Swoosh There It Is: Adidas Loses Out With Nike Sponsoring All Team USA Men's BBall Players

There were “no sneaker controversies, real or imagined, in this year's selection” of the USA men's Olympic basketball team, as “fate has made the USA squad all-Nike,” according to Allan Brettman of the Portland OREGONIAN. adidas America Global Basketball officials in Portland “had to cringe just a little on Monday if they took a look the Nike-supplied photograph of the USA men's Olympic basketball team.” With adidas endorsers Derrick Rose and Dwight Howard off the team due to injuries, the “millions of dollars that Adidas has spent on endorsement contracts for Rose and Howard -- the one-two punch of Adidas Basketball marketing -- won't have nearly as much bang for their bucks.” But if there is “any consolation” for adidas, it is that Rose and Howard “won't be wearing a Swoosh” during Olympic play with Nike sponsoring the men’s basketball team. Both LeBron James and Anthony Davis will be wearing their Nike Hyperdunk+ shoes that “include a footbed of sensors that will measure how high they jumps, track their highest jump, measure their average jump height and total jumps per game along with steps per second and quickest movements.” Brettman noted it “will be interesting how Nike and Olympics broadcaster NBC make use of the data.” Meanwhile, Nike Global Corporate Communications Dir Mary Remuzzi said that everyone on the USA women's team “except two players will wear the Nike Hyperdunk 2012” (OREGONLIVE.com, 7/17).

NOTE: * = Kevin Love wears Nike shoes, but his exact brand was unknown at presstime.