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LOS ANGELES. — LeBron James may be one of the biggest names on the basketball court, but when it comes to sneaker sales, Michael Jordan still holds the title.
Nike unveiled 10-time All-Star Lebron James’ signature on Tuesday. The LeBron 12 debuted at an event at the company’s headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon.
“This is Nike at its best: We take insights from a world-class athlete in LeBron James to inform forward-thinking designs and create the most innovative shoes,” said Kelly Hibler, Nike basketball VP of footwear.

But despite the buzz surrounding the launch of one of the most acclaimed players, it’s unlikely to have much of an impact on the overall basketball shoe market. LeBron-branded shoe sales top those of any active NBA players, but shoes branded in Jordan’s name still top the overall market, despite the fact that the former Chicago Bull quit the game for good in 2002.

“LeBron may be the highest-selling active basketball player but (he) represents only about 10 percent of Jordan brand sales in 2013,” according to Matt Powell, an analyst at SportsOneSource, a portal for sporting goods professionals. “It’s really a drop in the bucket.”
James’ sneakers brought in US$300 million in sales for Nike in 2013, a tiny fraction of the company’s US$28 billion in revenue. — AFP.