The King has shared his spoils with the Ohio State football team.
In a social media post on Sunday, Ohio State announced that James has donated custom white, scarlet and black cleats for the Buckeyes to wear in their showdown with the Penn State Nittany Lions.
The King always brings the
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) October 27, 2025
Thank you for our cleat heat for the Penn State game @KingJames pic.twitter.com/3m7h3RbkTG
From sending cleats to Ohio State football players before their matchups with Penn State and Michigan to sending shoes to Ohio State's men's and women's basketball players, James has been a frequent donor for the Buckeyes over the years.
James received a Doctor of Public Service degree from Ohio State in 2025, not just for his Hall of Fame basketball career, but his impact off the court. In a Zoom appearance with Ohio State's Public Affairs 5120 in February, James said he believes that utilizing his platform has been crucial to creating change in his hometown of Akron and across the United States.
“I have too much of a platform and too many resources to not give back in order to create a change that’s long-term,” he said.
After answering students' questions, James encouraged the class to use their platform for the betterment of others.
“It starts with you guys, at your age or even younger. You guys are the future,” James said. “You guys have big outreach and you guys are at The Ohio State University, one of the most prestigious colleges in the world. You guys are highly respected. People see that (Ohio State) badge. They see that name. People respect that.”
Ohio State players are not required to wear the custom cleats against Penn State, but it's safe to assume plenty of Buckeyes will rock them for the matchup. The Buckeyes and Nittany Lions kick off at noon on Saturday in Ohio Stadium. The game will be broadcast on FOX, with Big Noon Kickoff broadcasting live on campus at 10 a.m.
