Kyrie Irving has signed his first NBA player to his shoe brand. Cleveland Cavaliers swingman Caris LeVert has joined Anta Basketball, the Dallas Mavericks star told Andscape’s Marc J. Spears.
Irving and LeVert were teammates with the Brooklyn Nets from 2019-2021.
“It was easy deal because that is one of my best friends,” Irving said of signing LeVert. “So, seeing him be able to join the family, now I have an idea of how we can create together. For me, it’s not about just going against going to get the best players, the best players and folks on, it’s like going to get my family and people that I know genuinely rock with me and I want to continue the brand legacy and continue to be part of something special.”
“This is a startup company in America. Anta is a startup. It’s not a startup in China. So, we’re trying to compete with some of the bigger juggernauts. It’s one of the toughest things to do. So, you got to have some people that are thorough, morally strong, have great integrity, have great families, and also love what they do.”
LeVert has averaged 14.1 points, 2.9 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game on 44/34/74 shooting splits over nine NBA seasons.
Kyrie Irving growing shoe brand with first NBA signing
Nicole Sweet-Imagn Images
Irving joined Nike in 2011 and had one of the company’s most popular basketball shoe lines for a decade. However, Nike cut ties with him in 2022 after he posted a link on social media to a film containing antisemitic rhetoric.
Irving signed a five-year deal with Chinese sportswear brand Anta in June 2023 and was named chief creative officer of its basketball division.
“Ky’s decision to come to Anta was based on its phenomenal U.S.-based design team,” Irving’s agent and stepmother, Shetellia Riley Irving, told Andscape. “They were really strong and influential in convincing him with their creativity and respect for Ky. They were super-supportive of his vision and gave him a blank slate. They wanted to become a global brand and have Ky as their anchor. It gave us freedom and flexibility to do things out the box. It was really driven by the U.S. design team.
“It was the opportunity to be a startup within a billion-dollar brand. They had the resources and tools to take us to the next level. He owns his designs and trademarks. That is something unheard anything in this sneaker brand.”
After a tumultuous tenure with the Nets, Irving has rectified his career with the Dallas Mavericks. The eight-time All-Star led the team to the NBA Finals alongside Luka Doncic last season, averaging 25.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 5.4 assists on 50/41/91 shooting splits.
