When Nike aligned itself with Michael Jordan, the brand (and Mike) was never the same again, catapulting themselves to charts unseen before or since. Nike became more than brand of shoes and athletic wear. Nike became synomous with its generation with every fashionable, up-to-date and “must-have.” The lesson in all this? That perfect endorsement only comes around once every 15-20 years or so. ESPN The Magazine chronicled one of the current generation which paired one of rap’s most iconic names with basketball’s biggest attraction – Dr. Dre and LeBron James.
The piece explores the now worldwide powerhouse Beats have become and how LBJ was the first athlete to endorse the brand heavily. From there, the desire to be associated with the headphones by athletes and entertainers alike took on a brain of its own and currently has BBD as the unquestioned leader in its field.
If you want to know how the three-time MVP prepares to play, you have to get inside his headphones. Tonight, the custom-designed pair of Beats by Dr. Dre that James wore into the arena have been replaced by a Beats by Dr. Dre speaker, which several teammates are trying to tune out by covering their ears with their own Beats. “You don’t want no problems!” James barks, now making like Dom Kennedy, whose song “My Type of Party” is blasting. “You don’t want no problems!” he repeats.
To read more about the evolution of Bron and Beats, click here. And click here to subscribe to ESPN The Magazine. It’s probably no coincidence that James is enjoying his finest season yet and Dre is, well, this. Nope, no coincidence at all.
