The NBA’s Kyrie Irving has turned his career on the basketball court into a family affair with his latest move, reports AfroTech. The Brroklyn Nets player has onboarded Shetellia Riley Irving, his stepmom, as his new agent. Irving’s switch-up reportedly makes her the only Black woman representing an active NBA player, according to sports reporter Shams Charania.
Shetellia has replaced Roc Nation and Jeff Wechsler, Irving’s former representation. The new NBA agent is currently BET’s VP of Ad Sales, according to the Bleacher Report. With Irving’s decision to choose his $36,647,050 player option for the 2022-23 season or to become a free agent, Shetellia is set to play a key role in whichever shot he calls.
The historic news isn’t Irving’s first instance of betting on Black women in sports.
He teamed up with WNBA players Natasha Cloud and Jewell Loyd to discuss whether or not they’d play in the 2020 season. To support, Irving gave $1.5 million from his KAI Empowerment Initiative to WNBA players who opted out of playing.
“Whether a person decided to fight for social justice, play basketball, focus on physical or mental health, or simply connect with their families, this initiative can hopefully support their priorities and decisions,” Irving expressed in a statement.
