LeBron to crusade for shoeless children

BEAVERTON – LeBron James may start a new campaign to provide for shoeless kids playing basketball. The Cleveland Cavaliers star said “it would be a great conversation for us to have,” presumably referring to his Nike connections with whom he could partner in coming to the aid of the less fortunate youth.

James was reminded of Filipino kids playing barefoot in sandlots during a media interview on the occasion of the launch of his latest signature shoe LeBron 12 at the Nike World Headquarters here Tuesday.

“I loved it,” said James on his trip to Manila last year. “The one great thing about the Philippines is the passion around the game of basketball. It’s unbelievable. I was happy to be a part of the culture.” He half-jokingly asked when the Philippines would invite him for another visit.

Regarding the shoeless kids, James said for him, it would be “great” to be involved in a project to provide for the poor. “You want to be able to inspire kids, give back to kids. You want to try to hit all parts of the world where you can support kids. No matter where we go, we always try to do things that are bigger than basketball, whether it’s a court dedication or refurbish a better court, to make it more playable for the kids or give out basketballs to kids who can’t afford to play. We don’t want kids getting injured or hurting themselves because they don’t have shoes to play. For a next step, hopefully, we can provide (for the shoeless kids). We can’t promise it but hopefully, we can provide that.”

James said he’s excited to wear the LeBron 12 because it took so long to perfect the model to his specifications and requirements. “We have a great relationship with (shoe designer) Jason (Petrie),” he said. “We come to each other and say is it performing for you and if I say no to a design, they try to figure it out. We continue to go through that process. It got to a point where we knew that for both sides, that (LeBron) 11 wouldn’t be able to perform how we wanted it to perform. From that point on, we started No. 12. To get the 12 exactly where we wanted, trying to improve it every single day. Taking into account the actual 18 months it actually takes to make the shoe and during the season, in January and February, all the way now to September, we got it to a point where I’ve been going intense in my workouts the last few weeks and it’s everything that I’ve wanted in my shoe so we’re excited about it.”

James said he’s looking forward to playing for Cleveland which he left to move to Miami in 2010. Asked to compare how it was like with the Cavs four years ago and how it is today, James said the potential to excel is evident this season. “I can’t compare it yet because we had a full season in 2009-10 and we haven’t even started yet,” he said. “Potentially, we can be better than that team in 2009 but potential is only a conversation piece. You actually have to put out the hard work. That 2009 team, we fell short but we worked very hard to get to where we wanted. We worked hard every single day, never short-cutting any process along the way and let’s just see what happens. Potentially, we can be better for sure, we can be better than a lot of teams in the NBA.”

As for Kevin Durant spurning an offer to transfer to Under Armor and staying with Nike, James said who wouldn’t want to wear the Swoosh? “We’re a family at Nike,” he said. “In my posts, I congratulated Serena Willliams on winning the US Open. We protect each other, we want each other to win multiple championships, whether it’s on the field, on the grass, on clay, on the hardwood, whatever it is. As a Nike athlete, we want everyone to succeed and we look at it as a family.”

At the Nike World Headquarters, there are 17 buildings and nearly all are named in honor of Nike sporting legends like Michael Jordan, Nolan Ryan, Bo Jackson, Tiger Woods, Mike Schmidt, Jerry Rice, John McEnroe, Pete Sampras and Mia Hamm. All over the 200-acre Campus are banners showing the wide range of Nike athletes from Chris Paul to Kobe Bryant to Paul Pierce to paralympian Sarah Reinertsen whose left leg was amputed from above the knee at the age of seven. Despite the handicap, Reinertsen often races in marathons and competes in triathlon events. The sense of family is pervasive at the World Headquarters where at the center is a six-acre lake that is seven feet deep.

James said during the offseason, he challenged himself to be in the best shape to get ready for the season. He’s lost at least 10 pounds. He’s leaner, more responsive, more explosive and more agile. “But I’m not at the point where I can be pushed around,” he said. “I feel good. It was a mental challenge, how my body would react to the training. It’s an eye-opener.”

James will be playing for a rookie NBA coach David Blatt who checks in with a wealth of international experience. Blatt likes to play the international style where the bigs roam the perimeter and hardly anyone posts up. He is expected to make the Cavs a more dynamic NBA squad with a lot of ball movement and players setting multiple picks.