Brooklyn Nets superstar Kyrie Irving channeled Kobe Bryant physically, mentally and spiritually during their big game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

Irving showed off his Kobe-inspired attire in his postgame presser and so naturally, reporters asked him about it and what it means.

Given how special the occasion is since it's the first time he played at MSG this year (and his first as a duo with Kevin Durant), the veteran Nets guard highlighted how he felt Kobe's spirit in the game.

“That's the beauty of life we get the chance to redeem ourselves and come back to places that I feel a little uncomfortable and his spirit was definitely in the building tonight,” Irving told reporters, via Dave Early of ClutchPoints.

Kyrie Irving struggled a bit against the Knicks, shooting 9-of-26 from the field for 24 points. However, he did make his impact felt on other areas, tallying eight rebounds, seven assists and three steals for a +17 in the plus-minus box score–the fourth-highest rating on the team behind Patty Mills (+21), Kevin Durant (+19) and Seth Curry (+18).

Sure enough, Kobe Bryant would have been proud with the way Irving played. To recall, the Los Angeles Lakers legend had one of the best games of his career in MSG and undoubtedly one of the best performances by an opposing player when he dropped 61 points on the ‘Bockers. It was an arena record before James Harden tied it in 2019.

With that said, one surely understands Kyrie's motivation in the game. While he did not score 60-plus points, it was still a memorable debut in MSG this 2021-22.