LeBron James new shoes: Lakers star debuts USC LeBron 21 PE's, pays homage to Bronny James and family

Things might be going far from ideal for the LA Lakers and LeBron James. Currently ninth in the Western Conference, the Lakers are looking at a struggle to make the playoffs and just suffered what was their second loss in three games, against the Phoenix Suns.

Despite 28 points, 12 assists, and 7 rebounds from James himself, the Lakers failed to keep up with their opponents and crashed to a soft victory.

Jusuf Nurkic put in a commanding display which included 18 points and 22 rebounds, with four other Suns’ stars scoring at least 20 points. While it all proved too much for the Yellow and Purple, James himself did well and was once again his team’s best player.

What’s more, he also used the opportunity to show off a specific red colorway of the LeBron James 21, which made its debut in retail recently, in November 2023. The sneaker not only allowed LeBron to introduce the red colorway to his fans but also included a heartwarming tribute to his family.

Not set to be released to the public, the USC Trojans-inspired variant had the names of all of LeBron’s children (Bronny, Bryce, and Zhuri Nova) and also featured the USC Trojans logo on the tongue. The shoes effectively proved, once again, his love for his family and the extent to which he is generally willing to show it.

Lakers form a worry despite LeBron James' form

While the LeBron 21 surely impressed fans, LA Lakers supporters will be more concerned with how the season is going. James and company have failed to redeem themselves in recent weeks and have consistently lost games.

The Lakers had every opportunity to put the Suns under pressure in the recent matchup. However, poor decision-making and shot selection were apparent once again, more so when it mattered the most. James has been left too many times with too much to do, and while his fellow superstar Anthony Davis has also been in impressive form, a well-oiled Suns unit proved to be too much to handle.

Rather than the season representing under-performances from the LA Lakers, it seems as if the current roster has reached its highest potential. At the moment, the Lakers appear to be stuck in a rut and need a huge change in fortunes to give fans some hope, once again.