably should have come up with a unique design for the LeBron version of the Ohio State unis. I guess we'll have to wait until next season to see if the LeBron branding on college uniforms continues.

Previously at Fanhouse:
Ohio State Will Wear LeBron's Logo in the Tournament
Business LeBron Needs Some Assistance
LeBron James vs. Stephon Marbury: The $150 Shoe vs. the $15 Shoe

Ohio State Will Wear LeBron's Logo in the Tournament

I can't tell if this is a truly significant thing, or something beyond trivial, but the Ohio State Buckeyes will not be wearing the traditional Nike logo on their uniforms during the NCAA tournament. Instead, they'll be wearing the LeBron James Nike logo (you can get a better look at it here).

On one hand ...

Never before have the lines between professional and amateur basketball been that blurred. You've got a group of college student athletes taking the floor wearing the logo of a man who had absolutely no use for college. LeBron's very presence almost makes a mockery of college. Not only is he so far past the idea, of college, but now he gets to actually brand the young men who aren't. I'm sure it didn't need it, but imagine the boost that gives to LeBron's ego.

And from LeBron's perspective ... he wants to be a "global icon"? I say this puts him more than halfway there. You see corporate logos on uniforms. You see the Nike swoosh, the three stripes of adidas, the RBK vector ... and now the LBJ23. Is he on that level? And did he get there while playing the most uninspired basketball of his career?

But on the other hand ...

Maybe it's just another corporate logo. Maybe it's just Nike goofing off a little bit, throwing a bone to their star endorser. Maybe it means nothing.

Feels like it does, though.