‘Kyrie Irving and I Go Way Back’: Klay Thompson Gushes Over Playing Alongside His Fellow ANTA Athlete

With 10 signature shoes in 7 years, Klay Thompson’s partnership with ANTA has certainly been a productive one. The four-time NBA champion recently reflected on his growing shoe empire with the Chinese brand and his relationship with fellow ANTA athlete turned teammate, Kyrie Irving.

“Kyrie and I go way back. The 2011 Draft class, playing on Team USA together, battling against each other in the Finals for many years. Now, we’re teammates, and it’s a full circle. The fact that we’re wearing the same shoe brand now is even cooler,” Thompson shared in an interview with Boardroom.

Irving signed as Chief Creative Officer for the $28 billion brand in July 2023. One year later, ANTA’s longest-tenured hooper, Klay, would join the 2012 Rookie of the Year in Dallas. A little less than a decade ago though, their dynamic was very different.

During the Christmas Day game in 2016, Thompson experienced Irving’s greatness first-hand when the shifty point guard scored a game-winner over his outstretched hand. Klay would get his revenge too, denying the Cavs two championships during Kyrie’s stint in Cleveland.

However, that intense rivalry has only built respect between the two 2011 Draft classmates. In fact, Irving played an instrumental role in helping the Mavericks land the five-time All-Star. Before the 2024-25 season tipped off, Kai was full of praise for Klay.

“He’s just an overall good person. It’s a luxury that we don’t take for granted having that type of guy and that type of personality in our locker room,” the 2016 NBA champion said of Thompson.

Not only do the two get to compete for another championship together, they also have plans in motion to support the growing basketball culture in Asia.

Klay and Kyrie are building a unique legacy with ANTA

ANTA has already launched ‘Shooter 11’ camps across Asia as a platform to promote the game of basketball and Thompson’s impeccable shooting touch. But now, with two future Hall of Famers on their roster, their plans seem to be growing in ambition.

“We’ve talked about doing things together in Asia. Doing some really cool exhibition games, shooting clinics, or streetball competitions. The ideas are flowing, and it’s going to be special. We have a lot of great things ahead. Kyrie is one of the best players ever, so it’s an honor to have him on board,” Thompson revealed.

Dallas is now home to two of ANTA’s biggest athletes and the duo has already been taking over the city with their promotional runs. Two weeks ago, Thompson hosted a meet-and-greet at Galleria Mall in North Dallas to promote the release of ‘KT 10’.

Irving has been spreading the word in Texas for a little longer as he took over street culture hub ‘Sneaker Politics’ to celebrate the launch of ‘Kai 1’, his first signature shoe with the brand in March. The high-end performance shoe has been received well and it only marks the beginning of Irving’s tenure with ANTA. Earlier this year, he signed his dad, Drederick Irving, as the first athlete under his signature line.

 

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Kyrie has also released apparel and lifestyle shoes during his year-long stint with the Chinese brand. Going by Klay Thompson’s words, we can expect a lot more from the duo in the coming years.