Nike shoe breaks apart Teammates RJ Barrett #5 and Marques Bolden #20 of the Duke Blue Devils watch as Zion Williamson #1 of the Duke Blue Devils reacts after falling as his shoe breaks against Luke Maye #32 of the North Carolina Tar Heels during their game at Cameron Indoor Stadium on February 20, 2019, in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo: Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

The high-profile failure of a Nike Inc. basketball shoe on Wednesday night was more than an epic embarrassment for the athletic brand. It could be a product-liability case.

Mild knee sprain

Duke University star freshman Zion Williamson — the consensus No. 1 pick in this year's National Basketball Association draft — sprained his knee when his Nike sneaker fell apart. He tumbled to the court less than 35 seconds into the loss to in-state rival North Carolina.

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