Barely 8 months after Nike ended its partnership with NBA star Kyrie Irving after he shared a link to a movie and a book supporting anti-Semite narrations, the baller has landed another juicy shoe deal from a Chinese shoe company, ANTA.
Aside from Kyrie, the company has its own shoe line and lifestyle shoes, and the 31-year-old Dallas Mavericks star is serving as the Chief Creative Officer of the company. ANTA announced the partnership earlier this week, and although the partnership has already begun, the products will be launched next year.
ESPN got the details;
Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving has partnered with Chinese sports brand ANTA on a new shoe deal, it was announced Tuesday.
In a release, ANTA said that Irving’s signature shoes and lifestyle footwear will be unveiled early next year.
ANTA also said that Irving will serve as the brand’s Chief Creative Officer.
The agreement comes after Irving and Nike ended their partnership last December. The company initially suspended his deal after Irving posted a link on social media last October to a book and movie containing antisemitic tropes.
Irving had been with Nike since 2011. In 2014, he became the 20th player in NBA history to receive his own signature sneaker with the company.
Last month, Irving, 31, agreed to a three-year, $126 million deal to return to the Mavericks. The eight-time All-Star has career averages of 23.4 points and 5.7 assists, including 27.1 points and 5.5 assists per game last season for the Brooklyn Nets and Mavericks.
Kyrie suffered dearly for his actions, he apologized, and he deserves a second chance just like everyone else. Hopefully, he learns his lessons and desists from sharing any anti-Semitic content in the future.