Kyrie Irving's hypocrisy sticks out like sore thumb as shoe deal linked with Uyghur genocide: What we know so far
Over the past few years, Kyrie Irving has prided himself on being someone that speaks out for the less fortunate. That said, some of his recent actions have led to him being seen as a hypocrite.
Last season, Nike parted ways with Kyrie Irving following some of his social media activity. The All-Star guard went some time without a shoe deal, but then eventually landed a new sneaker deal. Irving has since signed with ANTA.
Along with securing a sneaker deal, Irving has also landed a big time role within the company. Part of the contract stipulates he is the Chief Creative Officer for ANTA as well.
While Irving is attempting to build back his image, this move might be making things worse for him. In the past, ANTA has been connected to claims of forced labor.
As a pro athlete that stands up for social justice issues, Irving is now being viewed as a hypocrite. The report from Rolling Stone stated they tried to reach out to the Dallas Mavericks star but he did not respond to their questions.
Kyrie Irving used to the be the "voice for the voiceless"
The main reason why Kyrie Irving is being viewed as a hyporcite now is because of his previous actions and statements. During the 2022 season, he went through an entire ordeal to stick up for something he thought was right.
As the NBA slowly got back to normal following the COVID-19 pandemic, Irving was the center of controversy regarding the vaccine. The them Brooklyn Nets guard refused to take the vaccine, which led to him not being able to play. Due to New York City mandates at the time, Irving was unable to join his team in home games. Despite being fully healthy, he only ended up playing in 29 games that season.
When Irving spoke about not getting the vaccine, he did it for those that lost their jobs for the same reason. The former No. 1 pick called himself the "voice of the voiceless" as he stood up for what he thought was right.
Fast forward to now, and Irving no longer seems to care about standing up for others. Instead of walking away from a deal with ANTA because of their past, he signed on to be one of their sponsored athletes. What makes it worse is that he even has a large role within the company beyond his shoe deal.
Kyrie Irving may have wanted to fix his image, but this is a step in the wrong direction.