kyrie irving
Kyrie Irving has always been a culprit in the eyes of modern-day media due to his unfiltered takes on different situations. His most recent antics though, got him in extreme trouble with sportswear and shoe company – Nike as they suspended his sponsorship deal in an instance.
So, what did Kyrie Irving do for this to happen? The 2016 NBA Champ promoted an antisemitic material on Twitter. Sharing a documentary which hurt the values and believes of many, the 30-year-old guard even apologized later, realizing what it truly meant. However, by that time it was too late as the concerned company was deeply saddened and disappointed by the situation in front of them.
As per Forbes, Kyrie Irving’s deal with Nike was reported to be valued at $11 million, having started in 2014. The Athletic’s Sham Charania broke this news stating, “Kyrie Irving is no longer a Nike athlete, Nike spokesperson says. The sides have parted ways one month after Nike suspended its relationship with the Nets star. Irving has one of most popular signatures shoes in the NBA and is now a sneaker free agent.”
This is not the only free agency Irving is going to enter. In 2023, Irving’s contract with the Brooklyn Nets would come to an end, making him a free agent afterwards.
Nike said in their statement, “At Nike, we believe there is no place for hate speech and we condemn any form of anti-Semitism. To that end, we’ve made the decision to suspend our relationship with Kyrie Irving effective immediately and will no longer launch the Kyrie 8.”
That being said, after this catastrophe – Kyrie decided to act out against Nike, on the basketball court itself. Just two days later, the 30-year-old Nets’ marquee scorer wore his Nike shoes but covered the company’s logo with black tape.