Nike to terminate partnership with Kyrie Irving after expiring deal / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: AFP – Scanpix Credit AFP – Scanpix

Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving has long had one of Nike's most popular and profitable signature basketball shoes, but uncertainties surrounding his NBA future have left the company unlikely to extend him to a similar signature deal beyond the 2022-23 season, according to ESPN.

Free throws this season

80%17,5Points made:17,5Accuracy:80,0%Place in standings:8Record max:32Record min:5Most made FTs:James HardenTeamNBAStatisticsSchedule

Irving has a new edition of his shoe set to debut in the fall, but that is expected to be the final year of a lucrative signature series that he has had with Nike since 2014, via the report.

"We don't comment on contracts or rumors or speculation. Kyrie remains a Nike athlete," Nike's spokesperson told when reached by ESPN.

The turbulence surrounding Irving has included several episodes in the past two years.

The 30-year-old was limited to road games for the majority of the season because of his view on the COVID-19 vaccination and the City of New York policy that kept him off the court for games in Brooklyn. He played only 29 regular-season games in 2021-22.

A seven-time All-Star guard, Irving averaged 27.4 points, 5.8 assists, and 4.4 rebounds before a four-game sweep by the Boston Celtics in the opening round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Moreover, in July, Irving lashed out on social media about the design of the Nike Kyrie 8 edition of his shoe, calling it "trash" and insisting that "I have nothing to do with the design or marketing" and that "Nike plans to release it without my okay."

Days later, Irving issued a statement tempering those words.

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