(Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
Kyrie Irving of the Dallas Mavericks was hurt financially by his off-court activities and comments over the last few seasons.
But he just agreed to a major, important deal with the Chinese shoe company ANTA and it allows him to do more than just design sneakers.
According to Shams Charania, Irving’s new deal will also give him the ability to recruit and sign players and other collaborators to the company.
Additionally, the deal will bring a level of manufacturing to America and will “kickstart ANTA’s process to fully distribute in the US.”
The lucrative new shoe deal for Irving will also give him the ability to recruit/sign players and other collaborators, and bring a level of manufacturing to the United States to kickstart ANTA’s process to fully distribute in US. https://t.co/mmelAU9Ffp
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 12, 2023
Irving has been named Chief Creative Officer for ANTA, which shows that this is more than just a shoe deal but a long-term and serious commitment between both him and the company.
This is an important moment for Irving, who has had shoe deals in the past.
Back in December, Nike terminated their partnership with Irving following his antisemitic social media posts.
Since then, Irving has laid low and has mostly just played basketball.
This deal with ANTA is his first foray back into business partnerships but will it be his last?
Some people wondered why Irving signed with a company that isn’t very well known in the United States.
But when you see the responsibilities that he is being given by ANTA, you realize that it’s a huge opportunity to not only design shoes but also be a pivotal part of the company.
It’ll be interesting to see if Irving does sign any other NBA athletes and how he helps promote ANTA in America.
This could be a huge step forward for Irving as a businessman.
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