Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving has made changes to his management team by hiring his stepmother, Shetellia Riley Irving to act as his agent, writer for The Athletic Shams Charania has reported.
“Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving has hired Shetellia Riley Irving as his new agent. Shetellia Riley Irving is believed to currently be the only Black woman representing an active NBA player,” Shams Charania tweeted.
Irving’s stepmom who is now his agent currently works as the vice president of ad sales at BET.
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Bleacherreport states that Irving’s appointment of his stepmother as his agent comes at a crucial time for the player who has a $36,647,050 player option for the 2022-23 season. However, he could become a free agent if he declines that option.
Prior to putting his mother in charge as his agent, Irving was managed by Roc Nation and Jeff Wechsler. He first hired Roc Nation in 2019 after moving on from agent Jeff Wechsler.
Irving has appeared in 15 games for Brooklyn this season, according to SI. He has averaged 25.1 points and 5.3 assists per game while shooting 45.9% from the field and 36.6% on three-point attempts.
Irving is among some players who are unvaccinated and because of his status, he can’t play home games in New York, restricting him to playing road games.
“Though mayor Eric Adams lifted Key2NYC vaccine requirements for indoor public spaces, effective March 7, the guard remains ineligible to play at the Barclays Center (or Madison Square Garden) since vaccine requirements for private businesses remain intact,” The Spun reports.
In July 2020, Irving set aside $1.5 million to support WNBA players who opted not to play the rest of the 2020 season in the bubble – be it as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic or to pursue social justice endeavors. On December 10 that year, he also paid off the tuition of nine graduating students at Lincoln University, an HBCU in Pennsylvania.
Irving also donated $323,000 to Feeding America to help provide meals to people impacted by COVID-19 and partnered with City Harvest to donate 250,000 meals across the New York area to help marginalized communities get food.
Just last year, it was reported that he bought a house for the family of George Floyd – the Black man who passed away after a Minneapolis cop was filmed kneeling on his neck for several minutes despite pleading that he could not breathe.
