MANILA, Philippines — Memes have stormed social media after Duke University star cager Zion Williamson’s shoe got ripped off during a highly anticipated match against the University of North Carolina (UNC) on Wednesday (Thursday in the Philippines).
READ: Duke star Zion Williamson injures knee after Nike shoe blows out
Less than a minute into the game, Williamson’s shoe, a Nike PG 2.5, got torn apart, resulting in what Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski called a “mild knee sprain” in a report by ESPN.com.
Zion's shoe: destroyed 😳 pic.twitter.com/LqQ2te0Jay
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 21, 2019
Williamson did not return to the game which ended with top-ranked Duke losing to North Carolina, 72-88.
This prompted an outcry in social media with netizens and some personalities expressing dismay, while others turned the situation around with comic memes.
Someone apparently made a Twitter account for Williamson’s shoe with handle @ZionSneaker.
“Guys, I’m really sorry. I let us all down, including my main man Zion Williamson,” a tweet attached with the shoe’s photo read.
Guys, I'm really sorry. I let us all down, including my main man Zion Williamson. pic.twitter.com/Coz2xk6Wu3
— Zion's Sneaker (@ZionSneaker) February 21, 2019
Another parody account for Williamson’s shoe tweeted, “How should this legally work? Do I sue Zion for tearing me apart? Do I sue Nike for making me so poorly? Does Zion sue me for hurting him? Do the fans sue me for wasting their ticket money?”
How should this legally work?
• Do I sue Zion for tearing me apart?
• Do I sue Nike for making me so poorly?
• Does Zion sue me for hurting him?
• Do the fans sue me for wasting their ticket money?
— Zion’s Shoe (@ZionWShoes) February 21, 2019
Others used GIFs to insert comedy on the incident:
Me returning my Nikes tomorrow after seeing Zion's shoe explode. pic.twitter.com/EnNqjV32Ks
— Juan Calderon (@juancalderon) February 21, 2019
Nike headquarters tonight pic.twitter.com/FgRtvr0JTa
— TooTallVol24 (@thecollinsay) February 21, 2019
Current mood at Adidas and Under Armour Headquarters … #nike pic.twitter.com/W2kMnUBcVn
— sean frank (@Seanfrankey) February 21, 2019
Nike after Zion broke through his sneakers mid game pic.twitter.com/uZrLlZF9so
— Jahan (@H00PINATI) February 21, 2019
Meanwhile, Nike already released a statement wishing Williamson, a projected top overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, a speedy recovery.
“We are obviously concerned and want to wish Zion a speedy recovery. The quality and performance of our products are of utmost importance. While this is an isolated occurrence, we are working to identify the issue,” the sports giant said. / gsg