Kyrie Irving has always had his fair share of critics. The Dallas Mavericks star's… polarizing attitude has earned him a lot of followers and detractors. It's not a surprise, then, when his decision to re-sign with Dallas on a three-year deal was criticized. However, a lot of fans were caught off-guard when Kyrie Irving fired back at one of his critics, long-time analyst Bill Simmons.
“I see you couldn’t help yourself with this one huh Billy Boy. Just wanna say I appreciate you and continue to be the person you are. My Tribe says hello. Hélà🤞🏾♾”
Bill Simmons' dislike for Kyrie Irving likely dates back to the guard's time with the Boston Celtics. Simmons, a long-time Celtics fan, was not pleased with Irving's attitude towards the fanbase towards the end of his time there. This time, Simmons criticized the Mavs star by implying that no team wanted to give him his desired deal in not-so-subtle fashion.
“Dallas had to go to 3 for 126m for Kyrie because there were at least 3 other teams ready to offer 2 for 25.”
Some people criticized the Mavs for handing Kyrie Irving a contract of that magnitude (three years worth $126 million). It didn't seem like Dallas had any other competitors, anyway, so perhaps they could've found a way to give him a lower offer. However, the front office made it clear that their goal this offseason was to keep Irving around. If it took handing Kyrie a big contract to keep him in town and keep Luka happy, then it's completely worth it.
Besides, this contract isn't necessarily a bad deal per se. Irving still got the lucrative contract that he wanted (roughly $42 million per year), but the three years gives the Mavs some much-needed flexibility. If Dallas wins the championship next season, all this talk about a “bad contract” will instantly be removed.