Ten months removed from suffering an ACL tear, Kyrie Irving took to the floor Tuesday night to workout prior to his Dallas Mavericks’ game against the Sacramento Kings. The appearance suggests he may be close to playing again, but the bigger news is what was on his feet.
Irving debuted the Anta Kai 3, his third signature sneaker from the Chinese footwear brand. While the performance specs are still unknown, images posted to the point guard’s Instagram account show a brand-new look for the sneaker.
An oversize Anta logo carries over from the upper to the midsole, the latter element of which features two distinct halves and more organic lines than its direct predecessor, the Kai 2. The upper two eyelets sit in a robust eyestay likely to help with lockdown, and embellished stitching connects the heel panel to what appears to be an engineered mesh upper. Irving’s Anta logo also appears here along with a few smaller embellishments and rears its head again on the tongue.
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The addition of Irving has been a major boon to Anta, which StockX reported as its fastest-growing brand in all of 2024. This trend continued with a 51 percent increase in Anta sales over the first half of 2025 compared to the same period in the year prior.
Irving’s Anta line consists of his two signature basketball sneakers, as well as a lighter and lower-cut version of the first called the Kai 1 Speed and the Tribe, a lifestyle model influenced by retro skate shoes.
The Anta Kai 3 Year of the Horse is expected to release Jan. 17, although it’s not yet clear if that colorway is the one worn by Irving Tuesday night. Pricing is set at $125.
