It has been a whirlwind past 17 months for Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving. Not only did he face considerable backlash from fans after he stood his ground on remaining unvaccinated for COVID-19, he also found himself in one of the biggest controversies earlier in the season when he appeared to express his support for a film that unabashedly displayed anti-Semitic views.
As a result of his antics, it seems like a vast majority of those who follow the NBA religiously view Irving as a tough player to deal with. After all, his unpredictability keeps those around him right on their toes. Moreover, fans don't usually respond well to his many eccentricities, the list of which includes burning sage, believing the Earth is flat, his quirky views on beloved holidays (some of which are justified), and his inclination towards the mystical.
And it seems like the new Mavs star has had enough of all the comments he's reading or hearing about himself. Speaking on his Twitch stream, Irving clapped back towards all the criticisms he has been on the receiving end of with a fiery yet entertaining rant.
“[You've seen me] for three hours and you think you know who I am. You see a few posts, ‘Oh Kai is woke. Kai got it. Oh Kai is, oh my goodness, he just doesn't fit into the mold of all other people. And man, he's different, he's crazy, he's arrogant, he's this, he's that.' All from seeing me for three hours,” Irving said while moving his arms around in circles as he let out a sardonic laugh.
“It's 15 guys on the team and I'm the one cancer in the room. That's what it's portrayed as…these older, bitter gentlemen and women keep my name in their mouths every day”
– Kyrie Irving
(h/t @NBA_NewYork ) pic.twitter.com/wFakckwEp1
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) March 9, 2023
Unfinished with his candid tirade, Kyrie Irving went off on how tired he is about all the speculation about what happened in his stint with the Brooklyn Nets, leading to his departure, and whether he would now be willing to stay with the Mavs.
“‘Ooh, what's Kai gonna do this summer?' Does Kai like Dallas? What happened in Brooklyn?' What happened in Boston? What happened in Cleveland? Why did you leave LeBron? Why did you leave Jayson? Why did you leave KD? Why did you leave all these people?' For three hours. You get to ask all these legitimate questions. As if twenty-one hours everyday wasn't happening after that,” Irving added.
The Mavs guard then expressed his frustration over being scapegoated time and time again, especially after the Nets' recent dissolution.
“Me? You think that I'm the cancer in the locker room, as if basketball is an individual sport that one person is supposed to take blame for. It's fifteen guys on the team and I'm the one cancer in the room. That's what it's portrayed as. That's what you guys get. That's what they have fun doing. That's why these older, bitter gentlemen and women keep my name in their mouths everyday.”
It's unclear what the air is like in the NBA at the moment or what food they are taking. But following Fred VanVleet's mega-rant against officials, it's refreshing to see yet another player drop all pretense and call out those who besmirch his name.
Love him or hate him, Irving is one of the most entertaining players in today's game. Not only is he able to impress with his incredible ball skills, he is also displaying incredible self-awareness by calling out his pundits in this manner.
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