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LeBron James debuts new special edition Liverpool shirt at LA Lakers game

LeBron James debuted his new collaboration shirt with Liverpool on Wednesday, before becoming the first player to hit an NBA scoring record.

With his 46-point game against the LA Clippers on Wednesday night, James became the first in NBA history to score 40 or more points against all 30 franchises.

The LA Lakers icon is also now only 157 points off Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time NBA scoring record, cementing himself as one of the greatest players in history.

That makes his association with Liverpool valuable, particularly in the United States, and before the game at the Crypto.com Arena, James debuted a new shirt in collaboration with the club.

Produced by Nike, the shirt is yet to be released but is expected to be available on a limited edition basis – though its design is likely to be divisive among fans.

Black with vertical stripes, including a red pinstripe and patterned lettering of ‘YNWA’, the shirt will be part of a new LeBron x Liverpool range, with James also wearing a pair of Air Max 1s from the collection.

The shirt features red detailing for the LFC, Nike and LeBron logos, with the latter replacing the usual Standard Chartered sponsor on the front.

Its label, attached towards the bottom of the shirt, reads: “Engineered to the exact specifications of Liverpool FC & LeBron James.”

C883PY LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Saturday, October 15, 2011: LeBron James and Maverick Carter before the Premiership match between Liverpool and Manchester United at Anfield. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Liverpool’s collaboration with James extends a partnership which began in 2011, when the 38-year-old become a minority shareholder in the club as part of a deal with Fenway Sports Group.

More recently, James became a partner within FSG in 2021, when the ownership group sold shares to strengthen their position following the COVID-19 pandemic.

While there are plans to either sell Liverpool or seek new minority investment into the club, FSG are also poised to purchase a new NBA franchise in Las Vegas, which will be led by James when he retires.