Nike Ends Kyrie Irving Sponsorship Deal After A Social Media Post

Nike Ends Kyrie Irving Sponsorship Deal a month after the Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving used social media to promote an anti-Semitic film.

Irving later apologized after the sportswear giant initially suspended its contract with him. Eight games were missed by the 30-year-old while he was suspended from the NBA. Phil Knight, the founder of Nike, recently said: “Kyrie crossed the line. It really is that easy.”

Knight continued: “We broke up with him because he said some things that we simply couldn’t accept. With that, I was content.”

Irving, a seven-time NBA All-Star, had been working with Nike for eight years and, as of 2019, had an $11 million (£9 million) contract with the company.

He spoke with Jewish community leaders and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver during his ban, and he and the Brooklyn Nets made a donation commitment of $1 million (£820,000) to fight “hatred and intolerance”.