Kyrie Irving has agreed to a new sneaker deal following his departure from Nike.
According to a company announcement, the Dallas Mavericks player has entered a five-year endorsement deal with ANTA, a Chinese sportswear brand.
In addition, the deal appoints Irving as the Chief Creative Officer of ANTA.
The partnership enables the baller to recruit and sign players and other collaborators while also aiming to bring manufacturing operations to the United States.
“I’m incredibly excited about this collaboration,” Irving said in a statement. “The first step in becoming partners is to share the same dreams, goals, and missions. ANTA’s rapid development over the years, openness to creativity, willingness to embrace family and teamwork, expertise in areas like product innovation and manufacturing processes have left a remarkable impression on not just me, but also my A11Even team, who will work side by side with me in creating something truly generationally special.”
As part of the deal, ANTA and Kyrie Irving will collaborate to launch ANTA x KYRIE Youth Basketball Camps worldwide, with China and the United States set to host the initial events.
Before joining ANTA, Irving, 31, had been associated with Nike since his rookie season in 2011. However, the collaboration ended last year after Irving posted a tweet containing a link to a film that contained anti-Semitic themes.
Irving’s debut signature shoe with ANTA is scheduled to be released in the first quarter of 2024.
According to Kix Stats, over a dozen NBA players, including Warriors player Klay Thompson, wear ANTA shoes.
