The 11-year business relationship between Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving and Nike has likely come to an end, Nike co-founder Phil Knight told CNBC.

"Kyrie stepped over the line," Knight said in an interview that aired Thursday. "It's kind of that simple. He made some statements that we just can't abide by and that's why we ended the relationship. And I was fine with that."

Nike announced last Friday that it would be suspending its relationship with Irving following recent social media posts Irving shared that contained antisemitic content. The company also canceled the release of Irving's latest shoe, the Kyrie 8, which retailers had already begun to receive.

Irving has battled a firestorm of criticism following his promotion of an antisemitic film that shared misinformation regarding the Holocaust and attributes fake quotes to Adolf Hitler. The Nets suspended Irving for a minimum of five games after a contentious postgame interview led him to defend his right to post whatever he wants to social media.

Following the suspension, Irving issued an apology and has since met with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver to work together toward finding a path forward for the troubled star.

According to Knight, however, Irving has not done enough to redeem the decisions he has made. Irving continued to show a reluctance for remorse, and Knight said during conversations with Irving he remained "dug in."

"We look at who we sign and how much we pay and we look not only at how good the athlete is but what his or her character are," Knight said. "It's not an exact science, but it's a process that we go through with a lot of intensity and with a lot of people sticking their hand in it."

Irving has had a signature shoe line with Nike since 2014, becoming one of the premier basketball shoes on the market. The existing deal is reported to be worth $11 million, but reports from ESPN have circled since May that Nike was considering cutting ties with Irving.

Irving's recent comments are not the first time his opinions have made the news. After the pandemic hit Irving was among the loudest against vaccination, missing a large portion of the 2021-22 NBA season due to his refusal to receive the shot. In 2017, Irving turned heads when he claimed the earth to be flat, later apologizing for the comment.

NBA Basketball