How Zion Williamson's broken shoe just cost Nike $1.5 billion

Soon after Zion Williamson’s shoe ripped apart, Nike’s stock price took a hit.

The freak injury during one of the college basketball season’s marquee games immediately sparked debates about everything from the shoe manufacturer to insurance issues and whether the likely NBA lottery pick should risk his professional future by continuing to play for the top-ranked-for-now Blue Devils.

Williamson is day-to-day with a mild right knee sprain and is progressing as expected, team spokesman Mike DeGeorge said on Thursday night.

By Friday morning, Nike, which manufactured the shoes Williamson was wearing, also 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.

The stock drop was estimated to be worth roughly $USD 1.1 billion ($AUD 1.5 billion).

A spokesman said Nike has begun an investigation into 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 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 hadn’t had any obvious problems.

The 280-pound Williamson is one of the most powerful players in the game, and he tried to plant with his left foot as his right foot was slipping.

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-almost-split, clutching the back of his right knee.

He walked to the bench and a few minutes later headed to the locker room, leaving the wrecked shoe under his chair.

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.”

Since Duke is a Nike-sponsored school, Williamson has his choice of that company’s footwear.

But in the embarrassing moment for Nike, when Williamson planted hard near the free-throw line, the blue rubber sole on the shoe ripped loose from the white shoe from the heel to the toes along the outside edge.

Williamson’s foot came all the way through the large gap. He immediately clutched his right knee, walked on his own to the bench and a few minutes later headed to the locker room, leaving the pair of shoes under his chair.

“I’ve seen guys bust through shoes but not sprain their knee,” coach Mike 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 also set off a fresh round of debate about whether Williamson – the possible No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft, should he leave Duke after his freshman season – would be wise to end his college season in an attempt to avoid an injury that could jeopardise his pro career.

NBA Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen made the case for it a month ago, saying on ESPN that “I would shut it down.”

Asked to respond to those comments, Williamson turned to his locker room sidekick, walk-on Mike Buckmire, and asked, “Buck, would you hate me if I shut down the season?

“I couldn’t do that to my teammates,” Williamson continued. “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.”

Now that he’s actually hurt, it’s unknown if his feelings have changed.