James regretted not signing Doncic when he was a shoe free agent last fallNBA/GETTY IMAGES
LeBron James revealed that he "wanted to start his own 'Team LeBron' Nike brand and that he coveted" Mavericks G Luka Doncic as his first signee, according to Brad Townsend of the DALLAS MORNING NEWS. James, during an interview with Spectrum SportsNet, regretted not signing Doncic when he was a shoe free agent last fall and said, "I feel like it's going to haunt me a little bit." James said, "I wanted him to be my guy. I wanted him to be my first guy because I just love what he stands for. I love everything about him both on the court and off the court." James added that he "doubts that Doncic even knew of his plan." Townsend notes Doncic ultimately "signed a multi-year contract with Jordan Brand, so he's still under the Nike umbrella, but a James-Doncic combo would have been brilliant co-branding." A James-Doncic apparel connection "would have had intriguing commercial possibilities in a passing-of-the-torch sense" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 12/3).
