Kyrie Irving Claims To Be in A Healthy Relationship With American Media – 3 Instances That Prove It’s A One-Sided Affair

Since the time Kyrie Irving left LeBron James’ shadow in Cleveland and started his solo mission, he has been on the receiving end of a lot of criticism. Irving’s reputation took a massive hit, from how he left Boston to the drama that ensued in Brooklyn, especially because of the media narratives. But this season, Kyrie seems to be having a reputation resurgence by focusing strictly on basketball and leading the Mavs to the Finals. With that, Ky believes he has managed to mend his tarnished relationship with the media.

Joining the NBA TV crew after a dominant victory over Boston in Game 4, Kyrie addressed the criticism he and Luka faced from the fans and the media after Wednesday’s loss, “It can be frustrating, but I have a healthy relationship with social media now and just media in general.” He said that with a chuckle, so that could’ve been a sarcastic comment, too. However, with no doubts about his basketball capabilities, previous incidents prove that his reality with the press might be far from what Kyrie believes.

1. Stephen A. Smith blamed Kyrie Irving for Dallas’ finals deficit

With a couple of great performances in the last two games, Kyrie has redeemed himself in these finals. However, the media was quick to blame Uncle Drew for the Mavs’ failure when he was unable to play at the highest level in the first two games in Boston. Veteran analyst Stephen A. Smith was one of the media moguls who threw Kyrie under the bus after Dallas went down 0-2. “You’re down 0-2 in the finals and it’s primarily because of him (Kyrie Irving),” he said. Moreover, Smith even seemed to have a problem with Kyrie in his postgame interview with a positive attitude, saying, “I’m wondering what the hell that smile is all about.”

And this is not the first time Stephen A. has been critical of Kyrie. Only three years ago, when Irving was still a Nets player, Smith even made a viral suggestion because he was missing games due to personal reasons. “He’s not worth it at all… I think Kyrie Irving should retire,” the analyst said on First Take. Yes, that was during the time when Kyrie was at one of the lowest points in his career with the anti-vaccine stance and missing several games due to other off-court problems. However, suggesting retirement while Kyrie was still in his prime might have been a rather harsh move from Stephen A. Smith.

2. Tim Legler didn’t like the Mavs trading for “Narcissist” Kyrie Irving

Everyone is applauding the Mavs front office right now for acquiring Kyrie last year. However, not many were appreciative of this trade when it first happened. There was a lot of doubt if Kyrie would be able to stay away from the drama after his controversial run in Brooklyn. And while discussing his mid-season Dallas trade, ESPN’s Tim Legler had very harsh remarks for the former champion. “As a basketball player, he’s (Kyrie Irving) is a narcissist,” he boldly claimed.

He also called it a “panic move” from the Mavs to make Luka happy. Legler said, “If I’m Dallas, I wouldn’t have touched this. I wouldn’t have traded for Kyrie Irving.” At the time, this showcased the kind of narrative that was going on about him, revealing how skeptical most people were even when Kyrie was about to leave his past behind and begin a new journey on the Washington side.

3. Shaq and Charles Barkley unleash on Kyrie

While Barkley was the one who brought up the media criticism notion while interviewing Kyrie last night, ironically, he was among the people who criticized the Mavs guard at his lowest point. In a controversy two years ago after Kai posted the link to an antisemitic documentary on his social media, he refused to apologize for his act and claimed that it was not him promoting the film. He even got into a verbal altercation with analyst Nick Friedell during a presser. That’s when TNT’s Inside the NBA panel slammed the veteran guard. Charles Barkley said, “I think the NBA dropped the ball. I think he (Kyrie) should have been suspended.”

Diving deeper into the issue, Chuck pointed out that Adam Silver was also Jewish and Kyrie’s act was an insult to him. “You can’t take my $40 million and insult my religion,” Barkley claimed. Meanwhile, Shaq also seemed to agree with his co-host and even called Kyrie an “idiot” on live TV, “Now we gotta answer for what this idiot has done.” Eventually, Irving faced a suspension by the Nets until he gave a public apology for his actions that hurt people’s sentiments.

With so many instances proving that there might still be some bad blood between Kyrie Irving and the media, the healthy relationship that Kyrie claims to have may be one-sided. What are your thoughts?

Before you go, do not forget to check out what Shaquille O’Neal’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato has to say about Caitlin Clark’s meteoric rise to stardom. Keep checking this space for more such updates.