When ANTA launched the Anta Kai I ‘Artist On Court‘, Kyrie Irving hit the market with one of the most highly-rated signature shoes in recent memories. Almost one and a half years after Nike suspended his ties with the dribbling wizard, Irving also showcased his other colorway the “enlightened warrior” with a new collaboration. The reason for this decision was widespread reproach for his alleged antisemitic actions.
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The 2002-03 NBA champion Stephen Jackson believes that Nike committed a mistake by ousting Kyrie Irving. On ‘All The Smoke’ pod, he touched upon how Nike’s face value has suffered since they let go of Kai. While engaging in a Nike vs Adidas debate with Brandon Jennings and Matt Barnes, the former Spurs forward pointed out how Kyrie Irving’s Nike shoes have dominated the scene among young hoopers,
“I think the reason Nike lost their statement is ever since they lost Kyrie. You went to every AAU tournament, cause I got sons, I got my daughter. Matt you got sons. Y’all got ya kids playing basketball, BJ and everybody. You got nothing but PGs and Kyries.”
On one hand, Jackson downplayed the notion of Adidas being the top actor in the sneakers scene. On the other hand, he also argued that since losing the 2016 NBA champion, Nike has taken a hit and Adidas has managed to land some rising stars such as Anthony Edwards,
“Since they lost Kyrie, it ain’t been the same for ‘em and I think too you know Adidas got the young players, you know some of the young players and guys that are really making noise.”
Jackson sure turned back the clock on why Nike lost one of their top-performing faces. In 2022, Irving was caught in multiple turbulent situations when he lost his sneakers deal with the coveted brand.
Kyrie Irving was suspended due to his social media actions
In July 2021, the Mavs guard called out Nike on Instagram terming the designs of Kyrie 8s “trash”. He claimed he had “nothing to do” with the shoe design. These comments must have irked Nike’s upper management. And, next year proved to be a nail in the coffin for their ties.
In October 2022, Irving shared a video of a film on his X account. The film was termed as “antisemitic” and he drew widespread outrage for his comments. During the initial week of the controversy, he refused to apologize. However, he received a big blow when Nike suspended him for a month in December 2022 while the Nets handed him a five-game suspension without pay.
Afterwards, he apologized to the Jewish community but it was too late as Nike terminated his contract in December 2022. Therefore, the scoring sensation explored his options and joined ‘ANTA Sports’. As per complex, his ANTA Kai 1 shoes are the fifth-best signature shoe. Writer Matt Welty gave props to the shoe design. These sneakers embody the emotional journey that Uncle Drew has traversed. At the same time, their sleek design has drawn widespread acclaim.
