In a move that blends his past, present, and future, LeBron James has just unveiled his latest major project. The NBA superstar teamed up with Nike Basketball for a surprise announcement on Wednesday, launching a new initiative that directly taps into the most iconic part of his personal brand.

The announcement came via a stylish teaser video posted on Nike Basketball’s official Instagram page. The campaign is called “The Chosen Ones.” The video opens with a powerful voiceover from LeBron himself, setting a serious and inspirational tone for the project.

“They say it’s good to be the king, but remember, heavy is the crown,” James says in the video. “So know that being the chosen one is more than a nickname, it’s a responsibility, a daily obligation, a weight unbearable to most shoulders.”

The narration continues, outlining the campaign’s mission to find the next generation of leaders. “From Akron to New York to LA, we’re looking to discover who’s ready to leave a new legacy on the court and wear the crown with their head held high,” James states. “This is The Chosen Ones.”

The video is a visual journey through LeBron’s own career, featuring clips from his high school days at St. Vincent-St. Mary to his NBA tenures with the Cavaliers, Heat, and Lakers.

It also includes modern footage of his son, Bronny James, playing for Sierra Canyon. The teaser culminates in the reveal of three custom basketball jerseys.

The jerseys represent three elite high school programs with deep ties to LeBron. A maroon jersey represents Christ the King High School in Queens, New York. A blue jersey is for Sierra Canyon School in Los Angeles, California.

A white jersey features “STVM” for St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio, which is LeBron’s alma mater.

Each jersey bears the number one, with subtle repeating text inside the digit. The Christ the King jersey includes the phrase “Family Affair.”

The Sierra Canyon jersey features the phrases “SC we are” and “we are SC”. The video concludes by announcing a series of three events at these schools scheduled for December 2025.

A Legacy Forged Over Decades

The “Chosen One” moniker is the cornerstone of LeBron’s identity, a label he has carried since his teenage years. He famously had “Chosen One” tattooed across his back while still a student at St. Vincent-St. Mary.

The phrase was immortalized on the cover of Sports Illustrated in 2002 when he was just 17 years old.

This new initiative is not the first of its kind. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, in partnership with Nike and LeBron, previously launched the Chosen-1’s Invitational in 2021. This event was held at the Staples Center and featured a core group of schools, including Christ the King, Sierra Canyon, and St. Vincent-St. Mary, the same schools involved in the current campaign.

The invitational showcased top high school basketball talent and aimed to inspire the next generation, similar to the new initiative’s goals.

The campaign also arrives as Nike is in the midst of celebrating LeBron’s 23rd NBA season with a massive shoe and apparel rollout. The LeBron XXIII signature shoe line features 23 different colorways, each telling a story from his career.

One colorway, called “The Chosen One and the One Who Chose,” specifically honors the historic moment when LeBron and his son, Bronny, became the first father-son duo to play together in the NBA.

This colorway features a mismatched design with metallic gold representing LeBron and deep purple for Bronny, reflecting both family connection and Lakers team colors.