Nike suspended its sponsorship deal with Brooklyn Nets player Kyrie Irving after he promoted a documentary on Twitter that contained anti-Semitic material.
Irving, 30, later apologized, saying he was “learning” from what happened.
Nike said it was “deeply saddened and disappointed by the situation”.
Irving’s deal with Nike, which began in 2014, would be $11m (£9.6m) a year according to Forbes.
Nike, which also canceled its upcoming branded shoe release with Irving, said in a statement: “At Nike, we believe there is no place for hate speech and we condemn any form of hate speech. anti-Semitism.
“To that end, we have made the decision to suspend our relationship with Kyrie Irving with immediate effect and to no longer launch the Kyrie 8.”
The Nets, without Irving, beat the Washington Wizards 128-86 on Friday to secure their third win of the season, with the victory coming at the end of a week that also saw the franchise sacrificed. head coach Steve Nash.
Kevin Durant stepped up in Irving’s absence, leading Brooklyn with 28 points, plus nine rebounds and 11 assists.
“Let’s put the joy back in basketball,” Nets owner Joe Tsai said in a tweet after the win.
Dollars make 8-0
Elsewhere in the NBA, the Milwaukee Bucks were inspired by Giannis Antetokounmpo as they continued their best start to the season, beating the Minnesota Timberwolves 115-102.
Antetokounmpo scored 26 points, along with 14 rebounds and 11 assists, as the Bucks won their eighth straight game to maintain their 100% record.
Brandon Ingram’s return after a four-game absence with a concussion earned him a game-high 26 points to help the New Orleans Pelicans beat the steph Curry-less Golden State Warriors 114-105.
Also missing Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins, the Warriors are now 0-6 away from home.
Jerami Grant delivered the decisive blow in the final moments to complete a career-high 30 points and secure a 108-106 victory for the Portland Trail Blazers over the Phoenix Suns.
