When the most decorated 100-meter sprinter ever stepped to the line for a final time, she told herself what she knew: That she was prepared, powerful, and this race was hers — for her. The next handful of seconds were to honor everything that had brought her to this moment.Green, yellow, and black hair whipping behind her — a self-proclaimed “daughter of the soil,” who chose to wear the colors of her nation’s flag for her final finish —&nbsp;gold-hued nails splayed in front of her, <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/newsroom/releases/nike-celebrates-shelly-ann-fraser-pryce" target="_blank">Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce</a> exploded off the blocks in the World Athletics Championship final in a capacity-filled Japan National Stadium in Tokyo. She ended her 100-meter career in the same way she began racing 18 years ago in Japan — with fierce speed, strength, and composure. It was a bold tribute to Jamaica, the nation whose unyielding support has carried her through two decades at the top of the sport.In her decades of dominance — from becoming the first Caribbean woman to win Olympic gold in the 100-meters in 2008, to returning as World Champion in 2019 after giving birth to her son, Zyon — Shelly-Ann has embodied the power of duality.&nbsp;The ability to have longevity in track and field’s shortest, most intense discipline; exuding femininity and self-expression in a physically demanding sport; proving motherhood and greatness can coexist.What athletes everywhere, and especially young girls, can take from Shelly-Ann’s lead: The courage to run your own race, on your terms. To trust that setbacks don’t define you, only your response to them. And the assurance that, if you believe in yourself and work with discipline, harmony is possible. Dreams and family, career and legacy.For that, and the now 276 incredible races and finish line moments, thank you, Shelly-Ann.Below, go behind the scenes of the G.O.A.T.’s final meet days in Tokyo.

The shoes. The hair. The finish. At the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Shelly-Ann, a five-time world champion, ended her career her way.

Sofieke van Bilsen is a 29-year-old Dutch photographer with a passion for storytelling through imagery. She is in-house photographer to the German women's national football team, and was team photographer for the German Olympic Team in Paris 2024. She works closely with Nike athletes such as Faith Kipyegon, Eliud Kipchoge and Sifan Hassan.In her photography, she aims to create compelling visual narratives, focusing on the deep connection between emotion and athleticism. She strives to capture the raw moments behind the scenes, the untold stories of the journey,and everything in between, bringing the spirit of sports to life.Sofieke's personality creates instant connections with people, and she is loved by the athletes she works with. Her relaxed and enthusiastic personality complements an incredible skill level and ability to work in high pressure environments for athletes.

Sofieke van Bilsen

Photo Essay

Icon Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce Ran Her Final 100 Meter On Her Terms

Over the course of his career, LeBron James has shared his passion for the game globally, partnering with Nike to travel throughout Greater China during his offseason, galvanizing a nation in its love for basketball and hoops culture. Just as LeBron’s career has evolved through different eras, his tours have represented different values over the many times he's visited since 2005. Below are some of his most memorable moments in the country.

2005-2009

LeBron began his debut tour in Beijing in August of 2005. He was invited to watch the awards ceremony of the Nike Battlegrounds tournament, but he’d depart as more than just a spectator. From the moment he stepped down in China, he believed his tour could become a cross-cultural exchange rooted in a shared love of hoops and a mission to inspire the next generation of young players in China. “Basketball is not only a sport, it's also a bridge that connects people," he said.&nbsp;“This is a great learning experience for everyone. I hope I can continue to help grow the game globally and inspire the youth in China to reach their dreams."

LeBron's legacy in China is woven into special China-specific iterations of his signature footwear. In 2007, LeBron James appeared alongside NIKE, Inc.'s then-President &amp; CEO Mark Parker to debut his Nike Zoom LeBron V "China" colorway.

LeBron returned to Beijing in 2009 after his MVP season where he enjoyed a hero's welcome. As part of his trip, he donated equipment and provided scholarships for the Zhenhua School, a school for the children of migrant workers in suburban Beijing.

To celebrate his season, LeBron was presented with an exclusive pair of the Nike Air Max LeBron VII, featuring a Shenyang-inspired design dubbed “Loyalty” created by the local artist Ray Lei, and a Shanghai-inspired design dubbed “Family,” created by the local artist Sic.

2011-2015

LeBron embraced his role as a global ambassador for the game, focusing on the opportunity to inspire China’s young players. In 2011, his tour expanded to eight days over four cities, promoting grassroots basketball through a series of skill clinics and tournaments.

In 2012, with a fresh gold medal to pair with his championship ring, LeBron James made a triumphant arrival in Beijing to kick off a four-day tour as part of the&nbsp;Find Your Greatness campaign. "Greatness is defined by how much you want to put into what you do," said LeBron. "Greatness comes with victory. It also comes with being able to come back from adversity."

In 2013, LeBron returned to China with plenty to celebrate: his second straight NBA championship and MVP awards for both the regular season and the Finals.

In 2014, LeBron James was the first mentor to announce the roster for the Nike RISE, designed to help players raise their competitive game and improve their skill.

In 2015, Nike RISE 2015 evolved with LED Courts and motion-tracking drills to create a pinnacle training experience, teach the fundamentals of basketball and push the boundaries of sports training.

An emotional finale saw four players chosen to represent China at the World Streetball Championships.

2016-2019

After winning another NBA title in 2016, LeBron entered Guangzhou to a massive championship parade, the streets flanked by tens of thousands of fans, many of them in Cavs #23 jerseys. It was a signal for just how widely James’ legacy had expanded throughout Asia.&nbsp;His More Than an Athlete campaign inspired young players to see basketball as one of many tools for affecting social change.

After a warm welcome from thousands of fans, he spent most of his time in Beijing working out with and coaching members of the Chinese Junior National basketball team.

Visiting primary schools throughout Beijing, LeBron shared his personal basketball experiences with young athletes, emphasizing the role that hard work, dedication and self-belief played in his path to success.

In 2018, the first day of his "More Than an Athlete" tour in Shanghai began with a panel discussion with students at the Shanghai Theatre&nbsp;Academy, and ended with a park shootaround. Hundreds of fans gathered outside the court to watch him play, hoping to catch a glimpse of the icon.

This month, LeBron flew to China for his "Forever King" tour, his 15th in the country and marking the 20th anniversary of tours in Asia. There, he joined some of the world’s most passionate hoopers and basketball fans, reiterating his commitment to giving back to the game across the world.

Over the course of his career, LeBron James has shared his passion for the game globally, partnering with Nike to travel throughout Greater China during his offseason, galvanizing a nation in its love for basketball and hoops culture.

Journey of an Icon: 20 Years of LeBron James in China

Hours of powering up steep ascents and navigating gnarly descents. Whipping mountain winds, glaring direct sun and biting evening temps. Getting mentally right with the fact that the next aid station is far, far away. Ultra trail running can sound like a grueling, relentless sport reserved for the wildest, most hardcore athletes among us.According to our <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/newsroom/releases/nike-acg-all-conditions-racing-department" target="_blank">All Conditions Racing Department</a> runners — six of whom just conquered pinnacle UTMB races across the French, Italian and Swiss Alps, on trails spanning 15 to 174 kilometers, with elevation gains of 1,200 to nearly 10,000 meters — the grit, determination, joy and freedom trail running gives you is worth every ounce of work. See for yourself.

<h3>ROSS GOLLAN</h3>Race: ETC; 15km with 1,200m elevation gain Global finish rank: 29th

<h3>MARIE NIVET</h3>Race: Experience Trail Courmayeur (ETC); 15km with 1,200m elevation gain Global women’s finish rank: 7th

CESARE MAESTRIRace: ETC; 15km with 1,200m elevation gain Global finish rank: 2nd

<h3>BAPTISTE COATANTIEC</h3>Race: Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB); 174km with nearly 10,000m elevation gain Global finish rank: 11th

<h3>ANTHONY COSTALES</h3>Race: Courmayeur – Champex – Chamonix (CCC); 101km with more than 6,050m elevation gain Global finish rank: 15th

<h3>DREW HOLMEN</h3>Race: CCC; 101km with more than 6,050m elevation gain Global finish rank: 3rd

Powering up steep ascents. Navigating gnarly descents. Whipping mountain winds. Ultra trail running is a relentless sport. But the payoff is well worth the grind.

Ultra Trail Running Can Take Everything You’ve Got — and Give You Even More

NExt volume

Born of need and elevated by expertise and diligence, today the Department of Nike Archives (DNA) cares for hundreds of thousands of artifacts and a limitless vault of connected stories.&nbsp;The brand archive began organically in the 1970s and officially became DNA in 2006. The department’s purpose is to both preserve and accelerate the ever-evolving and interconnected story of Nike. “Knowing who you are and the fights you’ve come through can do huge things for morale, inspiration, and creativity. That’s what DNA provides.” - Phil Knight

Department of Nike Archives

This is, obviously, a running story.But the story of the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/newsroom/releases/nike-pegasus-42-official-images" target="_blank">Nike Pegasus</a> is also something more specific — a case study in how restraint, clarity and attention to fundamentals can produce lasting success. Launched in 1982, the Pegasus would go on to become Nike’s most consistent and popular running shoe of all time, a franchise that has endured across eras, innovations and shifting footwear philosophies. “There’s no modest way of saying this,” said Sebastian Tesche, Product Line Manager of the Pegasus 35. “The Peg is the single biggest and best running shoe in the world. It’s bigger than many of our competitors.”It wasn’t designed to be an icon. It was designed to solve a problem.

In the late 1970s, Nike’s earliest experiments with Air were full of promise but hindered by the realities of the technology. The 1978 Tailwind introduced Air to running yet it introduced stability issues that the company would spend the next several years trying to fix. The Columbia and Aurora that followed solved some of those problems but felt stiff at a time when runners wanted something livelier underfoot. Fortunately, Nike knew Air was a long game.&nbsp;

The great thing that we always thought about Air at that time — and it’s still true — is that it doesn’t lose its cushioning properties hardly at all through time,” said Howard Banich, who oversaw running product in 1982. “Jeff Johnson, Nike’s first employee, always wanted us to do an ad that showed a person coming back to the shoe store with just the Air bag from their shoe and saying, ‘I would like another shoe around this please.’ Because the Air bag was still going strong.”Still, the question remained: how do you put Air where it matters without making the shoe too expensive or too complicated?One solution came from an ongoing innovation project led by former Nike CEO Mark Parker. Known internally as the Air Wedge Trainer — the concept that would ultimately become the Pegasus —&nbsp;it borrowed an Internationalist upper and outsole, added a heel Air unit encapsulated in polyurethane and positioned Air right at heel strike. It was essentially a simpler, cheaper expression of Air and it tested well.

“A heel wedge still provided the benefits of Air where it was needed the most —&nbsp;under the heel at heel strike — but it was less expensive because it was really only a third of the size of the full-length Air-Sole that was used in the Tailwind,” Parker said.At the same time, New Balance had just released the 990 with a provocative tagline: “At a suggested retail price of $100, is the 990 too expensive or too inexpensive?” The price point shocked the market and galvanized Nike. If the competition was willing to push upward, Nike saw an opportunity to create a shoe that delivered performance at a more approachable cost.The Air Wedge Trainer, with its strong test results and modest bill of materials, suddenly looked like the perfect platform.

Building a “best practices” shoe

With the Air Wedge Trainer as a foundation, development for the Pegasus took place at Nike’s facility in Exeter, New Hampshire, where the heel Air wedge concept was built into a fully realized running shoe. Bill Peterson designed the outsole. Bruce Kilgore, deep in Air Force 1 development, offered design input. Parker integrated those ideas into a simple, functional upper: gray, with dark navy accents — a look one European sales rep later described as “a rainy day.”Nike also made a strategic shift to hit its target price of around $50: manufacturing moved to Korea, to the Poon Young factory. Very few running shoes were being produced in Korea at the time. Components had to be imported — Air wedges from the U.S., nylon from Germany — and Nike developers scrambled to refine techniques. “The Air unit didn’t fit correctly in the shoe at first,” recalled footwear innovation veteran Steve Roth. During a vacation back in the U.S., he spent two weeks in Saco, Maine resizing Air wedges by hand so they would sit properly in the midsole.Still, the project moved fast. In only about four months, Nike had a completed shoe — one built around Air and a carefully selected set of core features: A new EVA foam called Tomilite offered a resilient ride. A waffle outsole, with lugs oriented for motion, gave runners better ground contact and stability. The upper was simple, lightweight and unpretentious.

