Blue Devils forward Williamson, hailed by double NBA champion Kevin Durant as a “once in a generation athlete”, hurt his left knee after his foot burst through his shoe when he landed while dribbling.
The rubber sole ripped loose from the Nike shoe, with the sportswear giant – Williamson team’s exclusive supplier of uniforms, shoes, and clothing – saying in a statement: “We are obviously concerned and want to wish Zion a speedy recovery.
The quality and performance of our products are of the utmost importance. While this is an isolated occurrence, we are working to identify the issue.”
Former US president Barack Obama was among the crowd as Williamson’s Duke University played local rivals, North Carolina. Floyd Mayweather, LeBron James, and Jay Z have been spotted watching Duke in the past month.
The 2019 NBA Draft will take place on 20 June at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, with Williamson a 1-20 odds-on favourite to be the number one pick.
Williamson played just 34 seconds in total on the night before the incident, coach Mike Krzyzewski said it was a ‘mild knee sprain,’ Zion’s injury meant North Carolina won 88-72 in the 46th meeting between the rivals.
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