adidas Says Plans Won’t Change for Derrick Rose

The apparel giant milked #TheReturn all of last season, but it’s hard to imagine adidas going down the same route following Derrick Rose’s second devastating knee injury. The adidas basketball marketing team finds tiself in a tough spot. Per the Daily Herald: “Rose has played in just 50 NBA games — 49 in the regular season — since he led Chicago to the Eastern Conference finals during his MVP season. He was just working his way back from surgery after tearing his left ACL in the 2012 playoff opener when the injury to his right knee cropped up, another dagger for the Bulls and Adidas. That it happened in Portland, just a few miles from the company’s North American headquarters, was another twist. Adidas America president Patrik Nilsson and Portland-based vice president of global basketball Lawrence Norman were sitting courtside and had an up-close view. Had they shed tears, would anyone have blamed them? Rose signed a contract extension with the company in February 2012 that reportedly was worth $185 million to $260 million over 13 or 14 years. Two months later, he tore his ACL. Now, he’s on the mend again. Adidas issued a statement wishing Rose well while pledging its support, and it’s not clear how the latest injury will impact the campaign. ‘I can tell you that we’re focused on supporting Derrick through his recovery,’ Adidas spokeswoman Madeline Breskin said. ‘Our plans remain unchanged at this time and we will update business plans, as needed.’ […] When it comes to basketball shoe sales in the U.S., Nike has a stranglehold. The Swoosh is by far the leader at 92 percent with Adidas a distant second at 5.5 percent, according to research firm SportsOneSource. On the plus side, the basketball shoe market is up 25 percent in general. Then again, Rose’s signature shoe didn’t fly off the shelves last year, generating $25 million. ‘They really don’t have another marquee player in their stable,’ SportsOneSource analyst Matt Powell said.”