Just Don Lakers shorts

Thanks to LeBron James, a pair of basketball shorts is officially one of the hottest products in the world. On and off the court, we’ve seen this year that basketball’s top athletes have huge power and ability to influence fashion search and sales. Such was the case in July when basketball legend James was spotted wearing a pair of Just Don Lakers shorts at a 2018 NBA Summer League game.

The $500 shorts in question were from Chicago-born Don C’s brand Just Don and its collaboration with Mitchell & Ness, which first came out in 2015. The custom-made “Lakers” shorts keep to the original team design with the iconic yellow and purple color theme, with The Lakers logo at the front. Made from from breathable textured mesh and finished with a ribbed-knit waistband, they’re a luxurious take on a design classic. Don C described the collaboration pieces as “of what swag on court should be, with functionality you need off the court.”

Designer Don C, aka Don Crawley of Just Don, has become a well known player in sneaker and streetwear culture since he first founded his brand in 2011. Coming from a background in music, Don C started out as a fill-in DJ and tour manager to West before eventually becoming an executive at the G.O.O.D. Music label. The relationship between the two Chicagoans helped Don C to get his name known in the worlds of streetwear and music and in 2011, he gave up music and turned to fashion full time. Using the experience he gleaned as a part-owner of Chicago's RSVP Gallery, he set up label Just Don.

Known for its cut-and-sew aesthetic, featuring throwback Mitchell & Ness NBA apparel and snapback caps with crazy brim treatments like snake and alligator skins, Just Don quickly filled a high-end streetwear niche and generated a cult following. Its positioning was further cemented in 2015 when Nike worked with the brand on an Air Jordan collaboration. The Jordan 2 collab was an instant success with the ‘Quilted’ Jordans selling out in minutes and reselling for 10x the price on consignment and resale websites.

Like the partnership with Nike, the brand’s collaboration with Mitchell & Ness has been popular with both fashion and sports fans. Gaining access to the Mitchell & Ness archive, Just Don’s exclusive collection of custom basketball shorts combines a variety of authentic fabrics decked out in NBA team logos and colors that make for some rare retro-looking pieces. Though the $500 Lakers shorts are totally sold out, similar styles can be found on the Just Don webstore or on Moda Operandi.

Available on Moda Operandi, you’ll have to be as quick as James to get your hands on a pair of these.