From front office duties to coaching, women have impacted the NBA now more than ever. Kyrie Irving embraced this aspect of the league and recruited his stepmother, Shetellia Riley Irving, as his agent in 2022. Recently, Isiah Thomas put the limelight on this dynamic, lauding the latter for being the only black woman in the circuit.
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Throughout the NBA’s 78-year-long rich history, diversity has been a pillar of its success. The 63-year-old highlighted an Instagram post revealing the intricate details of Riley’s rise to this position. Sharing this upload from his story, he shifted the focus to her current designation. Shortly after, an NBA fan posted a screenshot of Thomas’ endeavors on X (formerly Twitter), garnering the fans’ attention.
The initial post circled Irving’s recent interview with Andscape’s Marc J. Spears. This brought to focus how the Dallas Mavericks star turned to his stepmother during the most challenging phase of his life.
Isiah Thomas on IG pic.twitter.com/xG6FXpBPvC
— tragicpatek (@tragicpatek) June 25, 2024
While the league suspended him for contravening the COVID protocols and Nike cut ties with him for dubious comments, Shetellia never lost faith in her stepson. Consequently, she joined Irving’s company, A11Even Sports, as a part-time CEO and player agent in September 2021. Soon, she excelled in this field, leveraging her experience as the former vice president of Ad Sales at BET.
Over time, this partnership blossomed into a successful one. In an interview with Sports Illustrated, she revealed,
“It’s not about me shifting him or him shifting me. It’s really about us walking in this partnership together and learning from each other… We’ve built trust and consistency… I don’t want Kyrie to come back two years from now saying ‘I signed this really bad deal and it didn’t make sense,’ because he didn’t understand it…”
Shetellia played an integral role in ending Irving’s controversial stint at the Brooklyn Nets to kickstart a new chapter at the Dallas Mavericks. And now, the NBA star is reaping the fruits of this labor, after leading the franchise to their first-ever NBA Finals appearance in 13 years.
Looking back, Irving could only feel proud about this decision. As a result, he even encouraged the rest of the league to follow in his footsteps, and stated, “It’s incredible to see the racial barrier lifted in a different way in my generation… Bringing my stepmom on board wasn’t just about making her the first Black female agent. It was about offering a new perspective that could be studied for years to come”.
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This success story was bound to catch the eyes of Thomas. As an activist, he has been fighting for these reforms for decades. In the past, his endeavors had aided in creating equal opportunities for black communities in various walks of life. Over time, it caused a ripple effect while changing several narratives around the NBA.
So, Irving’s actions, in a way, extended Thomas’ legacy within the league. The fans can only hope for more of these breakthroughs soon, as the NBA continues to stretch its boundaries.
