Zion’s freak injury is trouble for Nike
DURHAM, N.C. — After Duke forward Zion Williamson’s shoe ripped apart, Nike’s stock price took a hit.
A freak injury to the freshman star during a marquee game immediately sparked debates about everything from the shoe manufacturer to insurance and whether the likely NBA lottery pick should risk his professional future by continuing to play for the Blue Devils.
After No. 1 Duke’s 88-72 rivalry loss at No. 8 North Carolina on Wednesday night, Blue Devils coach Mike Krzyzewski said Williamson sprained his right knee. His status is day to day, and team spokesman Mike DeGeorge said Thursday night that Williamson was progressing as expected.
On Thursday morning, Nike, which manufactured the shoes Williamson was wearing, was feeling the impact of the injury. The company’s stock price was down about 1 percent, or 97 cents, to $83.87 during midday trading as the sportswear manufacturer became the target of ridicule on social media.
A Nike spokesman said the company is investigating what it called an “isolated” event.
“Shoes have failed before, but not as visibly,” said Matt Powell, a senior industry adviser for sports for the NPD Group, a market research firm.
Playing before a crowd littered with celebrities — from director Spike Lee to former President Barack Obama — Williamson was hurt in the opening minute of the game as his Nike PG 2.5, from Oklahoma City Thunder star Paul George’s signature sneaker line, tore apart. Williamson wears that model frequently during games and had not had any obvious problems.
The 6-foot-7, 285-pound Williamson tried to plant with his left foot as his right foot
was slipping near one of the foul lines. The blue rubber sole ripped loose from the white shoe, and Williamson’s foot came all the way through the large gap. He ended up in an awkward near-split and clutched the back of his right knee. He walked to the bench,nd a few minutes later headed to the locker room, leaving the wrecked shoe under his chair.
He didn’t return to the game for the Blue Devils (233, 11-2 Atlantic Coast Conference), and North Carolina (215, 11-2) went on to its most lopsided win at Cameron Indoor Stadium in 30 years.
George said Thursday that he has talked with Nike to see what went wrong and what happened to the shoe.
“It hasn’t happened to me as long as I’ve been in this shoe,” George said. “We’ve made three generations, going on four now of my shoe, of being successful. So I didn’t necessarily feel any way about that part — the negative part of it. My only concern was for Zion, honestly.”
Because Duke is a Nike-sponsored school, Williamson has his choice of that company’s footwear.
“I’ve seen guys bust through shoes but not sprain their knee,” Krzyzewski said. “He’s gone down a couple times where he’s slipped and saved the ball. That’s what I thought happened. He goes so fast that maybe if there’s something slippery, that happened.”
The injury set off a fresh round of debate regarding whether Williamson would be wise to end his collegiate career immediately in an attempt to avoid an injury that could jeopardize his potential pro career. NBA Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen made the case for it a month ago on ESPN, saying “I would shut it down.”
Williamson was to respond to those comments on Feb. 5.
“I couldn’t do that to my teammates,” Williamson said. “Again, thank you for, like, seeing the confidence in me and the type of player I can become. But I love college too much to stop playing. I wouldn’t give this up.”