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Nike Condemns Kyrie Irving's Social Media Post

Nike issued a statement after Brooklyn Nets point guard Kyrie Irving promoted a controversial documentary on Twitter.

Pat Benson

Nike Condemns Kyrie Irving's Social Media Post
Nike Condemns Kyrie Irving's Social Media Post /
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Background

Last Friday, Brooklyn Nets point guard Kyrie Irving tweeted a link to a documentary deemed to be antisemitic. According to CNN, the 2018 movie is titled “Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America,” based on Ronald Dalton’s book of the same name.

The blowback was immediate. Brooklyn Nets team governor Jos Tsai condemned Irving's promotion of the film on Twitter. The NBA also issued a statement stating, "Hate speech of any kind is unacceptable and runs counter to the NBA's values of equality, inclusion and respect,"

On Saturday, Irving tweeted that he is not antisemitic and did not intend to disrespect any religion. However, following Saturday night's game against the Indiana Pacers, Irving had a testy exchange with a reporter where he defended his string of controversial social media posts dating back weeks.

Nike Statement

Today Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic reports that Nike has put out a statement regarding Irving’s recent post linking to a film deemed to be antisemitic. 

"At Nike, we believe there is no place for hate speech, and we condemn any form of antisemitism."

In an unrelated matter, the Nets fired head coach Steve Nash today after the team started 2-5. We only say that because the Nets host the Chicago Bulls tonight. This issue may arise again after the game.

Kyrie Irving's Future

In July 2021, Irving blasted Nike on an Instagram post. The outspoken point guard accused Nike of excluding him from the design process and called the Nike Kyrie 8 "trash." The shoe was later rebranded to the Nike Kyrie Infinity, and Irving wore it in his limited action last season.

In May, ESPN reported that Nike is unlikely to extend Irving's signature shoe deal beyond the 2022-23 NBA season. This is no small decision for the American company. Irving's signature sneaker line launched in 2014 and has grown to become a favorite shoe among NBA and WNBA players.

Throughout this season, Irving has played in his 9th signature sneaker, which he has called the Nike Kyrie 8. However, Nike has not yet released any official images, tech specs, or the exact name of the performance model. 

In August, Irving hinted at his final Nike shoe releasing on November 11, 2022. But again, no official word from Nike. Stay locked into FanNationKicks.com for breaking news, updates, and interviews. 

Update - 11/2/2022

The Brooklyn Nets and Kyrie Irving put out a joint statement with the Anti-Defamation League on Wednesday evening. Irving and the Nets will each donate $500K “toward causes and organizations that work to eradicate hate and intolerance in our communities."

Irving took responsibility for the negative impact of his social media post. He also said, “I do not believe everything said in the documentary was true or reflects my morals and principles.” The statement from Irving did not include an apology. 

The Nets posted the joint statement on their social media accounts. Below is the tweet, which includes the entire statement.

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Published
Pat Benson
PAT BENSON

Pat Benson covers the sneaker industry for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Previously, he has reported on the NBA, authored "Kobe Bryant's Sneaker History (1996-2020)," and interviewed some of the biggest names in the sports world. You can email him at 1989patbenson@gmail.com.

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