Devin Robertson is a writer and sneakerhead from Memphis, TN. Outside of sneakers, he enjoys film, comics, and music.
Time waits for no man, except for LeBron James. Even as the oldest active player in the NBA, King James is still striving for greatness on the floor. Alongside MVP candidate Luka Doncic, LeBron has the Lakers in the hunt for a top 6 seed ahead of the All-Star break. With such a storied legacy slowly coming to a close, LeBron’s latest sneaker has been serving as a storytelling canvas.
With each colorway, the Nike LeBron 23 has taken the chance to highlight some of the standout moments of James’ career among his laundry list of game-warping achievements. There have been a few colorways to celebrate James’ tenure with the Miami Heat, but the upcoming Masked Menace colorway recounts one of LeBron’s most iconic moments.
On February 20, 2014, LeBron James took an inadvertent elbow from Oklahoma City Thunder Forward/Center Serge Ibaka, breaking his nose. Seven days later, he took to the Mecca of basketball, Madison Square Garden, clad in a black carbon fiber mask. Like Gotham City’s protector, James dispensed justice on the Knicks that night, carving them up for 31-4-4 on the way to a blowout win. Unfortunately, the league knew that LeBron had too much aura with the black mask and prohibited him from wearing it following that game.
Still, LeBron’s mask era is one of his most legendary runs even though it lasted a mere five games, including when he notched a career-high 61 points against the Charlotte Bobcats while in hero mode.
Nike is enshrining that run forever with a blacked-out colorway of the Nike LeBron 23 Masked Menace. The sneaker is a masterclass in texture with the sneaker featuring an engineered mesh upper and glossy side panels echoing the look of the iconic carbon fiber mask.
Nike LeBron 23 Masked Menace
Other details include a matching black outsole and LeBron’s mask cleverly shaped into a crown on the heel. Gold details on the tongue hardware add the only pop of color to the stark black sneaker while completing the look. Not only will LeBron’s masked escapades get their own colorway, but a matching Masked Menace shirt is set to release alongside the shoe.
The front side of the shirt features LeBron’s masked visage, while the backside acts as a tour shirt for his achievements with dates and locations of some of his biggest games.
The Nike LeBron 23 Masked Menace releases on March 24, 2026 through Nike and select retailers in-store and online. Available in adult and grade school sizing, the retail prices are set at $210 and $165, respectively. For all the latest Nike LeBron news, download the Sole Retriever mobile app.
