A Ring of Truth? : Nike Campaign That Featured Crenshaw Coach Stirs Questions About Winning

The world’s most popular shoe corporation meets a coaching legend.

The result: Billboards. And a dash of controversy.

The billboards for a Nike campaign to promote its Nike L.A. line have come down, but the message lingers for many who saw not the face, but the clenched fist of Crenshaw High School basketball Coach Willie West, decorated with his three State Division I championship rings.

Above the fist is the ad’s sole message:: “To Hell With Moral Victories. The Book of Crenshaw 3:40.”

Those familiar with West, whose Crenshaw teams have won six State championships and 14 City Section 4-A Division titles in his 24 years at the Southwest Los Angeles high school, could see the advertisements as a brash celebration of basketball excellence.

West is in agreement with the ad’s message, although it wasn’t his idea.

“I am trying to figure out what is a moral victory,” West said. “I recall a coach saying his team had won a moral victory because Crenshaw only beat them by two points and not 40. But his team still lost. I don’t care if Crenshaw wins by a small margin or a large one. I’m just concerned with winning.”

Which is one of the messages that Nike hopes to get across.

“It’s not as much winning is everything as it is a celebrating of championships and a moral victory doesn’t equal that,” said Keith Peters, director of public relations at Nike. “You don’t get rings for moral victories.”

But for coaches who don’t have the abundance of talent that Crenshaw enjoys year to year, their seasons may be comprised of moral victories.

“For coaches whose teams aren’t very good, reaching .500 is an achievement,” said Jordan Coach Ed Kamiyama, whose team suffered through a 1-21 season in 1992-93.

“If your teams are having bad seasons, you have to try and bring out the positive to keep up team morale. Nothing can take the place of a win, but there are other aspects of competition.”

Some members of the Crenshaw community disagree with the billboard’s message.

“I don’t mind the emphasis on winning, but moral victories are also important,” said Ted Lumpkin, president of Crenshaw Neighbors Inc. “You want to win but within a certain framework. I haven’t seen the billboard but the wording could present a problem to some people of religion or it could be relatively innocent.”

Said another member of a Crenshaw neighborhood association: “I really think it isn’t whether you win or lose, but it’s the way you play the game.” Unfortunately, that’s not the way it is in society.”

The woman, who asked to remain anonymous, has had four children graduate from Crenshaw between 1969 and 1978.

“I didn’t think of them going anywhere else,” she said. “We believe in sending kids to community schools and Crenshaw is good for this community. But I don’t believe in that message.”

Peters said he doesn’t believe the ad should have evoked much negative reaction.

“It is a line that is open to interpretation,” Peters said. “But I wouldn’t put it along with the most controversial Nike taglines over the ages.”

Nike has established itself as a master of colorful, provocative ads and infectious slogans such as “Just Do It.”

After West won the City 4-A title for a record third consecutive season, Nike chose to match him with its newest ad.

Nike’s goal wasn’t to endorse a new brand of shoe, but rather promote itself as a sports and fitness company.

“It says something about Nike,” Peters said. “We look at this communication as something that says [Nike] recognizes the appreciation for champions and for winning that the L.A. market has. We are applauding the competitive success symbolized by the fist and rings.”

A Nike representative contacted West after the State playoffs.

“We’re doing this with different coaches and high schools around the United States,” Peters said. “L.A. has an attitude about winning and that is what we wanted to capture.”

West was paid an unspecified amount for the ad, which ran for six weeks.

“We tend to freshen our message regularly,” Peters said. “The outdoor campaigns turn quickly because the consumers expect a variety of creativity from us.”

*

West is no stranger to publicity, nor to the negative consequences that can arise.

The Crenshaw basketball program is annually scrutinized by the press and public with allegations of cheating and misappropriations.

The most serious of these accusations is illegal recruiting, which has yet to be proven.

“There is negativism toward Crenshaw because a lot of people feel that we win at any cost,” West said. “A lot of people close to me feel that this billboard reinforces that idea and that it is negative publicity. I don’t see it that way.”

Antonio Simpson, a freshman at Los Angeles City College, is a West booster.

“Coach West doesn’t put pressure on us to win or else,” said Simpson, who won one State title and three City 4-A titles at Crenshaw. “The pressure comes from trying to live up to the standard set by players before you. It’s like playing for Los Angeles [Lakers] or Boston [Celtics]. When we take the floor, we expect to win.”