Sneaker News Kyrie Irving is more than a signature athlete for ANTA — he’s the appointed Chief Creative Officer for the China-based athletic sportswear brand. In that role, he will be responsible for identifying and recruiting collaborative partners on both the athletic and cultural front to help grow ANTA’s presence in the United States.
His first order of business as the CCO is as ground-breaking as it is controversial; according to @ShamsCharania, Kyrie will sign his father, Drederick Irving, to a signature shoe deal.
This is the first time a pro sports player has signed his father to a shoe deal. This is truly an unprecedented form of honor from son to father, and although some may view this move as a form of nepotism flowing in the opposite direction, KAI’s concrete bond with his father has been a driving force behind not only his shoe legacy dating back to his first pair with Nike in 2014, but his success in the NBA as a whole.
Drederick Irving did not play in the NBA, but he played professionally in Australia — where Kyrie was born — and also played at Boston University.
As of the publishing of this article, it is unclear if the shoes are geared towards basketball performance or an off-court lifestyle direction given the elder Irving’s age. However, the shoes are expected to release in Foot Locker later this September. Currently, Kyrie’s ANTA KAI 1 is one of the more popular and sought-after shoes on the market.
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