"Moorish Liberation" is Kyrie Irving's New Message
The Brooklyn Nets were the hottest team in the NBA throughout December and early January. However, since Kevin Durant went down with a knee injury, Brooklyn has dropped four straight games.
During Thursday night's losing effort to the Phoenix Suns, Kyrie Irving scored 30 points and tested out a new message. Since Nike cut ties with Irving in December, the controversial point guard has worn older models from his signature line with black tape concealing the Swoosh logos.
Most of the recurring themes in Irving's sneaker messaging revolve around liberation and freedom. His shoes last night once again struck a familiar tone. Irving wore the Nike Kyrie 6 in the 'Asia Irving' colorway with two handwritten messages.
On the lateral side of the right shoe, Irving wrote, "Moorish Liberation." On the medial side of the left shoe, Irving wrote, "Helia." As always, we had to do some research to learn more about the messages Irving is sending.
Nike Kyrie 6
A detailed look at Kyrie Irving's shoes.
© Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Irving converted to Islam earlier in his career and is likely referencing the Moors. According to Wikipedia, Moors are not distinct or self-defined people. The term carries a somewhat derogatory connotation and has been variously applied to different groups of Muslims.
While we are way outside of our depth discussing world history, we can discuss the shoes Irving wore during last night's game. The Nike Kyrie 6 'Asia' colorway was released in July 2020 for $130.
The black, bone and purple shoes were designed in collaboration with Irving's sister, Asia. The shoe features "Year of the Woman" branding, a nod to gender equality. Asia’s name is also stitched into the midfoot strap and the tongue of the right shoe.
Nike is done creating any merchandise for Irving, which leaves a lot of fans and athletes without their favorite shoes. The silver lining for fans of Irving's footwear is that most of his shoes are being sold for half-price on Nike's website. Now is the perfect time for fans of the All-Star guard to purchase his shoes at a discounted rate before they are gone forever.
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