Kyrie Irving, after parting ways with Nike, has officially joined the Chinese shoe brand ANTA in a 5-year deal worth over $100 million. As ANTA’s Chief Creative Officer for basketball products, Irving will have unique privileges, including selecting young players for additional contracts.

The partnership aims to establish basketball summer camps in China and the U.S., expanding globally with a focus on Asia. Irving’s move is seen as a strategic step for ANTA to penetrаte the U.S. market and shift some production to the country. After ending ties with Nike in 2022, Irving continued wearing Nike Kyrie shoes with covered logos. His significant social media following, with 19.2 million Instagram followers, makes him an influential endorsement target. The Nike Kyrie series alone generated over $2.6 billiоn in revenue in seven years, making it globally popular. ANTA’s signing of Irving adds him to a roster that includes Klay Thompson and Gordon Hayward.Whether Irving will have a signature shoe design with ANTA remаins uncertain. He kicked off the NBA 2023-24 season with the ANTA Shоck Wave 5, and his exclusive collection is set to debut in Q1 2024.