Nike drops Kyrie Irving amid controversy, nixes shoe release

The fallout from the Kyrie Irving saga has taken another turn. The Brooklyn Nets star guard is losing a major sponsorship.

Nike announced it’s suspending its relationship with Irving, effective immediately. In addition, the company will no longer launch the Kyrie 8 shoe, according to the announcement. It’s just the latest turn in the ongoing response after Irving tweeted a link to a documentary that contains anti-Semitic content and the Nets’ decision to suspend him for at least five games for failing to denounce it. Irving apologized via Instagram late Thursday night.

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“At Nike, we believe there is no place for hate speech and we condemn any form of antisemitism,” Nike said in a statement, in part, via The Athletic’s Shams Charania. “… We are deeply saddened and disappointed by the situation and its impact on everyone.”

It’s been a tumultuous couple weeks for Brooklyn, which entered Friday night’s game against the Washington Wizards with a 2-6 record. The Nets also fired Steve Nash prior to their game against the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday and are reportedly planning to hire suspended Boston Celtics coach Ime Udoka to replace him.

Kyrie Irving issues apology after controversial social media post, subsequent suspension

Kyrie Irving has been involved in a week-long controversy surrounding his decision to tweet out a link to a film that had anti-Semitic views and, thereafter, not take responsibility for his actions. It led to backlash, several different responses from around the NBA, and, eventually, a suspension from the Brooklyn Nets.

Now, it seems that decision has shown Irving the error of his ways.

Irving posted an apology on Instagram late Thursday night following the news of his suspension. Irving said that he was “grateful” to have the platform that he does. Now, he wants to use it to “move forward by having an open dialogue to learn more and grow.”

“To All Jewish families and Communities that are hurt and affected from my post, I am deeply sorry to have caused you pain, and I apologize. I initially reacted out of emotion to being unjustly labeled Anti-Semitic, instead of focusing on the healing process of my Jewish Brothers and Sisters that were hurt from the hateful remarks made in the Documentary,” wrote Irving. “I had no intentions to disrespect any Jewish cultural history regarding the Holocaust or perpetuate any hate. I am learning from this unfortunate event and hope we can find understanding between us all. I am no different than any other human being. I am a seeker of truth and knowledge, and I know who I Am.”