Nike’s worst nightmare occurred on Wednesday night. Sneaker Blowout Science: How Zion Williamson’s Nikes Came Apart. That the shoe blew out on Zion Williamson. Duke superstar (and presumed no. Duke's budding and unpaid super-star Zion Williamson's Nike sneaker exploded causing him to injure his knee during the first minute of Duke's match-up with rival North Carolina. Nike issued a statement, calling the PG 2.5's blowout an "isolated occurrence." Zion Williamson injury: Nike issues statement after Duke freshman blows out shoe, sprains knee vs. UNC Nike says in the case of Williamson it is an … Zion's foot rips right through the sole of the shoe causing him to fall on his wallet. Shoe blowout, injury raises fears for NBA’s likely #1 pick. 1:42. Another issue for Nike is how the blowout will impact the shoe giant’s relationship with Williamson. Duke star's Nike shoe blows out 01:07. , March 15, 2019, 9:39 AM PDT. 1 pick in this year’s National Basketball Association draft -- sprained his knee when his Nike sneaker fell apart. Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski stated postgame that Williamson’s injury is a mild knee sprain. Nike Sent a Team to China to Fix Zion Williamson's Sneakers. After Duke's Zion Williamson, college basketball's highest-profile player, mildly sprained his knee, Nike found itself at the center of a firestorm. Duke University star freshman Zion Williamson -- the consensus No. He wore Adidas shoes when he played his high school ball at … Zion williamson was wearing a $110 pair of nike sneakers when one shoe exploded and he. Zion Williamson returns from knee injury following Nike shoe blowout. By. Duke star Zion Williamson's shoe blowout wipes more than $2 billion off Nike market value. ET Eben Novy-Williams. Nike executives lived their worst nightmare on Wednesday afternoon. Nike’s reaction to the incident helped maintain their stellar brand image, which they’ve cultivated through years of public relations strategy executions all while ensuring the problem would be investigated. Zion Williamson's mild knee sprain and Nike shoe blowout led the headlines for both NBA Draft reasons and because it brought up a discussion of amateurism. Why Zion Williamson’s Nike PG 2.5 shoe split on-court won't have a huge impact on the brand. That the shoe blew out for Duke-UNC. Soon after Zion Williamson's basketball shoe ripped apart, Nike's stock price took a billion-dollar hit. Fans roast Nike after top prospect Zion Williamson's shoe blowout. Duke's Zion Williamson made an early exit from Wednesday's rivalry game after suffering a "mild" right knee sprain when his left Nike basketball shoe blew out. Skip to Main Content Skip to Search. Williamson’s chosen shoe for Wednesday night’s game was Nike’s Paul George 2.5 model. Competition in the athletic shoe business is pretty serious, but Puma picked an inappropriate time to throw some shade. Nike is playing damage control after Duke basketball phenom Zion Williamson tore his sneaker in a game Wednesday evening. 8 North Carolina on Wednesday night. The move followed a high-profile blowout during February game. Share. I do not own this video. In the first minute of the high-profile Duke-North Carolina game, Blue Devils star Zion Williamson exited with an injury after his shoe broke. See Nike's new 'hands-free' shoe. Instead, spectators retain the image of a freak injury that Zion Williamson, the potential number one 2019 NBA Draft prospect, suffered due to his Nike PG 2.5 shoe bursting open. Zion had the ball to the top of the key pivots and DOWN GOES ZION! Why Zion Williamson’s Sneaker Blowout Won’t Hurt Nike – Footwear News Duke’s contract with Nike allows the players a variety of footwear options. Nike criticized after shoe rips apart, injuring duke star zion williamson. (CNN Business) —. That the shoe blew out on National TV. Duke sensation Zion Williamson showed up to the Blue Devils’ Feb. 20 rivalry game against North Carolina with a pair of Nike PG 2.5 sneakers, but left Cameron Indoor stadium with a sprained left knee and one intact shoe.