Last updated on .From the section Basketball Zion Williamson's left shoe was literally ripped apart The 18-year-old tipped to be the next big thing in basketball was injured after only 33 seconds on Wednesday, when his Nike shoe fell apart. Zion Williamson, who is the projected number one pick in June's NBA Draft, has been dubbed the 'next LeBron James'. Former US president Barack Obama was among the crowd as Williamson's Duke University played local rivals North Carolina. Blue Devils forward Williamson, hailed by double NBA champion Kevin Durant as a "once in a generation athlete", hurt his left knee after his foot burst through his shoe when he landed while dribbling. The rubber sole ripped loose from the Nike shoe, with the sportswear giant - Duke's exclusive supplier of uniforms, shoes and clothing - saying in a statement: "We are obviously concerned and want to wish Zion a speedy recovery. "The quality and performance of our products are of utmost importance. While this is an isolated occurrence, we are working to identify the issue." Barack Obama, Floyd Mayweather, LeBron James and Jay Z have been spotted watching Duke in the past month Williamson left the court and did not return, with Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski confirming he had suffered a mild knee sprain, with information on his recovery to be revealed later on Thursday. Unprecedented demand had seen tickets to watch the teenager in Wednesday's local derby eclipse NFL Super Bowl prices thanks to the 'Zion Effect' external-link . And his spectacular performances in college basketball mean when he turns professional he could earn $1bn, an ESPN college basketball analyst told Forbes, external-link joining six-time NBA champion Michael Jordan, 14-time golf major winner Tiger Woods and former five-weight world champion Floyd Mayweather as a member of the billion dollar club. The 2019 NBA Draft will take place on 20 June at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, with Williamson a 1-20 odds-on favourite to be the number one pick. Zion's injury meant North Carolina won 88-72 in the 46th meeting between the rivals.<doc-sep>Duke said Thursday that freshman basketball superstar Zion Williamson suffered a mild knee sprain when his Nike PG 2.5 shoe burst apart at the start of the Blue Devils' prime-time televised game against North Carolina, suggesting he could return soon to the currently No. 1-ranked team, The Washington Post reported. Nike shares dropped by 1 percent on Thursday as the athletic apparel maker scrambled to figure out why the shoe disintegrated, per CNN. Nike's stock fell after Duke star Zion Williamson's shoe exploded on the court during a game. @ChristineRomans reports on the fallout: https://t.co/FWzAQXME86 pic.twitter.com/oLSGZqKAW8 — CNN (@CNN) February 22, 2019 Former President Barack Obama was courtside, and was shown in a widely seen video reacting by pointing toward Williamson and saying, "His shoe broke!" Duke struggled after Williamson's injury, losing to No. 8 UNC in a stunning upset. The incident renewed debate over whether playing college ball is worth the risk for players who stand to make millions as pros.<doc-sep>Duke University basketball star Zion Williamson suffered an injury when his Nike shoe blew apart during a game. Williamson's shoe ripped in half less than one minute into Wednesday's game against the University of North Carolina. Williamson fell down and injured his knee, keeping him out of the rest of the game. UNC won 88-72. The two schools and Virginia are in a three-way tie for first place in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Nike shares were down 1 percent Thursday morning. "We are obviously concerned and want to wish Zion a speedy recovery. The quality and performance of our products are of utmost importance," Nike said in a statement. "While this is an isolated occurrence, we are working to identify the issue." Adam Schefter Tweet Liz Dunn, founder and CEO of retail analytics firm Pro4ma, said one question is whether Williamson can sue. She noted that he is required to wear Nike shoes because of the contract Nike has with Duke. "It's a very tangled legal web," Dunn said. "I would say that he shouldn't sue if he's managing his career appropriately. He's got a long, long road ahead of him where he can make a lot of money, unless his injury is more serious." Williamson, a forward, is considered one of the best college players, leading to speculation about his future in the sport and the deals that could come with it. Shares of Nike competitor Under Armour were up 1.5 percent Thursday morning. The incident could be an opportunity for the company to challenge Nike's dominant position in basketball. "It's certainly a moment of embarrassment for the brand on a grand scale especially in today's world where live sporting events dominate social media conversation" Baird analyst Jonathan Komp said, "but also not the first, nor will it be the last when you consider Nike sells more than 500 million pairs annually." Nike's brand is built around the idea that customers can buy the same high-performance product their favorite athletes use, he added. "So if handled correctly, this PR issue could be an opportunity to reinforce this message with consumers. But otherwise premature to comment on the cause of the malfunction or the brand's ultimate reaction. And at this point we suspect this is a contained issue unlikely to broaden to any lasting concern for the stock." —CNBC's Michael Bloom and Jessica Golden contributed to this report.<doc-sep>
North Carolina's blowout of Duke wasn't the most pressing blowout on the college basketball powerhouse's mind after Wednesday's marquee matchup. Instead, it was Zion Williamson's blown-out Nike high-tops. Williamson, who is projected by many to be the first overall pick in this June's NBA draft, left Wednesday's game with a right knee injury and his shoe tore in the opening seconds of the game. He did not return and the Tar Heels went on to an easy victory over the No. 1-ranked Blue Devils, 88-72. "We're very concerned about Zion," Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski said after the loss. "It's a mild knee sprain. We will know about length of time tomorrow. It's stable. Obviously it has an impact. You lose the National Player of the Year on the first play." More pressingly on some fans' minds was how his shoe could tear apart, resulting in the injury. The sole could be seen torn completely off with Williamson's socked foot hanging outside. Nike apologized and promised an investigation after the game. "We are obviously concerned and want to wish Zion a speedy recovery," Nike said in a statement. "The quality and performance of our products are of utmost importance. While this is an isolated occurrence, we are working to identify the issue." Duke signed a 12-year deal with Nike to provide shoes and apparel for the basketball program. They are in the fourth year of that deal, according to ESPN. Williamson was able to walk off the court with only a slight limp. "I just thought he'd twisted his ankle or his knee," Duke's Tre Jones said after the game. "But when he took his shoes off, I thought maybe something else was going on." The game was maybe the biggest draw in years. Duke and North Carolina, with 11 NCAA championships between them, already have a decades-long rivalry, but the highlight-reel regular Williamson added even more attention. His teammate, R.J. Barrett, is also expected to be a top 3 pick in the NBA draft. ESPN reported ahead of the game that the cheapest ticket available in Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, North Carolina, was $2,500. One ticket sold for over $10,000. Former President Barack Obama, who was at the game, could actually be seen encouraging the star after his injury and tweeted his best wishes following the loss. Other marquee names in attendance included Oscar-nominee Spike Lee, Baseball Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr., NFL running back Todd Gurley and actress Hayden Panettiere.