Who Is Kyrie Irving’s Stepmother, Shetellia Riley? Woman Who Has Had Major Impact on His Trade Request

Kyrie Irving desired to make the Brooklyn Nets his home claimed his agent Shetellia Irving earlier in the week. She stated that the ball was in the Nets’ court because Irving was confident with his choice. However, on Friday morning, things took a turn, leaving the NBA world in chaos. The Athletic’s Sham Charania announced that the NBA champion had requested a trade. He wrote online, “The franchise has been informed that Irving prefers to move on ahead of the Feb. 9 trade deadline; or will leave in free agency in July.” Charania’s source was Shetellia Irving, the lady behind each of Kyrie’s moves. As her name appeared on websites alongside Kyrie’s, the curiosity around her and who she was grew.

Shetellia Riley Irving is much more than Kyrie’s agent. She is his stepmother and has known him since he was eight. She calls him her “bonus son.” Shetellia is also a fierce and confident individual who never takes ‘no’ for an answer. With this mentality, she built a successful career and eventually became the only black woman agent in the league.

Who is Shetellia Riley Irving?

Sports Illustrated describes Shetellia as a magnetic personality who goes about her work with great “poise and prominence” – a quality that struck people from her first job as a sales representative at a company called 1010 WINS. After a brief stint with this company, she dabbled in the world of radio by working with a team to launch a contemporary radio station in New York.

As she navigated through her career, her mentor Stu Fenston pushed her toward exploring the entertainment industry from another lens. She joined Black Entertainment Television, a “cable channel targeting African-American audiences.” It was here that Shetellia grew as a businesswoman, learning the tips and tricks of the “art of negotiation and being prideful.”

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With BET, Riley worked with advertisement and sales and focused on being “a voice for those who didn’t have a voice.” The skills she mastered with BET helped her don the hat of a sports agent, an idea planted by her stepson Kyrie Irving.

The partnership with Kyrie Irving

Kyrie wanted his stepmother’s business expertise while he balanced life as a basketball player and sports personality. In their conversation, he mentioned that apart from playing ball, he wanted the support of someone who understood the business aspect of the sports industry. For Kyrie, his stepmom was the perfect match.

After conversing about being transparent and honest through their journey, Riley told him, “we will have to look at this through clear-colored glasses and make sure that you understand I’m not going to always be your cheerleader.“

The clarity had been established, and terms had been laid out. Hence, days after the conversation, Shetellia focused on helping Kyrie on the business end of things. As this partnership grew, the eight-time All-Star dropped the ultimate question.

He said, “Have you ever considered being an agent?” – and there it was, her opportunity to explore the walls of the sports industry as an agent. Kyrie announced on March 3rd, 2022, that his stepmother Shetellia would now represent him. The Irvings have built a strong front based on trust and consistency.

Inspiration for the future

When Shetellia started as Kyrie’s agent, her shoulders felt heavy because she had to do her job right. She said, “If I do this, right, it opens the door for so many other Black women. And we get a chance to have more than a seat at the table.”

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She realized her position and the impact it would have on paving the way for more people, women in particular. So while she works with Kyrie, her focus is also on trying to have conversations with people in power about opening up avenues in the business world for women.