John Kim 
The NBA lockout had the potential of wrecking havoc on the upcoming seasonal rotation of Nike’s signature basketball sneakers. Seeing NBA stars in action is about the best way to get the excitement over its signature products a-brewin’, but without these moving billboards, how would Nike market its product? Turns out, the marketing gurus at Nike haven’t lost a step, because the sales of its basketball products haven’t waned (in fact, they got a bit stronger), and in what some might call a serendipitous turn of events, NBA basketball announced its return on the most fitting day of the year – Christmas. It’s a day recognized for giving and receiving and celebrating with your closest family and friends, and this coming Sunday, there will be no better experience than un-wrapping some presents while watching Nike Basketball maestros Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Amare Stoudemire conduct their symphonies in front of a live audience. Of course, to commemorate the holiday, Nike Basketball will release its Nike Basketball Christmas 2011 Pack, going up for sale at midnight (talk about last-minute shopping); the Nike Zoom Kobe VII ‘Leopard’, Nike LeBron 9 ‘Christmas’, Nike Zoom KD IV ‘Metallic Bronze’, and Nike Air Max Sweep Thru ‘Christmas’ will all launch in the wee hours of the morning, so don’t miss out on the best present of the year.
