LOS ANGELES, July 12, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- On July 11th, ANTA ("ANTA Sports", stock code: 2020.HK), the Chinese sports brand announced a partnership with American basketball superstar Kyrie Irving, eight-time All-Star player and the league champion in 2016. The two parties will embark on a new business collaboration, aiming to create a brand-new signature product line for Irving.
Going from being named the league's Rookie of the Year to being crowned the Most Valuable Player of the All-Star Game; from delivering a thrilling clutch shot with only 53 seconds remaining in Game 7 of the Finals to achieving the impressive feat of scoring 60 points in a single game, Kyrie Irving's unwavering and genuine love for basketball has always been at the core of his on-court performance as well as the key to his remarkable accomplishments. This deep passion for the game perfectly aligns with ANTA, who has been deeply involved in the basketball industry for years. Whether it's his exceptional performances on-court or his present collaboration with ANTA, Irving always gives it his all as he continues enriching his basketball career. With this collaboration, both parties will focus on their love for basketball and uphold the concept of "The Love for Basketball is Equally Shared" by ANTA. They will also tap into their respective strengths from diverse fields to support every basketball enthusiast and jointly promote the development of basketball culture.
ANTA and Kyrie Irving are embarking on an exciting new business collaboration. As a new member of the ANTA family, Kyrie Irving will not only actively serve as ANTA Basketball's Chief Creative Officer, but he will also seek to recruit basketball players, independent brands, influential figures in pop culture, artists, musicians, pioneers in environmentalism, trailblazers in humanitarianism and designers to also collaborate with him to create additional product lines under Kyrie's signature line. Through these collaborations and in collaboration with Anta, Kyrie will strive to collectively shape and introduce new vision, innovation and creativity in signature sportswear category.
ANTA will leverage its extensive global resources to craft and manufacture Kyrie Irving's signature product line and make it available worldwide.
Also, ANTA will launch the 'ANTA x KYRIE Youth Basketball Training Camps' in China as well as in the U.S. to jointly support the development and promotion of basketball and its culture.
"I'm incredibly excited about this collaboration. The first step in becoming partners is to share the same dreams, goals, and missions. ANTA's rapid development over the years, openness to creativity, willingness to embrace family and teamwork, expertise in areas like product innovation and manufacturing processes have left a remarkable impression on not just me, but also my A11Even team who will work side by side with me in creating something truly generationally special," remarked Kyrie Irving when addressing the partnership. "Being appointed as ANTA Basketball's Chief Creative Officer is more than just a realization of my dreams; in fact, it may be the perfect opportunity for me, an individual who always dreams big and values independent thinking, to leverage my artistic talents to build, create, and unify the culture both on and off court."
"It is our genuine love for basketball that brought Kyrie and ANTA together, a love that transcends age, gender, race and backgrounds," said Mr. Xu Yang, CEO of ANTA, when discussing the partnership. "We believe this collaboration will create a fusion of Chinese and Western cultures and bring more vitality and creativity for us to continuously push the boundaries and explore the infinite possibilities at the intersection of basketball and culture. ANTA will also play a pivotal role in helping Kyrie Irving articulate his basketball philosophy and convey his unwavering passion for life and art through the products. Together, we will continue to advance our efforts in supporting the development and promotion of basketball and its culture, never ceasing our passion and love for the game of basketball.
Kyrie Irving's inaugural on-court signature shoes and lifestyle footwear will be unveiled in the first quarter of 2024, with the full range of products set to hit the market simultaneously.
About ANTA
ANTA was established in China in the 1990s. As a leading sports brand in China, ANTA has always been committed to providing consumers with functional, professional and technology-driven sports products across a diverse range of sporting categories, from popular sports such as running, cross-fit, basketball, and others, to professional and niche sports.
ANTA has been deeply involved in the basketball industry for years. With a rich product lineup, ANTA is able to provide basketball enthusiasts with professional and reliable basketball equipment.
In addition, ANTA possesses a star-studded spokesperson lineup including all-star players such as Klay Thompson, Gordon Hayward, and promising young talents such as Kevon Looney, Terance Mann, Daniel Gafford, Precious Achiuwa, Hamidou Diallo.
Meanwhile, ANTA has been holding its grassroots basketball event for 7 consecutive years in over a hundred cities, successfully conveying the brand's concept of "The Love for Basketball is Equally Shared" through a series of matches, events, and merchandise. Together with ANTA, basketball enthusiasts in China will witness the power of grassroots movement in basketball.
