Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving reacts during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Memphis Grizzlies on October 24, 2022, in Memphis, Tenn.
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Brandon dill / AP
Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving reacts during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Memphis Grizzlies on October 24, 2022, in Memphis, Tenn.
Brandon dill / AP
Nike has suspended its relationship with Kyrie Irving and canceled plans to release his next signature shoe model, the latest chapter in the ongoing fiasco since the Brooklyn Nets defender tweeted a link. Link to a movie containing anti-epidemic material.
The shoe giant announced Friday night that it will be ending its relationship with Irving, who has been suspended by the Nets for what the team calls a repeated failure of “unequivocally stating that he is not have anti-drug beliefs”.
The Nets did just that on Thursday, ban Irving from not paying for at least five games, and a day later, Nike made its decision. Those actions drew widespread criticism – from, among many others, the Anti-Defamation League and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.
“At Nike, we believe there is no place for hate speech and we condemn any form of anti-Semitism,” said the Beaverton, Oregon-based company. “For that purpose, we have made the decision to suspend our relationship with Kyrie Irving effective immediately and will no longer launch Kyrie 8.”
Irving has had an autograph line with Nike since 2014.
“We are deeply saddened and disappointed by the situation and its impact on people,” Nike said.
Irving signed with Nike in 2011, shortly after becoming the #1 pick in that year’s NBA draft. Irving’s first signature shoes were released three years later, and the popularity of the Kyrie line has made him $11 million a year from Nike endorsements alone.
Kyrie 8 is expected to be released next week. His previous models were still up for sale on Nike’s website on Friday night.
Irving posted a tweet – which has since been deleted – last week with a link to the documentary “Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America”, which included Holocaust denial and Jewish conspiracy theories. In a controversial post-game interview last Saturday, Irving defended his right to post what he wants.
The explosion just continued from there. The NBA released a statement over the weekend that did not name Irving but denounced all forms of hate speech. Fans wearing “Against Anti-Semitism” shirts took up some of the field seats during the Brooklyn-Indiana game on Monday night, a day after he took down the tweet. The Nets and coach Steve Nash split on Tuesday, a development that has been overshadowed by the Irving saga.
On Wednesday, Irving said he opposes all forms of hate, and he and the Nets each announced that they would each donate $500,000 to activist groups to eradicate it. Silver later issued a new statement calling on Irving to personally apologize, and Irving declined to give a direct answer when asked on Thursday if he had an anti-epidemic creed.
Apparently, it was the last straw for the Nets, who hanged him. Hours later, Irving posted an apology on Instagram for not explaining the specific beliefs he agreed with and disagreed with when posting the documentary.
Irving wrote: “To all the Jewish families and communities hurt and affected by my post, I am deeply sorry for causing you pain and I am sorry.” “Initially, I reacted with emotion at being unfairly labeled Anti-Semitic, instead of focusing on the healing process of my Jewish Brothers and Sisters traumatized by the comments. full of hatred in the Documentary.”
A day later, Nike – also criticized for not moving faster – took action.
Irving became the second celebrity in less than two weeks to lose a major shoe contract because of anti-Semitism. Adidas bid farewell to Ye – the artist formerly known as Kanye West – late last month, a move the German company said would result in a loss of around $250 million this year following the discontinuation of production of the Yeezy product line as well as discontinuation of payments. accounting for Ye and his companies.
For weeks, Ye has made hostile comments in interviews and on social media, including a Twitter post that he will soon deliver “3 deaths to JEWISH People.” , an explicit reference to the US defense readiness scale known as DEFCON.
Irving has expressed many controversial opinions during his career. He repeatedly questioned whether the Earth was round before finally apologizing to the science teachers. Last year, Refusing to get vaccinated against COVID-19 which resulted in him being banned from most of the Nets’ home games.
The Nets play in Washington on Friday, winning 128-86 without Irving. The 42-point win corresponds to the fourth-biggest win in Nets franchise history.
Brooklyn general manager Sean Marks on Friday said Irving’s apology is a step forward, but more steps will be required before he can continue playing.
“There will be a number of remedies and remedial measures put in place for him to seek some advice…from dealing with some dissidents and some Jewish leaders,” Marks said. in our community,” Marks said. “He’s going to have to sit down with them, he’s going to have to sit down with the organization after this, and we’re going to evaluate and see if this is the right opportunity to bring him back.”
