NBA star Kyrie Irving is collaborating with sportswear brand ANTA to provide full uniforms to 14 schools across the country. The KAI x ANTA collection will be offered to schools across New Jersey, California and Texas. Paul Quinn College, which is the oldest HBCU in Texas, will also benefit from the collaboration.
Kyrie Irving and ANTA signed as a three-year partnership
The partnership, which was announced on Nov. 14, will provide men’s and women’s teams with full uniforms, including jerseys, sneakers and warm-ups. The teams will receive pairs of KAI 1s and KAI 2s, Irving’s sneaker collaboration with ANTA. Products part of the collaboration will feature colorways such as Crown Jewel, Mentality, Retro 90’s and Klay.
“These are not just uniforms. They represent connection, identity and a shared purpose among the next generation of hoopers,” ANTA shared in a press release. “Kyrie is passing down a legacy and inviting young athletes into a growing tribe built on respect, passion and unity.”
The collaboration will sponsor 11 educational programs in New Jersey: West Orange High School, Orange High School, East Orange Campus High School, Columbia High School, Payne Tech High School, Plainfield High School, Teaneck High School, Roosevelt Middle School, Edison Middle School, Liberty Middle School and West Orange Junior Mountaineers Travel Team.
It will also sponsor the boys-only DNA Prep Academy in Chatsworth, Legion Prep Academy in Dallas and Paul Quinn College.
“This isn’t your ordinary sneaker drop,” the HBCU wrote in an Instagram post. “@NBA legend @KyrieIrving from the @DallasMavs will outfit the entire @PQCMBB and @PaulQuinn_WBB teams with brand new @AntaSportsOfficial shoes and apparel for the next three years!”
“Thank you, Kyrie, for investing in our student-athletes and believing in the power of community,” it added.
The ANTA collaboration reflects Kyrie Irving’s own journey
Irving grew up in New Jersey and currently plays in Texas, which is why the brand chose to expand the sponsorship to these states. ANTA also targeted California as it is expanding its presence in the state.
Irving ended his contract with Nike in 2022 and joined ANTA the next year, where he took on the role of Chief Creative Officer of ANTA Basketball, according to HBCU Gameday. There, he has helped shape the sportswear brand’s design direction, storytelling and cultural reach.
Sponsoring Paul Quinn College is significant as it puts the spotlight on a historic institution that competes in the NAIA’s Red River Athletic Conference and outside the NCAA. Founded in 1872, the HBCU is one of the oldest in the country and the oldest in Texas.