Seeing Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce arrive courtside usually pulls the crowd. The star football player was seen during a playoff matchup in Cleveland, showing up with a special pair of kicks. 

Kelce caught eyes when he attended Game 3 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on May 23, seated courtside alongside his fiancée, Taylor Swift. Fans were quick to notice him wearing a rare pair of Nike LeBron 7 “MVP” sneakers.

The sneakers immediately trended on social media. Complex Sneakers posted photos of the look on X after the game ended. The post was captioned, "Travis Kelce sits courtside in the ‘MVP’ Nike LeBron 7. "

Unfortunately, the Knicks defeated the Cavaliers 121-108 and pushed the Cavs to the edge of elimination with Game 4 scheduled for May 25. Long-time Cavs fan, Kelce, had to leave the arena disappointed, regardless of his fresh kicks.

The specific "MVP" colorway was made to celebrate James’ back-to-back MVP award with Cleveland during the 2009-10 season. Originally, it was released in limited numbers in 2010. Nike brought out the sneaker as a retro release through the SNKRS app in June 2020, priced at $200. 

The choice highlights Kelce's vested interest in his hometown sports culture. 

Travis Kelce and LeBron James Have Shared Respect for Years

Growing up in Northeast Ohio, Kelce spent years watching James lift the Cavaliers to a new level. Kelce has referred to James as "The King" on his X feed as well in February 2023. 

He even joked in the past that he would happily swap lives with the basketball icon just to experience what it feels like to play in the NBA.

During the media storm surrounding Kelce and Swift back in 2023, James "passed the crown" to him during a sports podcast appearance.

The two stars also shared a platform when James appeared as a guest on the 'New Heights' podcast hosted by Travis and retired Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce. 

Kelce has been spotted wearing the rare LeBron 2 "Beast" as well as various player-exclusive models before NFL games. Kelce has even shown off parts of his personal sneaker collection on his weekly show. He revealed that he owns pairs like the LeBron 7 "HWC" and the LeBron 8 "SVSM."

Even on a night where the Cavaliers suffered a loss on their home court, Kelce’s rare shoes managed to walk away as one of the highlights of the evening.

Which is your favorite sneaker from the LeBron series? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Utsav Sinha

Edited by

Surjo Ray