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LeBron James' lifetime deal with Nike means that the Cleveland Cavaliers superstar can provide input and insight on his own signature line as one of the company's marquee stars. And since James is keenly aware of his popularity and what shoes his people clamor for, he made a major shoe announcement Thursday.

Feeling a bit nostalgic in a hotel room in Sacramento, James announced that Nike will be releasing a retro line of some of his early shoes. The first shoe to be released will be his very first signature sneaker, the Nike Air Zoom Generation in the "First Game" colorway. James wore this shoe in his first NBA game against the Kings in 2003 and those sneakers hold a special place in his heart because of their significance to his career.

James wore these shoes in his first Nike commercial, which watching today is still amazingly well-done:

James didn't announce when the shoes will be go on sale but he did say "very soon," so probably in the next couple of days or weeks.

Nike creating a retro line for James is quite significant. Very few players, if any, get retro lines to come out during their playing career. But perhaps more important for James, it allows him to gain some ground in his pursuit of Michael Jordan's legacy.