Getting mired in a scandal and dumped by Nike Inc. hasn’t stood in the way of NBA star Kyrie Irving remaining a presence in the shoe market.

China’s biggest sportswear maker Anta Sports Products Ltd., which signed the Dallas Mavericks guard to a five-year deal after Nike severed ties with him, was the fastest-growing sneaker brand on resale marketplace StockX in 2024, with year-over-year growth of over 1,900%, according to new data from the platform. 

That spike was driven by the debut of Irving’s shoe in March, the Kai 1, a performance basketball sneaker that retails for $125. It accounts for three out of every four Anta sales on StockX and resells for a 20% premium on average, at $150 a pair. It’s by far the best-selling Anta product on the platform, with an all-black version as its most popular.

Though Anta isn’t widely distributed in North America through domestic retailers, its products are available in the US through its online shop.

Nike, with its robust lineup of basketball superstars that includes LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo, ended its relationship with Irving and scrapped plans for new shoe designs in late 2022 amid an antisemitism controversy. 

In addition to having his name on a signature line of shoes at Anta, Irving is also chief creative officer.

Anta has been pushing further into basketball in an effort to steal market share from Western incumbents such as Nike and Adidas AG through deals with stars like Irving and his Mavericks teammate Klay Thompson. Anta’s 2023 revenue of CHY62.36 billion (about $8.5 billion) was nearly the size of Puma SE.

Earlier this month, Anta signed three more NBA athletes to shoe deals, adding Mavericks center Daniel Gafford, Los Angeles Clippers forward Derrick Jones Jr. and Caris LeVert of the Cleveland Cavaliers.