The Sneaker News March Madness Nike LeBron Tournament started off with a bang this week, with thirty-two of the best Nike LeBrons in history beginning the battle towards singular supremacy. It has been a steady rise to the top for LeBron and his kicks, but that’s not saying that there weren’t any bumps in the road. With that said, LBJ is sitting uncontested at the top right now, and with his rise in success is the increasing popularity of his sneakers. But what’s the single best LeBron of all-time? That’s what we’re set out to establish in 2014, with you, our loyal reader, being the sole determinant of that lofty decision. The Round 1 polls of the LeBron Tournament will stay open until Sunday, March 23rd at 11:59 PM EST, so be sure to get your votes in and stay tuned for the full reveal of the Sweet 16 on Monday.
SOUTH REGION
MATCHUP #1 – This Low-top LeBron managed to capture the #1 seed in the South region, and it goes up against the notable “Yankees” LeBron 5.
MATCHUP #2 – A regime change within Nike was represented by this #2 seed – the “Red Carpet” designed by Jason Petrie. It goes up against the popular colorway inspired by LeBron’s favorite TV show Entourage.
MATCHUP #3 – A sequel of sorts to South Beach is the “Miami Vice” Elite 9. It has a tough task of beating out the LeBron 2 that he wore during the 2005 All-Star game.
MATCHUP #4 – Another tough 4 vs. 5 is here: the “Cannon” LeBron 9 faces off against the “Denim” LeBron 10 EXT.
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MIDWEST REGION
MATCHUP #1 – The “Big Bang” throws down with a pair of lifestyle-friendly LeBron 3s that released around LBJ’s birthday. Do you smell an upset?
MATCHUP #2 – Don’t count out the lowtops: the #2 seed is the controversial Miami Nights/Flamingo, but it has a daunting task in defeating the MVP LeBron 6.
MATCHUP #3 – This 3 vs. 6 face-off is a coinflip for sure: while the LeBron 10 Elite “Championship” has a lot of momentum, the reflective hardwood detailing on these All-Star LeBron 7s might take away some votes.
MATCHUP #4 – This pivotal match-up pins two of the older, more respected LeBrons against each other. One is the wild NYC Remix, while the other is the famed “Wheat” that LeBron wore during the 2004 All-Star festivities.
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EAST REGION
MATCHUP #1 – Arguably the favorite to win the entire tournament, the LeBron 11 South Beach, goes up again the All-Star colorway of the most recent signature shoe.
MATCHUP #2 – Quite a pair of contrasting opponents here: the #2 seed “What The MVP” goes against an inline colorway of LeBron’s first shoe – the Air Zoom Generation.
MATCHUP #3 – The “Fruity Pebbles” was undoubtedly the first “hunted” shoe in this pool of 32 Nike LeBrons. It goes up against the unique spin on China called the “Blue Flame” LeBron 9.
MATCHUP #4 – The 4 vs. 5 proves to be another coinflip as we see the lux “Crown Jewel” LeBron 10 face off against one of the most popular Dunkman LeBron ever.
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WEST REGION
MATCHUP #1 – The first contest in the Nike LeBron tournament begins with two icons of the game – the “Cork” that celebrated LeBron’s first NBA Championship, and the “Sprite” which paid an homage to an earlier PE.
MATCHUP #2 – There are two intriguing stories in this duel – the LeBron 9 Elite was the shoe he wore to win his first NBA Title, while the LeBron 3 represented one of the four characters in the memorable “The LeBrons” ad campaign.
MATCHUP #3 – Nike launches the LeBron 11 with this awesome King’s Pride colorway. We pin it against the first-ever LeBron signature Dunkman release, seen here in LeBron 5 form.
MATCHUP #4 – Two big occasions are represented in this pivotal 4 vs. 5 match-up. The Air Zoom Generation was LeBron’s first-ever NBA Home game, while the LeBron 4 was a Birthday surprise for the budding superstar.