To say that Kyrie Irving is not having the best of time right now would be an understatement. The Nets guard has been the center of attention for all the wrong reasons in recent years, and things have gotten a lot worse over the last week or so.
Kyrie probably did not think when he tweeted out a link to the film titled “Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America” that it would land him in so much trouble, but it sure has. The film has been widely described as antisemitic, and Irving refused to back down despite getting called out for seemingly promoting it.
Nike Suspends Ties With Kyrie Irving
His refusal to apologize led to a suspension from the Nets, which led to Irving finally coming to his senses and stating that he was sorry. The damage was already done, however, as Kyrie received some more bad news on Friday night with Nike suspending ties with him.
Nike announces the company is suspending its relationship with Kyrie Irving, effective immediately, and will no longer launch his new Kyrie 8.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 5, 2022
“Nike announces the company is suspending its relationship with Kyrie Irving, effective immediately, and will no longer launch his new Kyrie 8.”
This was bound to happen, considering all that has gone down recently. Nike was already unsure about its partnership with Irving as it was reported that they were unlikely to extend his shoe deal after this season, and that was before this recent controversy. This incident would have made it crystal clear to them that they could not continue this partnership for much longer, and termination might be on the cards, like the one we saw with Kanye West and Adidas.
Irving only has himself to blame for this mess that he finds himself in. He might have gotten away with this if he had apologized right away, but he stubbornly refused to do so. His future in the NBA is very much in doubt, too, and it is really sad to see how his career is panning out.
