Personal Beef Reignited: ESPN’s Favorite Fumes Over Kyrie Irving’s Dramatic Brooklyn Return

Stephen A. Smith isn’t done with Kyrie Irving yet. It all started after the Dallas Mavericks vs Brooklyn Nets matchup, where an Irving-led Mavs defeated the Nets 119-107. Kyrie contributed a cool 36 points with some highlight reel moments. While the defeat in itself was bittersweet (for Brooklyn), it was all the unsaid things that irritated Stephen A. It’s common knowledge that there is no love lost between the pair of them.

Yet, some might feel compelled to side with Smith. Being a celebrated analyst and backing up his claims with facts, mostly leaves one with little to no room to argue. Anyway, let’s take a look at his latest concern.

Stephen A. keeps it simple this time around

The latest episode of the Stephen A. Smith Show delved into a variety of hot topics. Not that the NBA is in any shortage of those right about now, and the 56-year-old wastes no time jumping to Kai’s Brooklyn return. Although he didn’t put too much focus into all the infamous things usually associated with Irving’s time in the Nets, Smith did manage to tug at the heartstrings of the audience. “It’s all about that humility from time to time,” he said. Smith further explained that Kyrie Irving owes that much to the Brooklyn Nets. And that’s not for all the chaos he caused there.

From his non-negotiable stance on getting vaccinated to the antisemitic post, they were all Uncle Drew’s personal choices. And the repercussions were also born by the man, which were not simply limited to him. Everything he did directly affected him in missing valuable game time. What should have been one of the most thrilling sagas in the NBA history, with three of the league’s most elite players working in tandem, just fizzled out like pop candy. Smith gives us a quick math of the franchise’s championship hopes had Kyrie played.

“If Kyrie Irving plays in 40 of those 48% of the missed games, the Nets probably win a championship. They certainly get to a Conference Finals, if not an NBA finals,” Stephen A. affirms. Even though Stephen kept it short, the beef between the duo goes back years. And it even includes Irving’s father, Drederick.

Kyrie Irving vs Smith

Stephen had joined The Mike Missanelli Podcast in March of last year. During their discussion, he revealed that Kyrie, his father, and himself had some “personal issues”. Though he warned that it was nobody’s business, the ESPN personality assured that it didn’t influence his honest analysis of the 8x All-Star’s games.

Read More: Kyrie Irving Breaks Silence on Ugly Brooklyn Break-up: “If James Doesn’t ask for Trade”

More recently, though, there was another incident. The Mavs guard had gone live from his Instagram account on May 24, 2023, with a plea to his fans. There were heated debates all over about his upcoming free agency decision. Given his history, it’s safe to say none of them were particularly flattering. Hence, Irving, in the live video, assured that he wasn’t in any rush to make a decision. While taking a dig at the media, he asked the fans to not pay attention to all the claims.

The very next day, Stephen A., during the Get Up show, slapped back. “Respectfully, to Kyrie Irving, who doesn’t want us talking about him, don’t play basketball. We talk about basketball. … Only him seems to be somebody that would take offense to that.”

These are just two examples from several instances. Of course, it’s a given that, considering the nature of their occupations, conflict is unavoidable. But with regards to the Nets, it is widely accepted that Kyrie Irving dealt them a rough hand. But that’s all in the past and hopefully, everyone can leave it there and focus on the future.

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