Are Nike and Kyrie Irving still in a partnership? Nets star’s comments on antisemitism costs him sneaker deal

On Friday, November 4, Nike issued a statement announcing basketball player Kyrie Irving’s affiliation with the company would end immediately. In addition, Brooklyn Nets‘ Kyrie Irving’s eighth and last signature sneaker for the brand, the Kyrie 8, will not be released to the public. A portion of Nike’s statement about Irving is as follows: “At Nike, we think there is no place for hate speech and we condemn any type of antisemitism…”

Because of the situation and how it has affected everyone, we all feel quite dejected and dissatisfied. Shams Charania, a journalist with The Athletic, was the one who broke the story initially. The discussion around Irving has been at the forefront of NBA press coverage for the past week. 

The point guard for the Brooklyn Nets has been accused of making a series of antisemitic comments, beginning with a post he made on social media last Friday and continuing through this week during the small amount of time he was available to the media.

The antisemitic cliches in Irving’s speech were repeated several times

In a statement that was issued on Wednesday, the Brooklyn Nets, Kyrie Irving, and the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) each made a commitment to donate the sum of $500,000 to organizations that are working to combat prejudice. Irving issued a statement in which he acknowledged his involvement in the tweet but did not offer an apology for his actions. During his appearance before the media on Thursday, Irving took a defensive stance and refused to take responsibility for his actions. 

Some media outlets argued that Irving’s speech contained antisemitic platitudes that were repeated multiple times. Both the NBA’s Commissioner Adam Silver and the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) have voiced their disapproval of his remarks.

After the embarrassing news conference that took place on Thursday, the Nets decided to send Irving on an indefinite vacation without pay. Finally, Nike made the announcement that it was terminating its association with Irving and delaying the release of its final signature model. The announcement also stated that the partnership would not be renewed.

It is noteworthy for both sociological and sporting reasons that the NBA star was banned for making comments that could cause division. On a brighter note, many people who play basketball and are sneakerheads will be paying attention to the fact that Kyrie Irving’s signature line for Nike is being discontinued.

 

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