The Nike brand is parting ways with NBA star Kyrie Irving. In October, the leader of the Brooklyn Nets shared an anti-Semitic film on Twitter. At first, the basketball player had refused to apologize.
The film shared at the end of October by Kyrie Irving to its 4.7 million subscribers is full of anti-Semitic stereotypes. He goes so far as to deny the Holocaust and broadcast quotes from Adolf Hitler, reports our correspondent in Miami, David Thomson.
After posting this link on Twitter, the leader of the Brooklyn Nets had been sanctioned by his club: eight match suspension without pay. His team ended up allowing his return but imposing a public apology on him to the Jewish community.
” There’s nothing more precious than being free »
But for his sponsor Nike, no return possible with this basketball player elected seven times NBA-All Star Game [chaque joueur sélectionné au moins une fois au match NBA All-Star Game reçoit le qualificatif de All-Star NDLR], and who had won an NBA title in 2016. The equipment manufacturer breaks its contract with this 30-year-old athlete born in Australia. ” Kyrie Irving is no longer a Nike athlete “, repeat the brand’s communication services on all American media.
Kyrie Irving opened up about his split from Nike on Twitter, saying “ Anyone who spent their hard earned money on any of my products, I consider you family and we are forever bonded “. He also shared a gif that reads: “ There’s nothing more precious than being free “.
Anyone who has even spent their hard earned money on anything I have ever released, I consider you FAMILY and we are forever connected.
it’s time to show how powerful we are as a community.??♾
— Hey (@KyrieIrving) December 5, 2022
A decision announced in the wake of a another antisemitic scandal in the United States: the one triggered by rapper Kanye West, expelled from Twitter for having shared a swastika and having delivered an apology for Adolphe Hilter on a conspiracy site, and this just after being invited to dinner by the Former United States President Donald Trump at his private residence in Florida.