On the cusp of his fourth NBA Finals appearance, Mavericks superstar Kyrie Irving made history with his latest ANTA shoe deal. According to league insider Shams Charania, the 32-year-old point guard has just signed his father, Drederick Irving, as his first signature athlete.
“Sources: Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving is signing the first signature athlete for his ANTA shoe line: His father, Drederick Irving,” wrote Shams. “This marks the first time in pro sports a player has signed his dad to a signature shoe deal.”
Drederick never played in the NBA, but he did suit up for Boston University and the Bulleen Boomers of the South East Australian Basketball League, where he averaged a whopping 30.0 points per game.
“Drederick played at Boston University and professionally in Australia. Kyrie signed his dad to an endorsement deal — and the Drederick Irving’s will release in Foot Locker stores in September.” Charania wrote.
Kyrie, an 8x NBA All-Star, has become the first professional U.S. athlete to sign their parent to an endorsement deal and it should come as no surprise. As a self-proclaimed family man who has a deep connection to his roots, it’s fitting for Irving (1x NBA champion) to honor his pops in such a personal and memorable way.
Kyrie signed with ANTA back in July of 2023, after he was dropped by Nike for his controversial viewpoints on the COVID-19 vaccine and a supposedly anti-Semitic song he shared on his socials. He quickly agreed to a five-year deal to join the company as the ‘Chief Creative Officer’ and it’s given him a lot of control over what kind of shoes they put out.
What some may not know is that Drederick isn’t the only member of Kyrie’s family that he’s recognized like this. Since signing with ANTA, the former No. 1 overall pick has given a shout-out to several important figures of his past.
Just last month, Kyrie spearheaded the release of a special edition ANTA shoe dedicated to his mother Elizabeth Irving, and their ties to the Standing Rock Sioux tribe. That particular arrangement did not come with an entire endorsement deal for Elizabeth, but it still received amazing feedback from the fans.
A new special edition ANTA shoe celebrates Elizabeth Irving, Kyrie’s mother, highlighting two traits: Wisdom and Protection.
Additionally, the design is a nod to Kyrie's heritage and connection to the Standing Rock Sioux tribe. pic.twitter.com/NHJxdwjVuJ
— Grant Afseth (@GrantAfseth) May 13, 2024
Arguably the most unique sneakers in Irving’s line are the iconic Anta ‘KAI 1 “Chief Hélà”’ that he wore to start the Western Conference Finals. The design and name are clearly inspired by his native American heritage, a seemingly common theme for Irving.
Kyrie Irving is in the Anta KAI 1 “Chief Hélà” to start the Western Conference Finals pic.twitter.com/u9z7wUxLxb
— Nick DePaula (@NickDePaula) May 23, 2024
With constant references like these to his family and history, Kyrie is clearly a man who is proud of his past and has a great appreciation for the people in his life who helped make his journey possible. Growing up in West Orange, New Jersey, Irving developed his love of the game by watching his father play and he was able to build upon his skills to become one of the top prospects in the country.
Years later, as an NBA champion and a future Hall of Famer, Irving has a chance to build on his legacy and win another title alongside Luka Doncic. No matter what happens in the series ahead, I think Kyrie has already earned back the favor of the fans and this latest gesture with ANTA will only drive up the public’s opinion.
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