The Los Angeles Lakers played their first game since the raging LA wildfires. They had two games scheduled against the Hornets and the Spurs that the NBA postponed for safety reasons. However, they were able to play on Monday night against the Spurs amid the chaos. To pay homage to the firefighters tirelessly working to put out the fires, Lakers superstar LeBron James wore a special colorway of this LeBron 22 sneakers.
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Sports footwear industry expert Nick DePaula posted on X to highlight LeBron’s custom sneakers. The shoes featured a yellow, red and white color palette, and James wrote “L.A.F.D.” on the big yellow swoosh. The LeBron 22 is the recent model of the beloved LeBron shoe line with Nike. The Lakers wore their purple city edition “Lake Show” jerseys, which made the sneakers significantly pop out.
Respect to the @LAFD.@KingJames’ LeBron 22s tonight: pic.twitter.com/gDZ80yOFbD
— Nick DePaula (@NickDePaula) January 14, 2025
LeBron’s gesture fell on the good graces of Lakers fans. Many fans took to X to share their reaction to his commemorative sneakers. However, the only thing preventing the night from being perfect for the Lakers was their inability to capture a win. One fan highlighted their distaste with James’ ball security but acknowledged his sneakers, saying, “His shoes were cool.”
Too many nights off for LeBron to be turning it over like that…
his shoes were cool tho #LAFD❤️
— scuba (@GurnseyBurns) January 14, 2025
Although LeBron’s gesture came from good faith, that didn’t exclude him from the ruthlessness of the internet. Social media finds a way to joke about anything, and one user questioned the design choice of the shoes saying, “What is this McDonalds a** colorway?”
respect to LAFD and Lebron but what is this McDonalds ass colorway https://t.co/zif7RxO19n
— A Boy Has No Name (@_itsderrick) January 14, 2025
Jokes aside, every fan showed their respect for LeBron by acknowledging the hardworking frontline workers. One fan didn’t feel the need to say more than one word. The only word needed to give his reaction was “Respect.”
Respect.
— ˙ʇᴉ ʇnoq (@GolfMamba) January 14, 2025
LeBron is an international icon, and his platform transcends the news for many people. The simple action of wearing these sneakers provides much-needed awareness of the fierce LA wildfires. He is one of the biggest icons in the world who are doing what they can to make a difference in a difficult time for many.