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Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving debuted his new signature shoe with Anta against the Brooklyn Nets at the Barclays Centre. Irving returned to Brooklyn for the first time after being traded away from the Nets post a turbulent tenure marred with injuries and off-court controversies. But the New Jersey native balled out with a 36-point night and led the Mavericks to a 119-107 victory.
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Alongside this performance, Kyrie Irving also donned his new signature shoe with the Chinese sportswear manufacturer ANTA. This will also be Irving's first signature shoe since his 2022 split with Nike. The 2016 NBA champion Irving inked a five-year footwear and apparel deal with ANTA, joining the likes of Klay Thompson, Gordon Hayward and more at the Chinese brand.
First glimpse of ANTA KAI 1 in "Artist On Court" colourway
The new deal also made Irving the Chief Creative Officer of ANTA Basketball. T he new shoe is called ANTA KAI 1 and was spotted in the "Artist On Court" colourway against the Nets. Irving started the season with the ANTA Shock Wave 5 and then brought out the different versions of his KAI 1 sneaker during games.
It felt like I was home: Irving on Brooklyn return
Talking about his return to Brooklyn, Kyrie Irving described to be a homecoming of sorts. Speaking to the press, the 31-year-old said, “Just like any other basketball game, but it felt like I was home tonight.”
While Nets coach Jacque Vaughn complimented Irving for his incredible shot-making ability in tough situations. He said, “It’s tough. Ky has the extreme ability to shot-make versus anyone and I thought he had some timely buckets for that group.”
