This photo taken on June 27, 2026 shows US basketball player Kyrie Irving speaking in a media interview before an event with fans during his world tour with the Chinese brand ANTA titled "The Return" in Chengdu, in China's southwestern Sichuan province. NBA star Kyrie Irving walked out onto a basketball court in southwest China last weekend to rapturous applause, his brightly coloured Chinese-made sneakers a vivid statement of domestic sportswear brands' increasing global reach. (Photo by Hector RETAMAL / AFP via Getty Images) / To go with 'CHINA-SPORTS-LIFESTYLE-MARKETING,FOCUS' by Agatha CANTRILL