Kyrie Irving, Mavericks
Getty
Kyrie Irving will have a new shoe released on Feb. 7 honoring Kobe Bryant.
Kyrie Irving has been sidelined this season as he’s recovering from an injury. But the nine-time NBA All-Star is still making moves off the court. On Feb. 7, Irving will have a shoe released, honoring Kobe Bryant.
Sole Retriever
KAI MENTALITY: ANTA unveils the KAI 3 “Kai Mentality,” draped in purple and gold as a nod to Kyrie Irving’s friend and mentor Kobe Bryant 🤞🐍 @KyrieIrving
🗓️ February 7th
ANTA recently unveiled photos of the KAI 3 “Kai Mentality,” with a purple and gold colorway, paying respect to the Los Angeles Lakers‘ legend. Bryant was a mentor to Irving and the Dallas Mavericks point guard had a lot of respect for Bryant.
“When the student is ready, the teacher will appear,” Irving said after the passing of Bryant. “I had that mentorship relationship with him, where I was able to ask him almost anything. You know no matter how nervous I was or how fearful I was, he was just easy to approach with those type of questions about what goes on in the day-in and day-out basis of chasing something that’s bigger than yourself and when you’re trying to leave a legacy or something of a mark on a game.”
Irving continues to honor his mentor in a special way through his new shoes coming out.
Kyrie Irving Joining ANTA
House of Heat°
Kyrie Irving Has ANTA KAI Slip-On Mules on the Way 👀
Irving was with Nike for over 10 years before signing with Chinese sportswear brand ANTA in 2023. The deal was for five-years and that deal is expected to extend beyond his playing career. “I’m incredibly excited about this collaboration,” Irving said after signing with ANTA. “The first step in becoming partners is to share the same dreams, goals, and missions. ANTA’s rapid development over the years, openness to creativity, willingness to embrace family and teamwork, expertise in areas like product innovation and manufacturing processes have left a remarkable impression on not just me, but also my A11Even team who will work side by side with me in creating something truly generationally special.”
In partnership with ANTA, Irving was named Chief Creative Officer of ANTA Basketball. Irving has full creative control being in that role which is special to him. “Being appointed as ANTA Basketball’s Chief Creative Officer is more than just a realization of my dreams; in fact, it may be the perfect opportunity for me, an individual who always dreams big and values independent thinking, to leverage my artistic talents to build, create, and unify the culture both on and off court,” he said.
Kyrie Irving Releasing 4th Signature Pair With ANTA
This will be Irving’s fourth signature shoe with ANTA. His first pair, KAI 1, was released in March of 2024. Irving has a strong relationship with ANTA and he’s more than an athlete to the company. Not many athletes can say they have their own signature shoe. Though he’s injured, Irving is a high-level player who has accomplished a lot throughout his career.
He will continue to make an impact on the court and will continue to impact the game of basketball through numerous ways, especially in his role with ANTA. His latest shoe will be released during All-Star weekend and it will be exciting to see how much traction the shoe gets and how much marketing it will get as well.