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LeBron James and the LA Lakers closed out 2023 with a matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans. The All-Star forward broke out a special pair of shoes for the New Year's Eve game.
Since dropping the "LeBron 21," LeBron James has donned multiple different colorways. During the game against the Pelicans, he was wearing the "Abalone" shoe.
While some of the colorways he's worn aren't available for purchase, that isn't the case here. This pair can be found on Nike's website and is selling for $210. Some of the other editions on their site include "Freshwater," "Dragon Pearl," "Akoya" and "Tahitian."
These shoes marked the 21st addition to the LA Lakers' star's line. They were released on Sep. 28, about a month before the regular season got underway.
Since entering the NBA, LeBron James has been one of the faces of the inconic brand. Their partnership has gone so well that in 2015 Nike signed him to a lifetime contract. At the time, Michael Jordan was the only other athlete to have such a deal. Since then, Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant has also locked in a lifetime partnership with Nike.
How did LeBron James and the LA Lakers perform agains the Pelicans?
Since winning the In-Season Tournament, the LA Lakers have had their fair share of struggles. Despite a strong performance from LeBron James, they were unable to take down the New Orleans Pelicans and finish 2023 with a win.
Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum all notched 20+ points in the Pelicans 129-109 win over the Lakers. LeBron James led the way for LA, finishing with a stat line of 34 points, five rebounds and eight assists. Anthony Davis (20 points, 10 rebounds) and Austin Reaves (20 points, nine assists) also did what they could to help lead the team to victory.
With this loss, the Lakers now drop to .500 on the year at 17-17. They currently sit in ninth place and are eight-and-a-half games behind the top-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves.
Since beating the Pacers in the In-Season Tournament final, the Lakers have had 11 games. In that stretch, they have a 3-9 record. If they want any shot at achieving their goal of contending, they'll need to turn things around fast.
Getting back on track won't be easy as LeBron and company will have to face a handful of star-studded teams in the near future. Next up on the schedule is a meeting with the Miami Heat. After that, they have matchups against the LA Clippers, Phoenix Suns and OKC Thunder.
