Nike Pulled Out All the Stops for JuJu Watkins at Her Hometown Sneaker Release

Last night was the unofficial kickoff of NBA All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles, but the spotlight was on one of the world's most exciting basketball stars who won't be playing in the game on Sunday. As players, celebrities, media members, and sneakerheads alike all converged on the City of Angels for what should be an exciting weekend filled with seemingly infinite releases (and maybe even some basketball) JuJu Watkins drew all the attention--something her USC Trojans are missing while she's recovering from her torn ACL.

Nike threw an opening night party of sorts in JuJu's hometown of Watts to celebrate the release of her new shoe, the Nike LeBron NXXT Gen by JuJu. The college basketball phenom worked with LeBron and Nike teams to help develop the new silhouette, a first for LeBron's NXXT Gen line.

“Working with LeBron to co-create a first is wild,” Watkins said. “It’s built for my game, my story. Shaping something to share with the next generation of hoopers means everything.”

Friends, family, and fans pulled up to JuJu's NXXT Gen Jam to get their hands on rising star's new sneaker for the first time, as well as enjoy the festivities. Nike surprised JuJu with a custom court in her hometown of Watts, and Watkins was even surprised by her USC teammates and former Sierra Canyon High School squad, who all showed up to support.

But JuJu had some surprises of her own up her sleeve, as she gifted pairs of her LeBron NXXT Gens to the youth, blessing little hoopers who dream of following in her footsteps one day.

For the rest of us, we'll have to wait until this Summer to secure a pair of JuJus. Download the Sole Retriever App to track the shoe's release and make sure you score some in your size.

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