“The Pegasus was essentially our ‘best practices’ shoe,” Roth said. “It had Air, yes, but it was mostly about: what are the best features we can put in a product that hit the sweet spot of the market?”It wasn’t the flashiest running shoe in the line, nor was it meant to be. It was designed to work.

A running manual for the masses

Nike’s confidence in the Pegasus showed in the small details. The company had begun releasing “owner’s manuals” with its higher-profile footwear to help runners understand new technologies and the Pegasus received one, too. It walked consumers through Air, Tomilite and the shoe’s geometry. The transparency helped reinforce the Pegasus as a shoe built on clarity, usefulness and trust.

Naming the Pegasus

Today, many assume the Pegasus name came from the idea of a half-horse, half-winged creature, an allusion to the balance of EVA and Air in the midsole. But the real story is far simpler.To name the shoe, employees dropped suggestions into a bowl. Several slips of paper read Pegasus, including one from Mark Parker. Nike had been playing with mythology themes — Odyssey, Valkyrie — and Pegasus fit the family. “Names were a lot easier back then,” Parker said.The name stuck. And with it came the beginnings of what would become Nike’s most beloved running shoe.

The instant hit

Nike introduced the Pegasus at the 1982 New York City Marathon. While Alberto Salazar powered to his third consecutive win in a pair of Mariahs, the men’s Pegasus debuted in limited quantities as part of Nike’s technical running line. It launched to select dealers and quickly posted strong early sales: nearly $200,000 in under a month, with roughly 8,000 units sold. By December, that number had climbed to more than 35,000 pairs.When the Pegasus rolled out more broadly in early 1983, the reaction was immediate. “The initial reaction to the Pegasus was very good,” said Jim Docherty, who began his career as a Nike EKIN that year. “When the Tailwind hit the market, some consumers thought it was too soft because most midsoles were fairly firm at that time and the Tailwind was a big change from the norm. The Pegasus with heel Air bridged the gap between old EVA midsoles and total Air.”

For young runners and store employees alike, the Pegasus quickly became the reliable choice — the shoe you knew you could recommend.In 1983, long before he became a Nike Running veteran and future Pegasus PLM, Tim Slingsby was working in a running store as a high schooler. “The Pegasus was your go-to shoe when someone would come in, you would sell them,” he said. “As a high school kid, you knew it would work, it would perform, and it was a great price. It had everything.”Within six months, Nike had sold nearly 300,000 pairs, generating $6.4 million in men’s sales alone.The formula worked.

The every-runner’s shoe

By 1985, Pegasus sales had reached 2.5 million pairs. Nike had found its lane and owned it. Longtime Nike designer Bob Lucas compared the shoe to an automotive staple: “To use an automotive analogy, auto manufacturers have their Pegasus in their lines: a Honda Civic, the Toyota Corolla. … that kind of product line where it’s a value-based proposition.”Over the next several years, Nike made only modest adjustments to the shoe — incremental material updates, seasonal color changes — while leaving its core intact. That restraint became part of the Pegasus’ identity. “I think everybody always knew it was one of those things where you didn’t want to change it,” said Clare Hamill, a leader at Nike Running in the mid-1980s. “That was the biggest challenge —&nbsp;how to make it better without changing it.”

At the heart of the early Pegasus was a simple principle: don’t complicate it. The midsole, upper and outsole were all guided by what Hamill described plainly. “The core philosophy of the Pegasus was, keep it simple. No junk. Give people what they need and don’t overbuild.”Runners felt that clarity. By the late 1980s, the Pegasus had become a dependable constant in an increasingly crowded running landscape, one defined less by flash than by trust. The 1989 Air Pegasus, built on existing tooling with a soft poly-pag and synthetic suede upper, would later be remembered as a high-water mark. “If you asked loyal Pegasus wearers through the years what their favorite version has been,” said former Nike Running leader Kevin Paulk, “I would be willing to bet a lot of people would say the Peg ’89. It had a nice soft upper and fit like a glove.”

From its earliest years, that has remained the draw of the Pegasus: a running shoe built not to chase trends but to earn loyalty, mile after mile.

The Peg wasn’t designed to be an icon. It was designed to solve a problem. See how that solution became "the single biggest and best running shoe in the world."

Nike Pegasus: The Origin of a Running Workhorse

About Nike - Stories from Inside NIKE, Inc.

When South Korean short-track speed skater Minjeong Choi was 6 years old, her family used to receive a Seoul daily newspaper every morning. One day, almost by accident, she saw a flyer in the newspaper’s insert, which advertised a winter break skating program at the Korea University ice rink near her home. She progressed from the basics of skating to the discipline of short-track speed skating. The distances are comparable to those in track and field, all the way up to 1,500 meters. But the races are lightning-fast, and in the tight, oval confines of the rink, sound technique can mean the difference between first place and last place. (Her memorable anchor leg in the 3,000-meter relay for the 2022 World Championships saw her jump from third place to first on the final curve, winning by just 0.034 seconds ahead of Canada.) Now 27 years old, Minjeong has gone from trying out skating on a whim during her winter break to becoming a three-time Olympic champion, a four-time World Champion, and the world record holder in the 1,500-meter, a record she’ll defend in Milan. Below, Minjeong shares more about the unique physical challenges of short-track speed skating, the key to staying calm under pressure, and why luck and resilience exist on the same continuum.&nbsp; Moving forward again and again is what truly matters in this sport. Short-track speed skating is incredibly demanding. The athletes compete in a variety of distances, both individually and in relays. The races are so dynamic that you need to be able to recover quickly to prepare yourself for the next round or race. Mental resilience is crucial. Things unfold quickly in short track, so you can’t afford to dwell on a single mistake or failure.&nbsp;In winter sports, you can’t overstate how important it is to be able to access the right environment. My hometown is Seoul, the capital of South Korea. I was born in the very center of the city. Growing up nearby such well-established skating facilities made it natural for me to start short-track speed skating and eventually pursue it as a professional career.&nbsp;

I’ve fallen in love with skating over and over again in my life. I’ve been skating for over 20 years, and what’s guided me to this day is that moment when I first stepped onto the ice at 6 years old. I still vividly remember balancing on the unstable blades, carefully moving my feet while I felt the cold wind rush past me.The pressure of an event like the Olympics reveals the mentors who mean the most to you. I was deeply influenced by our national team head coach during the 2018 season. At age 20, I was competing in my first Olympic games in my home country. I was under immense media pressure and expectation from the public. Everyone around me kept saying I had to prove myself — except my coach. He told me to simply enjoy the moment. Even if I failed, I had my whole career ahead of me. Letting go of the pressure to “succeed” in those rigid terms put me at ease and helped me to compete with a calm mindset.&nbsp;Your defining moments summon a strength you never knew you had. During that relay at the 2022 World Championships, our team was so far behind Canada and the Netherlands, we were barely shown on the screen. When it was my leg to race,&nbsp;something came over me that I couldn’t explain. I closed the gap hard. As I came out of the final corner, I crossed the finish line first. There’s an image I’ve seen on the replay where the Canadian and Dutch skaters put their hands over their faces in disbelief. They never expected the comeback. The impossible became possible.&nbsp;

One way aging as an athlete humbles you is that it forces you to set new goals. It was in the 2024 World Tour season. Many of my European and North American competitors had significantly improved from the time I began my career, and they knew my racing tendencies. I was no longer one of the youngest athletes on the tour, but I worked hard to stay competitive physically and mentally, experimenting with different race tactics to develop a style that was truly my own. I finished fourth in the world rankings that year, but I still felt like I achieved a kind of victory.Part of the emotional power of sport comes from knowing the impact we have on our communities. I had won gold in Beijing in 2022. I donated some of my winnings from that season to a relief fund that helped victims affected by the Uljin forest fire. I wanted to give back, even in a small way, to people who were going through very difficult times. I take great pride in representing South Korea. During national moments, I feel a strong responsibility to deliver great performances as an athlete, in all different forms.&nbsp;Chance and luck are important, but they are just the starting point. As I started winning when I was a young athlete, I thought it was luck. Soon, competitors started treating me seriously, and that pressure made me stronger, helping instill in me a belief in my own ability and preparation. Before every race, I always ask myself, “Have I prepared more than anyone else here? If so, then all I need to do is skate.”

Two decades ago, the generational talent was a young girl who saw a fortuitous window to pursue the sport. She’s never looked back.

For The Win

Minjeong Choi Took a Chance on Short-Track Speed Skating. In Milan, She’ll Go for History

In June of 2024, the Minnesota Lynx won the WNBA’s in-season tournament and the Commissioners Cup. Standing at center court to accept the championship MVP was Napheesa Collier. That the all-star forward would tally another award that season was almost a foregone conclusion. She’d go on to post historic stat lines (in a regular season game versus the Aces, she became only the third player in WNBA history to individually outrebound the entire opposing team, her 18 boards to their 17), bring home national glory with another gold medal in the Paris Olympics, and win the league’s Defensive Player of the Year. What was one more award for the mantle? Still, when she was announced as the tournament’s MVP, she was visibly confused, and what could’ve been an acceptance speech turned into an honest, humble deferral to her teammate, forward Bridget Carleton, who’d go on to earn the league’s Most Improved Player award that season. “Honestly, I think Bridget deserves this. She had an outstanding game,” she said into the arena microphone.The Jordan Brand athlete, <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/newsroom/releases/jordan-brand-heir-series-2-official-images" target="_blank">who's also the face of the new Heir Series 2</a>, knows that excellence is never an accident. It’s the product of creating strong, stable infrastructures among teammates over time; building a culture that can withstand pressures of all kinds; lifting up others when they are deserving, like during that tournament victory, and encouraging one another to aspire for more than they thought possible. That’s true for the Lynx. That’s true for the W. That’s true for Unrivaled, the innovative 3x3 league co-founded by Collier. Building excellence takes a blueprint. Here, Collier shares about the people, places and values that have shaped her status as one of basketball’s great architects.&nbsp; &nbsp;My sense of home always starts with family. Jefferson City, Missouri was a great place to grow up. It’s a small town in the middle of the state, very Midwestern. But my family is the most important thing in my life. My dad’s from West Africa, but we have a huge Sierra Leonian community in Jeff City, and my mom’s whole side of the family grew up running one of the city’s dairy farms, so I had two very culturally different families. Being surrounded by so much family, I’ve always been a very family-oriented person. It gave me an early look at what healthy dynamics among groups of people looks like.Maya Moore was my Michael Jordan. She was the first athlete I really followed, and she’s actually from Jeff City, too. When I was 10 or 11, I remember watching her games when she was at UCONN. I have a snapshot in my mind of how athletic she looked, how she made everything look so easy, so skilled. Even the way she did her layups — I can’t even explain it, it was just perfect, just so unique to her. Watching her was a core memory for me as a kid.

