(CNN)A star-studded crowd including former US President Barack Obama had gathered to watch hotly tipped college basketball player Zion Williamson, but the 18-year-old’s night unraveled after just 33 seconds when his Nike shoe fell apart.
Williamson, thought by many to be basketball’s brightest prospect since LeBron James, went down hard when his shoe split in half while planting his foot, forcing him off with a knee injury seconds into Duke University’s much-anticipated encounter against North Carolina.
Tickets for the local derby were reportedly available for over $3,000 and freshman forward Williamson — described by double NBA champion Kevin Durant as a “once-in-a-generation athlete” — was a big reason for the inflated prices.
