With success comes controversy. Especially for a major company like Nike. In late October of 2022, NBA star Kyrie Irving posted a link to an anitsemitic film to his Twitter account. Although he later apologized to “all Jewish families and communities that are hurt and affected from [his] post”, he was suspended a week later by the Brooklyn Nets and by Nike. As one of Nike’s brightest stars and having one of the most recognized shoe lines since they debuted in 2014, it came as a shock to all that the company not only suspended him but later announced that they were cutting all ties with Irving. His newest shoe, the Kyrie 8, was also no longer released. After the dust settled, it was clear that this was the best possible solution for all parties. However, this is not the first time Nike (and other major brands) have dealt with situations like this. Similarly, Kanye West was suspended by Adidas for making antisemitic comments.

Nike released a statement saying they “believe there is no place for hate speech and we condemn any form of antisemitism.” In a situation like this one, they handled it as best they could. By gathering the facts then clearly stating their company values and communicating their decision, they were transparent with their stance on the issue and the future of Irving’s status with the company. Since then, Nike has stood on their values while Irving returned to the Nets a few weeks later and apologized for his statements every time he was asked about them.

A full timeline of the situation can be found in this article by The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/article/kyrie-irving-antisemitic.html.