With Derrick Rose sidelined due to yet another injury — again, for a meniscus tear in his right knee — footwear industry analysts differ in their opinions of the injury’s possible impact on sales of the basketball player’s signature Adidas shoe, the D Rose 5 Boost.
Matt Powell, a sports industry analyst at The NPD Group, does not expect Rose’s absence from the court to have a severe effect.
“Injuries do not have a significant impact on sales,” said Powell. “[Adidas is] paying for exposure of the brand and the product on the court. When you don’t have that, it has to hurt a little bit. [But] we have not seen dramatic changes when a basketball player has been injured.”
While Adidas may not take a hit to overall sales from Rose’s injury, Sterne Agee analyst Sam Poser believes it will hinder the growth of the company’s visibility in the basketball-shoe market.
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“For Adidas basketball’s turnaround situation, it hurts. [The brand’s presence is] already so small,” Poser said. “Nike is putting up big numbers and Adidas isn’t, especially in North America.”
According to Statista Inc., Rose finished fourth in player sneaker sales in 2013, behind Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Kobe Bryant, bringing in $40 million in sales worldwide. In 2012, Rose finished third, beating out Durant’s sales by $5 million.
And while Adidas finished second, behind Nike, in overall share of the basketball-shoe market in 2013, Statista data show the difference between the two was massive: Adidas accounted for only 5.5 percent of market share, while Nike accounted for 92 percent.
Rose is no stranger to injury. Prior to his most recent one, the star guard had missed an entire season and the majority of another. Rose tore the ACL in his left knee during the first game of the 2011-12 NBA Playoffs, sidelining him for the entire 2012-13 season. He returned to the court during the 2013-14 season, but then tore the meniscus in his right knee, sidelining him for the rest of the season. He played just 10 games in 2013-14.
Even with Rose’s history of injuries, Adidas is sticking with their man.
“We wish Derrick all the best for a quick and healthy recovery. Our support for him is unwavering,” the company said in a statement.
