Nike officially terminates partnership with Irving

After initially suspending its concern with Kyrie Irving and scrapping the merchandise of his upcoming Kyrie 8 signature footwear past month, Nike confirmed Monday that it has afloat chopped ties with the Brooklyn Nets constituent guard.

"Kyrie is nary longer a Nike athlete," a Nike institution spokesperson told ESPN.

Irving's agent, Shetellia Riley Irving, called the determination mutual.

"We person mutually decided to portion ways and privation Nike the champion successful their aboriginal endeavors," she told CNBC connected Monday.

Irving's signature endorsement statement with the institution was acceptable to expire connected Oct. 1, 2023. The woody was abruptly suspended 11 months earlier expiring aft Irving posted a nexus connected societal media to a publication and movie containing antisemitic messaging.

"Kyrie stepped implicit the line. It's benignant of that simple," Nike co-founder Phil Knight told CNBC connected Nov. 10. "He made immoderate statements that we conscionable can't abide by, and that's wherefore we ended the relationship. I was good with that."

Knight's comments 3 weeks agone were understood passim the manufacture arsenic confirmation that the concern was so afloat terminated up of its expiration.

Around 68% of the NBA wears Nike sneakers successful games. In each play since the motorboat of the Kyrie 1, the yearly Kyrie exemplary had go 1 of the astir worn shoes crossed the league. To date, 164 players had worn the Kyrie 7 successful games, according to information from KixStats.com. Dozens of players often deterioration the lower-priced Kyrie Low exemplary arsenic well, with others besides rotating betwixt past years' models.

The marque is not expected to instruct oregon petition that existent NBA players halt wearing Kyrie-branded shoes, sources told ESPN, fixed that it is midseason and players person agelong preferred the comfortableness and show of the Irving bid connected court.

The clarity of the contract's termination coming now, good earlier its scheduled 2023 expiration, means Irving is present a sneaker escaped cause and could motion a caller endorsement woody with the marque spouse of his choosing.

After signing with Nike arsenic a rookie successful 2011, Irving became conscionable the 20th NBA subordinate successful league past to person his ain signature sneaker with the institution successful 2014.

Irving's yearly signature Kyrie footwear enactment and lower-priced Kyrie Low and Kyrie Flytrap models led to 1 of the industry's best-selling full signature footwear businesses. It was Nike's second-most lucrative existent subordinate franchise successful caller years, lone down LeBron James' signature series.

"Anyone who has [ever] spent their hard-earned wealth connected thing I person ever released, I see you FAMILY and we are everlastingly connected," Irving tweeted connected Monday. "It's clip to amusement however almighty we are arsenic a community."