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Nike Endorser Durant Takes Shot At Under Armour, Debuts New "Cupcake" Sneakers

Warriors F Kevin Durant this week took a shot at Under Armour, saying "nobody wants to play in Under Armours." Appearing on "The Bill Simmons Podcast," Durant was asked why he chose to play at Texas rather than Maryland, near his hometown of DC. Durant said he wanted to see "what was outside of the area," but added, "A lot of kids, to be honest, don’t choose Maryland unless they play in an Under Armour system coming up. Shoe companies have a real, real big influence on where these kids go. Nobody wants to play in Under Armours, I’m sorry. The top kids don’t because they all play in Nikes.” Asked if he had discussed the topic with teammate Stephen Curry, a top UA endorser, Durant said, "No, but come on man. Everybody knows that, they just don’t want to say nothing” (“The Bill Simmons Podcast,” The Ringer, 8/28). FS1’s Colin Cowherd wondered if Durant’s success is hurting Curry’s brand. He said, “Curry's brand is shrinking. This is the downside to adding another star to a movie. You put LeBron on the Miami Heat and D-Wade wasn’t quite as big and I just think this is natural. ... Curry is still a global star, he's just not as big as he was two years ago.” Cowherd: “Under Armour's stock is down 40%. ... If Nike has a bad year of earnings, Michael Jordan is still Michael Jordan" (“Speak for Yourself,” FS1, 8/29). CNBC's Jim Cramer said UA's move into sneakers has been an "unmitigated disaster" ("Squawk on the Street," CNBC, 8/30).

CUPCAKE WARS: ESPN.com's Royce Young noted Durant "isn't running from the 'cupcake' moniker backhandedly given to him" by Thunder G Russell Westbrook. Nike yesterday announced the newest colorway of Durant's signature KD 10 shoe, a "red and black flyknit shoe with a frosty white sole, dubbed the 'KDX Red Velvet.'" The shoe in an image touting the announcement is "surrounded by red velvet cupcakes." Nike's messaging is "pretty clear to anyone paying attention to Durant and Westbrook's cold war the last year." "Cupcake" became the "rallying cry for Thunder fans in Durant's return to Oklahoma City last season." The new colorway "isn't Durant's first move at turning the cupcake narrative on its head." After the Warriors' win in Durant's return to Oklahoma City, he and his teammates "celebrated by nabbing some of the cupcake shirts and wearing them postgame" (ESPN.com, 8/29).

END OF AN ERA? BUSINESS INSIDER's Dennis Green wrote once upon a time, Nike's Jordan Brand was "crushing it," but as of late it has been "struggling amid an industrywide downturn in sales of basketball sneakers." The trends are now "favoring low-top sneakers like the Adidas Superstar, as the chunkier looks of basketball shoes don't quite fit in with skinny jeans and joggers." To remedy the issue, Nike has been "releasing more and more Jordan shoes, including rereleases of vintage styles." Now when Jordan shoes are released, they "do not always sell out instantly." That has "eroded the brand value of Jordan" (BUSINESSINSIDER.com, 8/29). Meanwhile, ESPN.com's Nick DePaula noted Jordan Brand "unveiled the latest model of the Air Jordan sneaker, the Air Jordan XXXII, at a special event in Italy." The sneaker will be "released on Sept. 23 and retail for $185, the same price as last year's edition." The newest addition to the Jordan line takes "heavy inspiration from the original Air Jordan II of 31 years ago." Other players such as Spurs F Kawhi Leonard, T'Wolves F Jimmy Butler and Knicks F Carmelo Anthony are "expected to wear" the sneaker (ESPN.com, 8/29).

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