Kyrie Irving has been locked in during this playoff run with the Dallas Mavericks and is in no mood to entertain any shenanigans from fans. So when one tried to mess with teammate Luka Doncic during the first quarter of Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the veteran guard was on the spot quickly to mouth them off.
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After a turnover by the Thunder, Doncic tried to get the ball off the hands of a fan and restart the game before the home team’s defense could get set. But as soon as the superstar guard got close, the fan tossed the ball away. While Doncic was amused, Irving was irked and threw the ball back in the fan’s direction before approaching them.
He got into an argument with the fan and when they tried to explain, he dismissed the argument and walked away after giving them a stern warning.
LEAKED Video Of Kyrie Irving Throwing A Ball To A Thunder Fan👀:
“What the f*ck are you doing?”
The fan tries to say that he threw it towards Tony Brothers, but Kyrie didn’t buy it.
“Don’t say another word to me… F*ck is wrong with you, man?” pic.twitter.com/cAqQyCvFxz
— LegendZ (@legendz_nba) May 8, 2024
The frustrating skirmish foreshadowed the rest of the night, as the Mavericks failed to find any rhythm on offense, struggled to stifle the Thunder on defense, and succumbed to a 117-95 loss. Irving, who finished the game as Dallas’ top scorer with 20 points, wasn’t too pleased with the officiating and complained about it during the post-game press conference. He said,
“It felt like a regular season game tonight, in my perspective. I don’t speak for anyone else, but I think it was like a regular season game because we came off a very physical series against the LA Clippers, then we had some fouls called, and some of them may have been fouls or a majority of them. But as a competitor, you want the flow of the game to feel like the playoffs, with high physicality.”
Irving’s complaints would’ve been understandable had there been a noticeable difference in the number of free throws awarded to each team. However, per the NBA’s box score, the Thunder shot only three more free throws than the Mavericks, suggesting that the officiating was fair and the guard was finding an outlet to vent his frustration, rather than accurately assessing the situation.
Game 1 was an unpleasant experience for the Mavericks, but they’ll be overjoyed about their trip to OKC if they steal a win in Game 2.
Kyrie Irving is no stranger to fan altercations
Fans can be vile towards athletes as they are aware that most won’t retaliate. But Kyrie Irving isn’t among them. The veteran guard has had a few altercations with fans and, as he showcased in Game 1 against the Thunder, doesn’t back down from getting into a skirmish if they cross a line.
He showcased his lack of hesitation to respond to fans during Game 1 of the first-round playoff series between the Brooklyn Nets and the Boston Celtics in 2022. After banking a tough shot over forward Jaylen Brown, Irving flipped off a Celtics fan in the crowd after they allegedly hurled abuse at the guard.
Kyrie Irving gives middle finger to Celtics crowd 👀 pic.twitter.com/WxKGVwvw0r
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) April 17, 2022
Irving also doesn’t appreciate receiving basketball advice from fans and made it clear during a game against the New Orleans Pelicans last season after getting into an argument with a fan sitting courtside.
Irving has a no-tolerance policy when it comes to fan abuse. While most NBA players avoid indulging with hecklers and opposition fans trying to get under their skin, the Mavericks guard doesn’t back down and has been very adept at giving back to the fans whatever he receives.
