LeBron James gifted Nelly Korda a pair of LeBron 23-inspired Nike Victory Pro 4 golf shoes. The World No. 1 posted a picture of them on her Instagram Stories and promised to wear them at the 2026 U.S. Women’s Open. The pair of shoes did make its major championship debut, but only to be sidelined after a few holes.

“Six holes in with the custom LeBrons, Nelly Korda (one over) switches back to her normal Nikes,” Golf.com’s Sean Zak wrote in an X post. Korda, who started on the back nine, switched into her regular Nike shoes on the 15th. Her trainer, who was walking just outside the ropes with her group, went back to the locker room to grab the replacement shoes and met her again on the 16th hole to make the swap. 

Golf Channel’s Amy Rodgers reported from Riviera that the custom-made Nike shoes Korda started in were “a little bit too loose” and may have been affecting her comfort during the swing. The reigning World No. 1 later clarified why she decided to make the mid-round switch. 

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No, they were not different models of Nike. The reason was minor but important. Confirming that the shoe felt slightly loose, Korda said, “When I wear a different color, they just are made a little different. So the spacing is just a little different. I just wanted to wear these [her regular Nikes]. I just felt more comfortable in these.”

But the fact that Korda chose to wear the special Nike shoes was itself rather shocking. Just last month, the 27-year-old said at the Pat McAfee show that she had started wearing shoes with higher soles. Why? She wanted her chest to get a bit closer to the ground to make her swing slightly steeper.

So to swap out her trusted shoes for custom-made ones that she received just a few days back caught everyone’s attention. That too, it came at the U.S. Women’s Open, which Korda has yet to win. But what makes the moment stand out is the unlikely crossover sitting behind it.

LBJ and Korda are both Nike athletes. But that’s not the only thing that connects them. The veteran basketball player started uploading some videos of himself playing golf during the 2025 offseason. Speaking to Spectrum Sportsnet Live, he said that he had not played the sport before, but once he did, he was bitten by the golf bug. Ever since then, he has been playing and following golf and has publicly supported the American golfer on multiple occasions.

When she was on the verge of winning the Chevron Championship 2026 earlier this year, James expressed his excitement on X. “3 holes left to play. Bring it on home, Nelly!” he wrote.

Before that, he gave her a shout-out during The ANNIKA 2025 with a “Helluva putt, Nelly!” and also when he unboxed her signature Nike golf shoes on social media.

While playing with Caitlin Clark at the Pro-Am at The ANNIKA 2025, Korda gifted her the new Nike Free signature golf shoes. So, when unboxing the same on social media, LeBron James wrote, “Got mine!”

The American professional has not been shy about responding to the praises. She said that it was cool to have athletes of such a profile follow her game. After the ANNIKA 2025, she said that it was fun to see cross-sports collaborations and conversations.

“I love how big of a nut he is about the game of golf, and he’s just always been super supportive,” she said in her interview with Access Hollywood and NBC Sports on June 4, 2026.

In fact, she also admitted that it is James who reaches out the most, even more than professional male golfers. But while she, too, is supportive of LBJ, she has a goal zeroed in and can’t have anything come in its way, not even custom shoes!

Nelly Korda is hungry for success at the U.S. Women’s Open

Nelly Korda came very close last year, when she finished T2 at this major after rounds of 72-67-73-71.

“That I was just hungry for more,” the World No. 1 said in the pre-tournament press conference when asked about her takeaways from Erin Hills last year.

She described 2025 as a “weird year.” Even when she managed to play her best, she missed the finish line by a few shots. Although it was a challenging year, it made her hungrier to be in positions where she can win more events. And that certainly did translate into this season.

Of the seven starts she has had this season, she has won thrice and finished as runner-up in three. Considering that momentum, this year could be one of her best chances to win the event.

However, that’s not going to be easy for the 18-time LPGA Tour winner, as many of the game’s top names will try their luck at Riviera. Charley Hull, Hannah Green, Lydia Ko, and many others will give her tough competition.

With Korda focused on finally capturing the U.S. Women’s Open title, comfort and performance likely outweighed the novelty of wearing LeBron James’ custom gift.