The latest building in the Nike worldwide headquarters expansion is being named in honor of LeBron James, the company announced Thursday.
According to Yahoo Sports, the LeBron James Building is the sixth new building added to the Beaverton, Oregon campus since the expansion started in 2015. The building will house Nike’s Advanced Innovation team, including its state-of-the-art Sports Research Lab. The team is made of “scientists, designers, engineers and more, collectively focusing on inventing the products and services that make all athletes better,” as said in Nike’s announcement.
The new lab will be five times the size of the current facility, including a full NBA-size basketball court, 200-meter track, a 100-meter straight away, and an artificial turf field. There will also be a 500-plus-foot ramp with a 15.63% incline on the outside of the building for athletes to train in lieu of natural hills, Nike said.
“It’s so surreal,” James, 34, said of the honor, according to sources. “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.”
He also shared a heartfelt Instagram post stating:
“Man this is so surreal! When I got the call, this was happening; I couldn’t believe it! I was literally shedding tears. You guys know where I come from, but if you don’t I come from the inner city projects, single mother, only child, and statistics would suggest I would never EVER make it out let alone be alive still to tell you about it. Now I’ll have my own building at the Nike Head World Quarter where my family and I legacy will live on forever. The home of the Advance Innovation team and new state of the art Nike Sports Research Lab! Everything will get made, and lab-tested in my building! Like WHAT?!?!? THIS IS BEYOND CRAZY! I wanna thank Nike once again for taking a chance on a 18-year-old kid from Akron, OH. I’m proud to be #SwooshLifeForLife #JamesGang #striveforgreatness.”
The four-time MVP is 16 years into his relationship with Nike. He signed his first deal shortly after being drafted first overall straight out of high school in 2003. But four years ago, he and Nike doubled down with a lifetime extension rumored to be worth more than a $1 billion.
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