Anta signed Dallas Mavericks star guard Kyrie Irving to a new shoe deal running five years. The agreement comes after Irving and Nike ended their partnership last December.
Nike initially suspended his deal after Irving posted a link on social media last October to a book and movie containing antisemitic tropes. Irving had been with Nike since 2011. In 2014, he became the 20th player to receive his own signature sneaker with Nike.
As part of the partnership with Anta, Irving will serve as Anta basketball’s chief creative officer and will also seek to recruit “basketball players, independent brands, influential figures in pop culture, artists, musicians, pioneers in environmentalism, trailblazers in humanitarianism and designers to collaborate with him to create additional product lines under Kyrie’s signature line. Through these collaborations and in collaboration with Anta, Kyrie will strive to collectively shape and introduce new vision, innovation, and creativity in signature sportswear category,” according to Anta’s press release.
Anta will also launch the ‘Anta x KYRIE Youth Basketball Training Camps’ in China as well as in the U.S. to jointly support the development and promotion of basketball and its culture.
“I’m incredibly excited about this collaboration. The first step in becoming partners is to share the same dreams, goals, and missions. Anta’s rapid development over the years, openness to creativity, willingness to embrace family and teamwork, expertise in areas like product innovation and manufacturing processes have left a remarkable impression on not just me, but also my A11Even team who will work side by side with me in creating something truly generationally special,” remarked Irving. “Being appointed as Anta Basketball’s Chief Creative Officer is more than just a realization of my dreams; 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.”
“It is our genuine love for basketball that brought Kyrie and Anta together, a love that transcends age, gender, race and backgrounds,” said Mr. Xu Yang, CEO of Anta. “We believe this collaboration will create a fusion of Chinese and Western cultures and bring more vitality and creativity for us to continuously push the boundaries and explore the infinite possibilities at the intersection of basketball and culture. Anta will also play a pivotal role in helping Kyrie Irving articulate his basketball philosophy and convey his unwavering passion for life and art through the products. Together, we will continue to advance our efforts in supporting the development and promotion of basketball and its culture, never ceasing our passion and love for the game of basketball.
Irving’s inaugural on-court signature shoes and lifestyle footwear will be unveiled in the first quarter of 2024.
China-based Anta currently sponsors a number of players in the NBA, led by Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors and Gordon Hayward of the Charlotte Hornets. Other players under contract include Terance Mann of the Los Angeles Clippers, Alex Caruso of the Chicago Bulls, and James Wiseman and Kevon Looney of the Golden State Warriors
