In early November, the equipment manufacturer Nike suspended its relationship with Kyrie Irving following the case involving the Nets star concerning the promotion of an anti-Semitic film. Today, this relationship is officially over, the very famous comma brand deciding to separate from Uncle Drew.
“It’s simple, Kyrie Irving has crossed the line, and I doubt that we can go back. »
This is what Nike boss Phil Knight said a little over three weeks ago regarding the relationship between the equipment supplier and Kyrie Irving. So we weren’t really surprised when we read Shams Charania’s last tweet (The Athletic), which tells us that Uncle Drew is no longer a Nike athlete despite Irving’s recent apology.
Kyrie Irving is no longer a Nike athlete, Nike spokesperson says. The sides have parted ways one month following Nike suspended its relationship with the Nets star. Irving has one of most popular signatures shoes in the NBA and is now a sneaker free agent.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 5, 2022
What does that mean concretely? This means that we will no longer see new versions of the Nike Kyrie released. (which will therefore stop at its ninth version following its debut at the end of 2014), which was one of the best-selling signature shoes. This also means that we will no longer see promotional operations between Uncle Drew and the comma brand. Will Irving continue to wear shoes with the swoosh? Possible, but be aware that he can now engage with another equipment manufacturer, provided that one of them wishes to partner with Kyrie, which is clearly not won.
If some will point the finger at Nike’s hypocrisy for its double standards in terms of ethics, you should know that the relationship between Kyrie and the US brand was already floundering before the affair of the anti-Semitic film. We remember in particular Irving’s criticisms on Instagram concerning the design of the Kyrie 8 in the summer of 2021, not to mention the various controversies surrounding the Nets leader.
Renowned for supporting their athletes even when they face controversy, Nike this time felt the latest case surrounding Kyrie was one too many.
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Source texte : The Athletic