A month after Nike suspended its connection with Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving, NBA Insider Shams Charania verified today that the Beaverton-based brand and Irving have agreed to discontinue their association permanently.

Irving’s relationship with The Swoosh, on the other hand, had previously been in jeopardy because the two had yet to agree on a new contract extension after his original pact was slated to expire at the end of the 2022-23 season. Following Irving’s early November posting of a link to a film with anti-Semitic views, the aforementioned decision was accelerated, with the brand announcing – alongside the suspension of their relationship – that the Kyrie 8 shoe would be pulled from store shelves and online product pages, as well as canceling all upcoming marketing efforts surrounding the pair. However, the Nike Kyrie Low 5 was still on the market.

Irving has been under contract with the company since 2011, and his portfolio of silhouettes has produced one of The Swoosh’s most lucrative and successful signature collections in recent memory. But doubts remain about what will become of the Kyrie 8, with predictions ranging from rebranding the silhouette to outright abandoning the pair.

So, what does this imply for the future footwear of the seven-time All-Star and the sports behemoth? It does not appear that major sportswear labels are lining up to collaborate with Kyrie, which opens the door for Kyrie to launch his own KAI brand.’