The Pre-season is a fresh start for several NBA franchises. The Dallas Mavericks are kicking off their season in Abudhabi against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Starting with two pre-season games against Antman and Co. Despite a disappointing end last season, the Mavs seem to be in good spirits. Recently, in an interview, one-half of their star Duo, Kyrie Irving, made a bold claim. Meanwhile, this admission comes 334 days after his suspension last season.

The suspension came because of controversial comments he made on Twitter. Simultaneously, his social media antics severed his profitable relationship with the billion-dollar shoe company.

Kyrie Irving Makes Bold Claim About Starting A new League

During a pre-season interview in Abu Dhabi, Kyrie stated his wish to start a new league that would rival the NBA. Evidently, excited by the question, the former NBA champion elaborated on how he plans to do so.

“Man, that’s an incredible question, brother. I don’t know who else you asked that, but I wish I had more than two minutes to talk to you about that,” said Kai. He further added, “If I was to start my own league, I would do a lot of things differently. I’d really learn from what I’m doing right now as an employee and as a player in the league. But it’s really interesting how they’ve been able to market internationally and make the NBA a game that people overseas can strive to be a part of.”

Furthermore, upon being asked what he would change in his version of the league, Kai had this to say, “One thing I would definitely have is more teams, and you know it’s a big conversation on who’s world champions and who’s the best of the best. That’s made the sport even more fun to talk about.”

Irving references the whole Noah Lyles controversy here. He further adds, ” But yeah, I would probably add more teams, and the flight time wouldn’t be a bother for me. I think I would just allow people to stay in cities for a week or two”. During one of his workouts in Abudhabi, the 8-time NBA All-Star introduced the newly released Anta Shock Wave 5 Pro. What’s intriguing is that Irving sported the ‘Halloween’ version, which is available in a single colorway.

$90 Million Rich Kai’s New Sneaker Deal

The 2012 Rookie of the Year is estimated to be worth $90 Million. He amassed this wealth thanks to his several endorsements. Chief among them was his deal with Nike. The billion-dollar shoe brand terminated its lengthy 8-year collaboration with the star player of the Dallas Mavericks, based on his highly controversial comments. The deal brought in approximately $11 million from 2014 to 2022.

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Consequently, Kai signed with the Chinese brand Anta. However, his deal with the shoe company was under wraps until recently. The latest ‘Halloween’ version has his fans in a frenzy who are eagerly waiting for a drop. But the real launch date is still unknown.

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