For most of his NBA career, Kyrie Irving has acted like he’s the smartest guy in the room. That has led to countless issues everywhere he’s gone — Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics, and Brooklyn Nets.
His off-court antics cost him a deal with Nike, as he shared the link to an anti-semitic film full of fake quotes and misinformation, and then refused to acknowledge it.
And given his stance on vaccines, Thanksgiving, the Flat Earth, tribes, and whatnot, it was kind of odd to see the Dallas Mavericks star sign a new shoe deal with a Chinese brand.
Enes Freedom Rips Kyrie Irving
That’s why former NBA backup turned right-wing pundit Enes Freedom called him out, stating that he’s now going to get money from a dictatorship because of his contract with Anta.
“He stood up for himself,” Freedom said. “This guy literally didn’t take the vaccine, ‘Even if I lose what, hundreds of millions of dollars?’ That’s courageous. But then you sign a shoe contract with ANTA, and everybody knows about the slave laborers and sweatshops.“
“Come on, man. You have an amazing tool to inspire millions of kids out there, and you have been. But now, you’re signing a shoe deal with the biggest dictatorship in the world. It broke my heart,” added the former backup.
Notably, Irving’s actions have rarely been consistent with his words, so this should strike as no surprise at all. At the end of the day, it’s all about getting those big checks.