Kyrie Irving made shady comment about Oklahoma after Game 2 win over Thunder
Mar 5, 2023; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (2) in action during the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Phoenix Suns at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
The state of Oklahoma apparently met Kyrie Irving’s expectations.
Irving and the Dallas Mavericks got a big win on the road Thursday over the Oklahoma City Thunder, winning 119-110 to even their second-round series at one game apiece. After the game, Irving went viral for his shady remark about Oklahoma as he was walking to the locker room.
“It’s truly Oklahoma, I’ll tell you that,” Irving said.
Sam Gannon of KFDW in Dallas shared the video clip.
Kyrie Irving coming off the court:
“It’s truly Oklahoma, I’ll tell you that.” #OneForDallas #dallasmavericks pic.twitter.com/mF7l8g9TOB
— Sam Gannon (@SamGannon87) May 10, 2024
While Irving’s comment left some room for interpretation, his star teammate Luka Doncic had an issue with a Thunder fan during the Game 2 win. He confronted the fan sitting courtside late in the fourth quarter as the two teams were heading into a timeout (video here).
Doncic said after the game that the fan (a “grown a– man”) made a remark about his family.
Irving also addressed the Thunder fan situation in his postgame press conference. He mentioned a separate incident in Game 1 where another courtside fan threw the ball away from Doncic after an out-of-bounds sequence. Irving said there were “different guys heckling” in Game 2.
Kyrie Irving on courtside fan interactions in OKC: "Yeah the fans threw the ball away from Luka, and then he looked like, like— where I'm from, when somebody does that, that's like almost it's like, and he didn't even look at Luka eye to eye, and Luka was very nonchalant about…
— Grant Afseth (@GrantAfseth) May 10, 2024
The eight-time All-Star Irving played the vast majority of his career in the Eastern Conference, so he only had to travel to Oklahoma once a year. But he now plays on a team that is in the same conference as the Thunder and is also now experiencing his first-ever playoff matchup against the Thunder. Granted, Irving is not the only NBA star who feels a certain way about Oklahoma fans.