Kyrie Irving hides swoosh on sneakers following termination of Nike contract

Benyam Kidane

Kyrie Irving hides swoosh on sneakers following termination of Nike contract image

It's been a turbulent few weeks for Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving, who delivered his best game since returning from suspension, torching the Charlotte Hornets for 33 points in their 122-116 win at Barclays Center. 

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Irving, who missed eight games after sharing a link to a documentary on Twitter featuring anti-semitic messaging, was this week also dropped by Nike, bringing an end to his relationship with the brand that released seven signature sneakers under his name during their partnership.

"At Nike, we believe there is no place for hate speech and we condemn any form of antisemitism," the company said in a statement. "We are deeply saddened and disappointed by the situation and its impact on everyone."

Despite no longer being with the brand, on Wednesday night Irving took to the court wearing a pair of his Kyrie 3 sneakers, covering up the Nike swoosh with black tape and his own hand-written message.

Emblazoned on his right shoe was the message "I am free" and "Thank you God... I am" with his left shoe reading "Logo Here."

The 30-year-old shared a similar message on Twitter following the announcement from Nike.

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He followed that up with a message to his fans, writing on Twitter: “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.”

It's unclear what's next for the sneaker free agent, however, Nike has moved quickly to fill the vacancy, with The Athletic's Shams Charania reporting that Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant is in line to receive a new signature sneaker with Nike in the near future. 

Benyam Kidane

Benyam Kidane Photo

Benyam Kidane is a senior NBA editor and has been covering the league for The Sporting News since 2016. In his spare time you can find him watching Allen Iverson highlights on repeat.