Photo: Mavs' Kyrie Irving to Honor His Parents with KAI 1 Speed Shoes in NBA Finals
June 6, 2024
Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving chose to honor his parents with the custom sneakers he wore to the 2024 NBA Finals, according to footwear industry reporter Nick DePaula.
Irving debuted a custom KAI 1 Speed "Twin Flame" shoe to Thursday's Game 1 against the Boston Celtics, DePaula reported.
Nick DePaula @NickDePaulaAs Kyrie Irving returns to Boston, the "Twin Flame" KAI 1 Speed theme celebrates his parents meeting at Boston University, where Drederick played basketball and Elizabeth played volleyball.<br><br>The toe embroidery honors Elizabeth's Native American heritage. <a href="https://t.co/S33Zl4rbmw">https://t.co/S33Zl4rbmw</a> <a href="https://t.co/4eCfJYQaFe">pic.twitter.com/4eCfJYQaFe</a>
Irving's father Drederick Irving worked with designers to help create the shoe, DePaula reported.
Game 1 of the Finals tips off at 8:30 p.m. ET in Boston.
The Athletic's Shams Charania reported Tuesday that Irving had become the first professional athlete to sign his father to a shoe deal by making him a signature athlete for his line.
"This shoe reflects who Kyrie and I are as one," Drederick Irving said in a video unboxing the ANTA KAI 1 Speed.
Nick DePaula @NickDePaulaKyrie Irving's father Dred unboxes the new ANTA KAI 1 Speed ahead of its <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAFinals?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAFinals</a> debut.<br><br>"This shoe reflects who Kyrie and I are, as one." <a href="https://t.co/h9sn5Q7OAN">pic.twitter.com/h9sn5Q7OAN</a>
DePaula reported that the shoes' theme was created in honor of Drederick Irving and his late wife, Elizabeth, meeting at Boston University.
Drederick Irving played basketball for Boston from 1984 to 1988, and was inducted into the BU Athletic Hall of Fame in 1995, according to BU alumni magazine Bostonia.
Elizabeth Irving (née Larson) was a standout high school athlete who went on to also play basketball as well as volleyball for BU.
The embroidery on the shoe's toe is designed to honor her Native American roots, as her birth mother was Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, per DePaula and The Washington Post's Tim Bontemps.
The company plans to release the new model to U.S. retailers starting in September, DePaula reported.
Irving signed a five-year deal with ANTA in 2023 after Nike cut ties with the athlete in 2022.
He has averaged 22.8 points and 5.2 assists through 17 postseason games to combine with Luka Dončić as the backcourt powering the Mavericks to their third Finals appearance in franchise history.
