Nike Names New Building At HQ After LeBron James

Nike announced that it’s expanding its headquarters with a building named after Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James.

Darren Rovell of the Action Network has more details and photos of the proposed structure of the building.

“Nike will name a new building after LeBron James. It will house a Sport Research Lab, a full NBA-size basketball court & 200-meter endurance track + a 15.63% incline outside ramp that extends more than 500 feet and offers athletes hill training.”

Nike explained that the building will house the Advanced Innovation team, a 100-meter straightaway and an artificial turf training pitch. The building will open in 2020.

This is Nike’s sixth building in this expansion. There are buildings named after tennis superstar Serena Williams, two-time Olympic gold medalist runner Sebastian Coe and a fitness center built in honor of Mike Krzyzewski.

Is LeBron excited? You can bet he is.

“It’s so surreal,” says James. “It’s been an honor to be a part of such a great company for the last 18 years. And to know that a building with my name will reside on campus — it’s truly an honor, and I feel truly special.”

Nike provided details of the new building:

  1. The new Nike Sport Research Lab (NSRL) will be five times the size of the team’s current space.
  2. The Advanced Innovation team that will call the building home is comprised of scientists, designers, engineers and more, collectively focusing on inventing the products and services that make all athletes better.
  3. Facilities include a full NBA-size basketball court, a 200-meter endurance track, a 100-meter straightaway and an artificial turf training pitch.
  4. A waffle pattern concrete slab is visible under the fourth floor cantilever, where the NSRL will sit. This engineered, structural approach was selected for functional properties, and the waffle pattern is also an unmistakable nod to Nike’s innovation legacy.
  5. A 15.63 percent incline ramp, just outside the building, extends more than 500 feet and offers athletes a valuable opportunity for training on a campus without natural hills.

LeBron and Nike have released the new signature shoe, and we love the purple coloring.

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