A Big Week for Sports & Fashion
Nike's CEO courtside at NY Liberty, PLAYERS rollout and the fallout from Dick's $2.4 billion splurge.
Hi friends! Welcome back to SportsVerse, my twice-weekly newsletter that tells stories you can't find anywhere else about the intersection of sports, fashion, business, and culture. Powered by OffBall.
A lot has happened at the intersection of sports, business and fashion over the past week.
I decided it’s time to do a little round-up of what I’ve been keeping my eye on.
Nike CEO Elliott Hill was at the NY Liberty season opener in Brooklyn this weekend
I met Hill during the halftime break. He was wearing a Nike Country belt and a pair of soon-to-be-released Kobe Mamacita basketball sneakers. He’s a larger than life character who truly lives and breathes the Swoosh. I can see why he has been entrusted with the monumental task of breathing fresh life into the $52 billion company, which has had its fair share of challenges over the past couple of years.
He sat courtside and got dapped up by Ellie the Elephant — the famous NY Liberty mascot — during a timeout in the third quarter. A historic crossover to witness.
In all seriousness, Hill’s omnipresence and visibility in the market — and at Nike offices around the world — since stepping into the role of CEO has created a major energy shift at the brand, sources tell me.
Being present (and visibily present) to watch two of Nike’s most exciting signature stars in action against each other (Sabrina Ionescu and A’ja Wilson) is exactly how a sportswear brand shows its commitment to its mission (in this case, investing in women’s sports) and the people who turn marketing speak into meaningful moments (the athletes).
His enthusiasm and steadfast belief that Nike can and will get back to its best is having a genuine impact on company morale — which was something that had tanked under his predecessor, John Donahoe.
I’m excited to see what he can achieve given enough time.
Dick’s Sporting Goods (great name) acquires Footlocker for $2.4 billion
I shared some in-depth insights, thoughts and feelings on this deal with Dan Shanoff, managing editor of The Athletic, late last week. There has also been the usual hysteria, “expert” commentary of dubious expertise and AI-generated LinkedIn posts that we have come to expect when deals like this happen.
As always, Matt Powell’s analysis of what actually went down and what the deal means for the industry cut through all of the BS. He said:
The deal was a good thing for Dick’s because they acquired an $8 billion company for $2.4 billion — fire sale price.
The deal is also a vote of confidence in the future of Nike (whose products currently make up around 60 percent of Footlocker’s sales). “I think Dick’s believes that when Nike gets right, FL comes roaring back,” Powell said.
Dick’s must assume the US government’s tariff war will be short lived, and therefore are investing in the heavily-impacted footwear category for the long-term.
But, Dick’s does not have the best track record with its acquisitions. Turning around a struggling global sneaker retailer will be no walk in the park.
PLAYERS Magazine Begins Its Rollout
PLAYERS is another editorial project I’ve had the pleasure of working on this year. Issue 1 recently went to print as we gear up for a June launch. So many of you have got in touch to ask questions or express your excitement, and I can’t wait for you to see it.
Dwyane Wade was guest editor. Issue 1 is all rooted around the culture of basketball and its intersection with style and fashion over the years. Vladimir Restoin Roitfeld assembled a dream editorial team, which I am lucky to be a part of as a contributing editor.
There are so many amazing cover stories. Unreleased archive images of MJ. Spike Lee — an OG sports-fashion-culture muse — shot by legendary fashion photographer Mario Sorrenti. A Dwyane Wade cover story. We also commissioned some incredible writers to report on some fascinating deep dives as they relate to basketball culture.
Robert Cordero (
) and I co-wrote a cover story on the NY Liberty (a recurring theme in today’s newsletter). We interviewed the owner of the reigning WNBA champions, Clara Wu Tsai, along with the team’s Big Three: Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones and Sabrina Ionescu.Images from that shoot were projected on the jumbotron at the Liberty season opener on Saturday at the Barclays Center. It’s an emotional story and one I can’t wait to see in print.
There are several other stories and covers yet to be revealed that I’m excited for you to see too.
Catch my session at 4se New York
I’m on stage at 4se in NYC later today. It was this time last year after I spoke at the same event, that I resolved I would find a way to relocate from London to New York. A year later, here we are. It should be a great conversation with two amazing fellow panellists. If you’re around, come say hi!
That’s all for today, friends. Thanks for coming along for the ride.
See you next time,
DYM