Holidays in the sporting world are an opportunity for players and teams to get in on the celebration by wearing special jerseys, and in the case of the NBA, sneakers. Christmas, Easter, and St. Patrick’s Day all see players break out special, unique colorways. MLK Day is no different, as we have seen shoes commemorating the day and the icon, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, grace NBA hardwoods for many years.
For MLK Day 2026, LeBron James broke out a special colorway of the LeBron 23, as he has done on many occasions. This year’s sneaker, dubbed “Honor the King” (a play on words that shows honor to the slain leader but also shoehorns his way into manufactured adulation), reportedly recalls the game in which James gave the Memphis Grizzlies 51 points. In addition, the teal sneakers pay homage to Dr. King, but are also inspired by the Lorraine Hotel, which infamously served as the killing grounds of Dr. King.
Many found the inspiration source of the Lorraine Hotel distasteful and tone deaf, with many taking to social media to express their disdain.
Even The Athletic weighed in, with columnist Jason Jones who, in addition to being incredulous upon learning about the sneaker’s inspiration, called them “a bit of a miss that I’ve seen.”
The life of Dr. Martin Luther King, though it was maliciously and evily cut short, is a tapestry woven with scores of accomplishments and inspirational moments, any of which would be a suitable canvas for a themed sneaker. The decision to use the Lorraine Motel as a source of inspiration, while perhaps well-intentioned, was mystifying as it was myopic. It would be no different if a sneaker company honouring El-Hajj Malik El Shabazz was outfitted in the color scheme of the Audubon Ballroom or an RFL shoe in the colors of the Ambassador Hotel.
