DHJ Quick Take: Kyrie Irving’s Global Tour Keeps Him in Motion Through ACL Rehab
Kyrie Irving and ANTA are running a seven-city world tour from June through October, with ANTA’s chief creative officer extending a brand relationship built around Asia. The trip pairs retail activations and product drops with grassroots camps, and the Macau finale lands in the same region as the Mavericks’ preseason.
- What is Irving’s role with ANTA? He is ANTA Basketball’s chief creative officer, and this is his third major tour for the brand, signaling a deepening partnership.
- What is ANTA getting out of it? The tour expands the brand’s basketball presence across China and Indonesia through retail concepts like ANTA Market and ANTA Arena, as well as a run of limited-edition product releases.
- Where does the grassroots side fit? Irving’s Uncle Drew Circuit anchors the U.S. stops, outfitting players in ANTA footwear and Deuce Brand kits and tying the brand to youth development.
- How does Dallas factor in? The October Macau stop overlaps the Mavericks’ preseason in the same region.
DALLAS — Kyrie Irving and ANTA will launch a 2026 world tour beginning June 22 in Shanghai, with stops across China, Indonesia, and the United States, the brand announced Thursday.
The tour, branded “The Return,” will move through Shanghai, Chengdu, Shenzhen, Jakarta, Las Vegas, New Jersey, and Macau between June 22 and October. It is Irving’s third major tour for the brand, where he serves as ANTA Basketball’s chief creative officer.
The tour comes as Irving continues his recovery from a torn left ACL. He suffered the injury March 3, 2025, against the Sacramento Kings, underwent reconstruction surgery later that year, and missed the entire 2025-26 season, the first full season he has missed in his 15-year career. The Dallas Mavericks expect the nine-time All-Star back for the 2026-27 season.
Kyrie Irving’s “The Return” Tour Schedule and Activations
ANTA said Irving will appear at retail concepts including ANTA Market and ANTA Arena, host livestream sessions tied to limited-edition product releases, and headline Uncle Drew Circuit basketball camps.
The brand’s ANTALAND activation will be folded into Uncle Drew Circuit events in Las Vegas and New Jersey. ANTA also listed engagements with Chinese cultural centers and consumer events ranging from art fairs to youth development programming across the Asia legs.
Las Vegas and New Jersey Stops Land During Uncle Drew Circuit Events
The two domestic stops are built around Irving’s grassroots circuit. The Uncle Drew Circuit runs three cities in 2026, opening in Dallas from May 1 to 3 at Lancaster High School, then will move to Las Vegas from July 9 to 12 and Manalapan, New Jersey, from July 16 to 19. Irving’s tour dates fall inside both windows, with the Las Vegas stop on July 11 and 12 landing in the back half of the Circuit’s Las Vegas run, and the New Jersey stop on July 18 and 19 closing out the Manalapan event.
The Circuit features boys’ and girls’ divisions across the 12U through 17U age groups, with games streamed live on BallerTV. Every registered player receives a Deuce Brand uniform kit and ANTA footwear, tying grassroots events to the same brand partnership that powers the tour.
Kyrie Irving’s ANTA Signature Line and Creative Role
Irving signed a five-year deal with ANTA in July 2023 and took the title of chief creative officer, a role that gives him control over multiple product lines and the freedom to recruit collaborators.
His on-court line is the ANTA KAI series, now three models deep with the KAI 1, KAI 2, and KAI 3, built for guards who live on changes of pace and sharp footwork. ANTA introduced the KAI 3 in January 2026, framing it as a “KAI 3.0” era built around Irving’s return from injury, the same idea behind the tour’s name. The shoe retails for about $135 and pairs a nitrogen-infused foam midsole with a silhouette ANTA says is inspired by the peregrine falcon. Irving’s lifestyle footwear runs under the separate Hélà line.
ANTA’s investment in Irving has carried off the court as well. The brand opened its first U.S. flagship in Beverly Hills on February 13, 2026, with Irving and Mavericks teammate Klay Thompson headlining the ribbon-cutting alongside ANTA leadership and city officials. The store at 330 North Beverly Drive serves as the company’s U.S. brand hub, part of an American expansion the tour’s Las Vegas and New Jersey stops extend.
Macau Stop Overlaps With Dallas Mavericks Preseason
The October stop in Macau coincides with the Mavericks’ own scheduled return to the region. Dallas will face the Houston Rockets in two NBA China Games 2026 preseason games on October 9 and 11 at The Venetian Arena. The venue is operated by Las Vegas Sands, the company led by Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont, which has made Dallas a recurring participant in the league’s China showcase.
Irving averaged 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.6 assists in 50 games in 2024-25 before the injury and earned his ninth career All-Star selection in February 2025 as an injury replacement for then-teammate Anthony Davis. He last appeared in a game on March 3, 2025.
The Return World Tour: Full Itinerary
- June 22–23 — Shanghai
- June 24–27 — Chengdu
- June 28–29 — Shenzhen
- June 30 — Jakarta
- July 11–12 — Las Vegas
- July 18–19 — New Jersey
- October — Macau
More Mavericks Coverage on Dallas Hoops Journal
- Mavericks 2026 NBA Draft: Three Guards Dallas Could Target At No. 9
- Sources: Jama Mahlalela Among Dallas Mavericks Head Coaching Candidates
- Jalen Brunson’s NBA Finals Run Is A Painful Reminder For The Dallas Mavericks
- ‘I’m Getting There’: Dallas Mavericks Center Daniel Gafford Provides Update On Ankle Recovery
- Podcast: NBA Draft Analyst James Barlowe Details Mavericks’ Options To Build Around Cooper Flagg
- Dallas Mavericks 2026 NBA Draft: The Case For Trading Down With The Oklahoma City Thunder
- Dallas Mavericks Enter Option Agreements For Former Valley View Mall Site For New Arena
- Dallas Mavericks Star Kyrie Irving Says He’s ‘Close To Being Over At 100%’ In ACL Recovery
- Mike Schmitz Says Dallas Mavericks Are ‘Looking At Everything’ For Next Head Coach
- Mike Schmitz Sees Kyrie Irving ‘Completely Locked In’ Around Dallas Mavericks Facility
- Dallas Mavericks ‘Mutually Agree’ To Part Ways With Jason Kidd, Begin Search For Head Coach