The pressure of excellence is what makes you great. I’ve been really lucky with the teams I’ve played on, where they all expect excellence from their players. Even my high school coach at Incarnate Word reminded me a lot of Coach Geno Auriemma at UCONN (Editor’s Note: As of this writing, Incarnate Word Academy holds the all-time high school basketball winning streak). UCONN was the first time that I walked in the arena and I could feel the excellence that came before me. I mean, so many incredible Hall of Fame players who came before me. If you don’t win a championship at UCONN, it’s a bad year. You do feel that pressure to measure up. But I perform my best under pressure. It challenges you to be your best. You’ve got to decide how you’re going to step up.&nbsp;Experience is the best teacher when responding to setback. I had a great rookie season with Minnesota in 2019. But when I arrived before that season kicked off, I had a horrible training camp. I had two preseason games, and I might’ve had five points between the two games. I remember that sinking feeling so vividly, because it brought me back to my freshman year at UCONN, where I felt like I had a really bad freshman season. When I felt myself drifting back into that dark space, I told myself, ‘I’m never going to do that again.” And after my freshman year, I was working out twice a day, every day, because I resolved to never feel that feeling again. I wasn’t going to repeat the past.It’s so important for young players to step into a franchise where their veterans are supportive. You’re the top dog when you’re a senior in college, but then you get to the W, all of a sudden you’re at the bottom of the totem pole again, surrounded by hall of fame players. Seimone Augustus and Sylvia Fowles were the first ones to embrace me.&nbsp;Syl is the most motherly person I’ve ever met. The first time I met her, she’s like, “Baby, if you ever need anything, you give me a call. I’ve got you.” My vets had my back from day one, which really allowed me to blossom into my role from the beginning.&nbsp;

When you’re not worried about team dynamics, you can focus on becoming the player you need to be. When I joined the Lynx, I didn’t have to worry about team dynamics. I knew they supported me no matter what, so I could focus on what I needed to do on the court, all while trying to be a good teammate. I don’t take that privilege I had for granted. That’s why I try to pay it forward to the rookies and the young players now, making sure they feel welcome when they’re on the team, making sure they know they can come to me if they need anything, because I know how huge that was for me when I first came into the league. Vocal leadership and leading by example can exist at the same time. When I arrived as a rookie, I think my style was more to lead by how I played on the court. I was the hardest working person, but I was uncomfortable with being vocal. My coach, Cheryl Reeve, put me as a captain from the jump, and she challenged me to be more vocal, to speak up. Eight years later, I’ve gotten way more comfortable with leading with my voice, in part because I’m doing it on behalf of our league’s younger players, too. I want to give the league’s young players the knowledge they need to be successful, because everyone’s fighting for a roster spot and is looking for any advantage they can find. This is our careers and our livelihoods at stake. I’ll do anything I can to help young players grow in their game. I remember how grateful I felt when my vets did that for me. I want young players to know they don’t need to feel lost. They can find a sense of belonging, a sense that players like me will be by their side.&nbsp;

There are moments in a season that hinge on whether you can look past your own self interests. Last year, I hurt my ankle badly in an early season game against Vegas. I really wanted to come back, partly because I was a front runner for MVP at the time, and I wanted to start playing again as soon as possible so I could hold my spot. But at the end of the day, I wanted to win a championship. If I rushed back early, I could’ve hurt our team’s chances at a title. So I really tried to make sure my ankle was as healthy as possible so I could be ready for the playoffs, even if that meant sacrificing a possible MVP title for that year. It wasn’t a “win” in the traditional sense, but it was a win for our team, and that’s what mattered to me.Generational Greatness means upholding the work of those who came before you. I joined Jordan Brand because I wanted to be surrounded by greatness. It’s starts with Michael Jordan himself. He’s the standard of greatness, he changed the game forever. We’re in his brand, competing in his name, and I want to make sure I’m doing everything I can to honor the standard he’s set for us.&nbsp;

The Minnesota Lynx All Star and Jordan Brand athlete is well familiar with the blueprint for success.

The Future of Women’s Basketball is Limitless. Napheesa Collier is Busy Building It

If golfer Tony Finau had to name his Flu Game moment, it was during the 2018 Masters. He had just sunk a hole-in-one on the par-3 course at Augusta National. He celebrated by taking off sprinting toward the hole, when improbably, he took an awkward step and dislocated his left ankle (fair warning for anyone who wants to look up the video: it was gnarly). In grimacing pain but undeterred, he popped his ankle back in place himself and resumed play, where he’d complete the week with a top 10 finish. Oh, and two months later, he’d make the final group at the US Open. And he’d qualify for his first Ryder Cup. All in a year when he could put barely any pressure on his left foot.Digging deep to test his physical limits is a signature quality of Finau, who joins Jordan Brand this month as the newest member of its Golf roster. You wouldn’t know any such challenge existed just by looking at him. The lithe 6’4” athlete has one of the most powerful drives on the pro tour, able to crush the ball at over 200 mph since he was 17 years old. He was recruited for hoops out of high school, and he descends from a proud lineage of skilled Tongan and Samoan athletes, particularly in football. When his personal calling to golf was too great to ignore, he worked as hard as possible to reach the sport’s top level, rolling the dice by auditioning for a reality TV golf show, then undergoing a brutal mini-tour schedule for years that forced him to travel at a ruthless pace across the country. Was it worth it? No question. Below, Finau talks about the twists his career has taken, his moments of greatest perseverance and all things drive.&nbsp; Certain career moments cause you to flip your definition of what winning means. Take that Masters in 2018. It was an incredible moment, that hole-in-one, followed by the most embarrassing moment of my life on national TV. Fast forward to the end of the tournament. I birdied six out of my last seven holes. I shot 66 that Sunday. Walking off the 72nd hole, I truly felt like I won. I felt like somebody should’ve given me the green jacket. In life, we’re going to fall down a lot more times than we’re going to win. But does that actually mean that we lost? I don’t look at it that way.

There’ll be windows of your life where you need to gut it out just to see what you’re really made of. I turned pro in 2007, but I didn’t get onto the PGA Tour until 2013, so there was a six-year period where I had to tough it out on the Mini-Tour life and learn how to play the game, travel and take the small wins where I could. On the Mini-Tour, you’re fighting for every dollar, your literal livelihood. There were plenty of nights I slept in my car and I went without eating just so I could scrape by. Those were some of the hardest years of my life, but also some of the greatest, because I learned what I can become with a little bit of sacrifice.&nbsp;Individual sports demand a certain kind of passion. In a sport like golf, you don’t have any teammates to lean on. It’s just you out there. Some people have a hard time without that team component, but when I started golfing at a young age, I found I really enjoyed the game’s individual aspects. It was on me to figure it out, to piece together the ways I could improve. When I got on the golf course, it was a matter of locking in and learning how to focus.Composure has nothing to do with your athletic skill but has everything to do with the life of an athlete. My brother and I went on The Big Break, a reality TV competition on the Golf Channel, in 2009. I was 20 years old at the time. We were around the camera 24/7. Everywhere we went, they were recording us. It was crazy, and it took some getting used to, but I remember leaving that experience and telling myself, “You’re going to be a great golfer. This media exposure is how it’s going to be if you turn pro.” Being on the show got me to the point where it didn’t really matter who was watching me. I just needed to stay focused and play my game.&nbsp;Sport was only part of my family’s background. Being Polynesian, my mom had a luau show as I was growing up, so I learned how to play a lot of different instruments as a performer in her show. One of the first instruments I learned was the to’ere, which is like a Tahitian drum. I also did traditional Polynesian fire dancing as a kid. Music and dancing were as core to my identity as sport was.&nbsp;It’s easy to be an on- and off-switch person. But greatness means being your best at all times of the day, not just when it’s convenient. My mom used to tell me, “The way you do one thing is the way you do all things.” Golf is just one example. Trying to be great at a game that’s impossibly hard, a game you can’t perfect, doesn’t mean that you stop trying. You keep trying to reach for more out of yourself. I’m trying to be great in all aspects of my life, whether that’s on the course, in the gym, being a husband, being a father. I’m trying to push past my own limits in all aspects of my life.&nbsp;

Golfers tend to be pretty superstitious people. One of my rituals is that I wear green every Sunday. My mom, she passed away in 2011 — her favorite color was green. Wearing green is a way I like to honor her, a way to remember she’s with me all the time on the course.&nbsp;Joining the Jordan Brand marks a new chapter in my career. Obviously Michael represents excellence at the highest level. Jordan Brand is incredible to be a part of and Michael is an incredible individual to represent. I met him for the first time when I was 17, and during the times I’ve played at his private course in Florida, The Grove, he’s always told me, “Anytime you’re in this area, you’re welcome here.” So in 2024, I’m playing a playoff event. I know I’m going to be in West Palm after the playoffs, for a shoot I was doing with one of my sponsors. My son was with me on the trip, and the thought crossed my mind, “It would be the coolest thing on Earth if I could bring my son to play The Grove.” I texted Michael on a whim and asked him. He got back to me 30 seconds later: “We’re actually closed for the weekend, but I’ll open the course just for you and your son. Please bring him and we’ll make it happen.” We played 18 holes that day and had the entire course to ourselves, just me and my son. That single experience is something I’ll never forget. That’s the effect Michael has on people. You can download more images as well as an accompanying film welcoming Finau to the Jordan Brand family by clicking <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://media-assets.nike.com/en/pitches/jordan-brand-welcomes-tony-finau-to-its-golf-roster?secret=29e440c91211da0d9af84d3e374afd15" target="_blank">here</a>.

The pro golfer and newest member of the Jordan Brand Golf roster has never backed down from a challenge.

For Tony Finau, Going the Distance is a Mindset

While most of us got through middle school trying to blend in, Jane Hedengren remembers wanting to leave her mark: Breaking her school’s record in the mile. She was 12 years old, new to organized track, and intent on sealing the record by the end of the school year. Her father John took her to a college track on a cold fall afternoon for 400-meter repeats to test her capacity. She was trying and failing to hit her splits. That’s when John, a former runner at Brigham Young University (BYU), joined her for the workout, cutting through the chilly, high desert air, pulling up the pace but staying near enough to encourage Jane as she willed herself forward. She’d eventually hit those splits, and she’d later break her school’s record that spring.&nbsp;Now out of high school, Jane Hedengren has established herself as one of the most accomplished amateur distance runners in American history. She arguably had the most dominant high school season ever in 2024, male or female, breaking nine high school records spanning the mile to the 5K. She’d be the first to say that she hasn’t accomplished these feats alone.&nbsp;Along with her family’s support, Jane’s teammates include those coaches and runners from the Nike Elite Program, which invites 40 of the nation’s top runners to experience the comprehensive training tools provided by Nike coaches all year long, culminating in some of the nation’s preeminent meets during the cross-country, indoor and outdoor seasons. All seasons in which Jane dominated.Here, in her own words, she speaks to how that support has set her up for a professional running future — and starting her own collegiate running career at BYU in the fall.

The indoor and outdoor seasons give you many opportunities to prove yourself. Nike Indoor Nationals this year was special, because I was able to run the 5k for the first time on the track. I had to put myself out there.Good coaches can turn a phrase and get you motivated. During that Nike Indoor Nationals meet, one of my coaches from the Nike Elite program, Juli Benson, told me, “I know you’re in a good spot. Let’s see if you’re in a great spot.” Then it was like the lesson my dad taught me: You’ll see once you’re in that last 2K of the race. I was able to close out hard. A lot of good stuff can come from having an open mind and getting the most out of yourself.&nbsp;This year was a season of firsts. Last fall was my first time at <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/stories/nike-cross-nationals-2024-official-images" target="null">Nike Cross Nationals</a>. It was really exciting to feel as fresh as I did on race day. The field was strong, so I wanted to stay patient, because the course with the weather conditions can be unforgiving. I kept steady early on and maintained my pace. It’s special to finish a race and not expect that level of performance out of yourself.

