The shoe giant announced Friday night that it will halt its relationship with the Brooklyn guard, who has been suspended by the Nets for what the team called a repeated failure to “unequivocally say he has no antisemitic beliefs.”
The Nets made that move Thursday, and a day later, Nike made its decision as well.
“At Nike, we believe there is no place for hate speech and we condemn any form of antisemitism,” the Beaverton, Oregon-based company said. “To that end, we’ve made the decision to suspend our relationship with Kyrie Irving effective immediately and will no longer launch the Kyrie 8.”
Brooklyn Nets’ Kyrie Irving speaks before the team’s NBA basketball game against the New Orleans Pelicans on Oct. 19, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
That shoe was to be released later this month. Irving has had a signature line with Nike since 2014.
Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving reacts in the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday, Oct. 24, 2022, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Brandon Dill, File)
“We are deeply saddened and disappointed by the situation and its impact on everyone,” Nike said.