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“Zion Williamson lost Nike more than $1 billion!”: How Pelicans star’s freak accident at Duke had the shoe company’s bank account in tears

Tonoy Sengupta
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How Zion Williamson’s Duke Accident not only cost him a lot, but also lost the shoes he had on, an awful lot too

The 2019 class has been nothing less than absolutely sensational so far in the NBA.

Of course, thus far, this class has been headlined by Ja Morant, who dropped an insane 47-piece on the Golden State Warriors, during game-2 of the Western Conference Semi-Finals. An incredible feat for any player, never mind for a 22-year-old.

With all that in mind, it is often easy to forget that a certain other player was supposed to spearhead this class. A certain freight train with moves that once even made Giannis Antetokounmpo look like a child while taking the ball from him.

In case you haven’t figured it out already, we’re talking about Pelicans star, Zion Williamson.

Over the years, while Zion has looked really good when healthy, those times of having good health have been hard to come by. And that is largely due to his knee injuries.

This injury hasn’t been with him long, but it did come at perhaps the worst time possible. It came during his lone season with Duke. But, not only did it cost the man his career, it cost Nike quite a bit too.

Let’s get into it, shall we?

Also Read: “I have yet to see a no-excuses Steph Curry-led team win a ring!”: Max Kellerman GOES OFF on Warriors star as team face their first real challenge in 2022 playoffs

Zion Williamson’s freak injury from his time at Duke cost Nike over $1 billion

Zion Williamson is a big guy, especially for somebody who stands at 6’6”, with his body weighing more than most centers in the NBA today. So, suffice it to say, shoes that can contain and keep up with his body are absolutely essential.

And, when one couldn’t do that, there were some major consequences. Take a look at the YouTube clip below.

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Zion Williamson would go one to suffer a meniscus injury, which refers to damage to the pillow-like tissue present within the knee, that helps absorb and distribute the impact of all movement, in the right manner through the legs. So yeah, that’s a big hit.

The good news is, that Zion does seem to be improving, in terms of health. And hey, Nike is Nike at the end of the day. They are doing more than well enough to recover the money they’ve lost. In fact, we’d be willing to bet they’ve already done so.

All in all, things are moving in the right direction. Now, let’s just hope that doesn’t change for either party, for a long, long time.

Also Read: “Kendrick Perkins, are you trying to send LeBron James to an asylum?”: Stephen A Smith goes CRAZY as Perk suggests wild Anthony Davis-Kyrie Irving trade

About the author

Tonoy Sengupta

Tonoy Sengupta

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Tonoy Sengupta is a Senior Editor at The SportsRush. Coming from an athletically inclined family, he has been surrounded by sports ever since he was 4 years old. But, while initially pouring all his time into Football (soccer), at 14, Tonoy discovered basketball through the countless highlights of Stephen Curry humiliating players from Curry Land. And just like that, a fiery passion for the game was ignited within Tonoy. And soon after, he decided to become a student of journalism, graduating in 2022, and choosing sports as his area of interest. Today, you can find him spending 99% of his time browsing through every type of content on every team in the NBA, before uncorking everything he has found to the world. In the 1% he isn't doing this, you can find him playing Basketball, Football, Volleyball, or practically any other sport he has had the opportunity to learn.

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