Nike sorry for LeBron designer's tweets about Derrick Rose - USA TODAY

The designer behind LeBron James' Nike shoes has sparked outrage on the Internet by seeming to mock Derrick Rose's season-ending knee injury on Twitter and suggesting Rose would not have been hurt if he had worn Nike basketball sneakers instead of Adidas.

Senior footwear designer Jason Petrie tweeted the 23-year old Rose "chose poorly" and "#shouldasignedwithNIKE #GWS (Get well soon)" after the Chicago Bulls superstar and reigning NBA MVP tore knee ligaments during his club's first-round playoff game against the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday in Chicago.

"Jason Petrie has as much class as LeBron has rings," wrote one tweeter. Another tweeted Petrie has "no respect for the game or its warriors."

Sunday Nike spokesman Brian Strong confirmed the tweets were from Petrie but declined further comment. In February, Rose signed a 14-year contract extension to be the face of Adidas basketball. His new deal could net him as much as $260 million over the course of his NBA career.

H/T: Fox Sports