The relationship between Irving and Nike began in 2014 when the company signed him to a lucrative shoe deal after he left Adidas. However, over time, Kyrie’s controversial statements put a strain on his partnership. The $12.4B rich company finally cut all ties with the NBA champ. While many were expecting Nike to focus on building with a less controversial athlete. The company’s latest release featuring a rising star has received backlash from the fans. 

Nike attempts to shift the focus to their new special signature shoe line for Ja Morant. However, because of the controversy surrounding Kyrie, fans are expressing their strong opinions on the matter.

After terminating Kyrie, Nike releases new Ja sneakers 

Nike’s decision to end ties with Kyrie came after a series of controversies. One incident that sparked it was his alleged anti-Semitic comments while appearing in a live video. It led to public backlash and raised concerns. In yet another incident, he expressed skepticism towards vaccinations. This led to Nike’s decision to terminate the contract and distance itself from the backlash. 

Nike recently released a new sneaker called “Nike Ja 1”. The sneakers, which went viral on Instagram, started fans talking about the new tie-up. 

The excitement surrounding the release was dampened as fans couldn’t help but compare it to Kyrie’s termination and point out that Ja himself has been in controversies recently. 

Fans overshadowed Ja, calling it “zero creativity”

Instead of generating excitement or anticipation, as usual, with any new sneaker release. The reaction to this tie-up was underwhelming. Fans expressed their disappointment in comparison to Kyrie Irving’s previous signature shoes.

One fan tweeted sarcastically, “Nike released Kyrie for this??! 😂😂”. Another expressed dissatisfaction with what they perceived as a lack of creativity in the design itself. “So plain. Zero creativity!”, they commented. 

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Mostly, it wasn’t just about aesthetics for some fans. Fans had deeper concerns. Many pointed out what they saw as double standards by Nike for endorsing athletes who express controversial views.

One user highlighted they dropped Kyrie due to his differing views. And Ja continued receiving support, despite posting gun pictures on social media. “They drop Kyrie because he has different views; they continue to promote Ja for carrying and brandishing guns on social media.” One fan commented.

Another fan humorously remarked, “Them joints bulletproof?”. Despite the backlash, there was a star street baller, ‘the professor’ who liked the shoes, he commented, “I like these🔥🔥🔥”

What do you think about the shoes? Let us know in the comments below.

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