Few eras of sneakers redefined a genre like Nike Basketball did during the 2010s, promoting the likes of LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Kevin Durant all at the peak of their powers. Debuting at the 2012 NBA All-Star Weekend, the Nike Basketball “Galaxy” Pack remains one of the most iconic sneaker drops in history. Recently, LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers paid homage to the iconic colorway with his Nike LeBron 23 PE.
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The 2012 NBA All-Star Game was iconic in many ways, but it's arguably one of the most nostalgic moments for sneakerheads due to the slate of heavy-hitting releases at the time. Silhouettes like the Nike Kobe 7, Nike LeBron 9, Nike KD 4 and the "Galaxy" Nike Air Foamposite created a frenzy fueled by a classic All-Star Game featuring the NBA's best.
The Nike LeBron 9 “Big Bang” particularly made an impression, opting for a bright safety orange scheme reminiscent of a space suit minus the distinctive galaxy print. The sneakers are revered as one of Nike basketball's greatest creations, so LeBron James himself paid homage to the iconic sneaker with an inspired colorway with his current Nike LeBron 23.
Nike LeBron 23 "Big Bang"
☄️ @KingJames Nike LeBron wears a 23 inspired by his "Big Bang" 9 worn in the 2012 NBA All-Star Game! #NBAKicks pic.twitter.com/J3ypXTa8VE
- NBA Kicks (@NBAKicks) 1 March 2026
LeBron debuts the Nike LeBron 23 “Big Bang” PE against the Warriors this weekend ☄️
Did they do Ozzy justice? 🤔
Our description: https://t.co/3OaAtQtJud pic.twitter.com/J5P4yJILsj
- Sneaker News (@SneakerNews) 2 March 2026
The latest “Big Bang” LeBron 23 PE offers the same cues as the LeBron 9 original, namely an all-over dark orange colorway, which is complemented by light orange piping along the main panel. The LeBron 23 also features an icy translucent outsole mimicking the original release. The main difference comes from the space gray Nike Swoosh on the LeBron 9, which is traded for a black Swoosh with the same gray outline on the updated LeBron 23.
The final detail, and perhaps the most notable, comes in the form of the tongue logo, which is the same logo Nike Basketball designed for the 2012 All-Star Collection. Whether or not this pair will release to the public is still undecided, but fans can expect a potential release as both Nike and LeBron James have been generous with the drop so far.
