Basketball Teams For Miami, Ohio State, Kentucky To Sport LeBron-Branded Nike Gear

The Univ. of Miami men's basketball team "will be sporting LeBron James-branded Nike gear this coming season thanks to a sponsorship deal with the Miami Heat superstar," according to sources cited by Steve Gorten of the South Florida SUN-SENTINEL. James will have similar deals with Ohio State and Kentucky, following in the "footsteps of Michael Jordan, whose Jordan Brand is the official equipment supplier of his alma mater, North Carolina." James has "no direct ties to any of the three schools he'll be sponsoring," but he is "known as an Ohio State fan." James also "built a relationship with UM when he and some Heat teammates played pick-up games with Hurricanes players on campus last summer." Gorten noted James' sponsorship and "support of the Hurricanes should generate interest in a program that has continually lacked fan support" (South Florida SUN-SENTINEL, 7/9).