I love how running has different disciplines within it. Cross country and track are special in their own right, and they’re so different. I love how the competition of cross country takes place in this long, tough terrain. It embodies what running is all about: Being out in nature, competing with other runners. Track is really fun for me. It’s a bit quicker, and competition also plays a role, but there’s a certain thing to be said about trying to hit certain times. You’re also able to use a variety of distances as a guardrail to monitor how you’re feeling.&nbsp;Your performances aren’t the only part of your racing that evolves. Your training changes, too. Strength training has been a big part of my development process. Early on, I was running around 30 miles a week, doing some light workouts here and there with some cross training. As the years have gone on, I’ve upped the intensity and volume. This last season, I was doing up to 55 miles a week while doing more intense workouts and feeling good and strong. I think I realized I had a talent probably right around my sophomore year of high school. I had been working and staying more consistent. Plus, no matter how I performed, I always had a love for running. I loved the freedom it afforded me. I could get away from my life’s stresses and have this thing I could work toward and use to discover more about myself. That happened as soon as I started running, and it’s evolved as I’ve gotten older and have been more in touch with the sport.&nbsp;

You can always find a new challenge to overcome as you get older. I’m really excited for this next chapter with BYU. I’m open to trying new distances, racing against different competition. I want to try it all. It’s great that college isn’t just a one-off experience. You learn these lessons over time. I'll have time to get a hold of things, find my rhythm and routine, get to know my teammates, <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/stories/women-running-culture-mumbai-india-nike-after-dark-tour" target="null">Coach Diljeet Taylor</a> and the other staff.&nbsp;I’ve been really careful about thinking too far ahead. People will ask me about aspirations like medaling in the Olympics or finding a prominence on the world stage. Those goals are incredible, obviously, and I’m working toward them, but the truth is, I don’t know where I’ll be in a few years. What I can focus on right now is keeping myself healthy, enjoying the sport and loving those around me.&nbsp;I’m taking things one step at a time.&nbsp;

Proving her talent across Nike’s cross country, indoor and outdoor championships, Hedengren finished her high school career as one of the most accomplished middle- and long-distance runners of all time.

How I Got Here

Indoors and Out, Runner Jane Hedengren is Rewriting History

Think <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/newsroom/releases/jordan-brand-luka-4-official-images" target="_blank">Luka Dončić</a>, and your mental picture is likely his signature step-back jumper. The unthinkable passes that land perfectly in the hands of his teammates. The creativity under pressure and borderline court omniscience that cause endless headaches for his opponents.You likely know Luka as a fierce competitor who brings a trademark tenacity to each play. A generational talent, fueled by an expert basketball IQ. A force to be reckoned with, owning every possession and controlling the pace of the game.But Luka, a consummate hooper, also contains multitudes off the court. He loves the serenity of the ocean and grilling a good cut of beef. He’s <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@espn/video/7467995779832024362?lang=en" target="null">as comfortable gaming</a> as he is driving to the hoop for a Euro step, and if he weren’t on the hardwood, he’d choose running point on the gridiron. Above all else, he’s incredibly proud of his 1-year-old daughter, Gabriela, whom he considers his greatest inspiration.Here, Luka shares more about his passions away from the game and how they make him a better player, when he knew he was living his childhood dream, and the crossover skill between two of his favorite pastimes, fishing and basketball.Getting out on the water is one of my favorite things. My father had some small boats when I was young, and we started going out together when I was maybe 7 years old. Today, renting a boat reminds me of my childhood: I love being on the ocean, just relaxing, driving the boat and getting some sun.I enjoy the peace of the ocean — there’s so much space and nothing more important than appreciating the views and catching some fish. The last time I was in Mexico I caught a marlin. That was an amazing moment. Probably the coolest thing I’ve ever caught was a little shark. Once I had a very big fish on the line, battling for seven to 10 minutes, but it escaped right under the boat — a definite disappointment.Fishing betters my game and basketball betters my fishing because they both require an essential skill: patience. Mostly, I like to fish to get out on the water, relax and enjoy the sun. But fishing is a reminder of the patience that’s required in basketball and in life. You need patience no matter what.

My mentality away from the game is much more relaxed. I think off the court I’m more chill — staying home, enjoying time outside, not talking too much. On the court, I like to talk more and be aggressive; it’s&nbsp;working hard and having fun.I was born with an intense competitive drive. Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been competitive in almost everything I do. That’s why it’s important for me to compete hard on the court and then to recharge with other hobbies and have time with my family and friends.If I had to pick a position in another sport I’d love to play quarterback. When I was younger, I played a lot of sports. Basketball was obviously my favorite, and I played outdoors almost every day after school. I also tried tennis and soccer —&nbsp;just being outdoors was fun for me. I’ve since really grown to like American football, and I have a strong arm and great vision, so I think I could QB pretty well.When I’m not training or competing, I like to go out and grill, usually a good steak and some corn. I normally cook out when it’s sunny, which helps me relax with my family and recharge for my training and busy schedule during the season.My daughter brings me the most pride of anything in the world. She’s my greatest supporter in life, even if she doesn’t know it yet. That drives me every day. She’s 15 months old, and I love spending time with her and playing with her.I remember when I realized I was living my childhood dream. I left my home when I was 12 years old to go alone and play for Real Madrid. I was just settling in during my first year with the team. But in my second year, I started to come into my own. Playing for the best basketball club in Europe, that’s how I knew I was making my dreams a reality.I don’t usually get nervous before games. But when I do feel some nerves, like before my first home game with the Lakers, I tell myself to remember that I’m good at what I do — I just need to go through my routine and do what I do best.The best advice I return to is simple: Have fun, especially on the basketball court. When something doesn’t go as planned, I just remember: “You’ve been doing this your whole life. You know how to do it. Go out there and have fun.”

The Los Angeles Lakers guard goes deep on fishing, grilling and the secret to staying sane on the court.

Luka Dončić Is More Than Just One of the Best Players in the League

Five games into his professional career, on his third straight road game, Victor Wembanyama was already at home in the NBA. He scored 38 points, grabbed 10 boards and put up two blocks by the end of the night. At season’s end, he’d average nearly four blocks a game, leading the league.&nbsp;Victor is all unreal numbers. The 20-year-old’s&nbsp;7’4” frame swallows every square inch of the court. Offensively, he’s fluid and mobile. Defensively, he’s a one-man zone, able to turn away opposing fast breaks through his size and his stare. Evaluating rookies in the NBA is usually a challenge of evaluating their floor. At a minimum, what can this player become? He entered the league, and instantly, the question was how high his ceiling might be — or whether there was one.&nbsp;Here, Victor answers our questions on what it takes to win — from transcending his own limits to banishing fear from his life. I knew from an early age the kind of professional I wanted to be. There’s a lot of things we have to do as pro athletes that people in other jobs don’t need to worry about, like getting enough sleep after you play a back-to-back and fly to a different time zone. I decided I need to get better sleep. When I start my dinnertime meal, my alarm for the next morning is already set on my phone, and I’m not going to use my phone for the rest of the night.&nbsp;I’m lucky in that I can say I’m competing for multiple places. Wearing the France national jersey is one of the strongest feelings I know. In the NBA, I’m attached to the city of San Antonio. I’m a part of it. They’ve welcomed me.&nbsp;

All my life I’ve been much taller than everyone on the court. So, when coaches saw me doing dribbles through the legs and doing fadeways and stuff, their first reflex was to tell me not to do it. All my life there’s been this pressure to put me in a box. It’s been the toughest battle I’ve fought my whole life. Now, I do have more freedom than before, but I'm convinced that my freedom wouldn't be here without my efforts to go against those stereotypes.Here's what I’d tell any kid who’s struggling with something:&nbsp;When I was 12 years old, I went through a discouraging period. I was having trouble with my shot during my games. I obviously was growing a lot at that time, and I was even skinner than I am now, so I had trouble getting my shot off consistently against defenders. My coach told me, ‘When you’re a professional, you’ll be working on the present. But right now, you’re working for the future.”&nbsp;Seeing a kid wear my jersey is special. Any time I catch highlights of our games, I like watching the reactions in the stands, and you naturally see the kids who are wearing your jersey. It’s not the first thing you think about when you become an NBA player, but you realize you can positively influence the next generation through something you love. It’s beautiful.&nbsp;It really saddens me when I see a lack of ambition from people. Usually, it comes from being scared and thinking ‘I’m not enough.’ Assuming that things are too big or too ambitious are things I’ve decided to banish from my life.At the end of the day, it’s on you to define what your goals are in life, what you want to become. Winning is accomplishing those things that matter most to you.&nbsp;

I want to help create a new era of dominance for French basketball. That involves promoting the sport and making it more popular in the country for our youth. For professional basketball in France, I think our potential doesn’t match our current investment. How can we improve our facilities? How can we train the best staff? We just need to match our potential and foster our pool of talent that’s already here. France has the brightest future of any country in the world for basketball.Someone asked me how I make sure my name doesn’t grow bigger than the Spurs organization. That will never happen. The team wants me to succeed and be the best I can be. They’ve made a lot of sacrifices for me. I want the whole organization to know how much I understand all that they’ve done. Sometimes it’s a little thing, like sending a text or welcoming someone new to the organization. I try to show people their worth in all they do. I’m not scared to grow bigger than them, because I want to make the Spurs as big as I can. I want to give back to them as much as possible.&nbsp;I don’t think anyone could have a higher expectation for me than I have for myself. So, it’s really no big deal when I hear people call me a once-in-a-generation player. The only people to whom I have something to prove is my coach and my team. Even my parents don’t have expectations for me, they just want me to be happy. When I don’t want to see all that pressure, I turn off my phone. It’s simple as that, but there’s really no pressure or expectations. I never felt like I had something to owe to the world. I’m just playing basketball.

The 20-year-old phenom speaks to transcending his own limits, banishing fear from his life, turning off his phone and more.

The Legend of Victor Wembanyama is Growing

If there was ever a moment that showed <a href="https://about.nike.com/en/newsroom/releases/nike-sabrina-2-official-images-sabrina-ionescu" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sabrina Ionescu</a>’s ability to see the game differently than the rest of the world, it was on November 9, 2019, when her Oregon Ducks played an exhibition game against the greatest dynasty in sport: The USA Women’s National team. The night before the game, Ionescu texted her teammates. We have nothing to lose, she encouraged them. Go out and play our way. Don’t let another team come to our home floor and dictate our system. This was in response to an opponent that hadn’t lost to a college team in 20 years, longer than some of Sabrina’s teammates had been alive.&nbsp;But where other players saw crushing odds, Sabrina saw opportunity. She would lead her team to an improbable victory, 93-86, posting a 30-7-4 statline. Defeating a global powerhouse. Securing college basketball’s triple-double crown. Becoming a No.1 draft pick in the WNBA. Helping lead the New York Liberty to its first Finals appearance in over two decades. Every time Ionescu sees an obstacle, she sees right past it.&nbsp;Ionescu’s ability to process the game at an elite level results from a lifetime of dedication to her craft. For her, perfection is found in the smallest of details: the angle of the foot during a jab step, the arc of a stepback jumper, the spin on a crosscourt bounce pass to a teammate. To see what she sees, we asked Sabrina to share about her focus and determination and her pursuit of excellence.&nbsp;&nbsp; ﻿Craft is a lot bigger than what’s seen in a stat sheet or on the scoreboard. It’s about mastering a process, not necessarily just one aspect of a game, or one technique. When you master a process for how you see improvement — maybe its scoring, maybe its facilitating for your teammates, maybe it’s doing the little things — you end up encompassing everything on the court.&nbsp;Mentally, practice is sometimes more exhausting than a game. In practice, I try to put myself in specific moments and situations over and over again. Whether it’s where a defender would be or a buzzer-beater shot, I'm always using my imagination to create situations when I'll be under pressure. And that takes a lot of work. But if I’ve put in the mental preparation, the work in practice actually sets me free during games, because I’ve already lived that moment in my head.&nbsp;The offseason is the time to work on those aspects of your game that you want to elevate. I’ve worked a lot out of one-on-one situations lately.&nbsp;I know I’m a great passer, but I think finding ways to create space on my own and not needing a screen or needing my teammates to get me open is a next step for my game. I’ve also focused on being able to attack downhill and make decisions and finish around the rim.

