Kyrie Irving Debuts New Sneakers Before Mavericks Game
The Dallas Mavericks were without both of their star guards during the game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday night. Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic missed the game with minor injuries.
Despite being ruled out of action, Irving still made headlines. The 8x NBA All-Star made sneaker history before the game. For the first time in his career, Irving played in a pair of basketball shoes not made by Nike.
Irving tested out his injured thigh in warmups and used the opportunity to try out basketball shoes from a brand called Ethics. According to ESPN, the brand is owned by NBA veteran Langston Galloway and his wife.
Ethics LG Two Lows
Galloway plays for the Atlanta Hawks' G League affiliate, the College Park Skyhawks. Irving told Tim MacMahon of ESPN, "I wanted to show him some love." He did so by debuting Galloway's second signature shoe - the Ethics LG Twos.
While the shoes are not yet available on the Ethics website, their predecessors have a retail price ranging from $120 to $150 with varying materials and colorways. In addition, the shoes tagline reads “Anywhere & Everywhere” on the toe.
What You Need To Know
Irving wore Nike in high school and college. Upon entering the NBA in 2011, Irving signed with Nike. His signature sneaker line officially launched in 2014 and quickly became a favorite among fans and athletes thanks to its quality technology and exciting colorways.
However, the fruitful business relationship eventually began to sour. In July 2021, Irving accused Nike of excluding him from the design process of his eighth signature shoe.
The following spring, media outlets reported that Nike did not plan to continue Irving's signature line after his contract expired following the 2022-23 NBA season. After a series of controversial remarks in November 2022, Nike suspended its relationship with Irving.
It was one week before the launch of Irving's ninth signature shoe, and stores were instructed to remove new Kyrie merchandise from the floor. Since then, Irving has worn older models from his signature line with the Swoosh logos concealed by black tape with hand-written messages.
Bottom Line
Kyrie Irving debuted the Ethics LG Two basketball shoes before the Dallas Mavericks played the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday night. Irving did not play in the game due to injury but made history by wearing a brand besides Nike. Irving is still a sneaker free agent.
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