Adidas CEO took 'no particular joy' in Zion's Nike shoe mishap
While some of Nike's competitors were quick to poke fun at the brand after Zion Williamson's PG 2.5 shoe broke apart, Adidas CEO Kasper Rorsted says his reaction was one of concern.
"I had no particular joy or un-joy about that," Rorsted said Wednesday in an interview with CNBC. "I looked upon it more in the eyes of, are we actually doing the right thing? Are we, as Adidas, building the right product? That was my reflection on it."
When asked if he thinks the malfunction boosts Adidas' chances of signing Williamson to an endorsement deal, Rorsted replied, "We will continue to sign great athletes."
Williamson returned to the court Thursday after missing five games due to a sprained knee he suffered in the shoe mishap. He wore a pair of custom Nike Kyrie 4s for his return, noting afterward that his shoes "were incredible this game," according to Dan Wolken of USA TODAY Sports.
Zion is playing tonight's game in a pair of custom Kyrie 4s.
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 15, 2019
Nike flew a team to Durham to measure and make the shoes for Williamson, per @AllisonW_Sports. pic.twitter.com/AYWwSDv2gv