Nike said Monday it has parted ways with Kyrie Irving after the NBA star sparked a firestorm by posting a link to an antisemitic film.
The sponsorship deal came under pressure last month, when the sportswear giant suspended its relationship with the Brooklyn Nets' point guard. "Kyrie Irving is no longer a Nike athlete," a spokesman for the company said.
That came after the team suspended Irving for at least five games citing his "failure to disavow antisemitism" either on social media or in meetings with reporters.
Irving had been under scrutiny since a social media post in which he offered a link to the film "Hebrews to Negroes: Wake up Black America" - a 2018 film widely condemned for containing a range of antisemitic tropes.
The Nets suspended him indefinitely on Nov. 3 due to his conduct on social media, but allowed his to return following an eight-game suspension.
Irving told reporters three weeks ago that he regretted his actions.
"I don't stand for anything close to hate speech, or antisemitism, or anything that is anti going against the human race," Irving said. "I feel like we all should have an opportunity to speak for ourselves when things are assumed about us. And I feel it was necessary for me to stand in this place and take accountability for my actions because there was a way I should have handled all of this."