In addition to the longtime association between LeBron James and Ohio State basketball, two other prominent college programs will be donning jerseys adorned with the NBA star's Nike logo next season.
One is Miami, the school that has courted James' affection since he signed with the Heat last summer. The other is Kentucky, which has strengthened its ties with James the past two years as a result of his friendship with coach John Calipari.
The South Florida Sun-Sentinel first reported Saturday that Miami, Kentucky and Ohio State had signed deals to be the first three teams to specifically represent the LeBron James brand. It's unclear what the jerseys will look like, but expect it to be along the same lines as the Jordan Brand uniforms worn by North Carolina, Cal and Georgetown.
For Ohio State, Kentucky and Miami to align themselves with James is a wise move from a recruiting standpoint. The NBA star may be a polarizing figure among most hoops fans, but many 16- and 17-year-old prospects still idolize him.
The risk for Ohio State in strengthening its ties to James is that it could alienate a segment of its fan base that feels betrayed by the way he left the Cleveland Cavaliers. Plain Dealer columnist Bill Livingston already penned this column bashing Ohio State for being tone deaf to Cleveland fans' dislike of James, an opinion that some in the comments section of the story seem to share.
There won't be much fan backlash in Lexington or Coral Gables, but Kentucky and Miami should expect to be the brunt of jokes if they play poorly down the stretch of close games. Already the Louisville Courier-Journal's Eric Crawford has spearheaded that movement by making a faux laundry care label for Kentucky's jerseys.
It reads: "Fabric may shrink late in games."
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