The best-documented Kyrie Irving logo is Nike’s KI monogram, a compact design built from his initials. It appeared with the KYRIE 1 in 2014. Nike ended its partnership with Irving in December 2022, and his later signature-shoe identity became ANTA’s KAI line.
Kyrie Irving Logo PNG
Meaning and history
A red K graphic sits beside the Nike-era KI monogram. Its labels present them as successive stages, but the earlier graphic’s date and official status are not established here. The documented Nike mark is the interlocking KI monogram associated with Irving’s first signature shoe.
???? – 2014
This archive stage shows a red, angular K-like graphic, with separate vertical and diagonal strokes. It differs from the later KI monogram, which combines two initials in one mark. The image is retained as an archive stage; it does not establish when the graphic was made or whether it was an official Irving identity.
2014 – Today
In July 2014, Complex reported that Nike had filed a trademark for an Irving monogram made from K and I, anticipating a signature shoe (Complex). Nike unveiled the KYRIE 1 in New York on 3 December 2014; ESPN and Sports Business Journal described the KI logo on the shoe and reported Irving as Nike’s 20th basketball signature athlete (ESPN; Sports Business Journal).
The mark is a compact interlocking arrangement of K and I, shown on the KYRIE 1’s tongue. Nike’s release text, reproduced by WearTesters, said the logo “represents his inner strength and hunger to learn.” The same release described “JBY” (“Just Be You”) beneath the logo on the outsole and the shoe’s jagged traction pattern as inspired by the Sydney Opera House. Those statements concern Nike’s shoe and design; they do not establish a typeface or designer for the monogram.
The KI mark appeared during the Nike Kyrie line, which ran through Kyrie 8, marketed as Kyrie Infinity. The Kyrie 7 launched in 2020, and release records trace Kyrie Infinity colourways through late 2022 (Sole Retriever; Sole Retriever model list). The heading “2014 – Today” is an archive label, not a current-use date: Nike ended its partnership with Irving in December 2022, as reported by Sneaker News.
From Nike’s KI to ANTA’s KAI
In July 2023, Irving signed with ANTA and became Chief Creative Officer of ANTA Basketball, according to Front Office Sports and Hypebeast. ANTA’s KAI 1 “Artist On Court” launched in March 2024. Trade coverage credits its design to footwear design director Jared Subawon and its graphic codes to ANTA senior graphic designer Astin Davis (Sole Retriever). KAI belongs to this later ANTA signature line; it is a separate identity, not a documented continuation of Nike’s KI monogram.
Disclaimer
This article is part of the educational resources provided by Logo Index, an independent archive covering logos, visual identities and graphic design history. Kyrie Irving and associated trademarks and brand assets remain the property of their respective rights holders where applicable.
