Drederick Irving, the father of NBA player Kyrie Irving, has been a constant presence during the most significant events of his son's professional basketball journey. Now, the Dallas Mavericks guard is showcasing his dad's importance in a way he's never done before, bringing his father into the limelight.
Emerging reports on Tuesday revealed that Kyrie Irving has secured an endorsement contract with his father, Drederick Irving, marking Kyrie as the inaugural signature athlete for Anta's shoe brand. This information was initially shared on the social media platform Twitter (X) by Shams Charania, a prominent NBA insider for The Athletic and Stadium.
The basketball shoe designed for Drederick Irving, who played college hoops at Boston University and pro ball in Australia's NBL, will soon hit the shelves at Foot Locker locations, as confirmed by Charania's announcement on social media. Irving's signature footwear is set to make its debut in September for basketball enthusiasts to get their hands on.
Charania's tweet revealed a groundbreaking moment in the sports world. For the first time, a professional athlete has secured a signature shoe deal for his father, a remarkable achievement that highlights the strong bond between them.
Following a falling-out with Nike in December 2022 due to his endorsement of a movie containing anti-Jewish sentiments, Anta revealed in July 2023 that they had reached an agreement to collaborate with Kyrie Irving. This partnership included the development of a signature footwear collection for the basketball player.
The decision to collaborate with Kyrie Irving has proven advantageous for the Chinese company. In March, Anta Sports revealed its financial results for the fiscal year 2023, showcasing a remarkable 16.2% surge in overall revenue, reaching a record-breaking 62.36 billion Chinese yuan (equivalent to $8.63 billion based on current exchange rates), up from 53.65 billion yuan in the previous year.
The athletic brand revealed that its Anta label sold over 25 million basketball shoes in the previous year. Prior to launching his signature model, the Anta Kai 1, in March, professional player Kyrie Irving competed in the court-tested Anta Shock Wave 5 Pro.
Kyrie Irving's upcoming Anta Kai Tribe lifestyle sneaker is set to hit the market this fall, as evidenced by the recent emergence of visual representations of the product.
