Kyrie Irving has a special connection to number 11. It begins with his dad, Drederick Irving, who wore #11 during his basketball career; Kyrie wore it in high school and does now with Brooklyn. The connection extends to a metaphor for balance and harmony (1+1) that resonates with Kyrie, and cascades from there. “K” is the eleventh letter of the alphabet; “Kyrie Irving” is 11 letters; Irving played 11 games at Duke University; he was drafted round 1, pick 1 in the 2011 NBA draft and he surpassed the 11,000 point mark on March 11.
With a nod to Irving’s globetrotting curiosity and 11 cities with special meaning to him, the Nike Kyrie 6 will debut with a Preheat collection of 11 shoes inspired by 11 cities, including Beijing, Berlin, Guangzhou, Houston, Los Angeles, Manila, Miami, New York City, Shanghai, Taipei and Tokyo. Also added is the “Heal To The World” iteration that will be widely available.