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Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Big Kyrie Irving Announcement Made After Mavericks' Disastrous Season Ends
Mother's Day is less than two weeks away, and Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving is unconventionally honoring his late mother. A "Mother's Day" colorway for his ANTA KAI 2 will arrive on May 3. His mother's name, "Elizabeth," appears on the left shoe. The right shoe will honor Sneaker Room CEO Suraj Kaufman's mother, Ellen. Advertisement Irving's mother passed in 1996 due to complications from sepsis syndrome, an inflammatory condition associated with infections. Kyrie was only four years old at the time of her passing. The 33-year-old was born in Melbourne, Australia. His father, Drederick Irving, played professional basketball in the South East Australian Basketball League at the time of Kyrie's birth. Drederick, along with his aunts, helped to raise Kyrie. Anta Sports Products Limited, a Chinese sports equipment company, makes the ANTA KAI 2. It is the world's largest sports equipment company by revenue. K.A.I. are Irving's initials, and they stand for Kyrie Andrew Irving. His partnership with Anta Sports began in September 2023 after he began his NBA career with a shoe deal with Nike. Advertisement A nine-time NBA All-Star and NBA champion, Irving is one of a handful of players to make the 50-40-90 club during the 2020-21 season. The numbers signify when a player has a 50% field goal percentage, 40% three-point field goal percentage and 90% free throw percentage while meeting the minimum thresholds to qualify as a league leader in each category. Kyrie Irving of the Dallas Mavericks talks to media members during the NBA All Star-Practice.© Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images Other NBA players to accomplish this feat are Larry Bird (twice), Mark Price, Reggie Miller, Steve Nash (four times), Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Durant (twice), Stephen Curry and Malcolm Brogdon. Irving has played his last three seasons with the Dallas Mavericks. This season, he averaged 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.3 steals per game. Dallas endured a difficult 2024-25 season, finishing with a 39-43 record. The franchise missed out on the first round of the playoffs after losing in the play-in round to the Memphis Grizzlies. Advertisement Related: ESPN Reveals Three Landing Spots for Cooper Flagg Before NBA Draft Related: Exciting Mavericks News Revealed Amid NBA Playoffs
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Kyrie Irving's KAI 2 'Dallas' Colorway Release Date Revealed
Even though Kyrie Irving won't be back until next year, the Dallas Mavericks guard still has fans excited with his projects and activities off the court. Irving has been in the headlines recently for a variety of reasons. After the Mavericks beat the Sacramento Kings in the NBA Play-In Tournament on Wednesday, he was among the first to react and celebrate the team's victory. Advertisement It has also been revealed that the Mavericks are planning to sign Irving to a three-year deal soon. The one-time champion has a $44 million player option for 2025-26, and Dallas reportedly hopes to "rip up" that option and give him a new contract. Aside from those updates, though, Irving also has some news on the business end. Apparently, he's going to release a new colorway for his Anta KAI 2 that pays tribute to the Mavericks and the city of Dallas. Kyrie Irving of the Dallas Mavericks talks to media members during the NBA All Star-Practice.© Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images According to a press release from Anta, the latest iteration of Irving's signature kicks—called the KAI 2 "Dallas"—is set to come out on April 19. Advertisement The pair features the iconic blue and white colors associated with the Mavericks, complemented by a "bold splash of retro yellow" that "adds a '90s twist." According to Anta, the color yellow pays "homage to the golden era of basketball and the electric energy that still pulses through Dallas today." "The sneaker's gradient blue midsole flows like Maverick-blue blood, symbolizing the strength, unity and loyalty that defines both Kyrie's game and the city he now represents," Anta further stated. A notable aspect of the sneaker is the spiral pattern on the insole, which is a nod to Thanksgiving Square, a prominent architectural landmark in Dallas. This detail, per Anta, fuses "heritage with high performance." After parting ways with Nike, Irving signed a deal with the Chinese brand in 2023. The KAI 2 "Dallas" is the third colorway in this signature line and will be available for purchase on Anta's website and select retailers. Related: Kyrie Irving Sends Strong Message to Mavericks After Play-In Win
