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Kyrie Irving is the newest NBA player to sign a deal with Chinese sports company Anta, following the footsteps of Klay Thompson and Gordon Hayward. Irving is also looking to help Anta expand into the United States market while trying to top his previous revenue with Nike.
Shams Charania of The Athletic first reported the deal between Irving and Anta. The Dallas Mavericks star has signed a five-year deal and was named the brand's Chief Creative Officer. He now has the power to create designs and invite collaborators in the future.
Irving had one of the most popular signature shoes with Nike, but the company severed ties with him in December. It was during his anti-Semitism controversy that took over the league at the time.
Nike replaced Kyrie Irving with Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies. However, Morant was a public relations disaster since signing the contract and was involved in several controversies before and after the launch of his signature shoe.
The question for Nike was can they replace Irving's popularity among the new generation of people that have loved his shoe designs? Maybe not right now, but Irving did make the Oregon-based company a lot of money.
When Ice Cube's son, O'Shea Jackson Jr. asked who got the highest-selling signature shoes besides the trinity of Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, Irving chimed in with his impact on sneaker culture.
"My signature line made the previous brand I was with over 2.6 Billion in Revenue the past 7 years," Irving wrote.
"I can safely say, I am one of them ones out here in the competitive shoe market, dominating. And not to be arrogant, Go Ask around, the kids that grew up wearing/buying my shoes know, respectfully I am that guy because of the Support WORLDWIDE."
Kyrie Irving will help Anta turn into a powerhouse
Despite all the controversies that surrounded Kyrie Irving in the last few years, he remains one of the most popular players in the NBA, not just with fans but with players, too. Teaming up with Anta gives Irving the ability to turn the company into a powerhouse.
"Being appointed as ANTA Basketball’s Chief Creative Officer is more than just a realization of my dreams," Irving said in an interview with Boardroom.
"In fact, it may be the perfect opportunity for me, an individual who always dreams big and values independent thinking, to leverage my artistic talents to build, create, and unify the culture both on and off court."
