It’s not uncommon for NBA stars to go to China in the offseason to promote their shoe brands. LA Clippers guard James Harden was in China in August promoting Adidas wear and his signature wine. Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Dončić, New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson and Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero visited China in August to connect with the country’s basketball-loving youth for Jordan Brand.
As for Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving, his offseason Chinese basketball trek was much more than appearances and hoop clinics as Anta Basketball’s chief creative officer.
“It’s a multi-generational platform that I’ve created,” Irving told Andscape recently. “Signing my dad represents 55-plus-year-olds, which is you’re never too old to keep playing basketball or love getting out and staying active or being around the game of basketball or being around the youth. And then, for me to continue the legacy of having a shoe brand growing up with kids for the last 14 years, I have a great pillar in the culture right now that I want to take care of.
“I describe my shoe brand as my mall. Everybody can come to my mall. It’s a collaborative mall and I want people to have a great experience, not just buying my product, but being a part of something.”
Irving has been Anta brand’s chief creative officer since 2023 and debuted his KAI 1 shoes last season. Irving, his father and Anta shoe ambassador Drederick Irving, and his agent Shetellia Riley Irving, met with Anta officials in their offices in Xiamen, China, from Sept. 18-20. It was the first time the eight-time NBA All-Star had visited the Anta offices in China.
Irving toured the Anta facilities, met with staff, viewed shoe and clothing designs, talked ideas and went to a group lunch with employees in Xiamen. Irving took part in an Anta basketball clinic and other events in Shenyang, China, from Sept. 20-22 and Bangkok from Sept. 22-24 before returning to America. Irving described his business trip as “amazing.”
“Everything as American consumers is just so fast and microwavable,” Irving said. “But when you go behind the scenes to see what’s going on, you get to appreciate how it goes from just an idea into a product and then how it gets sold and marketed and how it looks when I’m wearing [it] on the court. It’s more of a passion project because of how many other [Anta] teammates I have. It’s just kind of like an NBA organization, but it’s a lot more teammates.
“I got to manage this office over here. I got to manage this office over there. And me being CCO, it was a new experience. I’m not a CEO. I’m a CCO. Everybody has their responsibilities, but me trying to evolve the vision, that’s my job.”
Irving began his NBA career in 2011 as a spokesperson for Nike. He was set to release his Kyrie 8 shoe in November 2022, but the shoe release was canceled and Nike suspended its relationship with him Nov. 4, 2022, after he posted a link on social media to a book and movie containing antisemitic messaging. On Dec. 5, 2022, Nike mutually broke ties with Irving well before their deal was set to expire in October 2023.
In May, Irving signed a five-year deal with the Chinese sportswear giant Anta to wear its shoes and clothing, and was named chief creative officer of its basketball division. The move gave Irving creative control of his shoe brand and allows him to recruit athletes and celebrities to his shoe brand. After deliberation with his agent and former Nike executive Jeff Rogers, Irving decided to join Anta.
“I’m not saying I didn’t want to do it [initially]. I just didn’t know much about Anta,” Irving said. “So, it was just more or less new. ‘OK, who is with Anta? What is this about?’ It wasn’t about what they were offering. It was all about am I free to create what I want and also be part of the engine that’s going to build this big machine.”
Riley Irving credited U.S. design team for selling the NBA star on joining. She says Irving has been involved with every aspect of the brand that is “super-important” to him.
“Ky’s decision to come to Anta was based on its phenomenal U.S.-based design team,” Riley Irving told Andscape. “They were really strong and influential in convincing him with their creativity and respect for Ky. They were super-supportive of his vision and gave him a blank slate. They wanted to become a global brand and have Ky as their anchor. It gave us freedom and flexibility to do things out the box. It was really driven by the U.S. design team.
“It was the opportunity to be a startup within a billion-dollar brand. They had the resources and tools to take us to the next level. He owns his designs and trademarks. That is something unheard anything in this sneaker brand.”
Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images
David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images
In June, Irving made a unique first signing to his shoe brand: his father.
Drederick Irving is a former Boston University basketball star who averaged 15.8 points from 1984-88. The 6-foot-4 guard scored 1,931 points in 122 games. In signing his 58-year-old father, Irving hoped to connect his shoe brand to the market age 50 and older who remains athletic.
“My dad was my first senior athlete because not only did I feel like it was my time to pay it forward to him or to pay him back for all the sacrifices, but I wanted to make history with him and I wanted him to be able to leave a legacy beyond just him investing time in me or my sisters,” Irving said. “I wanted him to have his own thing to represent the Bronx, represent Boston University, represent his wife, to represent his life, to represent his struggle. I wanted that to be the forward-facing narrative people are connecting to, not only to our narrative and our story, but they understand our struggle.
“I don’t know what people think about my family. But we don’t come from [financial wealth]. We come from the Bronx, New York. Grandmother had six kids by the time she was 20, and I have that same relationship with the world where I’m still a young parent, but it’s nothing like showing love. It’s [about] the generation that came before you.”
Irving also told Andscape that he has signed his first NBA player, Cleveland Cavaliers swingman Caris LeVert.
In October, BRKicks posted a picture of LeVert on Instagram wearing “Triple White” Anta Kai 1. Irving and LeVert were teammates with the Brooklyn Nets from 2019-21 and have a close friendship. LeVert is a former Jordan Brand ambassador who is averaging 11.8 points for the Cavaliers this season.
“It was easy deal because that is one of my best friends,” Irving said of signing LeVert. “So, seeing him be able to join the family, now I have an idea of how we can create together. For me, it’s not about just going against going to get the best players, the best players and folks on, it’s like going to get my family and people that I know genuinely rock with me and I want to continue the brand legacy and continue to be part of something special.
“This is a startup company in America. Anta is a startup. It’s not a startup in China. So, we’re trying to compete with some of the bigger juggernauts. It’s one of the toughest things to do. So, you got to have some people that are thorough, morally strong, have great integrity, have great families, and also love what they do.”
Irving is now a 13-year NBA veteran who has regained his spot as one of the league’s elite guards in Dallas. He and fellow Mavericks star forward Dončić led the franchise to the 2024 NBA Finals. Irving also wore special moccasin Anta shoes during the Finals to honor his Native American background. Irving, 32, is averaging 24.6 points and 5.4 assists this season.
Anta reported $4.7 billion in revenue from Jan. 2024 to June 2024, surpassing Nike China by 20% and Adidas China by 160%, according to Jing Daily in August. So, what is Irving’s key ingredient for having a successful shoe brand?
“The ingredient is being fearless and also being proud of your work and loving your team as well, because there’s a lot of hard work that gets done that you don’t get to see,” Irving said. “Especially as a leader. I’m learning that as a leader, there are a lot of little nuances, little things that happen that I don’t get to see.
“But I try my best to make sure I appreciate my Anta employees. Yeah, they’re doing a lot of it, man. A lot of the legwork, a lot of groundwork. I do the stuff on the court when I’m in that office. They know that I’m direct with eye contact and I want the best, not only of them, but I want the families to be proud to wear our stuff, too.”