In our ever interconnecting world and a 24/7/365 presence on the virtual-sphere, we’re all bound to make a mistake or two. It really all comes down to when. For Jason Petrie, the lead footwear designer at Nike Basketball and the architect behind LeBron James‘ signature line, that “when” was over the weekend. Not long after Chicago Bulls‘ Derrick Rose tore his ACL during NBA Playoffs’ Game 1 against the Philadelphia 76ers and effectively ended his season for the year. Petrie made an offhanded remark on Rose’s choice to go with Nike’s arch-rival, adidas, on his personal Twitter account:

“You got one guy only getting stronger, and one guy breaking down before our very eyes. You chose poorly Pooh…#shouldasignedwithNIKE #GWS”

The statement quickly stirred up remarks from Chicago Bulls fans and Rose’s supporters. And while Petrie quickly tweeted an explanation that his comment was taken out of context, the damage was done. Yesterday, Petrie apologized again and tweeted

“Wow! Twitterverse I do apologize. It was really just tongue n cheek! Never meant any harm or disrespect!”

Still, the repercussion from Petrie continues. So much so that Nike stepped in and issued a statement on Petrie’s behalf

“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. 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.”

Throughout this controversy though, Derrick Rose might just have the last laugh. In December of last year, Rose signed a new contract with adidas worth $250 million over 10 years, one of the most lucrative endorsement deal ever… via: NYDailyNews

Read the rest of: Nike Basketball Designer Apologized for Insensitive Twitter Comment on Derrick Rose’s Injury

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Post tags: Chicago Bulls, Derrick Rose, Jason Petrie, LeBron James, NBA, Nike, Nike Basketball, Twitter