If you have a timeline or TV today then you might have noticed it’s a special day in sports. Thirty-four years ago today the world was blessed with the basketball savant that is LeBron James. The L.A. Lakers superstar constantly redefines what longevity looks like as he battles in his sixteenth NBA season. In fact, LeBron’s defined more than a few aspects of basketball.

You know this whole ‘super teams’ and player mobility movement flowing through the NBA? Yeah, LeBron started that.

The entire perception of what a player in the “back-half” of their career should be capable of… LeBron’s shattered that.

King James actively redefines what an NBA player is capable of both off and on the court; his willingness to speak out on social matters, and his commitment to the betterment of future generations are examples of what star players could be (and should be) doing with their time and resources. From an on-court standpoint he’s shown his resilience and normalized 28.8.8 (points, rebounds, assists) splits from a player 32+ years old. We could go for days, LeBron’s done that much in his career there’s basically an encyclopedia of feats; but since it’s Sample Sunday we’re going to stay focused on the footwork. In our opinion there’s no better way to celebrate the birthday of LeBron than to look at a classic sample based off of his mother, Gloria; without her we wouldn’t have LeBron so she’s the “real MVP.” Happy birthday LeBron! Now lets bring a ‘chip to LA, King!

Air Zoom Generation “Gloria” 2003

When someone says “Gloria samples” then they’re probably talking about these bad boys. The “Gloria” scheme is historically dressed in a simple hues of pink and white as you can see. No crazy patterns, no 3m, nothing gaudy at all, just a clean look for his mom – there’s nothing better than that.

LeBron 2 “Gloria” 2004

While the AZGs might serve as the quintessential “Gloria” colorway, the 2’s look way better. Basic color blocking throughout the upper gives these life.

LeBron 3 Low “Gloria” 2005

If it ain’t broke then don’t fit it… and don’t release it either. The 3 Lows are sorely slept on and maybe a release of the “Gloria” joints would give them some much needed love. Of the three we’ve shown which pair would you like to see released as a retro?