Athletic apparel company Under Armour Inc (UA) has decided to stop selling a controversial basketball T-shirt following a social media outcry that the product was disrespectful to veterans and members of the military.
The shirt, called 'Band of Ballers,' features a silhouette of men in the process of raising a basketball hoop. The image was designed to imitate the iconic photograph of servicemen raising a U.S. flag on the Japanese island of Iwo Jima during World War II. The image has been used as the basis for the Marine Corps War Memorial.
After being flooded with complaints on the company's Facebook page and Twitter feed, Under Armour apologized and said it has decided to stop selling the T-shirt.
Baltimore-based Under Armour said on Facebook, "...we deeply regret and apologize that a t-shirt that was not reflective of our values in honoring and supporting our country's heroes went on sale. We have taken immediate action to remove it from retail and will take great measures to ensure this does not happen again."
Recently, Under Armour's competitor Nike Inc. (NKE) faced a barrage of criticism for offering a 30 percent discount on Nike and Converse products to members of law enforcement, at a time when policemen were reproved for deaths of black men.
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