Under Armour pulls Iwo Jima-Inspired 'Band of Ballers' T-Shirt, issues apology

In a response to heavy criticism, Under Armour has pulled a T-shirt, depicting basketball players raising a hoop in the manner of the famous flag-raising at Iwo Jima during World War II.

People outraged by the depiction have posted complaints on the company's Facebook page and shared their anger on Twitter, saying that ‘Band of Ballers’ T-shirt's image was disrespectful to American veterans.

In an apology on Twitter, the company said, “Under Armour has the utmost respect and admiration for active duty service men and women and veterans who have served our country. We deeply regret and apologize the release of a shirt that is not reflective of our commitment to support and honor our country's heroes”.

The company mentioned that they have taken the necessary steps to remove this shirt, and any related shirts, from all retail. It ensured that such a thing will not happen again.

On Saturday, Under Armour said that it would pull a basketball t-shirt that was criticized for disrespecting the memory of American veterans.

Last week, the sports apparel company came under fire for selling a so-called ‘Band of Ballers’ t-shirt, depicting four men raising a basketball hoop. The image was based on Joe Rosenthal's Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph, ‘Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima’. It was one of the most iconic photographs of World War II.

Calling the shirt as inappropriate, social media users asked Under Armour to pull the item. One of the Twitter users wrote that ‘@UnderArmour on the behalf of my US Military brothers and sisters, reducing Iwo Jima to b-ball moment is UNACCEPTABLE’.

Now, the shirt is being sold on EBay for as much as $150.00.