Nike Calls Designer’s Tweets Mocking Derrick Rose ‘Inappropriate’

Jason Petrie, the man behind the design of LeBron James’ wildly successful shoe line, found himself in some hot water for sending out some not-so-funny tweets regarding Derrick Rose’s torn ACL. He has since apologized, and his employer Nike released a statement regarding the furor. Per Fox Sports: “Senior footwear designer Jason Petrie tweeted Rose ‘#shouldasignedwithNIKE’ after the reigning MVP suffered the knee injury in the Bulls’ playoff series opener against the Philadelphia 76ers in Chicago on Saturday. Rose signed a career deal with Adidas in February worth a minimum of $185 million over 13 years. Petrie, who designed the sneakers worn and endorsed by Heat star James, made a comparison between his man and Rose, who he referred to by his family nickname, ‘Pooh.’ ‘You got one guy only getting stronger, and one guy breaking down before our very eyes. You chose poorly Pooh… #shouldasignedwithNIKE #GWS [get well soon],’ he tweeted. […] Nike released a statement on the issue. ‘As a brand that is passionate about sport, we recognize the intense level of play that every athlete has engaged in during this basketball season and respect the dedication it takes to compete,’ the statement said. ‘One of our basketball footwear designers posted comments online that we feel are inappropriate, and he has since apologized. We wish anyone who is injured a speedy recovery.'”