Kyrie Irving‘s father, Drederick Irving, has been by his son’s side for the most profound moments of his NBA career. Now, the Dallas Mavericks guard is shining the spotlight on his dad like never before.
Reports surfaced Tuesday that Kyrie Irving has signed Drederick Irving to an endorsement deal and is the first signature athlete for his Anta shoe line. The news was first reported on Twitter (X) by Shams Charania, senior lead NBA insider for The Athletic and Stadium.
What’s more, the shoe for Drederick Irving — who played college basketball at Boston University and professionally in the Australian National Basketball League (NBL) — will release in Foot Locker stores in September, Charania stated on the social media platform.
Charania said via Twitter that this marks the first time a pro sports player has signed his dad to a signature shoe deal.
FN has reached out to Anta for comment.
After a split with Nike in December 2022 that stemmed from his promotion of a film with antisemitic views, Anta confirmed in July 2023 that it had signed a partnership deal with Kyrie Irving, which included a signature shoe line for the hooper.
The move to sign Kyrie Irving seems to be paying off for the China-based company. In March, Anta Sports reported record sales for fiscal 2023, with an overall revenue increase of 16.2 percent to a record 62.36 billion Chinese yuan ($8.63 billion based on current exchange) from 53.65 billion yuan in 2022.
The company mentioned at the time that the Anta brand sold more than 25 million pairs of basketball sneakers in 2023. Before landing his own shoe, the Anta Kai 1, in March, Kyrie Irving wore the court-ready Anta Shock Wave 5 Pro.
And last month, images surfaced of a new lifestyle sneaker for Kyrie Irving, the Anta Kai Tribe, which is slated to release in the fall.
About the Author
Peter Verry is the Senior News and Features Editor for Athletic and Outdoor at Footwear News. He oversees coverage of the two fast-paced and ultracompetitive markets, which includes conducting in-depth interviews with industry leaders and writing stories on sneakers and outdoor shoes. He is a lifelong sneaker addict (and shares his newest purchases via @peterverry on Instagram) and spends most of his free time on a trail. He holds an M.A. in journalism from Hofstra University and can be reached at peter.verry@footwearnews.com.
