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Kyrie Irving Shares Strong Message on Shoes After Nike Breakup

Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving is no longer a Nike athlete

Joey Linn

Kyrie Irving Shares Strong Message on Shoes After Nike Breakup
Kyrie Irving Shares Strong Message on Shoes After Nike Breakup /
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Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving is no longer with Nike. The company announced that they would not be moving forward with their partnership with Irving, as the Nets star is now a free agent on that front.

This came after Nike suspended Irving, issuing a statement that read, "At Nike, we believe there is no place for hate speech and we condemn any form of antisemitism. To that end, we've made the decision to suspend our relationship with Kyrie Irving effective immediately and will no longer launch the Kyrie 8. We are deeply saddened a disappointed by the situation and its impact on everyone."

When the news became public that the suspension had become a divorce, Irving shared a message on Twitter that read, "Anyone who has even spent their hard earned money on anything I have ever released, I consider you FAMILY and we are forever connected. It’s time to show how powerful we are as a community."

Irving did not stop at that Tweet, because in his next game, the star point guard covered up the Nike logo on his sneakers and wrote a message on his shoes that read, "I am free."

Always one of the more outspoken athletes, Irving made a public statement with his shoes during his first game after the Nike breakup. While it is unclear how Irving will approach his shoe situation going forward, he will no longer be partnered with Nike.

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Joey Linn
JOEY LINN

Title: Credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation Email: joeylinn32@sbcglobal.net Education: Communication Studies degree from Biola University Location: Los Angeles, California Expertise: NBA analysis, insight, and reporting Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined Sports Illustrated's FanNation to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Receiving a media credential during the 2021-22 season, Joey has experience interviewing NBA players, and developing exclusive stories from these interviews. Having appeared on several different NBA podcasts over the last four seasons, Joey is now hosting his own podcast for The Sporting Tribune. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams during his time in school. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts, combined with his excellence in the classroom, earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Now graduated, Joey is covering the NBA full-time across multiple platforms. Credentialed by the Clippers, Joey covers the team daily with articles, podcasts, and video breakdowns on YouTube. With four years of sports media experience, Joey provides expert insight and analysis for NBA fans across the league.

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