Nike splits with NBA star Kyrie Irving amid antisemitism fallout
Nike has suspended its relationship with US basketball star Kyrie Irving and canceled its plans to release his next signature shoe, the latest chapter in the ongoing fallout since the Brooklyn Nets guard tweeted a link to a film containing antisemitic material.
The shoe giant announced on Friday night that it will halt its relationship with Irving, who has been suspended by the Nets for what the team called a repeated failure to “unequivocally say he has no antisemitic beliefs.”
The Nets made that move on Thursday, banning the NBA player without pay for at least five games, and a day later, Nike made its decision. Those actions followed 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 antisemitism,” the Beaverton, Oregon-based company said.
“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.”
Irving has had a signature line with Nike since 2014.
“We are deeply saddened and disappointed by the situation and its impact on everyone,” Nike said.
Irving signed with Nike in 2011, shortly after becoming the No 1 pick in that year’s NBA draft. Irving’s first signature shoe was released three years later, and the popularity of the Kyrie line led to him making a reported $11 million (roughly £880,000) annually just from the Nike endorsement.
LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers, who won a title alongside Irving when they were Cleveland teammates in 2016, said his position is simple: Hate speech, in any form, can’t be tolerated.
“There’s no place in this world for it,” James said. “Nobody can benefit from that and I believe what Kyrie did caused some harm to a lot of people.”
James, who has been with Nike for the entirety of his 20-season NBA career, said he still has great fondness for Irving.
“We as humans, none of us are perfect,” James said. “But I hope he understands how what he did and the actions that he took were just harmful to a lot of people.”
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 includes Holocaust denial and conspiracy theories about Jews. In a contentious postgame interview session last Saturday, Irving defended his right to post what he wants.
The fallout only continued from there. The NBA put out a statement over the weekend that didn’t name Irving but denounced all forms of hate speech. Fans wearing “Fight Antisemitism” shirts occupied some courtside seats at the Brooklyn-Indiana game on Monday night, a day after he took down the tweet. The Nets and coach Steve Nash parted ways 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 toward groups that work to eradicate it. Silver then issued a new statement calling on Irving by name to apologise, and Irving refused to give a direct answer when asked Thursday if he has antisemitic beliefs.
That, evidently, was the last straw for the Nets, who suspended him. Hours later, Irving posted an apology on Instagram for not explaining the specific beliefs he agreed and disagreed with when he posted the documentary.
“To All Jewish families and Communities that are hurt and affected from my post, I am deeply sorry to have caused you pain, and I apologise,” Irving wrote. “I initially reacted out of emotion to being unjustly labeled Anti-Semitic, instead of focusing on the healing process of my Jewish Brothers and Sisters that were hurt from the hateful remarks made in the Documentary.”
A day later, Nike - which had also been criticised for not moving more swiftly - took action. Irving becomes the second celebrity in less than two weeks to lose a major shoe deal over antisemitism. Adidas parted ways with Ye - the artist formerly known as Kanye West - late last monthmitic-remarks after stopping production of its line of Yeezy products.
For weeks, Ye made antisemitic comments in interviews and on social media.
Irving has expressed no shortage of controversial opinions during his career. He repeatedly questioned whether the Earth was round before eventually apologising to science teachers. Last year, his refusal to get a Covid-19 vaccine led to him being banned from playing in most of the Nets’ home games.
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