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Nike press release...
LeBron James and Nike Team Up for World Tour Spanning 10 Cities Throughout U.S., China, Europe
28 July, 2009
Lionsgate Partners for the U.S. Tour with James' Film, More Than a Game
BEAVERTON, Ore. (July 28, 2009) -- Nike announces a World Tour featuring NBA Most Valuable Player LeBron James that will span three continents over two months focusing on empowering youth, community service, grassroots basketball activities, and basketball innovation through the introduction of the Nike Air Max LeBron VII.
James' World Tour will operate in conjunction with the promotional tour for the Lionsgate film, More Than a Game, which traces James' journey through adolescence both on and off the court with his teammates from Saint Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio. Lionsgate is expecting to release the film in theaters on October 2nd, with an expansion on October 9th, and a wider expansion on October 16th.
Nike will introduce James' next signature performance shoe, the Nike Air Max LeBron VII, in advance of the World Tour which begins in Chicago on August 11.
From Chicago, the World Tour moves onto Washington, D.C. (August 13) and James' hometown of Akron, Ohio (August 21); Beijing (August 24), Shenyang (August 26), and Shanghai (August 2in China; and Paris (Sept 1-3) and London (September 4-5). The Tour returns to the U.S. in New York (September 20) before concluding in Los Angeles (September 26).
"More than a Game will enable kids all around the world to learn that they can achieve their dreams and goals through hard work and perseverance, not just in basketball but in whatever they decide to do in life," said LeBron James. "We can all give back and make a difference in many different ways which I hope to convey and lead by example."
Community Involvement
In each market, Nike and James will issue a call to action among youth to change their lives while improving their neighborhoods. Nike Basketball aims to engage and mobilize young men and women to serve their community through sport and create a positive change in their own backyards.
In addition to this community effort, James will attend Nike-hosted basketball skills clinics and celebrations where residents can unwind and have fun with James. Participants will be able to play basketball, develop their basketball skills, and learn more about Nike's new padded base layer called Nike Pro Combat and SPARQ Training (Speed, Power, Agility, Reaction, Quickness), all in an interactive environment.
Artist Series
As part of the community celebrations, James will be presented with an exclusive pair of Nike Air Max LeBron VIIs featuring a city-inspired design created by a local artist.
Nike is collaborating with ten artists, each from a different city along the World Tour, to create unique designs for the Nike Air Max LeBron VII. James will receive a pair from each artist representing each city, creating a 10-pair collection that will be auctioned after the World Tour with proceeds going to support James' global community service initiatives.
The artists, who will present James with their creation, were encouraged to push the creative envelope and bring the cities' special characteristics to life on the shoe.
While the artist-renditions of the Nike Air Max LeBron VII will not be available at retail, Nike is proud to release 123 limited-edition pairs of the Nike Air Max LeBron VII in each tour city. Each of the 123 pairs will feature an image from the More Than A Game film inset on the lateral side of the shoe near the heel. Each city will feature a different image.
Tour Schedule
- Chicago, Illinois August 11
- Washington D.C. August 13
- Akron, Ohio August 21
- Beijing, China August 24
- Shenyang, China August 26
- Shanghai, China August 28
- Paris, France September 2-3
- London, England September 4-5
- NYC, New York September 20
- LA, California September 26
Details will be available as the LeBron James World Tour kicks off in August. Fans will be able to follow the tour from beginning to end on nikebasketball.com.
