Aaron Hope 
‘What if’ is a question sports fans and sneakerheads love to ask. Talking heads on TV and the net handle the former debates while color-swap customizers take the latter into their own hands, very often borrowing palettes from LeBron James’ signature line. Guys like Mache, El Cappy and C2 specialize in appropriating noteworthy styles, but almost all of those manifested on the LeBron 8 came on the first version, not its Flywire-shelled follow-up. So while nobody gave us a handcrafted look at the vintage Cleveland Cavaliers colors on the Nike LeBron 8 V/2, it looks like Nike Basketball would have been ready for a scenario whereby ‘The Decision’ kept King James in his home state. This fan favorite ‘Hardwood Classics’ palette features speckling on its full-length Max Air cushion just like the Air Max LeBron VII Hyperfuse ‘HWC’ sample we saw a year ago that might be this one’s closest kin. Click through for a better look at one of the gems from a season that could have been and stick with Sneaker News for more rare Nike LeBron samples. Photos: LRJ23
