Dario Saric, Croatian U19 NT (photo by Nike Basketball)
Zagreb CO European phenom F Dario Saric (1994/6’9”/207cm) was not able to perform for Croatian U19 NT at the recent 2011 Adidas Eurocamp since he is under endorsement deal with Nike, which is Adidas major competitor in the world market.
Not only that he was not able to suit up and showcase his unique talent in front of numerous NBA executives in Treviso, but there is also a probability that he will not be able to play for Croatia in the upcoming U19 European Championship in Latvia (June 30th – July 11th).
Croatian Basketball Federation (CBF) has a valid sponsorship agreement with Adidas which helps to suit up 300+ players in the various age categories. This deal reportedly annually contributes around 300000 Euros to Croatian Basketball Federation (CBF) budget.
It seems that there was little/no effort done by Adidas/Nike/CBF to clear out the situation with Nike. Dario Saric was very disappointed (source: Jutarnji List/Gordan Gabrovec): “On Sunday, after consultations, I have decided that it is in my best interest not to play in the Tournament.”
