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Michael Jordan wasn’t officially cut from his high school team, otherwise he probably wouldn’t stick Laney’s school colors on his sneakers. MJ was simply assigned to play on the JV team as a sophomore, which is the normal progression, and would go on to play two years on the varsity team before signing with North Carolina. The iconic Air Jordan 5 “Laney”, which is re-releasing for the first time since 2000, isn’t the only SKU that draws inspiration from the Wilmington high school. Although Jordan Brand has kept the varsity royal and maize color scheme limited, it has made appearances on a few releases. Following in the GOAT’s footsteps, other elite NBA players have also had sneakers inspired by their own alma maters.
LeBron James “SVSM” makeups are well-known, but there have been other players that have paid homage to their high schools on signature shoes. Click through the pages to see who else stuck their high school hues onto released sneakers, and tell us who you think has the best one to date in the comment section at the bottom of the page.
LeBron James
High School: St. Vincent St. Mary’s
Shoes: Air Jordan 9 PE
Inspired models: Nike Zoom Soldier “SVSM”, adidas T-Mac 1 “SVSM”, Reebok Question “For Player’s Use Only”
Although King James’ “SVSM” makeups are some of the most sought after of his line, almost all of them have been PEs that were exclusively produced for the team. Outside of the ones made for just the boys in Akron, the green and gold color combination has been seen on Air Force 1s and other non-signature models, with one of the best being the original Zoom Soldier. adidas’ T-Mac 1 “SVSM” and the recent Reebok Question “For Players Use Only” were both released because LBJ originally laced them up in high school.
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