public relations disaster! Nike shoe Zion Williamson "exploded"

Huge public relations disaster! The Nike Nike Superstar shoe breaks in the middle of the match

Zion Williamson is 18 and is considered a new NBA superstar. In the top match of his collegiate team but now with a first setback: his shoe pushed back after 30 seconds of the sole, he slipped and injured his knee. The consequences for Nike are devastating.

Zion Williamson is in American basketball "the next big thing to come". The 18-year-old Duke University striker, in his first college season, averaged 21.6 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 2 flights. The 2.01 meter power station has long been considered the next LeBron James and, of course, Williamson is also the big favorite of the NBA's 2019 draw in June.

But his bitter career suffered a first setback: in the prestigious duel against the University of North Carolina, just eight kilometers away, was only played 36 seconds, when Williamson was injured Knee. His Nike shoe did not withstand a quick turn of the 130 kilos colossus and shattered. The Duke-Supersar sprained the knee according to a first diagnosis.

"I think everyone wants to know his exact status, but we do not have a precise schedule," said coach Mike Krzyzewski. "But all the preliminary reports we have on Zion's injury are optimistic." We still do not know how long Williamson will fail.

For the Duke Blue Devils, Williamson was injured at the wrong time. In mid-March, the "March Madness", the last NCAA tournament, begins. But Williamson's return should not be forced. "We want to make sure he's 100% back," said the head coach.

Many celebrities have wished a quick recovery to basketball talent on Twitter, including LeBron James and former US President Barack Obama, who attended the game in the stadium. A video shows it, while the disconcerted points point to the crime scene: "The shoe is broken!"

Nike stock falls in the basement

The incident of the Nike sporting goods manufacturer could be much worse than for Williamson. "We are of course worried and wish Zion a speedy recovery," he said in a statement. For more than 25 years, Duke University has signed an equipment contract and half of the nation has watched the stage in front of the television screen, relaying the prestigious duel of the country's two rivals.

The fact that Williamson's "Nike PG 2.5 S" literally exploded during the quick stop immediately made many investors anxious. Nike's share price has fallen by 2.2% in the meantime, but it's now slightly up. PR Destater is perfect!

The competition reacted with great malice: "In Pumas, it would not have happened," tweeted the provider with the logo of the big cat, which has meanwhile deleted the short message.

In the meantime, Nike is trying to limit the damage and is expressed in the Washington Post as follows: "The quality and functionality of our products have the highest priority.As it is an isolated case we are working to identify the problem. "

American experts predict that the impact will be immense. Nike was the favorite for the new shoe contract with Williamson, which was to become one of the most important equipment contracts in the history of basketball. An employee of the shoe company reportedly recently said, "The chiefs are only interested in Zion, there is no money for them, Sion is gold."