This time, Nike made sure there were no problems with Duke basketball superstar Zion Williamson’s shoes.
During Thursday’s win over Syracuse, Zion wore Kyrie 4’s, a modified model of Boston Celtics star guard Kyrie Irving’s brand. Zion had missed the previous three weeks after one of his Paul George Nike shoes appeared to explode thirty seconds into the Blue Devils rivalry game against North Carolina.
The shoe apparel company sent some of their top people to China to personally oversee the making of Zion’s new Kyrie 4’s, according to Coach K. (RELATED: John Calipari And Mike Krzyzewski Are The Highest Paid College Basketball Coaches)
Zion Williamson #1 of the Duke Blue Devils … (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
“They came back within a week with different alternatives to make sure that it was done right,” Coach K said. “So their immediate, great response was appreciated and it was something that we have grown to expect from our relationship with them.”
Nike also had a team fly up to Durham to measure the shoes, according to ESPN:
Zion is playing tonight’s game in a pair of custom Kyrie 4s.
Nike flew a team to Durham to measure and make the shoes for Williamson, per @AllisonW_Sports. pic.twitter.com/AYWwSDv2gv
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 15, 2019
Good for Nike. While it’s not fair to blame them for the initial accident that sidelined the future NBA number one pick, it’s good to see them looking out for one of their (likely) future clients. (RELATED: WATCH: Zion Williamson Throws Down Incredible Dunk)
I’m already looking forward to the first commercial Nike runs for Zion. It’s going to be epic.