As a long-time Nike gamer and avid follower of basketball, I can’t help but feel disappointed and puzzled by the brand’s recent Olympic campaign that seemingly overlooked one of its most iconic athletes: Kevin Durant. Durant, who has been representing Team USA and Nike for 17 years, was noticeably absent from the “Winning Isn’t For Everyone” commercial, despite his impressive track record and upcoming participation in this year’s games.
Before the forthcoming Olympics, Nike unveiled a significant marketing effort, featuring some of the most renowned athletes globally.
“Winning isn’t for everyone” – this was the name of Nike’s recent campaign. In a 90-second spot, some well-known NBA players who are currently participating in international games were showcased. Among them were Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Victor Wembanyama, Serena Williams, A’ja Wilson, and Kylian Mbappé. The commercial was filled with big names, yet one player was conspicuously absent – Kevin Durant of the Phoenix Suns, a long-term Nike athlete. It appears that Durant felt overlooked or excluded from this presentation.
Durant expressed his confusion on Instagram about being left out by Nike, despite his long-standing relationship with the brand and upcoming participation in his fourth Olympics with Team USA. He asked rhetorically, “Am I a bad person, @nike?” accompanied by a picture of him wearing a Nike USA Basketball t-shirt. In subsequent stories, he shared images of himself, Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James, and Kobe Bryant with their Olympic gold medals in 2012 and the caption, “I’ve been there every step of the way with you, @nike.” He also posted a photo from the 2016 Olympics, where he was with Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green, and Harrison Barnes, accompanied by the caption, “Even during the quarantine Olympics, @nike.” If Team USA wins gold this year, Durant would surpass his previous teammates and become the all-time Olympic basketball leader with a total of five gold medals. Nike has yet to address why they excluded Durant from their Olympics marketing.
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Did something happen w KD and Nike why he post these 🤔
— 𝘚𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘢☆ (@Stunna999_) July 19, 2024
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2024-07-21 12:56