Nike Discontinuing Line of Livestrong-Branded Products

Nike already ended its contract with cyclist Lance Armstrong when evidence of his doping scandal surfaced, and now the company is discontinuing its line of Livestrong-branded products as well.

ESPN's Darren Rovell logged a statement by Nike spokesman KeJuan Wilkins on the matter on Tuesday:

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Nike has made the decision to stop producing new Livestrong product after its Holiday 2013 line. We will continue to support the Livestrong Foundation by funding them directly as they continue their work serving and improving outcomes for people facing cancer.

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The Livestrong Foundation is a charity that Armstrong helped start that aids those affected by cancer, and it is the producer of the widely-worn, trend-setting yellow Livestrong wristbands. Since May 2004, the foundation has made over 87 million of the bands, according to Rovell.

The $1 wristbands generated more than $100 million in sales in that time frame, which is a testament to the significance of Armstrong's influence and impact before investigators exposed him for living a lie of being a clean cyclist.

This seems to be a move purely driven by the unfortunate details of Armstrong's scandal. It is a crisis that continues to create more negative ramifications for the former seven-time Tour de France champion.

According to Rovell's sources, Nike sold $150 million worth of Livestrong products last year, which was the highest ever. By the end of this year, though, they will be discontinued.

The foundation released a statement expressing gratitude and thankfulness for the heavy investment Nike made in the nonprofit organization:

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The Livestrong Foundation is deeply grateful to Nike not only for the time and resources it invested in helping us improve the lives of people affected by cancer today, but also the creative drive it brought to our nine-year partnership.

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In October, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency accused Armstrong of running the most sophisticated performance-enhancing drug scheme the sport had ever seen. Armstrong then lost every one of his endorsement deals and has been stripped of all his Tour de France titles.

As good of a cause as Livestrong promotes, its indelible association with Armstrong taints the brand, and Nike is the latest to fortify that assertion.