Lionsgate Partners for the U.S. Tour with James’ Film, More Than a Game

BEAVERTON, Ore. (July 28, 2009) -- Nike announces a World Tour featuring NBA Most Valuable Player LeBron James that will span three continents over two months focusing on empowering youth, community service, grassroots basketball activities, and basketball innovation through the introduction of the Nike Air Max LeBron VII.

James’ World Tour will operate in conjunction with the promotional tour for the Lionsgate film, More Than a Game, which traces James’ journey through adolescence both on and off the court with his teammates from Saint Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio. Lionsgate is expecting to release the film in theaters on October 2nd, with an expansion on October 9th, and a wider expansion on October 16th.

Nike will introduce James’ next signature performance shoe, the Nike Air Max LeBron VII, in advance of the World Tour which begins in Chicago on August 11.

From Chicago, the World Tour moves onto Washington, D.C. (August 13) and James’ hometown of Akron, Ohio (August 21); Beijing (August 24), Shenyang (August 26), and Shanghai (August 28) in China; and Paris (Sept 1-3) and London (September 4-5). The Tour returns to the U.S. in New York (September 20) before concluding in Los Angeles (September 26).

“More than a Game will enable kids all around the world to learn that they can achieve their dreams and goals through hard work and perseverance, not just in basketball but in whatever they decide to do in life,” said LeBron James. “We can all give back and make a difference in many different ways which I hope to convey and lead by example.”

Community Involvement

In each market, Nike and James will issue a call to action among youth to change their lives while improving their neighborhoods. Nike Basketball aims to engage and mobilize young men and women to serve their community through sport and create a positive change in their own backyards.

In addition to this community effort, James will attend Nike-hosted basketball skills clinics and celebrations where residents can unwind and have fun with James. Participants will be able to play basketball, develop their basketball skills, and learn more about Nike’s new padded base layer called Nike Pro Combat and SPARQ Training (Speed, Power, Agility, Reaction, Quickness), all in an interactive environment.

Artist Series

As part of the community celebrations, James will be presented with an exclusive pair of Nike Air Max LeBron VIIs featuring a city-inspired design created by a local artist.

Nike is collaborating with ten artists, each from a different city along the World Tour, to create unique designs for the Nike Air Max LeBron VII. James will receive a pair from each artist representing each city, creating a 10-pair collection that will be auctioned after the World Tour with proceeds going to support James’ global community service initiatives.

The artists, who will present James with their creation, were encouraged to push the creative envelope and bring the cities’ special characteristics to life on the shoe.

While the artist-renditions of the Nike Air Max LeBron VII will not be available at retail, Nike is proud to release 123 limited-edition pairs of the Nike Air Max LeBron VII in each tour city. Each of the 123 pairs will feature an image from the More Than A Game film inset on the lateral side of the shoe near the heel. Each city will feature a different image.

Tour Schedule

• Chicago, Illinois August 11
• Washington D.C. August 13
• Akron, Ohio August 21
• Beijing, China August 24
• Shenyang, China August 26
• Shanghai, China August 28
• Paris, France September 2-3
• London, England September 4-5
• NYC, New York September 20
• LA, California September 26

Details will be available as the LeBron James World Tour kicks off in August. Fans will be able to follow the tour from beginning to end on www.nikebasketball.com.

About Nike

NIKE, Inc. based near Beaverton, Oregon, is the world's leading designer, marketer and distributor of authentic athletic footwear, apparel, equipment and accessories for a wide variety of sports and fitness activities. Wholly owned Nike subsidiaries include Cole Haan Holdings Incorporated, which designs, markets and distributes luxury shoes, handbags, accessories and coats; Converse Inc., which designs, markets and distributes athletic footwear, apparel and accessories; Hurley International LLC, which designs, markets and distributes action sports and youth lifestyle footwear, apparel and accessories; and Umbro Ltd., a leading United Kingdom-based global football (soccer) brand. For more information, visit www.nikebiz.com.

About LeBron James

LeBron James, 2009 NBA Most Valuable Player, is an internationally recognized basketball superstar who plays for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Selected to the NBA All-Star team every year since he joined the league as the overall No. 1 pick in the 2003 draft, LeBron has electrified fans across the globe with his dazzling play and record-breaking achievements. He is the youngest player in NBA history to win Rookie of the Year honors and reach 12,000 career points. LeBron served as a co-captain of the Team USA basketball team that won the Gold Medal with an undefeated record at the 2008 Summer Olympics in China. Off the court, LeBron James is actively involved in a wide range of philanthropic endeavors, and through the LeBron James Family Foundation, he hosts the King for Kids Bike-a-thon in Akron, Ohio, whose proceeds are donated to the Akron Area YMCA and the Akron Urban League. In addition, as part of an on-going initiative that began in 2008 during the NBA All-Star activities in New Orleans, LeBron and his foundation installed a playground at the St. Bernard Recreation Center, and in 2009, in Phoenix, during the All-Star activities, a playground was installed at the Robson Boys and Girls Club, in Phoenix, Arizona.

About More Than A Game

Five talented young basketball players from Akron, Ohio star in this remarkable true-life coming of age story about uncommon friendship in the face all too common adversities. Coached by a charismatic but inexperienced player’s father, and led by future NBA superstar LeBron James, the “Fab Five’s” improbable seven-year journey leads them from a decrepit inner-city gym to the doorstep of a national high school championship. Along the way, the close-knit team is repeatedly tested—both on and off the court—as James’ exploding worldwide celebrity threatens to destroy everything they’ve set out to achieve together. More Than A Game combines a series of unforgettable one-on-one interviews with rare news footage, never-before-seen home videos and personal family photographs to bring this heart-warming and wholly American story to life.

Lionsgate and Harvey Mason Media in association with Interscope Records present a Harvey Mason Media Production in association with Galley Boy and Spring Hill Productions a film by Kristopher Belman. More Than A Game is written by Kristopher Belman & Brad Hogan and directed by Kristopher Belman. The film features LeBron James, Sian Cotton, Dru Joyce III, Willie McGee, Romeo Travis and Coach Dru Joyce II. For more information, visit www.morethanagamemovie.com.

For more information, including multi-media materials, please visit: www.nikemedia.com.