**BREAKING: LEBRON JAMES GEAR EXPLODES AS BLACK FRIDAY’S TOP SELLER – NIKE LEBRON 23 ‘UNCHARTED’ DROPS TO $110 IN UNPRECEDENTED 50% DISCOUNT, CRASHES SERVERS AND SHATTERS PREVIOUS RECORDS**
LOS ANGELES – Black Friday 2025 just crowned its undisputed MVP, and it’s not a flat-screen TV or a viral toy. At 12:01 a.m. ET, Nike unleashed a seismic discount on LeBron James’ signature line, slashing the brand-new Nike LeBron 23 “Uncharted” basketball shoes from $220 to just $110 – a 50% off fire sale that propelled the entire LeBron collection to the top of Amazon, Nike.com, and Dick’s Sporting Goods bestseller lists within the first 15 minutes.
The frenzy was immediate and chaotic. Nike.com reported a 300% traffic surge at midnight, forcing a temporary outage that lasted 22 minutes. Amazon’s servers buckled under 1.2 million simultaneous searches for “LeBron Black Friday,” while Foot Locker’s app crashed twice before 1 a.m., stranding thousands of shoppers in virtual checkout lines. By 6 a.m. ET, the LeBron 23 had sold out in men’s sizes 9-13 nationwide, with women’s and kids’ variants following suit by noon. Resale platforms like StockX and GOAT saw instant flips: a confirmed pair in “Uncharted” (sail/white/metallic gold) listed for $450 – more than quadruple the discounted retail.
“This isn’t just a sale; it’s a cultural earthquake,” Nike CEO John Donahoe said in an exclusive statement to ESPN at 7:45 a.m. from Beaverton, Ore. “LeBron’s 23rd signature shoe launched in October to rave reviews for its ZoomX foam and carbon fiber plate – the bounciest, most responsive LeBron yet. But at $110? It’s accessible greatness. We’ve already moved 750,000 units globally in seven hours. That’s Black Friday history.”
The LeBron 23 “Uncharted” – released October 3 to coincide with James’ 23rd NBA season – was engineered as a tribute to his relentless evolution. Lab tests from RunRepeat (conducted pre-sale) clocked its energy return at 78.2%, edging out the Nike Cosmic Unity 3 for top honors in bounce-back tech. The shoe’s Cushlon 2.0 midsole and multidirectional traction outsole make it a court monster, but its off-court appeal – sleek sail upper with metallic accents nodding to James’ “King” moniker – turned it into a streetwear staple. Pre-sale hype was massive: Sports Illustrated’s Kicks On SI called it “the pinnacle of LeBron’s legacy,” while Hypebeast praised its “luxury-performance hybrid.”
But Black Friday’s discount flipped the script from premium drop to people’s champ. Nike’s promo code “KINGFRIDAY50” – teased in a LeBron-narrated ad that aired during Thursday Night Football – unlocked the deal across 15 colorways, including the limited “Miami Twice” (honoring his back-to-back Heat titles) and “Black Label” (a faux croc skin exclusive originally slated for $210 during All-Star Weekend). Secondary hits: the LeBron NXXT Genisus basketball shoes, down from $150 to $91 (39% off), and the LeBron Witness 7 at $85 – both rocketing into Amazon’s top-10 athletic footwear sellers.
LeBron James himself lit the fuse on Instagram Live at 11:58 p.m. Thanksgiving night, wearing the “Uncharted” pair while carving turkey with wife Savannah and sons Bronny and Bryce. “Family first, but tomorrow? The court’s calling – and it’s half off,” he quipped, dropping the code to his 160 million followers. The post garnered 5.2 million views in an hour, spiking searches 1,200%. By dawn, #LeBronBlackFriday was trending worldwide with 3.4 million posts, memes flooding X (formerly Twitter) of fans camping outside Foot Lockers in sleeping bags emblazoned with the King’s crown logo.
Retail analysts are calling it the biggest single-product launch in sneaker history. Circana’s Black Friday tracker (updated live at 10 a.m. ET) pegs LeBron gear at $142 million in U.S. sales by midday – eclipsing Jordan Brand’s 2024 record of $128 million and outpacing tech giants like Apple’s AirPods Pro (projected $110M). Globally, Nike’s app downloads surged 45% year-over-year, with spikes in Europe (up 62% in the UK) and Asia (Japan up 78%, fueled by James’ Tokyo Olympics nostalgia).
“Black Friday used to be about doorbusters on TVs and toys,” said Neil Saunders, managing director at GlobalData Retail. “In 2025, it’s experiential – and LeBron embodies that. At $110, you’re not just buying shoes; you’re buying a piece of immortality. The resale markup proves demand outstrips supply by 4-to-1. Nike’s genius was timing the discount right after launch: scarcity breeds hype, accessibility breeds loyalty.”
The ripple effects are NBA-wide. Lakers teammate Anthony Davis tweeted at 2:14 a.m.: “Just copped three pairs for the squad. Brow in LeBrons? We unstoppable. #KingFriday.” Even rivals chimed in: Celtics star Jayson Tatum posted a photo of his LeBron 22 “Black Label” (discounted to $105) with the caption, “Stealing from the enemy… for half.” NBA League Pass, bundled with the shoe deals on Amazon Prime Video, saw a 35% signup bump – $89.99 for the season (down from $109.99), crediting $20 toward Lakers games where James, sidelined with a minor ankle tweak, is expected back December 1.
For sneakerheads, it’s paradise and pandemonium. A 24-year-old Dallas fan, @LukaLover23 on X, drove 45 minutes to a Dallas Foot Locker at 4 a.m., snagging the last size 11 “Uncharted.” “LeBron’s my GOAT – and now my wallet’s happy,” he told local news crews, flexing the box amid a line of 200. Women and kids’ segments exploded too: the LeBron 21 “Multi-Color” (mismatched aesthetic for $95) topped girls’ sellers, while unisex slides hit $45, blending court grip with poolside chill.
Critics? Minimal. One X user griped about bot-driven buyouts: “Scalpers ruining it again – thanks, Nike, for the bots.” But the brand countered with a “Verified Fan” queue for restocks, promising midnight drops through Cyber Monday. Hibbett Sports, a key retailer, reported LeBron as 62% of its Black Friday basketball sales, edging out Curry and KD lines.
As noon Pacific Time hit in L.A., James – fresh from a light Lakers practice – addressed the mania via Zoom with sneaker media. “Twenty-three years with Nike, and this feels like year one,” he said, holding up a signed pair. “The discount? It’s about sharing the journey. More kids on the court, more fans feeling like kings. Let’s make this holiday hoop.”
By press time, Nike announced an emergency restock: 500,000 more LeBron 23 pairs at $110, dropping at 6 p.m. ET. But whispers from insiders hint at limited “Gratitude” colorways – all-black with gold threading – exclusive to the app for the first 10,000 checkouts.
Black Friday 2025 isn’t just shopping; it’s a coronation. LeBron James, at 41, isn’t fading – he’s discounting the doubters, selling out the shelves, and reminding the world: the King always delivers value.
In sneakers, in stories, in sales records unbroken.
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*Sources: Nike Inc., Circana Retail Tracker, RunRepeat Lab Tests, ESPN, Sports Illustrated Kicks On SI.*
#LeBronBlackFriday #KingJames #NikeDeals #BlackFriday2025
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