- Basketball legend LeBron James was captured wearing Nike sneakers that can only be bought after minting an NFT
- The digital collectibles associated with the kicks are owned by RTFKT, a Nike subsidiary
- James also received a Clone X avatar from RTFKT
NBA legend LeBron James was seen wearing Nike sneakers that are only accessible after minting an Ethereum-based NFT created by RTFKT, a subsidiary of Nike. The basketball star also received an honorary Clone X avatar from RTFKT COO Nikhil Gopalani who lost some of his NFTs to a clever phisher in January. However, it’s not clear whether Jame’s involvement is part of his ongoing sponsorship agreement with the sneakers manufacturer.
An NFT Nike Sneaker Comes Before a Physical Sneaker
James was wearing the RTFKT x Nike Air Force 1 Genesis sneakers which only 1,776 will ever be manufactured. To get one of the limited-edition sneakers, you must first mint a digital collectible which gives you the right to purchase the physical sneaker.
Sneakers for a KING 👑 pic.twitter.com/lYX4UBrMxX
— RTFKT (@RTFKT) May 3, 2023
A photo of the NBA legend wearing the NFT-linked kicks quickly made rounds on Twitter with some NFT supporters suggesting that James should be invited to a podcast to “talk about this experience.” Others noted that the event is a positive sign in the Web 3.0 world, probably indicating that more people are likely to be persuaded by such acts to board the NFT train.
We got onboard the legend @KingJames to @RTFKT with his 1/1 👑 Clone X
W/ @Nikgopalani pic.twitter.com/7a0prcUwWI— Zaptio RTFKT (@Zaptio) May 3, 2023
Apart from RTFKT holders, the occurrence also excites Clone X NFT holders. Digital artworks in the Clone X collection have attracted a tangible following generating over $800 million worth of trading volume so far.
Adidas Also in the Game
Despite Nike’s involvement in the NFT space through its subsidiary, the company operates the .Swoosh platform that offers Nike’s products in digital form. Other leading sportswear brands such as Adidas have also expressed interest in the Web 3.0 space with different offerings such as NFTs.
With the NBA legend inducing hype around RTFKT and Clone X NFTs, it’s yet to be seen whether the hype will be reflected in the collectibles trading volume this week.
