After a sluggish start in Friday nightâs 100-99 home win over the Charlotte Hornets, Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James decided to change his shoes at halftime. His decision to change kicks, albeit a bit superstitious, paid off in the form of a 57th career triple-double.
Quicken Loans Arena was a sea of black on Friday night, and the Cavs, now winners of seven straight games, were debuting their new âStatement Editionâ jerseys from Nike. However, James decided to wear a unique version of his signature shoe: a golden pair of the LeBron 14âs. It looks like the King planned on giving his sneakers to a lucky fan.
LeBron James recorded just six points on 3-of-8 shooting from the field before switching to a pair of black LeBron 15âs. After the swap in footwear, he went on to score 21 of his 27 total points.
âI just wasnât playing well,â James told Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com after Friday nightâs game. âSo, Iâm a little weird sometimes. I wasnât playing well, up to my standards so ⌠I just wanted to make my second half better than my first half and I was able to make a couple plays.â
James turned it on in the second half. In fact, he went 4-of-5 from the field in the third quarter, then posted eight points in the final frame of play. When the final horn blew, the former No. 1 overall pick in the 2003 Draft had recorded 27 points on 10-of-20 shooting, 16 rebounds (12 in the second half), 13 assists, and three blocks in 40 minutes of playing time.
The Cavs will be back in action on Monday night, when they travel to Philadelphia for a match-up against the Sixers. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. EST with Fox Sports Ohio having live broadcast coverage. Letâs see if James decides to wear another unique pair of kicks.