Competitiveness has always been one of my superpowers. I’ve always been a competitive and intense kid. I used to fight with my brothers all the time during games growing up. The older I’ve gotten, the better I’ve been able to harness my desire to win and use it for my advantage.&nbsp;Not everyone has the same driving force for success. I became a better leader when I realized that some people are more competitive than others and have different desires. For me, that realization hit in middle school. I saw that some of my teammates were just playing for fun, or to see if they liked the game. But I knew I still had to relate to them for our team to be the best it could be. And that meant knowing that not everyone is motivated the same way I am. I had to learn to accept that. Now, I’m on a team that demands excellence from one another, and we hold each other accountable. Everyone in my circle is aligned to the same goals I have. Second place isn’t an option.In college, I loved being able to help put a program on the map. I had the opportunity to go anywhere in the country I wanted coming out of high school, but I wanted to go to a program that wasn’t as established yet, because I knew the reward would be greater. We sold out almost every game my senior season, and we were competing for a national championship.The coaches who know you the best are often able to push you the hardest. I had the same coach from fourth grade to my senior year of high school. He coached me harder than I think he ever coached anybody else. If my jersey wasn't tucked right, if my socks were different heights, if my shoelaces were tied differently, I was running laps. He would act like I was putting myself above the team, but he was really showing me how I needed to act as a leader and how I need to be pushed. The higher up you want to go, the higher up you want to be, the higher the expectations.

I’d tell my younger self to have a kind of tunnel vision for her process. What that means to me is to focus on your own journey, rather than allow someone else to tell you what you can or can’t be. While I think I did a good job of that, but when I was drafted first overall and turned pro, I could feel a different pressure to speed up the process and succeed. I wish I would’ve reminded myself more to keep my tunnel vision, no matter what.&nbsp;As a player, you remember the people who saw the potential that was within you. I don’t just want to prove people wrong who doubted me. I want to prove people right who believed in me.&nbsp;

The all-star guard on her incredible focus and determination, and her relentless pursuit of excellence.

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When asked about the race that told her she belonged with the world’s best half-milers, Keely Hodgkinson thinks back to her 2021 victory at the British Championships. She was 19 years old, a self-proclaimed underdog, and facing some of her home nation’s top distance runners, many whose careers she’d watched with admiration as an amateur athlete. Now 23, the Nike athlete has reached that same national-hero status. She currently holds the world’s leading 800-meter time of 1:54.74, in spite of a year of injuries, and is a leading candidate for a gold medal in Tokyo.&nbsp;&nbsp;Keely keeps good company back home. You’d be hard-pressed to find a more competitive nation in the women’s 800-meter than the UK. In 2024, of the top five 800-meter women’s times, UK runners held three of them — all from the same race at London’s Olympic Stadium in July, when Keely set the British record. That Mancunian pride is a source of inspiration that Keely holds close, down to her choice of training club, M11. Based in Manchester, it's the newest locale under the Nike Swoosh TC umbrella, whose members include the likes of Georgia Hunter Bell, Sarah Healy and Erin Wallace. As Keely shares below, there’s power in rediscovering your strength from the places that shaped you.&nbsp; Growing up in a small town can give you important opportunities if you have the talent and the work ethic. I grew up in a very small community outside of Manchester. For me, it was a true place to grow up. I had such great support at my school. People saw something in me, and they encouraged me to run cross-country, where I first found a love of the sport. I don’t know if anyone thought I would eventually take the world stage, but when you’re a young kid and you’re seen by members of a small community, you’re given the opportunities to find a passion you might not otherwise find yourself.When I think of who I’m representing as a runner, I first think of my hometown. I’m quite proud to be from Manchester. We’re one of the greatest cities in the world. And when it comes to sport, we really are incredible. We have two of the biggest football clubs in the world in one city. We have all kinds of high-performing athletes who are from Manchester. I love what the city has taught me. One of our mottos from M11 is that we’re as busy as bees, which speaks to our city’s work ethic.&nbsp;

Literal first-place wins are great, but you have to keep track of the small, behind-the-scenes wins that nobody else sees. When I think back to last year, I had a few different goals: win the World Indoor Championships, win the European Championships, and staying undefeated. None of them happened because I kept getting hurt from my hamstring injury. All of a sudden, I had to shift to smaller goals. Let’s put the spikes on. Let’s start running. Let’s run at 1500m pace. Now 800m pace. Those were some crazy-small wins that meant a lot to me. It wasn’t where I wanted to be, but sometimes you have to take a step back and take the small wins to get to the big ones.&nbsp;Your coaches can be a voice of reason when you encounter setbacks. I had many moments of frustration this year from the injuries. Coach Trevor [Painter] and Coach Jenny [Meadows] are amazing for a lot of reasons, one of them being how supportive they were of me. We have the kind of trusting relationship where we can have honest conversations. It was a struggle this year to figure out what was going on with the injuries, especially coming after a gold-medal year in Paris, but they 100 percent believed in me. Neither of them panic. I’m like, in some respects, surely we should be panicking now? But they have full belief in my capabilities, my talent and my drive. They know that if I put in the work, there’s nothing to worry about.&nbsp;Our teammate dynamic within M11 is so solid. We all get on really well, we support each other, we have loads of ambition, and we compete to get the best out of each other. Recovering from injury, it’s been great having teammates like Georgia as a benchmark — she’s been killing it on the track. We all work off each other’s strengths and weaknesses across different practice sessions. We’ve had some of the boys join our team this year, and I think they’re drafting off us girls who’ve had a lot of experience and who’ve performed on the world stage. I couldn’t ask for a better group of people to take the track with, day in and day out.&nbsp;

Some races have the makings of special times. That 2024 race in London where I set the national record was one of them. Olympic Stadium is this dream venue to compete in. Every competitor, whether you’re British or not, loves that crowd, because they know they’ll draw from the energy and the atmosphere as they burn down the home stretch. I knew I was in amazing shape. This was the opportunity to really go for it in front of a home crowd. We did the British 1-2-3. Georgia ran an amazing race, and Erin helped us get there as our pacer. It’s a race I look back on with a lot of pride, both personally and nationally.&nbsp;There were times I didn’t even think I would be here to compete for a medal at Worlds. It’s been a real struggle. Even if I got back onto the track, I didn’t think I’d have enough time to prepare. That’s why I’m so thankful for the journey. It would be really meaningful to get a win in the same Tokyo stadium where my career took off four years ago. To still be fighting for those medals four years later is crazy to think about. It goes to show what a great team we have back home.

Last year’s 800-meter gold medalist has found her championship form again after a year of injuries. Integral to her comeback are the people and places she holds close.

To Get Back to Tokyo, Keely Hodgkinson Found Her Way Back Home

Not every breakthrough in sports science begins in a lab. For Nike’s iconic waffle sole — one of running’s most game-changing innovations — it began in the kitchen.It was 1971 and <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/stories/bill-bowerman-nike-s-original-innovator" target="_blank">Bill Bowerman</a> was wrestling with a problem he’d been turning over in his mind ever since a hard, slick new urethane track had been installed at the University of Oregon two years prior, which was injuring runners. Bowerman had to face a reality: He had chosen a track surface that wasn’t holding up, and he needed to find a fix. How could his runners get better grip? Spikes dug in too deep; flats didn’t bite enough.One morning, while glancing at his wife, Barbara’s, waffle iron — a Model 251 by Bersted Manufacturing Company, which the Bowermans had received as a wedding gift in 1936 — he was struck by the grid pattern. The raised squares seemed like the exact geometry that could deliver the lightweight traction he’d been chasing.He poured liquid urethane straight into the family waffle iron, only it instantly glued shut permanently, ruining their 35-year-old wedding present. Undeterred, he drove into town, bought several more secondhand waffle irons, and kept experimenting. Those first imprints came out inverted with concave bumps, but they sparked the idea that would lead him to refine molds and materials until a workable prototype finally emerged.

What resulted was the first version of the Nike Moon Shoe — a design that would shape the future of running for decades.“The waffle sole changed everything,” says Nike Running Historian Rick Lower. “Not only did it transform how runners thought about traction and cushioning but it showed people what Nike was about: solving problems in new ways.”

A Catalyst for the Future

In 1971, Nike, then still known as Blue Ribbon Sports, an American importer of Japanese running shoes, hadn’t yet become the global force in sports innovation that it is today. The fledgling company was still finding its footing, and Bowerman — co-founder, coach and relentless tinkerer — was at the center of that push. To him, every surface was a problem waiting for a solution.&nbsp;That included the new Astroturf laid down at Autzen Stadium, where the Oregon Ducks football team struggled for traction. In wet conditions, players often ditched their cleats for basketball shoes with a herringbone outsole that gripped better. Bowerman and teammate Jeff Johnson began exploring traction ideas for football as well as track, a line of thinking that would lead to the Astrograbber — a shoe prototyped in 1972 and <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/newsroom/releases/nike-bode-rec-astrograbber-official-images" target="_blank">reissued decades later</a>.“There had been no real innovation in outsoles for decades,” says Nike Running Historian Rick Lower. “Running shoes were basically just a sheet of rubber to protect your feet from the road, and traction and cushioning were secondary. Bowerman wasn’t willing to accept that.”Inspired by the moment in his kitchen, he began pulling in a network of local resources to help refine the molds and materials — tire shops, machinists, cobblers. Early prototypes disintegrated after only minutes of running. Others left athletes with cut ankles from exposed wire that was embedded in the rubber mixture for traction. Yet each failed attempt nudged the idea closer to the finish line.

By November 1971, the waffle sole had its first taste of competition when members of Oregon’s cross-country team wore early versions to win the NCAA title. Through the winter and spring of 1972, more college&nbsp;and local South Eugene high school&nbsp;athletes quietly tested pairs. By the following summer, Bowerman and Geoff Hollister were hand-cobbling a small batch of prototypes for a bigger stage: the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene.They weren’t perfect, especially not for the marathon level. “It was basically just an upper stitched to a thin sheet of waffle,” Lower says. “So minimal it was like running barefoot.” Still, a handful of brave runners laced them up. Some thought the waffle sole footprints looked like astronauts’ footprints on the moon, becoming part of the lore that gave the prototypes their now-iconic nickname: the Moon Shoe.For the fast-growing company, it was a pivotal moment. Even if the shoe wasn’t ready for mass release, it was proof the idea worked and evidence that this small Oregon company could push running footwear in an entirely new direction.

The Bridge to a Running Movement

The Moon Shoe itself never went to market, though a few pairs are believed to have been sold out of Nike’s Eugene retail store, making it possible to have snagged one if you were in the right place at the right time. But the shoe’s DNA spread quickly. By 1973, Nike released the Oregon Waffle. Two years later came the Waffle Trainer, Nike’s first blockbuster success.Designed by Bill Bowerman and Geoff Hollister, as well as famed Bowerman collaborators orthopedic surgeon Stan James and podiatrist Dennis Vixie, the Waffle Trainer became Nike’s most popular running model. It was created at the request of runner Jon Anderson, who wanted a more substantial training shoe, but went well beyond satisfying Anderson’s needs — it became the best-selling training shoe in the country. By 1975, orders had topped 100,000 units, and its blue upper with a yellow Swoosh became one of the defining looks of Nike’s early years. To this day, it remains emblematic of Nike in the 1970s.

The milestone sneaker didn’t just give everyday runners better grip. With a flared sole and a new cushioning sensation unlike anything they’d felt before, it changed expectations of what a running shoe could be.“That shoe was the bridge,” Lower explains. “It took the Moon Shoe’s experiment and turned it into a global product. From there Nike’s reputation as an innovator was cemented.”But it wasn’t the end for the Moon Shoe. After making its revival on Nike collaborator and French designer Jacquemus's runway last January, the iconic silhouette was reimagined for a new generation. Sleek and fashion-forward, the new sneaker, coming soon, bridges performance heritage and style with speed, capturing the same restless drive that defined its earliest incarnation. What was once vaulted as Nike's racing DNA is now primed for the future.

Long Live Experimentation and Innovation

The waffle iron tale might have stayed legend if not for a discovery decades later. When Bowerman’s son Tom renovated the family property in Coburg, Oregon, he unearthed a long-forgotten rubbish pit near the carport. Inside were discarded prototypes, molds and the rusted shell of the waffle iron Barbara Bowerman had tossed after Bill glued it shut.&nbsp;Today, that iron rests in the Department of Nike Archives at Nike World Headquarters in Beaverton, Ore., acting as a reminder of the kitchen tinkering that became the blueprint for Nike’s approach and long-term success: experiment boldly, keep refining and never stop pushing forward.

