Stunning Details of Kyrie Irving's Deal With ANTA Come to Light After Nike Exit

Kyrie Irving’s move from Nike to ANTA has brought a new financial benefit to his signature shoe business. The Dallas Mavericks guard reportedly earns double-digit sales from his ANTA signature shoes. This is much higher than the around 5% royalty that many signature athletes receive.

According to a HoopsHype report that cited The Athletic and people in the footwear industry, Irving’s ANTA deal offered less guaranteed money than his Nike contract.

However, it gave him a better chance to earn more if his shoes sold well. This makes his ANTA deal very different from his old Nike partnership.

For example, if a shoe line makes $100 million in sales, a 5% royalty would give an athlete $5 million. A 10% royalty would give them $10 million. These figures are only examples. Irving’s exact royalty rate and total shoe sales remain unknown.

The report also said Irving has two years left on his ANTA contract. The two sides have discussed extending their deal, but they have not reached an agreement yet.

ANTA announced its partnership with Irving in July 2023 after his Nike deal ended. According to the company’s official announcement, Kyrie Irving became ANTA Basketball’s Chief Creative Officer.

The deal involves more than just wearing ANTA shoes during games. The company said Irving would work with basketball players, designers, artists, musicians, and other creative people to develop new products. ANTA also planned to sell his signature shoes in international markets.

Irving’s first ANTA signature basketball shoe, the KAI 1, came out in March 2024. Since then, the partnership has grown to include more basketball shoes and lifestyle footwear.

According to Fashion Dive's January 2025 report, Kyrie Irving’s KAI 1 shoes helped ANTA increase its sales on StockX by 1,901% compared to the previous year.

Why did Irving's Nike partnership end?

The move by Kyrie Irving to ANTA came after his long partnership with Nike ended. According to an Associated Press report published by NBA.com, Irving had worked with Nike since 2011. His first signature shoe with the company came out in 2014.

The partnership faced a major problem when Kyrie Irving shared a link to a film that contained antisemitic material. Nike suspended its partnership with him in November. In December 2022, the company confirmed that Irving was no longer a Nike athlete.

Nike made this decision just days before the planned release of the Kyrie 8. The company cancelled the shoe’s release. Nike co-founder Phil Knight also expressed doubts about repairing the relationship.

CBS News, citing Sportico, reported that Irving earned around $11 million per year from his Nike deal. However, the full contract details, including his exact royalty rate, were never made public.

Irving’s reported ANTA deal offers a different way to earn money. His Nike contract reportedly gave him more guaranteed money, while his ANTA deal could help him earn more if his shoes sell well.

The partnership also gives Irving a bigger role in designing products and building the brand. His signature shoe line continues to grow, and both sides have already discussed a possible contract extension. Their next agreement could play an important role in the future of the partnership.

However, the exact value of Irving’s ANTA deal remains unknown. The reported double-digit royalty gives us an idea of how the contract works, but it does not reveal his total earnings from the partnership.