Nike’s ‘Don’t Do It’ Campaign Denouncing Racism And Calling For Change

Nike has released a video and message that has displayed across all of its social media platforms. The message is calling for Americans to stand up against social injustices, oppression and systemic racism. In the video, Nike’s iconic “Just Do It” slogan is flipped to “For once, just don’t do it.”

Nike has been on top of any injustices going on for a while now and this video comes after a week of protests throughout America after the tragic death of George Floyd, a man that was murdered by Minneapolis police in Minnesota.

Words from the video are as follows:

“Don’t pretend there’s not a problem in America. Don’t turn your back on racism. Don’t accept innocent lives being taken from us. Don’t make any more excuses. Don’t think this doesn’t affect you. Don’t sit back and be silent. Don’t think you can’t be part of the change. Let’s all be part of the change.”

Nike’s rival competition, adidas echoed the sentiments and showed solidarity by retweeting the message.

Team, As we’ve watched racial tragedies expose prejudice and injustice in our cities over these past few weeks, I can’t stop thinking about the individuals impacted: Ahmaud Arbery. Christian Cooper. Breonna Taylor. George Floyd. The horrible killings and racist actions serve as a sickening reminder of what too many people live through every day in America. It is absolutely wrong what’s happening in our communities, to our friends and family members. These tragedies are not unique to the U.S. Far from it –- we see violent incidents in countries all over the world, fueled by hatred and ignorance.

Let me be as clear as I can: Nike is opposed to bigotry. We are opposed to hatred and inequality in all its forms, indirect and overt. While Nike cannot solve injustice, I believe we have a responsibility to work toward addressing it to the best of our ability.

I know these have been a difficult few months. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought additional fear and tragedy into our lives, with striking disparities in how certain populations have experienced this crisis, particularly in the United States. With its devastating impact on communities of color – including Black, Latinx, Asian and Native American populations – COVID-19 has further exposed deep-seated inequities that are sadly systemic in our society.

It has also served as a reminder of the racism that is still far too prevalent in our culture. Racial bigotry has created enormous pain and tragedy in the Black community. And since the start of the pandemic, we have seen a disturbing increase in racism toward Asian communities worldwide. The fact that these injustices –- and too many others – continue is horrific and unacceptable. I know many teammates in the U.S. and around the world are feeling tired of having to justify their existence and to fight for their dignity and humanity.

I encourage all of us to not be daunted by the enormity of what we face today. The tragedies we face, we face together. We choose to act in a way that is authentic and true to our values. We are compelled by our purpose: Until We All Win. And we will never ever quit until that becomes a reality.

Nike CEO John Donahoe to staff

*FRESHFLYFUTURE stands with George Floyd and his family. We do not condone or will tolerate racism, bigotry or injustices of any sort.

Nike’s “You Can’t Stop Us” Campaign

Throughout the years, Nike has been known for its inspirational commercials and campaigns. They have been ahead of the curve when it comes to pushing for more dialogue when it comes to what’s going on, not only in sports, but the current state of the world. The SWOOSH brand has just released a new clip for their “You Can’t Stop Us” campaign, titled “Never Too Far Down.”

The clip above is narrated by LeBron James, who has definitely defied the odds throughout his life and NBA career, as he speaks of many athletes who have come back from adversity. Athletes include Serena Williams, Tiger Woods, Cristiano Ronaldo, Rafael Nadal, and James himself.

Palace and adidas Skateboarding To Release A Lucas Puig Skate Shoe

Palace just released a teaser video for their upcoming sneaker release in collaboration with adidas Skateboarding. The spotlight is on Lucas Puig, who joined the Palace team in 2017, and is gifted with a deck. Puig and adidas has had a long-standing relationship in terms of putting out kicks and the ball continues to roll with this new teaser.

Check back for more info on the product range. As for now, look out for May 22, 2020 as the release date.

BAIT x Astro Boy Present The Glow-In-The-Dark Skateboard Set

BAIT and Astro Boy collide to collaborate on an Atom Project skateboard set with a glow-in-the-dark motif. The piece will be limited-edition and there will be three decks that will depict the iconic hero in a left, front and right side angle. The glow-in-the-dark aspect comes in play when the lights are low, exposing a neon green skeleton underneath.

The BAIT x Astro Boy x Atom Project Glow-in-the-Dark Skate Set will be limited to 200 pieces and will come specially packaged. Priced at $250 USD, these are available at BAIT’s online shop.

NBA Severs Ties With Spalding In Favor of Wilson As Official Basketball Maker

Spalding will no longer be the official basketball of the NBA. The association is making a trade in favor of Wilson, who will begin working with the league for the 2021-22 season as reported by Yahoo! Sports.

The NBA’s partnership with Spalding lasted 30-years but sources state that the split between the two was mutual. Wilson will provide basketballs for not only the NBA, but leagues such as the WNBA, NBA G League, NBA 2K League and Basketball Africa League.

The NCAA currently enlists Wilson as the official maker of its basketballs as well.

Kevin Durant Premiers Documentary ‘BASKETBALL COUNTY: In The Water’

Kevin Durant, via partnership with Showtime, has dropped off the official trailer for the upcoming documentary, BASKETBALL COUNTY: In The Water.

This doc is co-executive produced by Durant himself along with Victor Olapido and Quinn Cook. BASKETBALL COUNTY focuses on Durant’s hometown of Prince George’s County, Maryland, which has produced many professional basketball players including Olapido, Cook, Jeff Green, Michael Beasley, Markelle Fultz, and Marissa Coleman.

Watch the full trailer above. BASKETBALL COUNTY: In The Water premieres May 15, 9 p.m. EST on Showtime.

Tony Hawk Joins Vans As Global Brand Ambassador

Professional Skateboarding legend and icon Tony Hawk will be joining Vans as its newest global ambassador.

In addition to promoting Vans as a global brand, Hawk will also produce an all-new professional vert skateboarding competition.

Vans has supported skateboarding since the very beginning, and never wavered in its commitment, even with massive mainstream success. I have always respected their integrity, so it is an honor to officially join forces and help continue to grow skateboarding culture in the most authentic way possible.

Tony Hawk

Check out the Vans website to learn more about the partnership.

Michael Jordan Wins Case Against Knockoff Chinese Brand

The ongoing legal battle with Michael Jordan against Chinese knockoff brand Qiaodan has seemingly come to a conclusion.

A trademark dispute lasting eight years has come to an end as the Supreme People’s Court in China has ruled in favor of Jordan. According to China Daily, the Chinese sportswear company Qiaodan was accused of misleading customers into believing that their brand and Jordan were somehow connected. As a result, the top court has prohibited the brand from using the name Qiaodan, which is the Chinese translation of Jordan’s name.

Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan And Kevin Garnett Headline Basketball Hall Of Fame Class Of 2020

Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett will receive the greatest honor in sports by being inducted into the 2020 Basketball Hall Of Fame.

Besides the three greats already mentioned, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame will also include the following:

WNBA All-Star Tamika Catchings, former Houston Rockets head coach and 2-time NBA Champion Rudy Tomjanovich, Eddie Sutton, who was four-time NCAA coach of the year, three-time NCAA Champion coach Kim Mulkey of Baylor and five-time NCAA Division II Coach of the Year Barbra Stevens from Bentley University.

This news is bitter-sweet as it comes just a few months after the late great Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter accident. However the circumstance, it’s definitely a no-brainer that The Black Mamba would be a first ballot selection and well deserved.