Kyrie Irving took shots at New York Mayor Eric Adams amid his first game back in Brooklyn. "Thank Eric Adams for that," Irving told a fan after the asked why Irving "didn't play like this for the Nets". Irving's comment is a direct shot at New York's strict vaccine mandate during the first years of the COVID-19 pandemic. Irving was essentially suspended by the Nets as he was unable to train with the team or play home games due to his unvaccinated status. The rules were later amended almost in service of allowing Irving to play. However, Irving's Nets tenure would suffer through many more speed bumps before his trade to Dallas.
Furthermore, Irving addressed his return to Brooklyn at the post-game press conference. "I just think it was time to get my own peace of mind and go somewhere where I was able to thrive, and be in a situation where I didn't have to worry about kind of behind-the-back talk or the media talk or not knowing how to handle real-life circumstances that has nothing to do with the game of basketball. It has everything to do with how you handle someone as a person. While I was here, I learned a lot of lessons. I've made my peace again, like I said, and I just want to move forward," Irving said. He scored 36 in the Mavs' 119-107 win.
Rabbis Feud With Kyrie Irving Over Alleged Sign Removal
However, Irving has not been wholly able to stay out of trouble in Dallas. Earlier this season, Irving found himself the target of the ire of a group of rabbis. In January, a group of Utah Jazz-supporting rabbis has claimed they were asked to put away signs reading "I'm a Jew and I'm proud" during a game against the Mavericks. Furthermore, they claim that the request was due to complaints from Kyrie Irving. Rabbi Avremi Zippel and three of his colleagues sat at the Delta Center with their signs with the intent of attracting Irving's attention due to his anti-Semitic comments in 2022. According to Zippel, Irving acknowledged the signs in the first quarter. The Mavs veteran reportedly told Zippel and his friends, "Nice, I'm a Jew, too. Don't gotta bring something like that to the game."
Soon after the interaction, Zippel claims security approached his group and told them to remove the signs. The official cited a rule about holding signs in courtside seats. However, Zippel also claims that another staffer later informed him that the removal was due to Irving filing a complaint with security. While Zippel said he had previously checked the rules about signs, the team issued a statement after the game. "No matter where someone is in the arena, if a sign becomes distracting or sparks an interaction with a player, we will ask them to remove it. There was a group sitting courtside whose signs sparked an interaction with a player that created a distraction and interfered with play of game," the Jazz said. Irving's representation denied that Irving complained to security. Furthermore the Jazz disputed the account of what they called a "part-time employee".
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