LeBron James' opening-night shoes inspired by 2003 Nike ad

LeBron James officially is a Los Angeles Laker, but you wouldn't be able to tell just by his opening-night footwear.

James, making his Lakers debut against the Trail Blazers in Portland on Thursday night, wore burgundy and gold sneakers — a colorway similar to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

But his shoe choice wasn't a not-so-subtle nod to his former franchise. Instead, it was a nod to a 2003 Nike ad featuring James sitting on a burgundy and gold throne with lions surrounding him.

"The luxurious burgundy tones, the gold detailing, his original (LJ23) logo and the animal fur — a combination of the lions and the animal pelt he had draped over the throne — are all there (on the shoes) as nods to that poster," said Jason Petrie, designer of the LeBron 16, per ESPN.

As Petrie notes, the colors have nothing to do with the Cavaliers at all.

"We're working on this 18 months to two years in advance, and we didn't know where he was going (in free agency this summer)," Petrie said. "We planned it that even though he could very easily stay in Cleveland, we should look at these colors to where it doesn't matter. He could wear it on any given night and he could get away with it."

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