(Photo by David Dee Delgado/Getty Images)
Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving had a rocky season last year, to say the least.
Nike cut ties with him after he seemingly promoted an anti-semitic documentary, and he was also forced to offer a public apology to be reinstated by the Brooklyn Nets.
Irving wore multiple sneakers throughout the season, often crossing off the Nike logo from the shoes.
Now, he signed a very lucrative deal with Chinese sports apparel brand ANTA, and he is very excited about that.
In his recent media availability, the former No.1 pick talked about how important it was for him to have creative control over his brand, as well as overseeing every step of the process, from the underlying technology all the way to delivery (via Brad Townsend).
Irving discusses his new shoe deal with Anta, in which he has a financial and personal stake and the ability to recruit fellow players to the brand. pic.twitter.com/mYrjqWvtye
— Brad Townsend (@townbrad) September 28, 2023
Some people called out Irving for joining forces with a Chinese brand, knowing the kind of conditions in which some of the sneakers are made.
That’s similar to the criticism LeBron James has faced with his partnership with Nike, given all the controversies they’ve been tangled up in throughout the course of the years.
Even so, Irving stated that this is a big step for him to dive into the entrepreneurial scene and get ready for his life after basketball.
ANTA is slowly but steadily entering the NBA scene, getting more recognition and athletes to join on board.
Terance Mann, Precious Achiuwa, Kevon Looney, Gordon Hayward, and Klay Thompson are some of the other players currently on a deal with the Chinese giant, and many more are likely to join them soon.
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