Created from the experimentation and ingenuity of Nike's co-founder Bill Bowerman, the Nike Moon Shoe's unique design would shape the future of running for decades.

Feature

From Waffle Iron to World Stage: The True Story of the Nike Moon Shoe

From his first year traveling to China to his 15th, LeBron James and Nike have used basketball as a cross-cultural exchange to unite players from across the world. During his final stop on the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/newsroom/releases/lebron-james-forever-king-tour" target="_blank">Forever King tour</a>, LeBron watched multiple teams face off in Chengdu, their squads separated by thousands of miles: the China Rise men's and women's teams, and the EYBL Cal Stars (women's) and Veritas Academy (men's) out of Los Angeles. Their love for the game might have been born across different geographic lines, but one constant in their personal stories has been <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/stories/lebron-james-china-tour-archives" target="_blank">LeBron himself</a>, who cheered on the teams as they scrimmaged.

— Photo contribution from <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.instagram.com/zhengyibb/" target="_blank">ZhengYi</a>

Amateur teams from China's Rise Academy and the LA-based Cal Stars and Veritas Academy went head-to-head during LeBron's China tour. There in attendance to cheer them on: the king himself.

Rising Together

Melissa Jefferson-Wooden is representing the US women’s sprints in Tokyo, where she’s running both the 100-meter and the 200-meter. But saying she earned the right to race for her country undersells just how dominant of a season, from start to finish, the South Carolina native has had. She’s undefeated in the 100-meter this year. During her preliminary heat at the US Championships, she laid down a 10.65, making her the sixth fastest woman in American history. She’ll go for the legendary sprint double in Tokyo, and if she can strike lightning twice, she’ll be the first woman to do it in 22 years. Here, MJW talks about her unbeaten season, her surge in confidence since last summer in Paris, and her preparation ahead of Tokyo as she looks to make history.Editor's Note: On September 14th, MJW concluded her perfect season by winning gold in Tokyo, running a 10.61 in the 100m, good for a championship record and fourth-place all time in the event. Having a winning mindset starts by taking responsibility for what you can control, not what you can’t. Growing up, I didn’t necessarily have the most resources. But if I was going to be successful, I couldn’t let adversity get in the way of what I really wanted to achieve on the track. I learned to not complain about the things I don’t have, and instead focus on the things I can control and allow those things to fuel me.The biggest change I noticed in myself this season was when I focused on competing against myself versus other people. I’m not focusing on what other racers can do or the ways I don’t feel equipped. I’m focusing on the things that make me my best self, like my technique and my cues. I’m not losing sight of how I can compete against my own best. That takes its own kind of discipline.When I take the starting line, I’m representing my village. That’s my family, but it’s also my team who’s been a part of my journey — my coaches, my training partners. I worked so hard to get to where I am, but the reality is that those people have sacrificed so much on my behalf too. I’m racing for them, not just for me.&nbsp;

The feeling of winning is a full-circle moment. When I crossed the finish line for the 200-meter at Trials, I remember how satisfying it was to look at the time and feel validated for all of the work I put in, all of the struggles you fought through. Even though you’re exhausted, when you cross the finish line, you feel this peace and happiness that washes over you. Crossing the finish line in first place is obviously what I think of when I think of winning, but also the full-circle serenity of knowing that your hard work paid off.Racing those doubles can tell you a lot about your fitness level. I had some great opportunities to run the double this year in Kingston, Miami and Philadelphia. Now, in those races, we have the benefit of the 100-meter and the 200-meter being on different days, so you can take them on one by one. Tactically, you can focus on one thing at a time. But in a setting like the Trials, you might go out and need to run two 200s in a day. It took me a second to get readjusted to a more traditional double, but I was quick to remind myself, Melissa, stay out of your own head. You’re in shape, you’re prepared for this. Telling your mind that your body is ready for the challenge: That’s what life is about. Go out and dare to do something that you haven’t done before.&nbsp;

I’ve thankfully had a great season, but I’m not taking anything for granted. After Brussels, I said in an interview that I still feel like I’m the one doing the hunting. It’s the truth. I have the fastest 100-meter time in the world this year, and I’m top five in the 200-meter, but I don’t have any individual titles or medals yet. I’m not getting caught up in everyone else saying that I’m the one to beat. I’m not. I’m still chasing everyone else in that field before I can say I’m at the top.Every performance, from my medal in Paris to whatever happens in Tokyo, has to start with my step-by-step race execution. It’s easy to get caught up in which medals or titles mean more. But if I don’t execute my race in the way that I’m supposed to, then I can’t even start talking about achievements. Let’s get to the starting line, let’s run my race, let’s execute, and let’s see what happens.&nbsp;

On September 14th, MJW concluded her perfect season by winning gold in Tokyo, running a 10.61 in the 100m, good for a championship record and fourth-place all time in the event.

For Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, There’s No Place Like First Place

Rai Benjamin has spent a lifetime with both feet planted in different worlds. On the track, he’s one of the fastest 400-meter hurdlers ever, but his 4x400 relay teams have also put together some of the most memorable performances in American history. (A recent example: last year’s relay in Paris, where Rai ran an inspired 43.13 anchor leg, holding off a furious comeback against Botswana.) He proudly wears USA on his chest, but he’s also the proud son of Antiguan immigrants who made a life for themselves in the Bronx. Rai will compete in the 400-meter hurdles in Tokyo for his first world title. But his identities as a competitor are intricately laced across the many bonds he carries as an athlete — equal parts individual and teammate, American star and son of Caribbean parents. Below, Rai speaks to his identities as an athlete, his epiphany during his undefeated 2024 season, and why he values the team above all. Early on, I was able to experience what makes track special as both an individual and a collective sport. When I was first old enough to compete on the international stage, I was able to compete for Antigua in the Ukraine for the World Youth Championships. It was a great experience overall, but I realize now that I was missing a sense of camaraderie with my teammates. I was watching Team USA, where everyone was having fun together and doing their own thing. I realized I was missing that team aspect. Here I was, a 15-year-old, by myself in a hotel room in a foreign country. When it’s your first time at a big meet, having teammates who are going through the same thing as you, all while you’re competing individually, is so important.It was that sense of camaraderie that led me to filing to compete for Team USA. All of my friends were competing for the USA, and I wanted to be a part of that. The transfer was a long process. I went through two entire collegiate seasons before it was approved. I remember exactly where I was when I heard the news. I was sitting in Spanish class, 8 am. Horrible. Everyone was dozing off. All of a sudden, I get an email that pops up: My allegiance transfer was approved. Representing both Antigua and the United States are integral parts of my story. Competing for my family’s country of origin helped put me on a trajectory that changed my outlook on life, both athletically and personally.&nbsp;Going from New York to Los Angeles for college was like night and day. Getting onto the road after flying into LAX, I’m seeing six-lane highways for the first time. The sun’s always shining, there are no clouds in the sky, there’s an In-N-Out everywhere you look. It seemed like a life you only saw on TV. Then you get onto the track: These kids are running 45s in the 400, and 3:15s in the relay. I’m like, Whoa, this is an entirely different beast on the track scene as well. I’m a proud East Coaster, but I was ready to experience a culture shift like that once I got to UCLA and then USC, because I knew I’d grow as a competitor.&nbsp;Athletes are lucky to have one standout season that defines their career. It’s even rarer to have two. The 2024 season for me was special. I went undefeated in the hurdles, I ran a world-leading time twice, and the 4x400 relay in Paris was one of the craziest races I’ve ever been a part of. But that 2018 season at USC was magical, man. My outdoor times were fast, and that 4x400 relay team [Michael Norman, Ricky Morgan and Zach Shinnick] was special from top to bottom. But the middle of those seasons, those six years, was what changed me as an athlete, and those were the most trying years of my career, being injured so much. Something needed to changed. I went to coach Joanna Hayes before my 2024 season, and I told her, “Listen, I just want to have fun again this year. I don’t want to think too much about anything. I just want to race, stay healthy and have fun on the track again.” Being the amazing coach that she is, she sat down with my trainer and created a plan for the season. It was like a flip was switched, as far as feeling like myself again.

I started enjoying myself on the track again once I surrendered myself to the things I couldn’t control. There’s only so much you can do to prepare. Get the training in, be present, accept when you’ve done enough. I like to say that 2024 was my season of surrender.&nbsp;Knowing when to say no is one of the most important decisions you make as an athlete. I’ve had two clear moments in my life. One of them was when I chose not to run in the 2024 Pre Classic. I had this recurring injury in my quad that was showing up. I distinctly remember telling my coaches and my agent that if I go to Pre, I’m going to ruin the rest of my season. I had my sights on Paris later that summer. I knew that I was risking a medal in Paris if I insisted on battling through the pain and competing in Eugene. To my team’s credit, everyone supported me. I let my leg heal. The telltale sign it was the right decision was when I raced in Monaco in July. That win gave me all the confidence in the world going into Paris.&nbsp;Unless you’ve run in a relay, you don’t know how special it is to be running for your teammates. That 4x400 relay medal in Paris means more to me than my individual gold. The four of us were running for each other. We were running for the entire nation. As soon as I got that baton as the anchor, I had never heard a stadium that loud in my entire life. I get to the homestretch and I’m spent, I have nothing left in the tank. I was like, “Please, God, get me to the line!”&nbsp;I remember crossing the line and being ecstatic. The boys were so happy, people were going nuts. It was one of the hardest things I’ve had to do in my entire life.Now, I’m better on the mental side of competition than ever. My win at US Nationals was a great example of how I’ve matured as a runner. Caleb Dean started to my outside, and he took off like he was shot out of a cannon. But I’ve raced these guys so many times. I know exactly how they’re going to approach it. I knew Caleb was going to hit the first six hurdles hard. I usually know by hurdle seven or so if a guy can sustain a pace like that, and I knew I could chase him down. That’s the maturity in me. I’m confident in my experiences and my race planning, so I’m not thrown off by what a competitor does. I don’t doubt my tactics in the way I might have when I was a younger runner.&nbsp;

The American hurdler will go for his first gold medal at the World Championships in Tokyo. His many identities — as an individual and teammate, as the son of Caribbean immigrants, and as a proud American — are what ground his success.

Rai Benjamin Is in a World of His Own

It’s late July, but in America’s South, the summer is just starting to heat up. Young hoopers dream about this exact moment, and for the nation’s most elite, the annual moment has arrived again. In Augusta, South Carolina, Riverview Park Activities Center is brimming with the who’s who of basketball royalty. NBA scouts by the dozen are dispersed throughout the gym, coaches like John Calipari, Tom Izzo and Dan Hurley grace the sidelines, and thousands more spectators flood the facility to capacity. Everyone’s here for one reason: to witness the next crop of stars poised to define the game’s future. This is Peach Jam, a crown jewel of grassroots basketball and the pinnacle of Nike’s Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) circuit — a summer-long gauntlet that brings together the best prospects from across the country, arming them with competition, exposure and resources no other platform can match.

Peach Jam is also an important piece in a larger ecosystem that Nike has carefully architected during the past few decades. The Swoosh has a mission to grow the game, and that extends far beyond crowning young champions in July and August. Chasing chips is an essential component for any sports brand, but more significant for Nike is the steady commitment to provide elite young hoopers with the stage, community and tools they need to write the game’s future in real time.

That commitment juts up against a basketball culture that’s changing in myriad ways on what seems like a daily basis. It used to be that only superstars in the ilk of Kevin Durant, LeBron James, A’ja Wilson and Sabrina Ionescu were the ones who inspired the next generation of hoopers. Nowadays, a thumb-scroll through Instagram or TikTok brings viral highlights from packed-out high school gyms into living rooms across the world. Kids argue over, say, top high school prospects Tyran Stokes and Brandon McCoy as enthusiastically as the generation before them argued over Russ and CP3. High school phenoms, and even middle school prodigies are entering the cultural conversation and becoming household names earlier than ever. Stardom isn’t a finish line anymore; it’s a starting point.

