LeBron James Fuels Retirement Speculation With Nike LeBron 23 “Closing Ceremony” PE

Let the overthinking begin. With the Lakers facing an uphill climb against the OKC Thunder in the second round of the playoffs, LeBron James took the court for Game 3 in a new Nike LeBron 23 PE that’s added fuel to season-long speculation over his potential retirement.

The shoes draw from the Kith x Nike LeBron 15 “Closing Ceremony” from 2018, a relic from a bygone era of Kith x Nike Basketball collaborations we wouldn’t mind seeing revived. That pair, essentially a black counterpart to the Kith x Nike LeBron 15 “King’s Cloak” from earlier that year, marked the final LeBron 15 release and was named as such, featuring ornate gold lion graphics among vines and red roses. The LeBron 23 PE follows the same playbook, applying stitched graphics across the mesh upper while keeping the rest of the shoe pure black.

So with the Lakers’ days numbered, does LeBron’s “Closing Ceremony” PE hint at another kind of sunset? There’s been some chatter among NBA and sneaker fans on social media, but we’re not going that far just yet. At the very least, it seems like The King is having a little fun leading us all on with his footwear choices. We’re curious to see what he laces up next, but with Los Angeles now down 3-0 against a formidable OKC squad, there probably aren’t many more sightings to be had this season.

See detailed images of the Nike LeBron 23 “Closing Ceremony” PE below. These aren’t expected to release, but our Sneaker Release Dates page has a full rundown of upcoming basketball shoes.