Kyrie Irving backtracked on his initial comments on Nike and the upcoming Kyrie 8 shoes. The Brooklyn Nets superstar posted a rant on Instagram criticizing the shoes, calling them ‘trash’ and claiming he had nothing to do with the design of the sneakers.
“I have nothing to do with the design or marketing of the upcoming #Kyrie8, IMO these are trash!” Irving wrote on Instagram. “I have absolutely nothing to do with them! Nike plans to release it without my okay regardless of what I say, so I apologize in advance to all of my sneaker heads and true supporters of the #KAI11 brand.”
Six days later, the point guard thought things through and has a different approach to this whole situation. Irving released a statement (via Shams Charania) clarifying his comments, apologizing for them, and stating he and the company are working together to solve this issue.
“When you’re building something great, there sometimes comes a point when you need to recalibrate and refocus to ensure everyone involved in aligned. This is where the KAI11 brand and Nike are. It was unfair to put the blame on Nike or any one person. With that being said, we are diligently working, restructuring, and reimagining things together to make sure we get it right.”
Kyrie Irving's statement after his comments on Nike last week: pic.twitter.com/wuto7w041r
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 3, 2021
The All-Star point guard wasn’t happy with the direction the company initially took with the shoes. Fortunately, they worked things out, and everything seems to be fine now.
Irving finished a complex season with the Brooklyn Nets, missing big moments due to injuries, and will try to bounce back next campaign. Meanwhile, he’s helping the less fortunate and trying to deliver the best product for his fans.
