Nike suspends $17 million deal with Brooklyn Nets All-Star Kyrie Irving after antisemitism issue
Follow Us
Kyrie Irving with his first Nike shoe
After Brooklyn Nets player Kyrie Irving shared a link to hate speech on social media, Nike declared that it was ending its partnership with him straight away. The biggest name in sportswear has scrapped plans to launch his upcoming signature sneaker, which is the latest twist in the ongoing crisis from last week.
Following the Brooklyn Nets guard’s last week’s tweet of an anti-Semitic film, Kyrie Irving is experiencing mounting repercussions. The NBA community strongly condemned the Nets star’s initial reaction to his conduct, and Nike is the most recent organization to respond quickly to punish the player. He was given a five-game suspension by the Nets on Thursday and was also required to make a $500k donation and the following day, Nike also made an announcement.
Since 2014, Irving has had a shoe deal of about $17 million per year with sporting apparel giants, but that is about to end. Nike declared in a statement that: “At Nike, we believe there is no place for hate speech and we condemn any form of antisemitism. To that end, we’ve made the decision to suspend our relationship with Kyrie Irving effective immediately and will no longer launch the Kyrie 8. We are deeply saddened and disappointed by the situation and its impact on everyone.” Thursday’s apology from Irving seemed to be too little and too late for Nike.
Also Read: “Everybody wants NBA daddy now” OnlyFans model Corina Kopf tries to fold Bronny James, Fans react
Kyrie Irving and his recent antisemitism controversy
Last Friday, Kyrie Irving attempted to expose his outrageous behavior by releasing a link to the 2018 documentary “Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America,” which is based on a book of the same name and has antisemitic overtones. Both the book and the movie have come under fire for its antisemitic connotations, and the latter may have generated some controversy. Along with the press release, the NBA and various others released statements condemning antisemitism and hate speech.
After sharing the movie’s link, Irving and ESPN’s Nick Friedell engaged into a heated exchange during which Irving was questioned the concept of endorsing the film. Irving and the Nets will each donate $500,000 to organizations and causes that work to combat hatred and intolerance in our communities, the team and the Anti-Defamation League said in a joint statement on Wednesday. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and Nets owner Joe Tsai both expressed worry about Irving’s avoidance of an apology in their own statements.
What’s next for Irving and Nike?
When Irving first joined the League, he successfully established himself as one of the most thrilling players to watch and in 2014, Irving received his first pair of signature shoes, the Nike Kyrie 1. Since then, seven versions have been made available under the brand, the most recent being the unreleased Kyrie 8 and the Kyrie 7. Irving received a $11 million paycheck from his contract with apparel company last year, and his sneaker is among the top 5 best-selling signature models for the brand as well as one of the most well-liked game-day shoes for NBA players.
Irving is the second prominent person to lose a significant shoe deal due to antisemitism in less than two weeks. Kanye West and Adidas split ways last month, causing an estimated $250 million in losses for Adidas this year. Given that the team is already 2-6 in the current NBA season, it is uncertain if Irving’s suspension would last longer than the minimum five games outlined in the provision. He could have easily apologized earlier and avoided the whole thing, but it was too late by the time he did.
Do follow us on Google News | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
Stay Updated!
/techfirstnow/media/agency_attachments/kATjCXskQdJKkXN0OuqW.png)