Kyrie Irving --Everything You Need to Know About the Basketball Player
Rob
This entry was published by Rob. Social Media Specialist and Content Creator.2022-11-04
Update 04.11.2022
Nike has suspended its partnership with Brooklyn Nets point guard Kyrie Irving. This came after Irving promoted an anti-Semitic film on social media last week. As a result, Nike will no longer launch the Nike Kyrie 8 signature shoe. A Nike spokesperson confirmed the suspension to CNBC's Sara Eisen, saying:
"At Nike, we believe there is no place for hate speech, and we condemn all forms of anti-Semitism. For this reason, we have made the decision to end our collaboration with Kyrie Irving, effective immediately, and to no longer launch the Kyrie 8. We are deeply saddened and disappointed by this situation and its impact on everyone involved."
Nike's partnership with Irving has been in place since 2014, but the sportswear brand was reportedly unlikely to extend the contract for the signature shoe beyond 2023, given the uncertainty surrounding his NBA future. Irving has since apologised to the Jewish community and denounced anti-Semitism.
Breaking: Nike suspends Kyrie relationship. Postpones launch of Kyrie 8. (Kyrie is in the top 5 best sellers for Nike, but nowhere near Jordan, Lebron etc) pic.twitter.com/ssrmkGnoBA
Point Guard Kyrie Andrew Irving is one of the greatest players of our time. The great career of this 27-year-old basketball player began in 2011 when the Cleveland Cavaliers received their first draft pick.
His massive deal with Nike brought Irving even more fame. Many fans are already looking forward to the new colourways that are making a comeback with the Nike Kyrie 2 and Nike Kyrie 5. Recently, it was announced that the Kyrie sneaker line will be extended with a Kyrie 6.
Kyrie Irving's Childhood
Many of you don't already know, but the young basketball player actually has a dual citizenship! You heard that right. Kyrie Irving comes from an Afro-American family and was born in Melbourne, Victoria. This makes him both Australian and American. But, when it comes to the national team, Irving's choice is definitely the United States.
Kyrie's childhood must have been quite awesome. Basketball seems so natural to him because his father is also a basketball celebrity. Drederick Irving is a former US basketball pro who played two seasons in the Australian National Basketball League (NBL).
Drederick Irving and Kyrie Irving
The second possible reason for Kyrie's incomparable feel for the ball and sense of accuracy is it must come from Rodney Strickland. Rod is also a former basketball pro who has been active in the NBA for 17 years. Strickland has played for the New York Knicks, Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, and Toronto Raptors, among others. Kyrie could have learned a lot from him as Rod worked under head coach John Calipari at the University of Memphis and the University of Kentucky.
The 1.91m tall, Kyrie Irving also inherited his athletic inclination from his mother, Elizabeth Irving, who used to play volleyball at Boston University. Unfortunately, his mother died of an illness at the young age of 29. Kyrie was only four years old at the time. Since then, Drederick Irving continued to raise Kyrie and his sister Asia all by himself. Eight years later, Drederick remarried and Kyrie had a second sister named London.
Kyrie Irving's NBA Career
Kyrie Irving's career began at the age of 19, when the young basketball player was the first ever pick of the Cleveland Cavaliers. During that season, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Clippers exchanged for the NBA draft. Unfortunately, the first game ended badly for Kyrie. The Cavaliers lost against the Toronto Raptors with 96:104. Of course, it was very bad for Irving. But, the victory came just as fast! Two days later, Cleveland played against the Detroit Pistons. Kyrie helped his team with 14 points and 7 assists and came into the flow. Further victories followed a short time later and Kyrie thus became a legend.
In 2012, Irving took part in the NBA All-Star Weekend Rookie Challenge by playing for Team Chuck. Kyrie contributed his share with 34 points and showed an extraordinary playing style. The team won against Team Shaq with 146:133 and Kyrie Irving became the MVP of the game.
