Countless NBA stars have had their own signature shoes throughout the years, but none of their fathers have ever gotten in on the action. That is, until Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving signed his father Drederick to a shoe deal with his ANTA line.
According to a report from Shams Charania of The Athletic, Drederick Irving will be Kyrie’s first signature athlete at ANTA. This is a historic moment in the sneaker world because it’s the first time a player has signed his own father to a shoe deal.
Previously with Nike, Irving signed with Chinese brand ANTA in September of 2023. Since then, Irving has launched the ANTA KAI 1, part of his own line within the company.
This first-of-its-kind shoe deal isn’t the only reason Irving is in the news. He and the Mavericks will be taking on the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals, and Irving recently reflected on the last time he went to TD Garden in the postseason.
“But I will say last time in Boston, I don’t think that was the best — not this regular season, but when we played in the playoffs [with Brooklyn] and everyone saw me flip off the birds and kind of lose my shit a little bit,” Irving said. “That wasn’t a great reflection of who I am and how I like to compete on a high level. It wasn’t a great reflection on my end towards the next generation on what it means to control your emotions in that type of environment, no matter what people are yelling at you.”
Irving will take the floor in Boston on Thursday night, when Game 1 tips off at 8:30 p.m. ET. Check out the complete Finals schedule here.
