DURHAM, N.C. (97.1 The Ticket) -- Less than a minute into the most anticipated college basketball game of the season, the sport's biggest star, Zion Williamson, left the game with an apparent injury.
Just 36 seconds into the latest installment of the Duke-North Carolina rivalry, Williamson planted his foot near the free throw line and blew right through his shoe and left the game, grimacing in pain.
Zion's shoe: destroyed -- pic.twitter.com/LqQ2te0Jay
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 21, 2019Zion broke out of his SHOE -- pic.twitter.com/FnVkbZ5MOT
— ESPN (@espn) February 21, 2019Duke announced that Williamson will not return to the game.
Many on social media were quick to jump all over Nike.
That the shoe blew out on National TV. That the shoe blew out for Duke-UNC. That the shoe blew out on Zion Williamson. Awful look for Nike.
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) February 21, 2019Wouldn't have happened in the pumas
— PUMA Basketball (@PUMAHoops) February 21, 2019Not a great look for Nike when the future #1 pick in the NBA Draft gets hurt because your shoe rips apart in the first minute of the biggest regular season college game of the year. Hopefully Zion isn't hurt too bad from his Nike Shoe mishap.#dukevsunc pic.twitter.com/BAKeYhUkjB
— AGrudich (@AGrudich) February 21, 2019