After a short while, Irving received one glorious title after the other. The NBA voted him Rookie of the Year and during the 2012-13 season, he was also voted NBA All-Star for the first time. Basketball pros have continued to work hard towards this coveted title for many years. For many of them, it is one of the biggest titles they can ever achieve. In 2014, Irving then became the starter in the NBA All-Star Game--a truly great honour for the then 22-year-old.
Kyrie Irving – MVP 2012
A few months later, Irving extended his contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The team assured him 90 million US dollars in the next five years. In order to further expand and strengthen the team, Cleveland looked for another professional player. This was when LeBron James joined the team in 2014. From then on, the Cavaliers became no doubt unbeatable. In January 2015, Kyrie Irving topped his own record. Irving scored 55 points against the Portland Trailblazers, and eleven of them were three-point throws. The Cavaliers set a new record with this three-point performance.
One year later, the Cavs played against the San Antonio Spurs. Kyrie scored an incredible 57 points! This new record even surpassed LeBron's team record of 56 points.
Thanks to Irving and his colleagues, Cleveland reached the NBA Finals in 2015. In the first final, however, the talent unfortunately suffered a serious knee injury. He had to drop out for several months and because of this, the Cavs lost the final series against the Golden State Warriors with 2:4. He spent his time recovering until December 2015 and once he was fully healed, his return was all the greater: Kyrie won against Philadelphia 76ers with 12 points in only 17 minutes!
Kyrie Irving – Boston Celtics
Two years later, Kyrie Irving switched teams. In 2017, he was swapped for Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Žižić, and a first round right for the 2018 draft. That was when he started playing for Boston Celtics from then on. According to NBA News, it was a "failed cooperation". Soon after that, Irving was no longer the former player everyone knew. He had lost his grandfather in October 2018 and carried the sadness with him for quite a long time. This turned him moody and overly critical of his colleagues.
"Basketball and the joy it gave me were taken away from me. There was this one facial expression that I carried around with me throughout the year. I didn't let anyone get to me," Irving says. "I disappointed those boys. In the sense that I didn't give them everything I could have given this season. I failed."
A short while later, Kyrie Irving had a difficult knee surgery. He missed the rest of the main lap as well as the playoffs. In early July 2019, the professional basketball player announced that he was transferring to the Brooklyn Nets. According to the reports, the two partners already agreed on a four-year contract.
Kyrie Irving's List of Titles and Awards
So far, we know that Kyrie is an unbelievable player and has already bagged several titles. Although he has since slightly slowed down because of his surgery, he has nevertheless continued to be the exceptional talent who does not give up to achieve further successes. The following titles and awards can be attributed to Kyrie Irving:
2012: MVP at the NBA All-Star Weekend Rookie Challenge
2012: NBA All-Rookie First Team
2012: NBA Rookie of the Year
2013: NBA Three-Point Shootout Champion
2013: 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019: NBA All-Star
2014: USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year
2014: MVP World Championship in Spain and World Champion
2014: All-Star Game MVP
2015: All-NBA Third Team
2016: Gold medal with Team USA, Olympic Games
2016: NBA Champion
2014 NBA All-Star Game MVP
Nike and Kyrie Irving
Sneakerheads already know that Kyrie Irving does not only shine so damn well on the court, but has also proven himself time and again as a talented designer. Meanwhile, we already know of the Nike Kyrie 1, 2, and 5. According to rumours, a Nike Kyrie 6 will be released soon. So far, insiders have shown us a black and a purple Kyrie 6.
Back in August, the two partners released a large SpongeBob SquarePants x Nike Kyrie collection that included three Kyrie 5s and two Kyrie 2 Lows. It is said that the collection will likely be completed in a few months' time. Pictures of a Nike Kyrie 5 "Pineapple House" have already appeared on the net, and it is obviously reminiscent of the cool and quirky house of SpongeBob SquarePants.
SpongeBob Squarepants x Nike Kyrie-Collection
We know that Kyrie has already achieved a lot in his life. What we know for sure is that his family must have contributed greatly to his success. We also know that we will certainly hear a lot more of this young talent in the coming years. If he were to retire, then we will still have his sneakers, which he designed just for us.
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