LeBron James has a message for the Nike haters

Sep 14, 2018

 

LeBron James took to Twitter Friday to have fun with the haters who claimed Nike stock would plummet after it rolled out a new campaign starring Colin Kaepernick.

In response to a tweet from ESPN reporter Darren Rovell announcing that Nike stock closed Thursday at an all-time high of $83.47, James posted, “Well I guess WE’RE on fire.” To make his point, the NBA star and Los Angeles Laker used eight emojis for flames and another four of someone crying laughing. Then he posted hashtags, “#JokesOnYou#NikeLifer.”

James’ tweets were in response to the visceral reaction people had across the country when Nike made former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick the centerpiece of its 30th anniversary “Just Do It” campaign. Kaepernick launched a grassroots movement by taking a knee during the national anthem before games. He remains unsigned but has drawn a following across the country.

After the commercial and billboard launched on Labor Day, opponents to Kaepernick’s activism proclaimed they would destroy their Nike belongings and begin purchasing other brands of sporting goods. They predicted Nike sales would drop.

Instead, Nike sales rose more than 30 percent in the time period of the campaign launch and now are through the roof.

Read More: Nike Sales soar after Kaepernick ad

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James and tennis star Serena Williams also are part of the campaign, appearing in the commercial that starts Kaepernick.

This is not James’ first brush with taking a stand on his beliefs.

The star player recently opened a school in his native Akron, Ohio, for underprivileged children.

James signed a lifetime contract with Nike a few years ago.

The ad campaign has prompted supporters to don all the Nike they own and even buy more, and still, others have been buying up paraphernalia that says, “I’m with Kap.”

The campaign also has drawn the ire of President Trump, who tweeted that Nike was getting “absolutely killed with anger and boycotts.”

 

 

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