Nike has cut ties with Kyrie Irving due to the NBA star’s anti-Semitic statements, according to a tweet Shams Charania of The Athletic posted Monday.
“Kyrie Irving is no longer a Nike athlete, Nike spokesperson says,” Charania wrote. “The sides have parted ways one month after Nike suspended its relationship with the Nets star.”
Charania concluded his Twitter post by noting that “Irving has one of most popular signatures shoes in the NBA and is now a sneaker free agent.”
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.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 5, 2022
Irving’s future with the athletic giant has been in question since he tweeted the link to a highly divisive and controversial anti-Semitic film on Oct. 27. Nike initially suspended its relationship with Irving on Nov. 4, but the possibility that he’d be cut loose wasn’t far from anyone’s mind, according to TMZ.
Irving issued an apology on Nov. 3, a few hours after the Nets suspended him, but it wasn’t enough to save his sneaker deal.
The split with Nike is a significant loss for Irving, who has represented the brand since he entered the NBA as the number one overall draft pick in 2011, according to Yahoo! Irving launched his first signature Nike shoe in 2014 and is said to have earned at least $11 million each year from Nike alone, Yahoo! reported. (RELATED: Anti-Defamation League Refuses $500,000 Donation From Kyrie Irving)
— Hélà (@KyrieIrving) December 5, 2022
Irving seemingly issued a response to the news by tweeting, “There’s Nothing More Priceless Than Being Free.” Irving is not the first high-profile figure to be condemned for anti-Semitic content this year.
News of Nike cutting ties with Irving comes in the wake of Kanye West’s very recent breakup with athletic wear giant Adidas, which let West go after he repeatedly doubled down on his anti-Semitic statements.