Nike’s grassroots basketball strategy begins first with pinpointing these elite athletes as early as possible, and second, serving them with <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/stories/kevin-durant-interview-nike-eybl-grassroots-basketball" target="_blank">best-in-class resources that keeps Nike in a league of their own</a>. As Karie Conner, Nike’s VP/GM of Basketball and Kobe, puts it, “We have one muse in particular that we focus on: the one-of-one, the elite hooper, the top 1 percent of the top 1 percent,” she says. “We’ve realized through all of our insights and research that they’re the ones who actually inspire those who aspire to love the game, be a part of the game and be enveloped around the game.”

Those insights come from a sharp focus that allows Nike to get really deep on what athletes need, Conner says. “It’s not just about the product and the gear — it’s about serving their needs, giving them the platforms, being a partner with them.” At Peach Jam, that platform cuts through clearly. You see LA Clippers star Bradley Beal celebrating with his Bradley Beal Elite squad, having just helped coach them to the program’s first-ever championship. They were led by an MVP performance from five-star Arkansas commit JJ Andrews, who’s now cemented his name alongside Jayson Tatum, Cade Cunningham, AJ Dybantsa and the other greats who’ve carved out their legacies at the game’s toughest proving ground. BBE went the entire week without their full roster, at times only having six players available. But every minute, every possession, the team reflected the mantra that hangs from the banners surrounding the gym: No excuses. Just banners. Indeed, this week in Augusta will go down in the history books.

NY vs. NY

After Peach Jam, Nike’s hoops pipeline stretches north, where another battleground awaits: Victory Park in New York City, home to Nike’s NY vs. NY finale. It’s mid-August, and summer has hit its full stride. New York City’s top prospects, girls and boys, have represented their boroughs in a summer-long tournament that unfolds on some of the game’s most iconic courts — West 4th, Dyckman, Rucker Park. Where Peach Jam, and the EYBL circuit in general, is polished and meticulously orchestrated, NY vs. NY is pulsing with a raw, unfiltered energy that’s more rough around the edges. That’s by design, and another avenue to advance Nike’s mission. “We can’t forget the communities,” Conner tells me. “We have to make sure to build this connective tissue so that we don’t have anything that’s in isolation or of itself.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; This is the seventh season that Nike has run NY vs. NY, and it’s only getting bigger. Throughout the summer, NBA superstars such as Luka Dončić, Ja Morant and Jalen Brunson have made their way out to games. The stakes are different than during the live recruiting period — but that doesn’t mean they’re any less. NY vs. NY is more personal. Here, players carry the weight of neighborhood pride. And it’s never lost on them that they’re hand-selected to represent the Swoosh. “Being looked at with Nike, that’s a blessing for real,” says Jermel Thomas, Dyckman’s four-star point guard and Saint Louis University commit ahead of the NY vs. NY championship. “You see the top players in the NBA with Nike — Kevin Durant, Giannis — so being a part of that, and seeing that they’re showing me love, you couldn’t ask for anything more than that.” Jermel wears the Bronx on his back and is one of the most exciting players in the country, hence his nickname “Magic Mel.” He’s the embodiment of the “elite hooper” that Karie Conner speaks of. As he navigates Victory Park, kids watch his every move. His trademark hi-top fade and 6-foot-3 frame are hard to miss. In the semifinals against Brooklyn’s Team Gersh — with 1,000-plus fans sitting shoulder-to-shoulder around the court, and more spectators spilling onto the upper level outside the park — Magic Mel put on an absolute show, willing his Dyckman squad to a two-point win and clinching a spot in the championship.&nbsp; Alas, the final game wasn’t his night. Jermel and co. eventually fall short in the chip. He’s upset, but still walking with his head high, confidence unfazed, seeming to understand that wins and losses are just the backdrop to a much bigger picture.

Meanwhile, the West 4th girls celebrate winning the championship. The squad was led by their MVP five-star Maryland commit, Jordyn Jackson. The D.C native is one of the few players not from New York City that Nike invited to play in NY vs. NY — and she didn’t come to fit in. Jordyn commands much of the attention, and rightfully so. The way she carries herself, the way the ball finds her hands, the way her teammates’ confidence tick up a few notches when she’s on the court, it’s evident Jordyn was built for this.&nbsp;&nbsp; Her teammate Ava Thomas quickly reminds you that Nike’s elite athletes aren’t a monolith. Ava is one of the best guards in New York City, a killer in her own right — just with a completely different approach. “A lot of people focus on scoring, and that’s important,” she says, “but focusing on little things, playing defense, talking to your teammates, bringing the energy, that’s really important too. And obviously, off the court, being a great student.”

Ava was recently recognized by the Naismith Foundation as one of the top student-athletes in the country. And thanks in part to her showing on the Nike summer circuit, she just committed to Quinnipiac University after fielding offers from Dartmouth, Lafayette and American, among a handful of others. “To be just 17, it’s a great feeling that your work could pay off. I’ve been working hard, and to get recognized by Nike at this age, it’s something really special,” she says. For Ava, though, being acknowledged by Nike as a standout among her peers is more than a stamp of approval. It’s a thread running through her story. Her first vivid Nike memory is tethered to one of the most heartbreaking days in basketball. On the same day the world lost Kobe Bryant, Ava slipped into her first pair of Kobes. What should’ve been a moment of joy became something deeper, heavier — a reminder of how greatness can inspire even in its absence.

Mamba League Invitational

Which leads us to Los Angeles. A few weeks after NY vs. NY, Kobe's legacy is on full display at the Mamba League Invitational, where Nike has created a <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DNweIH7QgEn/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link" target="">remarkable</a> makeshift outdoor basketball court at LA Live, right in front of Crypto Arena. For the third consecutive year, the brand has invited the top boys and girls from across the nation to show the world why they’ll be the next hoopers to inspire the world the way Kobe does. The kids arrive to L.A. and the sun is blazing, temperature in the 90s. The court is jam-packed with fans of all ages and backgrounds. Vanessa Bryant and Rob Pelinka sit courtside, their eyes glued to the talent on the floor carrying on the Mamba’s legacy.

Kobe’s aura permeates the atmosphere. While NY vs. NY feels like a celebration of the essence of the game, Mamba League feels like a tribute to the responsibility that comes with being great, of what it means to carry a Kobe-like standard forward.&nbsp; That feeling crystallizes as both the boys and girls Mamba League Invitational champions hoist their trophies at center court, handed to them by Vanessa Bryant. The kids beam with elation, taking selfies, recording Reels, trophies raised high — and there’s subtext too: this is about much more than hardware or sneakers.

One truth that’s revealed through <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/stories/paige-bueckers-exclusive-interview" target="_blank">these grassroots platforms</a>, whether it’s the heat of NY vs. NY, the magnitude of Peach Jam, the reverence of Mamba League, is that today’s young athletes carry different needs than even a few years ago. The game has evolved, and so have the pressures, opportunities and demands that come with chasing it.&nbsp; “They need support along their entire journey,” Conner says. “It’s not just giving them the best gear that’s going to make them the best on the court. It’s supporting them with player development; it’s&nbsp;helping them with mentorship. We can leverage so many of our [NBA and WNBA] athletes who want to be mentors and to pour and invest into them. We have an opportunity to give them everything they need to be successful in the game.” This is why you see Chris Paul and Bradley Beal on the benches with their coaches polos on. And why you see Ja Morant talking to his EYBL Jr. Twelve Time program after a tough loss. And why Nike set up a state-of-the-art recovery suite at the teams’ hotel in Augusta. No stone is left unturned.

And while Nike remains the global leader in building infrastructure, creating access and shaping culture, their commitment is averse to complacency. “We might be at the top, but we have to stay hungry. The future of the game is now, and we have to continue thinking about the areas where we can grow the game and expand it to the younger generation so that they’re growing and in the game in the right ways.” says Connor. “We also have to continue to focus on the girls' game and invest, elevate and expand there. That’s where our heads are at.” At LA Live, it’s time to clear the court. The bleachers empty, the crowd begins to filter out, the sounds of the game fade. Just beyond the gates, Kobe’s bronze statue glows against the night sky, a reminder that greatness is never past tense. Summer with Nike Basketball may be over, but in the words of the late great Black Mamba: the job’s not finished.

Curtis&nbsp;Rowser III is an Atlanta-based journalist who covers basketball, rap, culture, travel and lifestyle. His words and photos have appeared in&nbsp;SLAM,&nbsp;BET,&nbsp;TimeOut,&nbsp;Epicenter-NYC,&nbsp;Brooklyn Magazine,&nbsp;AmNY and others. He’s a former Division I basketball player, and has since earned a master’s in Sports Industry Management from Georgetown&nbsp;and&nbsp;a second master’s in Journalism from NYU.

Curtis Rowser

True support for young basketball athletes goes beyond gifting gear. To elevate players and the game, Nike's created a deep network of platforms, mentorships and opportunities — and there's no better way to see the effects than through this summer's grassroots tourney play.

Beyond the Buzzer: How Nike Is Fueling the Next Era of Elite Hoopers

After raising his hands in disbelief when he crossed the tape at U.S. Nationals, Cooper Lutkenhaus knew exactly where to look. His entire immediate family were scattered along the rail of University of Oregon’s Hayward Field, strategically choosing their spots to encourage him while he ran the 800m final. His mom, Tricia, filming his race like she’d done for years, was standing a few rows above the starting line. His middle brother Andrew was at the 200m mark, his oldest brother George Jr. was at the 300, and his dad, George Sr., was at the 100m homestretch. They had just watched Cooper run a 1:42.27 — the fourth fastest time for an American and one of the greatest performances by a high schooler ever.&nbsp;After that performance, Lutkenhaus is running toward many things. This month, he’ll race in Tokyo as the youngest American in history to compete at the World Athletics Championships. He’ll don the Swoosh for the first time as a professional Nike athlete, the partnership signed in late August. The contract means that Cooper, now a few weeks into his junior year, will forgo his remaining high school athletic eligibility to race with the greats. Away from Tokyo, he’s a leader among his peers, particularly in his time attending Northwest High in Texas, a responsibility he took more seriously after his involvement in the Nike Elite Program, which he joined as a freshman. Here, Cooper shares his thoughts on leadership, mentorship and what it means to run for family. Being the youngest brother helps keep you grounded once you reach a certain level of success. Growing up, me and my brothers were always trying to outdo each other. Who could run fastest? Who could get the highest grades? Being the youngest sibling, I didn’t win many of those competitions, but it also gave me a drive to compete every single day.I’m lucky, because it’s not necessarily a given that you and your siblings are each other’s biggest fans. George swims collegiately, and Andrew runs collegiately, and we all want the best for each other. They were my biggest support system when I competed at U.S. Nationals. Having them in my corner has been so important to my development over these last few years.&nbsp;You can’t help but grow as a leader when you’re surrounded by a certain skill level. The Nike Elite Program was a huge point of growth for me. I came in at the end of my freshman year in 2023, and I went on two different cohort trips, where the 40 athletes all trained together. I was the youngest guy on the roster that freshman year. I didn’t talk too much. Then, my sophomore year when I went up there, I talked a lot more. I think a lot of people would tell you that I grew a lot last year. That was thanks in large part to the company I was surrounded by. Even though we’re all different ages and we compete in different races, we’re able to learn from each other and from the coaching staff.

You can see it in a runner’s eyes when they’re representing something a little more than just themselves. Getting to watch those of us from the Elite program go back home to compete in meets, you see a standard of leadership they bring back to their high school meets. You can see it in their eyes when they’re racing. It’s almost like a responsibility. I feel like you see it with every Nike athlete. Donavan Brazier at USA’s for example — when he came across the line, you could see it on his face after he won. Being an athlete for Nike and being a leader at Nike go hand in hand. Going to the Nike Elite Program and coming back to my school, I felt like I became a much stronger leader.Leadership is shown through both words and actions. I’ve felt a boost in confidence in being a leader to my peers at Northwest. I’ve always felt leading by action in important, but I do think I’ve become more vocal because of the Elite program. I’ve made more of an effort, trying to help my underclassmen teammates as much as possible. My sophomore season last year, we had a freshman come in who I took under my wing, and he’s been running really, really strong lately. I tried soaking in everything I admired when I went on those Elite trips and tried modeling it at our high school program.&nbsp;At this point, my goals are day by day. I’m really excited for Worlds. I want to see how far I can make it through the rounds. And then, if I make the final …you never know. Especially at an event like Worlds, you never know what could happen.&nbsp;I’m representing Northwest High School just as much as I’m representing Team USA. But no matter what, I’m always representing my family. They’ve sacrificed so much for me to be able to get to where I am. I want to do them proud.&nbsp;

The 16-year-old half-miler will run in Tokyo as Team USA’s youngest-ever competitor, but his capacity as a leader has been long in the making.

