For those interested in walking a mile in LeBron James’ shoes, that dream can become a reality early next year.
The signed basketball shoes James wore during his first high school championship for the 1999-2000 season will be available at auction via Heritage Auctions on Feb. 25, 2023.
Per Heritage Auctions, the shoes have an estimated value of $200,000. They hold significance by being the shoes worn by James as he began building his legend.
James (37,758 points) is 629 points behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387 points) for the most points in NBA history. The four-time NBA champion will likely pass Abdul-Jabbar later this season.
The shoes were originally gifted to his stepfather, Eddie Jackson. In a note released by Heritage Auctions, Jackson notes, “LeBron’s performance in the championship game, with 25 points and nine rebounds en route to victory, earned him national attention for the first time.”
The auction house notes the pair of Jordans “exhibit marvelous wear suggesting far more than a single game’s action” and that “its $130 price tag [represents] one of the last times James would pay somebody else to wear their sneakers, rather than the other way around.”
The shoes may not become the most expensive item sold from James’ high school days.
In 2021, the jersey he wore on his Sports Illustrated high school cover shoot fetched $512,000, per Oregon Live, after originally selling for $187,500 in 2019.
