All it took was one move and Kyrie Irving‘s life fell apart. The then Nets guard’s Nike deal was frozen because of his hateful message, the contract was terminated eventually and nothing was going his way in Brooklyn. The vitriol began when Kyrie posted a link containing an anti-Semitic message. Despite his Nike contract being valid till October 2023, the company ultimately cut its ties with the hoopster. So, when the time came for a new beginning, there was a hint of hesitation. Now, 2 years after coming clean from those demons, Irving finds himself at peace. And a big thanks for that goes to his ANTA adventure.

In an exclusive interview with Andscape, Kyrie said, “I’m not saying I didn’t want to do it [initially]. I just didn’t know much about Anta.” Stepping into a whole new chapter, which the Mavs guard didn’t know too much about, led to the rise of multiple questions in his head. “Who is with ANTA? What is this about?” he wondered. Irving clarified to the media house, “It wasn’t about what they were offering. It was all about; Am I free to create what I want? And also be part of the engine that’s going to build this big machine.”

Kyrie Irving teamed up with ANTA in July of last year, not only to launch his own line of shoes but also in a partnership as the brand’s Chief Creative Officer. After the official announcement, the former NBA Champion shared his purpose with the brand in a Twitter (now X) post, using the hashtag, “Bigger Than A Shoe Deal.”

In his post, the hoopster also expressed, “This is truly a full circle moment that I will not take for granted nor underappreciate given the many obstacles it took to get here. This Partnership is for all of those who want to change the world. Join me on the journey.”

From that point on, Kyrie worked diligently to live up to his commitment. The hoopster made his first unique signing to the brand- his dad Drederick, a former Boston University star. He embarked on business trips to China and Bangkok to meet with the staff and review the designs. But what made him join forces with the billion-dollar brand? His agent and stepmother, Riley Irving, had an answer for that.

Riley Irving discloses the driving force behind Kyrie Irving’s decision: A combination of creativity and respect

Kyrie Irving was skeptical during the decision-making process. It was not an easy choice after all that happened with his former sponsor, Nike. So, joining ANTA required a push, a strong one that came from the U.S. design team. Riley shared, “Ky’s decision to come to Anta was based on its phenomenal U.S.-based design team.” It acted as the major factor which changed his mind.

“They were really strong and influential in convincing him with their creativity and respect for Ky.” With their support, Irving was free to create something like he envisioned. “They were super-supportive of his vision and gave him a blank slate,” she added.

“They wanted to become a global brand and have Ky as their anchor. It gave us freedom and flexibility to do things out the box.” Thanks to the dynamic team, Kyrie found the right path to success. The brand reported $4.7 billion in revenue from January 2024 to June 2024, surpassing Nike China by 20% and Adidas China by 160%, per Jing Daily in August.

But ANTA is achieving success in the Chinese market and also worldwide! The 8x All-Star has followed his on-court partner, Klay Thompson’s footsteps and as things look, everything is just as it should be after all!