Nike cofounder: Conversation with LeBron James led to Colin Kaepernick ad

Nike co-founder Phil Knight said a conversation with NBA star LeBron James led to him approving the company’s “Just Do It” commercial with Colin Kaepernick as the company’s spokesman. 

Speaking at Stanford Graduate School of Business in February, Knight referenced a conversation with James about his grandsons learning how to drive, and how the NBA star shared he feared his son, also learning to drive, could be shot by the police if he were ever pulled over. 

Knight called James’ comments an “eye-opener,” which played a role in him approving the ad. 

Kaepernick, of course, became the first NFL player to kneel during the national anthem to protest racial inequality and police brutality before games. In September, Nike released a commercial and a campaign featuring the quarterback. 

Nike’s commercial prompted some controversy — with some declaring they would boycott the company for supporting Kaepernick. But Knight said he was unfazed by the backlash. 

“It doesn’t matter how many people hate your brand as long as enough people love it,” he said. “And as long as you have that attitude, you can’t be afraid of offending people. You can’t try and go down the middle of the road. You have to take a stand on something, which is ultimately I think why the Kaepernick ad worked.”