Louisville, Adidas Cashing In Off Kevin Ware’s Injury

Louisville’s Kevin Ware is barely out of surgery for a horrific broken tibia he suffered in the Cardinals’ Elite Eight victory over Duke, but already the university and Adidas have found a way to profit from the gruesome event.

On Wednesday, Adidas announced that it would be working in conjunction with the University of Louisville athletic department to sell a shirt with Kevin Ware’s number 5 and the slogan “Ri5e to the Occasion.” The shirt will retail for $24.99, but Ware and his family won’t see any of the profit.

In order to preserve amateur rules, no student-athlete can receive revenue related to playing. Instead Louisville and Adidas will reap the profit from the Kevin Ware t-shirt, leaving some people upset.

Dave Zirin, a columnist for The Nation, found it deplorable that others could profit from Kevin Ware’s devastating injury. He wrote:

“You almost have to tip your cap: no non-profit does buccaneer profiteering quite like the NCAA. What other institution would see a tibia snap through a 20-year-old’s skin on national television and see dollar signs? … Not one dime will go toward Kevin Ware’s medical bills if his rehab ends up beneath the $90,000 deductible necessary to access the NCAA’s catastrophic injury medical coverage.”

Ware is getting some help in his recovery — Louisville has promised the athlete’s family that they will not have to pay any medical bills.

After undergoing surgery to insert a metal rod in his leg, Ware has met with the press and expressed optimism about his recovery. He said he expects his team, a favorite to win it all, to continue on with business as usual.

“It’s going to be how it was before the injury, honestly, you know,” Ware said. “It’s all business. We’ll have fun and celebrate. A lot of the guys are still trying to get over the fact of me being out, not being able to play. But I told them, ‘You all are going to be hearing the same out of me.'”

Kevin Ware also said he plans to travel to Atlanta to watch his team face Wichita State in the Final Four.