Kyrie Ir
ving is a number one overall pick, a two-time All-Star, a three point contest champion, and he plays alongside the best player in the world. Now, Irving has catapulted his name into stardom for good with the release of his first signature shoe from Nike, the “Kyrie 1”.
Still only 22 and just starting his fourth year in the NBA, he’s still actually on his rookie contract. After signing a new max contract extension worth five years and $90 million with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the return of LeBron James and the arrival of Kevin Love to The Land, you would think Irving has had enough good news for one year.
However, that isn’t the case, and shouldn’t be. He was also the starting point guard for Team USA at the FIBA World Cup that won a gold medal this past September in Spain.
Kyrie, or KI, is solidifying his status as one of the best young point guards in the league, and is quickly climbing that ladder. Wednesday marked the release of his first signature shoe as a pro. Jim Ice of RWTW with LeBron James, posted this photo to Instagram.
What you can’t quite see in this photo is the back of the shoe, above the heel, is detailed with spikes. On the side sole on the inside and out of the shoe, you’ll notice the zig-zag pattern. Which, quite honestly, looks like shark teeth to me, but that’s just me.
A closer look at the shoe and the video can be seen here.
LeBron James was in attendance for the release of his teammate’s first shoe, which was hosted by Kenny Smith, Penny Hardaway and Sir Charles Barkley. He posted this to his Instagram Wednesday.
“At my boy @k1irving signature shoe launch in NYC! Congrats homie and welcome to the signature family!!@nikebasketball #Nike #NoOneDoesItBetter #WeAreTheBest #StriveForGreatness
S/O Kenny Smith, Sir Charles and Penny on the panel as well.”
Also at the release was teammate and Tristan Thompson, who was drafted the same year by Cleveland at fourth overall in the 2011 NBA Draft. He shared this photo on his Instagram.
“Extremely proud of my brother @k1irving for the release of his signature sneaker. There’s nobody who is more deserving than this guy, and this is another pillar added to his success. And for the record, I already told him I need a pair in every color lol. #DraftBrothers #NikeFamily #TheJourneyContinues”, Thompson said about his pal Irving.
The color ways include red/black/yellow, with red or black as the main feature on the sneaker. On Nike’s website when the shoe is released, you can also customize the colors yourself. Kyrie’s logo, the “K” and “I” that are intertwined, appear on the sole and the tongue, with his signature on the inside of the tongue.
The shoes will go on sale starting December 23rd, just in time for Christmas. Thanks Kyrie, I know one gift I’ll be grabbing for sure.