Dallas Mavericks point guard Kyrie Irving on Tuesday made sure to make his return to New York memorable for the fans in attendance.
One Nets fan in particular had a close encounter with Irving during the Mavs’ 119-107 win over the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.
The fan took a video of Irving while the guard was preparing to inbound from the sideline. The Mavs had the game all but wrapped up at that point; they led 116-107 with under two minutes left in the contest.
“Kyrie why don’t you play like this when you were on the Nets? Why, Ky?” the fan shouted at Irving.
“Thank Mayor [Eric] Adams for that, bro,” Irving responded.
I asked @KyrieIrving why he didn’t play like this when he was in the @BrooklynNets ? He told me to thank @NYCMayor for that #netsworld pic.twitter.com/RtG33m7fUR
— Courtside Nets (@Courtsidenets) February 7, 2024
Irving was likely referencing his lengthy battle with New York City policymakers over COVID-19 vaccine mandates during the 2021-22 season.
Irving, at the time, was barred from playing home games due to his refusal to get vaccinated. Adams held firm in his stance that the city would not bend its rules for Irving.
The 8-time All-Star on Tuesday appeared to let out all his pent-up frustration against Brooklyn. Irving scored a game-high 36 points on 15/24 shooting a day after the 1-year anniversary of the Nets-Mavericks trade that sent him to Dallas.
Irving’s most emphatic bucket came in the form of an uncharacteristic alley-oop slam early in the second half to put the Mavericks up by 22.
KYRIE IRVING LOB JAM 🔥 pic.twitter.com/m5Kgeyap6d
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) February 7, 2024
If Irving was trying to make a statement against his former team, he clearly ended it with an exclamation point.
