LeBron James is getting a building constructed in his name and it’s all being done by Nike.
On Wednesday the sporting goods corporation said the new building will sit in its world headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon, on its north campus.
It will be where the Beaverton leg of Nike’s Advanced Innovation team will work, and it’ll have a state of the art sports research lab, an NBA-size basketball court, a 100-meter straightaway, a 200-meter endurance track and a 500 foot ramp where athletes can train. That’s because there aren’t any natural hills on the campus.
The new Nike Sport Research Lab in the building is also said to be five times the size of where the Advanced Innovation team now works — which is made up of scientists, engineers, designers and others to help athletes perform at a higher level.
James has been an endorser for Nike since he was drafted into the NBA in 2003, and he gave a statement about the new building in a press release.
“It’s so surreal,” he said. “It’s been an honor to be a part of such a great company for the last 18 years. And to know that a building with my name will reside on campus — it’s truly an honor, and I feel truly special.”
Nike has been expanding its headquarters since 2015, and James’ building makes the sixth structure being built since then.
In 2017 the corporation announced they’ll be erecting a new building with Serena Williams‘ name on it. And both Williams’ and James’ buildings will open in 2020.
Just like Williams, James is considered by many to be the best in his sport throughout the globe. He’s also the youngest NBA player ever to pass 30,000 points.
And as a rookie, he was already being mentioned in the same breath as legends like Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Bill Russell.
The Los Angeles Laker has three championships as well, two with the Miami Heat in 2012 and 2013 and one with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016.
James has also given back to his community. Because in 2017 he opened a new school called I Promise in his hometown of Akron, Ohio, for at-risk students.
On Thursday the hoop star posted an Instagram message about the building and detailed he broke down when he got the news.
“Man this is so surreal! When I got the call this was happening I couldn’t believe it!” wrote James. “I was literally shedding tears. 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.” he added.
