Nike, Brooklyn Nets Sour On Unvaccinated Irving’s Long-term Future

Kyrie Irving, Brooklyn Nets’ basketball player is in danger of losing his lucrative Nike Nike contract. ESPN reported that Nike is unlikely to extend Irving’s signature shoe deal beyond the 2022-23 season due to “uncertainties surrounding his NBA future.” Also, the Nets are non-committal on giving the seven-time all-star a long-term contract. 

Nike has had a long relationship with Irving, and Irving’s basketball shoes have been a top seller. The highly skilled guard was caught by woke vaccine nuts in New York City and Canada in the 2021-22 NBA seasons. He was not allowed to participate in playoff or road games. Both he and Nike look set for divorce. 

Nike is planning to release a new Irving KAI11 signature shoe this fall, though Irving has not approved it because he thinks it is “trash.” He later said he’s trying to work out differences with Nike, but it appears their relationship is expected to end anyway. 

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne wrote, “The turbulence surrounding Irving — which includes the Nets’ noncommittal stance on negotiating a long-term contract — has included several episodes in the past two years.  

For much of the NBA season, Irving remained unvaccinated against the coronavirus and inactive because of New York City mandates.” Could the Nets’ cold feet on a long-term contract indicate the NBA still isn’t willing to relax its ridiculous vaccination rules? 

Who caused COVID-related turbulence in America’s workplaces? Many employees were threatened by the government and corporates taking a vaccine-or-get-loss attitude. This despite a 98.8-percent survival rate of COVID sufferers.  

In October, Irving said he is not anti-vaccine, but he needed to do what he felt is right for himself.  

LeBron James who is an enabler of human rights violations, and Nike are not going to end ties with him. James has refused to condemn China. If Irving took the jab today and removed “China” from his vocabulary, would he be on the outs with Nike and the Nets? It’s doubtful. Irving was allowed to participate in the Nets’ relaxed vaccination policy in time for Irving to be able to play in 29 and 4 playoff games, averaging 27.3 points per game.  

Irving, who isn’t a co-founder of COVID, seems not to have been mentioned. That’s the 800-pound gorilla in the living room.