Life without Kevin Garnett - SPORTING CHANCE by Joaquin M. Henson

BEAVERTON, Oregon — Minnesota Timberwolves star Kevin Garnett has left the Nike family and joined footwear rival AND 1. But it doesn’t seem to bother Nike’s Sports Marketing Director for basketball Steve Riggins.

"We’re looking ahead," said Riggins who was in Manila to accompany Boston Celtics guard Paul Pierce on a promotional visit last summer. "Sure, it stung at first – we lost a real good guy and we wanted him to stay. We offered more money on the table but K.G. had made up his mind. It was his decision to go, not ours. Still, we got the best of the best. We don’t have Kobe (Bryant), Allen (Iverson), and K.G. but we’ve got the best of the rest. We’ve got Vince (Carter) and he’s just starting to show what he can do."

Riggins said Garnett asked Nike for permission to establish his own apparel line called OBF or "official block family," his tag for about 10 boyhood pals with whom he grew up in South Carolina. Riggins met with about seven of Garnett’s 10 friends to lay down the law. The bottom line was Nike couldn’t agree to Garnett’s fashion line because it didn’t make sense for a shoe endorser to be an apparel competitor.

A source whispered that AND 1 offered Garnett a five-year deal worth at least $10 Million. The same source speculated that AND 1 may phase out its apparel line to make way for Garnett’s. "K.G. will be AND 1’s franchise player," continued the source. "He has to be because AND 1 is giving up a lot for him especially since AND 1’s main source of income is apparel, not shoes."

For AND 1, this could be a breakthrough. For years, it hasn’t made an impact in the shoe market – the word is AND 1’s rubber slip-ons are bigger sellers than its sneakers. With K.G. joining Latrell Sprewell and Larry Hughes in the band, AND 1 might just start rocking the boat.

Riggins said he’s confident Garnett’s departure won’t shake up Nike’s huge market share. Nike’s control of the market doesn’t rest on a single player‘s shoulders. Michael Jordan, for instance, retired in 1998 but Nike‘s sales continued to skyrocket. Last year, Nike reported sales of close to $9 Billion.

Riggins promised to bring more National Basketball Association (NBA) stars to Manila next year. He assured Pierce’s Filipino fans that the Celtic is back in fighting form. A few weeks before the seasons opened, Pierce was involved in a stabbing incident in Boston. He suffered 11 stab wounds and his lung was punctured. But Pierce recovered miraculously and never missed a single regular season game.

"What really happened, I still don’t know for sure," said Riggins. "The reports are sketchy and versions vary depending on whom you talk to. I heard some guys from a rap group didn’t like the attention Paul was getting from this girl and one guy just went wild. It takes a pretty bad guy to stab somebody 11 times. We’re happy that Paul’s alright and he’s playing probably the best basketball of his career."

While visiting the Nike "campus" here, the Asian 3-on-3 champion team from Letran High School was toured by Andrea Corso of the Public Relations Department. The boys were briefed on Nike’s history by pioneer Jeff Hollister and on the facilities of its research laboratory by Dr. Mario Lafortune.

I joined the boys for the Hollister and Lafortune briefings. Additionally, I conferred with Basketball Footwear Designer Ken Link and Basketball Footwear Director Morgan Keldsen.

The Nike head office sits on a sprawling 175-acre spread in this Portland suburb. It was inaugurated in 1990 and called the "campus" because of a university-like atmosphere. At the center of the property is a 10-acre, man-made lake that is seven feet deep. There were 11 buildings initially built. In 1997, a $150 Million expansion project was started and when finished, it will add seven new buildings, soccer fields, a five-lane running track made of recycled shoes, and four bridges, among others.

The entrance to the campus features 48 flags – including the Philippines’ – representing the main countries where Nike is engaged in business. Along the corridors linking each building to the other is the so-called Walkway Hall of Fame which consists of over 175 bronze face casts of world-class athletes with Nike ties. Another 150 faces will be added in the expansion project. Among the athletes in the Hall are Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Charles Barkley, John Stockton, Elvin Hayes, Sidney Wicks, Calvin Murphy, Jimmy Connors, and Andre Agassi.

Taking care of the environment is a major Nike thrust. By recycling almost 400 tons of office paper each year at the campus, Nike spares 6,800 trees and 2.8 million gallons of water. Grinding old shoes into little pieces has resulted into producing material to build top-quality athletic flooring. For instance, the campus’ soccer filed is made of synthetic turf – artificial grass using a smooth coated fiber, an open weave system and an infill made of recycled shoes. Since the grass doesn’t grow, it’s not difficult to maintain – you don’t have to mow it.

Employee welfare is a priority at Nike. A day care center is available for children of office workers. Sports facilities – a gym, a basketball court, tennis courts, a soccer field, and more – are for employees to use. A 1.2 mile loop running trail was laid out around the campus for joggers.

The buildings are named after Nike‘s loyal athletes like Jordan, baseball’s Nolan Ryan and Mike Schmidt, runner Steve Prefontaine, tennis’ John McEnroe, and soccer’s Mia Hamm.

When we toured the campus, the Toronto Raptors were at the state-of-the-art gym practicing. Charles Oakley, Vince Carter, Muggsy Bogues, Kevin Willis, Mark Jackson, Antonio Davis – they were all there.