Kyrie Irving signs deal with Chinese sports brand ANTA after split with Nike

July 12 (UPI) -- Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving partnered with Chinese sports brand ANTA for a new signature product line, the company announced Wednesday. The move comes seven months after his split with Nike.

"I'm incredibly excited about this collaboration," Irving said in a news release. "The first step in becoming partners is to share the same dreams, goals and missions.

Irving will serve as ANTA Basketball's chief operating officer and 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 his signature brand, ANTA said.

Irving's ANTA product line will be available worldwide. His first ANTA on-court signature shoes and other footwear will be released in 2024.

Irving, an eight-time All-Star, averaged 27.1 points, 5.5 assists and 5.1 rebounds per game last season. He started the season with the Brooklyn Nets, but was traded to the Mavericks in February.

The three-time All-NBA selection and 2016 NBA Finals champion signed a deal with Nike before becoming the No. 1 overall pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2011 NBA Draft.

The sportswear behemoth created Irving's first signature shoe in 2014. Nike cut ties with Irving in December after he posted a link on Twitter to a film that featured anti-Semitic sentiments. Irving did not immediately apologize when asked about it at a news conference.

Nike, which said it was "deeply saddened by the situation," first announced a suspension of its deal with Irving, saying "there is no place for hate speech and we condemn any form of anti-Semitism."

A month later, the company said it "mutually" parted ways with the NBA star. Irving, who was briefly suspended by the Nets, went on to apologize for his actions, saying he is "not anti-Semitic."

ANTA also will launch "ANTA x KYRIE" youth basketball training camps in China and the United States as part of the partnership.

The Chinese company, headquartered in Xiamen, was launched in 1991. Klay Thompson, Gordon Hayward and Kevon Looney are among other NBA spokesmen for the brand.