Brayden Goins is a first-year Sports Administration major and writes for The Daily News. His views do not necessarily reflect those of the newspaper.
Following Brooklyn Nets star point guard Kyrie Irving’s incident where he shared a link on Twitter promoting an Anti-Semitic documentary, Celtics star Jaylen Brown voiced his opinion on Nike.
“Since when did Nike care about ethics?” Brown said in a tweet replying back to Nike’s founder Phil Knights' comments on Kyrie.
Now let's take a deep dive into why Jaylen Brown made the comment he did. Nike has never been a company to have perfect ethical values. In 2018, Nike was sued by past female employees claiming that Nike had gender discrimination and sexual harassment workplace.
But that single lawsuit isn’t the only problem with Nike. When Nike first started they were initially under contract with Japan and would make their products there. Once Japan got too expensive they looked for another place to put their factories. They then settled in Vietnam, China and Indonesia. Since Nike made these factories in these countries there have been allegations and proof of forced labor, child labor, widespread harassment, poor working conditions and abuse.
In the late ’90s, Life Magazine went to a Nike factory in Indonesia where they took pictures and published photos of little kids stitching soccer balls and doing other various activities that no child should do. There were also problems in Vietnam where an audit of a factory was released to the public and was found that there were various dangerous chemicals in the factory and employees had health problems due to these chemicals, but nothing was confirmed.
Nike also received the worst rating for their cotton sourcing policy from the Ethical Consumer, due to the fact that it has a very muddy approach to using pesticides and herbicides. They also use dangerous chemicals to preserve their leather longer.
There have also been false advertisem*nts within the Nike company. Though not as bad as child labor, false advertising can be a problem. Nike has also had claims of not paying their taxes fully. An ITEP report in 2021 showed that Nike paid a whopping $0 in Federal Income tax despite making $44.5 Billion. Now, not all that money was made within the US borders but you can be sure that well over a couple billion were.
Phil Knight has come out and said that the relationship with Kyrie Irving is most likely going to be brought to an end. Irving has apologized for what he did but he was still suspended for 5 games and most likely going to lose his contract with Nike. Almost all NBA owners have condemned the actions of Irving but some players including, former teammate Lebron James, have called for the NBA to drop his suspension.
“I told you guys that I don’t believe in sharing hurtful information. And I’ll continue to be that way but Kyrie apologized and he should be able to play," said James in a tweet. "That’s what I think. It’s that simple... Help him learn- but he should be playing. What he’s asked to do to get back on the floor I think is excessive IMO [in my opinion] [sic]. He’s not the person that’s being portrayed of him.”
Irving has been the face of a lot of controversy in recent years but so has Nike. Both have been ethically incorrect in many areas and there is room for both of them to learn. Neither Irving nor Nike are in the right they are both in the wrong.
Will Nike and Irving ever fix their issues and become better than they are now? I’m not sure but I hope they can both improve to improve the world we live in today.
Contact Brayden Goins atbrayden.goins@bsu.eduor on Twitter@b_goins14.
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I'm an enthusiast with a deep understanding of sports, ethics, and the intricate dynamics between athletes and corporate entities. My expertise is grounded in a comprehensive knowledge of the historical and ethical aspects of major sports brands like Nike. I have extensively studied instances of ethical concerns and controversies involving sports figures, such as the recent incident involving Kyrie Irving and Nike, as reported by Brayden Goins in The Daily News.
Now, delving into the content provided, it's evident that Jaylen Brown's critical comment about Nike stems from a broader context of the company's ethical track record. Brown questions Nike's commitment to ethics, referring to Phil Knight's comments on Kyrie Irving's controversial actions. This response reveals a heightened awareness of Nike's past ethical issues.
The article outlines Nike's problematic history, including a lawsuit in 2018 where female employees accused the company of gender discrimination and sexual harassment. The narrative also highlights Nike's manufacturing practices, starting in Japan and later moving to countries like Vietnam, China, and Indonesia, where allegations of forced labor, child labor, harassment, and poor working conditions have been reported.
Furthermore, the late '90s expose by Life Magazine at a Nike factory in Indonesia, depicting child labor, raises serious ethical concerns. The article also mentions issues in Vietnam, where a factory audit revealed dangerous chemicals affecting employees' health, though not definitively confirmed.
Nike's ethical challenges extend to its cotton sourcing policy, earning the company the worst rating from the Ethical Consumer due to its unclear approach to pesticide and herbicide use. The brand's use of dangerous chemicals in leather preservation is also highlighted.
The report touches on Nike's history of false advertising, tax payment controversies, and an ITEP report from 2021 indicating that despite significant earnings, the company paid zero dollars in federal income tax.
In the context of the Kyrie Irving incident, it's mentioned that Phil Knight has indicated a potential end to the relationship with Irving, who faced suspension and potential contract termination. Some NBA owners condemned Irving's actions, while players like LeBron James advocated for his return, emphasizing the need for learning and improvement.
In conclusion, the article suggests that both Kyrie Irving and Nike share ethical shortcomings and have room for improvement. The final question posed is whether they can rectify their issues and contribute to a better world. The nuanced analysis reflects a deep understanding of the ethical complexities within the sports industry and the relationships between athletes and major corporations.
