NIKE WORLD BASKETBALL FESTIVAL RECAP

By Greg Tanner
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Updated: September 18, 2014

The 2014 Basketball World Cup wasn’t the only big bball event going down in Spain this month. Nike jumped on the hoops hype to host its World Basketball Festival in Barcelona. And as you’d expect from the planet’s largest sportswear company, it was pretty epic.

First up on the agenda was the launch of the Jordan XX9 and the new Hyperdunk.

Nike had created an amazing exhibition, featuring some of its and Jordan Brand’s most classic kicks. Particularly sexy was a XX9 installation, showcasing every numbered Jordan in all white.

Kyrie Irving was in the building, as were Nike Basketball’s Senior Footwear Design Director, Leo Chang, and Rob Bruce – the Global Innovation Design Director for Jordan Brand.

We asked BruceÂ whether marketing and restricting supply were as much to do with the insane demand for Jordan shoes as the actual product.

“I think it is,” he told MVP. “I think it’s a balance. To covert product, you have to create demand. But it starts with a great product. If it’s a crappy product, who’s going to queue for that, right?

“But if you can have the perfect storm – where it’s amazing, brilliant design and clever marketing – drawing people to the product in the right way, at the right time. Apple is another success story that does that really well.

“I think Nike, and for sure Jordan, has done a phenomenal job of managing the product lines and the collections. You could over-sell and over-release and get in trouble pretty quickly. But it’s about doing the right amount, the right way, really just being in touch with the consumer.”

Bruce also spoke to us about Nike’s plans to “remaster” its entire retro line. You can read what he said here.