NBA star Kyrie Irving with the San Beda Red Lions during his visit to Jakarta, Indonesia as part of The Return World Tour. Photo from ANTA IndonesiaMANILA — A global sportswear brand is working on bringing NBA star Kyrie Irving to the Philippines.
ANTA Philippines General Manager JP Paglinawan recently revealed that they are acting on making the Manila visit of Irving a reality, sharing that it is already an "open secret."
"We're working towards getting Kyrie to the Philippines by next year, 2027," said Paglinawan, as the brand also unveiled its new headquarters in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.
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Irving earlier expressed his desire to visit the basketball crazy country during his Jakarta trip as part of The Return World Tour last June 30.
He has a famous shoe line with the brand, named ANTA KAI.
Aside from basketball-focused projects, Paglinawan also shared that they are tapping the rising demographic of pickleball.
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"We're working on new product developments, specifically on the racket side. You already see badminton in ANTA stores. Next, you'll see pickleball, padel. That's the progression," he said.
"We want to bring sports to everyone," added Paglinawan. "That's our mission, to serve aspiring athletes."