Kyrie Irving Makes NBA History in Hiring Stepmother as Agent
Last week, Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving hired his stepmother Shetellia Riley as his new agent.
The 29-year-old All-Star was previously represented by Roc Nation
Riley is believed to be the first Black woman to represent an active player in the NBA, a league that is roughly 80 percent Black.
Irving, the 29-year-old All-Star, lost his biological mother Elizabeth to organ failure when he was 4. Though the pro ball player and activist has no memory of her, he continues praying to her daily. His aunts helped raise him and his sister.
Kyrie Irving’s father Drederick remarried in 2004, and he and Riley share a daughter.
NBA reporter Shams Charania broke the news of Irving signing Riley on Twitter last week, and the NBA world reacted to the historic move.
Irving will decide between his $36,647,050 player option for the 2022-23 season or free agency, and Riley will be a key role in that decision.
It’s not the first time he bet on Black women in sports.
During the 2020 season, he collaborated with WNBA players Natasha Cloud and Jewell Loyd to discuss whether they’d participate that season. He supported players who opted out by donating $1.5 million from his KAI Empowerment Initiative.