Nike exec cites boom in All-Star

LOS ANGELES — For Nike executive Rodney Knox, the National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star Weekend is a shot in the arm of sports apparel and footwear companies.

Knox said in Nike’s Beverly Hills store, sales zoomed to 300 percent over the same period last year, mainly because of the excitement triggered by the annual classic. Nike took advantage of the media hype to introduce six models of shoes during the week.

"The All-Star Weekend is a show that’s more entertainment than competition," noted Knox who joined Nike five months ago after working a total of 24 years for the football clubs San Francisco 49ers and San Diego Chargers. "It’s about individual effort. The players take a deep breath and enjoy the break from the action. Then they go back to work refreshed, ready to get their teams on track for the playoffs–like a horserace, it’s like turning the corner."

Knox said it’s an honor for a player to be named an All-Star. "Of course, we would’ve liked to see LeBron (James) in the All-Star Game," he continued. "But in the Rookie Challenge, he showed what he can do. He’s still young with lots of potential. There are many more All-Star Games ahead of him. Take nothing away from the 12 All-Stars–they all deserved to play in the game."

James, 19, signed a $90 million, seven-year deal to endorse Nike products even before he played his first NBA game. He is the center of a global marketing effort launched by Nike this season.

"What’s incredible is LeBron’s maturity despite his age," said Knox. "He’s not fazed by the pressure. He doesn’t run and hide. He knows how to handle himself. He’s been the focus of national attention since he was 14 years old so he’s probably used to it by now. We consult LeBron and use his ideas to design his personal line. An example is his new wheat gold shoe. Because he once told us he’ll play in hiking boots if necessary, we designed a wheat gold shoe that is the traditional color of a hiking boot."

Knox said Nike’s Beverly Hills store is the fourth largest Niketown among 12 in the US after New York, Chicago and San Francisco. A specialty store of females called Nike Goddess is also in the city.

Knox, a Master’s in Sports Management degree holder from the University of San Francisco, said Nike’s cast of athletic endorsers was carefully chosen. "We work closely with our endorsers," he explained. "We choose our endorsers not only on the basis of their skills but also their willingness to reach out to the fans. We realize that some endorsers come and go–that’s part of the business and we wish them well. But we’ve got a stable of endorsers we’re proud of. The Revolution guys include the young guns like LeBron, Amare Stoudemire, Tayshaun Prince, Carmelo Anthony and Dujuan Wagner. Then we’ve got the veterans like Jason Kidd, Paul Pierce, Gary Payton and Rasheed Wallace who still wears the 15-year-old Nike Dunks."

As for newly-recruited endorser Kobe Bryant, Knox said his personal line is now being conceptualized and developed. "Kobe’s a dynamic player and we support him," said Knox.

Michael Jordan is easily Nike’s most prominent endorser. "He started endorsing Nike in 1986 and we developed his own line several years ago," said Knox. "He’s loyal to Nike. If you notice in his NBA career, he practically played for just one team, Chicago. That’s how he is. We’ve got a specialist Tinker Hatfield who designs the Jordan line with Michael himself."

Despite his retirement, Jordan remains Nike’s most popular endorser. His new shoe Air Jordan XIX was launched here yesterday.

As for Nike’s rising stars, Knox said James and Anthony are at the head of the list. "They’re both young and energetic," he said. "Their skills are incredible for their age. They’re charismatic. LeBron is more playful, joking with fans almost like a child while Carmelo is quiet and his skills are remarkably refined for a player of his experience."

Knox said he played basketball in high school and grew up idolizing New York Knicks legend Walt Frazier. In football, his idols are Lenny Moore of the Baltimore Colts and Lester Hayes of the Oakland Raiders.

Knox said he hopes to visit the Philippines soon because it is a major Nike market. "We’re all about innovations and bringing in new ideas for our products," he went on. "The Philippine market is very strong for us. We know Filipinos love and understand basketball. What’s interesting is we’ve noticed a trend of consumer preference not only for performance shoes but also for our lifestyle or fashion line."

The celebrities who checked out Niketown this weekend included Vince Carter, Carlos Boozer and West All-Stars coach Flip Saunders of the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The other day, the Niketown store attendants all wore Cleveland’s retro jersey, No. 23. It’s no coincidence that Jordan wore No. 23 in his storybook NBA career and Nike’s new generation star James wears the same number.