LeBron James says he was 'literally shedding tears' when he found out that Nike would be naming a new building after him

AP Photo/Chris Szagola

LeBron James.

• Nike announced it would be naming its newest building at its main campus in Beaverton, Oregon after NBA superstar LeBron James.
• On Instagram, James said that he was "literally shedding tears" when he heard the news.
• James has been a Nike athlete for his entire professional career - a partnership that has paid off in a huge way for both parties.
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Nike announced on Thursday that it would be naming its newest building at its main campus in Beaverton, Oregon after NBA superstar and career-long Nike athlete LeBron James.

"The LeBron James Building," as it will be known, will house Nike's Advanced Innovation team, a "state-of-the-art Sport Research Lab," as well as a full-size NBA basketball court, a 200-meter track, a 100-meter straightaway, and an artificial turf training pitch.

Read more: LeBron James went bonkers at his son Bronny's AAU tournament, dunking in the kids' layup line and celebrating so hard he lost his shoe

On Instagram, James shared the news of the Nike building, telling his followers that he cried when he found out about the plans.

"Man this is so surreal!" James wrote. "When I got the call this was happening I couldn't believe it! I was literally shedding tears."

James explained that the building made him so emotional because of what it meant for his legacy.

"You guys know where I come from but if you don't I come from the inner city projects, single mother, only child, and statistics would suggest I would never EVER make it out let alone be alive still to tell you about it. Now I'll have my own building at the Nike Head World Quarter where my family and I legacy will live on forever."

"The home of the Advance Innovation team and new state of the art Nike Sports Research Lab! Everything will get made and lab tested in my building! Like WHAT?!?!? THIS IS BEYOND CRAZY‼️ I wanna thank Nike once again for taking a chance on a 18 year old kid from Akron, OH. I'm proud to be #SwooshLifeForLife"

You can see James' post in full below.

The partnership between James and Nike has been fruitful for all involved.

For James, his association with Nike from the start of his career has been an astoundingly profitable endeavor, and helped make him even more of a superstar than he already was. For Nike, having James as its premier athlete ensured the brand had the most recognizable spokesman in sports for the past two decades.

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