LeBron James brought out a flashy new player exclusive sneaker as he took on the Orlando Magic last Friday night. Dubbed the ‘Florida A&M x LeBron 7 Retro Rattlers,’ the kicks paid tribute to the legendary basketball program at Florida A&M University.

The predominantly orange and green shoes featured FAMU’s ‘Rattlers’ logo on the tongue and heel. On the inner sides of the shoes, LeBron had custom printed messages reading “GOAT against the Magic” and “Long Live the Rattlers.”

These personalized details celebrated James’ on-court dominance over Orlando while showing love to the rich basketball tradition at the historically Black university.

As he laced up the special edition LeBrons before tip-off, fans were eager to see if King James would back up the spirited trash talk printed on his shoes. LeBron certainly delivered with 23 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists – though it wasn’t enough to prevent a blowout loss.

Nonetheless, the striking LeBron 7s added some style to an otherwise dreary night for the Lakers. James once again used his signature line to make a fashion statement through clever concept designs and bold colorways.

The LeBron x FAMU sneakers dropped jaws on social media all weekend. Fans praised the unique concept blending LeBron’s personal GOAT narrative with a nod to an illustrious HBCU athletics program.

While the Lakers’ struggles continue, LeBron’s flair for footwear keeps sneakerheads buzzing. The buzzy ‘Rattlers’ LeBrons were both a stylish tribute and self-affirmation of James’ sustained greatness against a rebuilding Magic franchise