The Brooklyn Nets hosted the Dallas Mavericks and it was the first time Kyrie Irving played at the Barclays Center since he was traded.
Irving finished with a game-high 36 points (including a shocking alley-oop dunk) during a victory for the Mavericks over the Nets. He also added six 3-pointers, five assists, and two steals.
During the game, a fan sitting courtside asked Irving why he didn’t play like that during his time in Brooklyn between 2019 and 2023. The eight-time All-Star had an interesting answer that has caught the attention of folks who have seen the clip.
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
“You can thank Mayor Adams for that, bro,” Irving responded.
In a part of his tenure with the franchise, Irving was unable to play home games in Brooklyn due to his unwillingness to get vaccinated. He was also benched by the team for the same reason.
For the majority of the 2021-22 season, New York City had a vaccine mandate that barred unvaccinated athletes from playing home games.
Kevin Durant, Irving’s former teammate on the Nets, was critical of NYC Mayor Eric Adams for the confusing rule that allowed unvaccinated players to attend games but not play.
By late March 2022, Adams reversed the decision. This, however, was not the only controversy that Irving faced during his time on the Nets. Last season, Irving was also suspended without pay for multiple games after he refused to unequivocally say that held no antisemitic beliefs.
The vaccine mandate upheld by Adams may have prevented Irving from ever finding a rhythm. Perhaps that played a role in why Durant and James Harden eventually demanded trades from the Nets, too.
But it was far from the only reason why Irving’s time with Brooklyn was such a disappointment.
