Kevin Durant is fuming over Nike’s latest commercial for the Summer Olympics, which seemingly snubbed him despite their lifetime partnership. The ad, titled “Winning Isn’t For Everyone,” features high-profile athletes like LeBron James, A’ja Wilson, and Sabrina Ionescu but leaves out Durant, who is gearing up for the Paris Olympics.
Durant, who is sidelined from Team USA’s pre-Olympics games due to a lingering calf injury, took to Instagram to express his discontent. In a post laden with frustration, he asked Nike, “@Nike tell me, am I a bad person?????” alongside photos of himself with gold medals from the 2016 Rio and 2021 Tokyo Games. His message was a pointed reminder of his significant achievements and his long-standing loyalty to the brand.
The omission stung especially hard for Durant, who has been a Nike athlete since 2007, when he first signed with them fresh out of Texas and while playing for the Oklahoma City Thunder. Despite his storied career and enduring partnership, Durant’s absence from this particular campaign has been a blow.
In his Instagram post, Durant underscored his commitment to Nike, remarking, “Been wit yall every step of the way @nike. Even during the quarantine Olympics @nike.” His reference to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which were held without spectators due to the pandemic, highlights his continued support even during challenging times.
Nike has reserved lifetime contracts for only a few select athletes, with Michael Jordan and LeBron James being the other two luminaries in this elite category. Durant’s feelings of being overlooked come at a time when he was expected to potentially participate in Monday’s game against Germany but remained out due to his injury.
As Team USA prepares to launch their Olympic campaign with a group stage match against Serbia on Sunday, Durant’s exclusion from the commercial casts a shadow over his longstanding partnership with Nike.