Michael Jordan's Jumpman logo has long appeared on the basketball uniforms for his alma mater, the University of North Carolina, but its spread to other programs and sports has been a recent phenomenon. The University of Michigan's football team became the first to adopt the logo in 2016, and the Air Jordan insignia crossed over to soccer on Paris Saint Germain's uniforms two years later. Jordan's own NBA team, the Charlotte Hornets, began rocking its owner's logo in 2017 — and this year all 30 NBA teams have worn the Jumpman on their chest for the very first time.
LeBron James still has a long way for his logo to reach the same level of ubiquity, but the process has already begun. Nike has announced his "LJ" crown logo will appear on Florida A&M's men's and women's basketball uniforms as part of a new six-year partnership with the university. This marks the second college team to don James' logo, following Ohio State University in 2019.
Even though James didn't attend college, OSU was a natural starting point for establishing his logo as a replacement for the Nike Swoosh. He grew up as a fan of the school's athletic programs and has said he would have played for OSU had he not gone to the NBA straight out of high school. Florida A&M doesn't have any established ties to LeBron, but it does provide the opportunity for him to support a historically black university.
First things first, sneakers —
Nike has yet to unveil its crown-clad uniforms for FAMU, but it's already revealed a school-specific color scheme of the LeBron 18 basketball sneaker. The shoe is split into two distinct halves, which are rendered in the school's orange and green for the player-exclusive. Inside, FAMU's Rattler mascot appears on the shoe's insole alongside James' signature.
James wore the sneakers for a March 2 game against the Phoenix Suns, two days before the full significance of them would be explained. "Nike has long supported Florida A&M Athletics, he said in a press release, "And I’m committed to lifting up HBCU’s, so I was happy I rocked a pair of the PEs in-game and showcased a piece of what’s to come for the men’s and women’s basketball programs."
Going forward, FAMU's men's and women's basketball teams will wear unis, sneakers, and apparel all from James' Nike line. Don't be surprised if more schools follow in the near future, especially once James decides to retire.
