Nike suspended its relationship with Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving and canceled its upcoming Irving-branded shoe release. The decision comes after the controversy sparked by Irving’s promotion of an anti-Semitic documentary on Twitter. The Nets star initially defended the post before deleting it.
The Nets had already suspended Irving for at least five games after the player hadn’t completely disavowed the documentary. Irving then issued an apology Thursday for promoting a project he said contained “false anti-Semitic statements”.
“At Nike, we believe there is no room for hate speech and we condemn any form of anti-Semitism. To that end, we have made the decision to immediately terminate our relationship with Kyrie Irving and will no longer launch Kyrie 8, ”Nike wrote in a statement. “We are deeply saddened and disappointed by the situation and its impact on everyone,” the note added.
Several media reported that the deal was worth $ 11 million. The Nets will not pay Irving’s salary during the suspension. The cestita has a $ 36.9 million contract this season, having earned nearly $ 195 million in his previous 11 seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics and Nets.