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Nike to name new research lab at HQ after LeBron

Chris Elise / National Basketball Association / Getty

King James is getting his own building.

As part of an expansion of its world headquarters in Oregon, Nike is naming a new advanced innovation building at the campus the "LeBron James Building" in honor of the Los Angeles Lakers star.

"It's so surreal," James said in an accompanying release. "It's been an honor to be a part of such a great company for the last 18 years. And to know that a building with my name will reside on campus - it's truly an honor, and I feel truly special."

James also expressed gratitude for the tribute on Instagram.

View this post on Instagram

😱🥺😊Man this is so surreal! When I got the call this was happening I couldn’t believe it! I was literally shedding tears. You guys know where I come from but if you don’t I come from the inner city projects, single mother, only child, and statistics would suggest I would never EVER make it out let alone be alive still to tell you about it. Now I’ll have my own building at the Nike Head World Quarter where my family and I legacy will live on forever. The home of the Advance Innovation team and new state of the art Nike Sports Research Lab! Everything will get made and lab tested in my building! Like WHAT?!?!? THIS IS BEYOND CRAZY‼️ I wanna thank Nike once again for taking a chance on a 18 year old kid from Akron, OH. I’m proud to be #SwooshLifeForLife 🙏🏾 #JamesGang👑 #striveforgreatness🚀

A post shared by LeBron James (@kingjames) on

The LeBron James Building is scheduled to open in 2020 and will house scientists, designers, and engineers working on Nike products. It will also contain a full-size NBA court and an artificial turf training pitch.

James has been a Nike athlete since 2003, when he was drafted first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers. After initially signing an endorsement deal reportedly worth $90 million in his rookie year, the two parties committed to each other again with a lifetime pact in 2015.

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