Cooper Lutkenhaus is Already Leading the Pack

Words: <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="/company/people/rachel-cavanaugh-contributing-writer" target="_blank" class="ql-size-small">Rachel Cavanaugh</a> Portraits: <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="/company/people/vivian-kim-contributing-photographer" target="_blank" class="ql-size-small">Vivian Kim</a>When Maria Sharapova stepped onto the court at the 2006 US Open wearing a little black dress that shimmered under the lights, it was a moment tennis had never seen before.Trimmed with crystals and tailored with precision, the Nike ensemble merged sport and fashion in a way that hadn’t been done on that stage, at that level — bold, unapologetic and impossible to ignore. The dress wasn’t just a look. It was a statement.Designed by Martin Lotti, Nike’s then global creative director for women’s training, “The Dress” quickly became a cultural flashpoint: proof that performance wear could carry elegance and personality without sacrificing function.

“At the time, sport and fashion weren’t as intertwined as they are today,” Lotti recalls. “That blending of worlds was still very new. That dress helped establish a new intersection, one that now defines the modern landscape of tennis apparel. I like to call it ‘unexpected performance.’ It looked like a dress but it was built to perform at the highest level. The message: You don’t have to compromise style to achieve performance.”Now, nearly 20 years later, Sharapova is returning to the court in another black dress, this time as an inductee into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Once again, Nike is dressing her for the moment.

“It’s a full-circle moment not just for me personally but for Nike,” Lotti says. “To be part of her journey from that win to her induction into the Hall of Fame, it’s incredible.”To celebrate a partnership that has spanned nearly two decades, Lotti — now Nike’s Chief Design Officer — and his team have reimagined the original dress for the occasion. The most iconic details remain —the rounded neckline, the striking black silhouette, the subtle shimmer —&nbsp;but this version has been refined with a longer hemline and pleated skirt to suit the tone of the evening.The new look also includes a series of personal touches: five stars etched into the dress to represent Maria’s Grand Slam titles; a sleek, tailored jacket fastened with a custom button computationally designed from an algorithm based on her son’s birthday; a modernized metallic hairpiece;&nbsp;a wraparound Swoosh bracelet;&nbsp;and a custom expression of Nike’s Shox Z, a new sportswear silhouette launching later this year.

Together, the pieces form a head-to-toe look rooted in legacy, honoring where the tennis legend has been while reflecting who she is today.“We wanted to make that little black dress again, the same one people remembered but elevated for what this occasion means,” Lotti explains. “She’s not here to compete but to be celebrated. So we evolved it. We made it a bit more formal, a bit more reflective. We kept the soul of the original but designed it for now.”

That soul —&nbsp;a balance of performance, style and story — has always been at the center of Nike’s partnership with Sharapova, who explains that seeing the new design brought back memories of the original and everything that came along with it.&nbsp;“It was such a pivotal moment,” Maria says. “I remember the first time that I tried the dress. It felt so special. It was something I felt truly confident in. I could move freely and it was like an extension of my style, but it served a very athletic purpose. I could do all the movements that it required me to do but yet I felt very elegant and strong.”That duality, elegance alongside strength, continues to define Sharapova’s signature style today. As an athlete, business owner, and mother, she tends to gravitate toward timeless pieces that blend confidence, comfort and purpose.“I still wear pieces that I’ve had for years,” she says. “I think there's something beautiful about having that special sweater or special dress that you just know will make you feel like who you are. It’s a part of your identity. This black dress is very much like that.”

She remembers how, at the time, yes, the dress did more than turn turned heads, but it also. It challenged expectations —&nbsp;not only of what athletes could wear and but how they could show up on the court. Lotti agrees, noting that it was a bold step into uncharted territory.“Playing in that dress, Maria was powerful and graceful,” he says. “It broke stereotypes, showing that. You didn’t have to be just one thing. You could be both.”

And that’s when Nike is at its best, Lotti says — when it challenges the status quo. “The best projects are the ones where we’re trying something new. Something that’s never been done,” he says. “That’s when Nike reinvents itself, pushes the athlete and pushes sport forward.”Ultimately, the dress, both then and now, stands as a testament to the brand’s enduring relationship&nbsp;—&nbsp;with Sharapova and with all of its athletes.&nbsp;“We say our athletes are family,” Lotti says. “And this is what that means. Their dreams become our dreams. We’re there for the highs and the lows. We’re there when no one’s watching and we’re there when the whole world is.”

In 2006, Maria Sharapova wore a bespoke Nike LBD on the court that proved you don't have to sacrifice style for performance. To celebrate her 2025 induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame, we made her a new one.

Making It

The Legacy of Maria Sharapova’s Little Black Tennis Dress

For almost 50 years, Nike’s made magic by taking the most basic of elements — air — and optimizing it to help athletes perform at their peak. Now, the company’s hit a new milestone in innovation, this time in materials: Nike Radical AirFlow, debuted in this summer’s trail running season. Building on its rich legacy in performance apparel, Nike scientists, designers and developers asked how they could create apparel that harnesses air around a runner in motion to help keep them cool.&nbsp;Trail running is one of the most extreme sports in which to test the efficacy of performance apparel. The tests of the sport are nearly unclassifiable. Trail running races can span one-kilometer vertical climbs to multi-day staged events across inhospitable conditions. Case in point: the iconic 100-mile race based in California’s Sierra Nevadas frequently reaches temperatures over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, while runners are surmounting altitude changes of more than 18,000 feet of elevation gain and 23,000 feet of elevation loss in the race. High heat and humidity not only hinder an athlete’s performance, but raise the risk of injury or even illness.&nbsp;Trail athletes are familiar with this arena of extremes, and to keep a competitive edge, they’ve developed their own hacks to stay cool. Draping ice-cold towels across their necks. Lying down in a stream or lake, mid-course, like a child in a backyard pool. Even shedding layers along the course.

But what if the make of the apparel itself could be part of the solution? Cross-disciplinary teams at Nike, many of whom are trail runners themselves, explored the question, setting out to create garments that could help the body maximize its natural cooling mechanisms.&nbsp;“An athlete’s sweat evaporation plays a significant role in helping cool the body,” says Jahan Behbahany, Senior Director, Nike Apparel Innovation. “We were interested in a material that could accelerate the velocity of airflow to skin and help speed up that evaporative cooling process. We knew we had the people, the tools and the resources to develop it.”

The solution would be far from Nike’s first success in maximizing airflow for athletes. The company’s intensive study of the aerodynamics of pacing helped lead to two of the most influential running record attempts of the last decade: <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/newsroom/releases/inside-look-at-nike-breaking2-project" target="_blank">Eliud Kipchoge’s historic marathon quests</a> in 2017 and 2019, and <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/topics/breaking4" target="_blank">Faith Kipyegon’s inspiring attempt</a> to run a four-minute mile. In performance apparel, Nike athletes and coaches have iterated on all-over mesh materials to promote airflow in hot conditions, from Nike Stand-Off to Nike Dri-Fit. Nike scientists, designers and developers carry deep knowledge of how apparel can be the great separator for athletes reaching their potential. Understanding the extreme conditions in which trail athletes compete, they knew they needed to find a new solution to help promote airflow against the body.After re-thinking traditional mesh and ventilation options, the team hypothesized that engineered airducts throughout the garment could capture air, speed it up and funnel it through the garment’s holes toward the skin. As the athlete runs forward, the material would accelerate the velocity of the airflow to the skin and help promote evaporative cooling. In other words, speed up your body’s natural sweat evaporation.Nike’s cross-disciplinary teams were focused on creating a breathable material that would allow for ideal construction of the airducts while ensuring maximum comfort and minimal distractions. The teams were inspired by the Bernoulli Principle of fluid dynamics, specifically the&nbsp;Venturi Effect — When a fluid flows through a constricted section of pipe, it sees an increase in velocity and a drop in pressure. Every element from material selection to the engineered knit construction was considered, studied and tested to promote and increase airflow to the skin.

Radical AirFlow

The new material is an engineered knit with hydrophilic chemistry to help manage moisture and enhance the sensation of airflow. The airducts accelerate airflow from the front of the material towards the skin. Nike researchers discovered that placing a series of “dimples” on the back side of the garment (skin-facing side) to complement each airduct improved the duration of the circulation at the skin level.“We tried all kinds of airduct configurations, sizes and zonal placements throughout the testing and development,” says Behbahany. “We found that a funnel-shaped construction of larger to smaller gradient holes, uniformly placed, would best ‘funnel’ and accelerate air to the skin.”When considering the garment in which to house the material, the team chose a long-sleeve top to cover as much of the body’s surface area as possible, and promote as much airflow as possible across the body. To help ensure comfort while runners spent hours on the trail, designers left large cut-outs under the arms to offer mobility and reduce weight, with construction and trims to help reduce chafing in high-friction and high-sweat areas.

With airducts zonally placed throughout the garments, larger ventilation at the under and arm bend were added to maximize mobility and airflow, and to help reduce the risk of chafing.

The top features a cropped hem to help minimize garment weight, allow for greater air through the lower abdomen, and allow easy access to the waist belt.

The teams were committed to testing the new material rigorously over two years, both in the field and in controlled research settings. They brought prototypes to Northern California for&nbsp;<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/newsroom/releases/nike-acg-all-conditions-racing-department" target="null">All Conditions Racing Department athletes</a>&nbsp;to put through the region’s extreme conditions and give their feedback. The runners were floored by how cool and breathable the garment was, telling the teams that it gave a cool, breezy sensation against their skin unlike any top they’d ever worn. Back at the Nike Sport Research Lab (NSRL) at Nike World Headquarters, Nike used its in-house climate chambers to observe how the material performed in controlled, yet grueling settings. All Conditions Racing Department athletes would filter through the NSRL to test out the prototypes. The parameters for testing simulated the kinds of dramatic temperature climbs that trail runners face at notoriously hot races.&nbsp;In the NSRL, athletes tested lightweight DriFit and Radical AirFlow garments in environmental climate chamber simulations to assess how Radical AirFlow compared against Nike’s tried and true material technology. From these tests, Nike scientists learned that when compared to DriFit, Radical AirFlow prototypes absorbed and retained 50% less sweat after prolonged running in the heat. Additional testing on&nbsp;thermal manikins&nbsp;showed that the prototypes were substantially more breathable and 25% less resistant to the evaporation of sweat, when compared to DriFit.

As one of the largest field test initiatives in Nike Running history, members of the All Conditions Racing Department will continue to test the prototype throughout the 2025 elite season. Nike designers, for their part, will continue to track feedback from in-race and lab testing to refine the garment as it readies for a 2026 retail launch.&nbsp;The opportunity to develop materials that harness airflow across the body will only grow more salient as global temperatures rise, and across different sports, not just on the trail. Mastering air, in all its forms, has been a fixture in Nike’s product history since the inception of the first Air Bag. Which makes the future of Radical AirFlow so bright.&nbsp;“We can’t wait to apply what we’re learning with our ACRD athletes to how we solve athlete problems in other sports,” says Behbahany. “Our investment for finding what’s next in this kind of apparel innovation is unmatched. Between our athletes, our innovators and our resources, we’re finding new cooling solutions for athletes to perform at their best, whatever their sport and wherever they play it.”

Nike Radical AirFlow Slow Motion Hero

The material innovation harnesses the power of the air moving around you to help maximize your body’s natural cooling mechanisms.