Kyrie Irving snubbed Nike by writing “I am Free Thank You God I am” on his game shoes after the brand dropped him for posting a link to an antisemitic film.
Nike officially cut ties with Irving this week after he repeatedly refused to “unequivocally” disavow antisemitism after sharing a movie that espoused Black Hebrew Israelite philosophy.
Kyrie Irving is no longer a Nike athlete, Nike spokesperson says. The sides have parted ways one month after Nike suspended its relationship with the Nets star. Irving has one of most popular signatures shoes in the NBA and is now a sneaker free agent.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 5, 2022
In response, Kyrie Irving covered the iconic Nike swoop on his game shoes with a patch of tape and replaced it with the message, “I am Free Thank You God I am.”
“Irving hit the court at Barclays Center for the first time since becoming a shoe-free agent on Monday … and while he decided to keep wearing his own kicks, he made sure to distance himself from his former partner,” reported TMZ.
“Irving rocked the Nike Kyrie 3 PE in the ‘Raygun’ colorway for the matchup against the Charlotte Hornets … but if you look closely, the side logo is covered with black tape,” it added.
Kyrie changed shoes halfway through the game, and those had the Nike swoosh covered with black marker. Shortly after Nike cut ties with Kyrie Irving, the Brooklyn Nets star shared a meme with the message: “There’s nothing more priceless than being free.”
— Hélà (@KyrieIrving) December 5, 2022
As Breitbart News reported, Kyrie Irving came under fire in late October when he referenced the 2018 film Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America, which peddles antisemitic conspiracy theories and promotes Black Hebrew Israelite ideology.
The film highlighted “the true identity of the Children of Israel” and “what Islam, Judaism, and Christianity has covered up for centuries in regards to the true biblical identity of the so-called ‘Negro’ in this movie packed with tons of research.”
The film also alleges that Arab slave traders and white people have lied to blacks about their “true” history as the real Israelites in order to keep black people enslaved. And its source material is a book filled with antisemitic tropes.
Irving initially deleted his tweet and said he had no antisemitic intent before vowing to donate as much as $500,000 to groups dedicated to combating hate. However, during a press conference, Irving dug himself an even deeper hole when he refused to adequately answer if he held antisemitic beliefs.
During his 8-game suspension, Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai said he met with Irving to discuss some of his views and determined he does not harbor hatred for Jewish people.
“We spent quality time to understand each other, and it’s clear to me that Kyrie does not have any beliefs of hate towards Jewish people or any group,” Tsai said.
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