Kyrie Irving did not hold back as things got heated between him and Jarred Vanderbilt during the Lakers-Mavericks game.
Kyrie Irving got into a brief altercation with Lakers’ forward Jarred Vanderbilt. The two exchanged heated words on the court before being separated by other stars on both sides. Now, in a clip that is going viral, we know exactly what was said between the two, and it is safe to say that Irving showed a little more aggression than we are used to seeing from him, using some strong language against Vando.
Kyrie Irving: “Don’t touch me!”
Jarred Vanderbilt: “What?”
Irving: “Don’t touch me!”
Vanderbilt: “Or what? F**k out of here”
Irving wasn’t the only one Vanderbilt went after. He also had afters with his former teammate Anthony Davis, as the pair briefly got into it as Vando went up the court and was separated. Irving was doing his best to get the Mavericks back into the game after the Lakers got ahead in the first half, so his frustration when being body-checked is understandable.
The Lakers will love seeing this aggression and fight from Vanderbilt, as their team has long lacked the grit and tenacity to compete at a high level. Luckily, neither player went so far that they had to be reprimanded or punished by the officials. But tense moments like these make the NBA a very exciting product for fans.
Irving, aside from the incident, had a good game for the Lakers, putting up 35 points (12-27 FG), seven rebounds, four assists, three steals, and two blocks. However, he couldn’t overcome the dynamic duo of LeBron James, and his now-former teammate, Luka Doncic, who combined to score 46 of the Lakers’ 107 points on Tuesday night.
An Emotional Night For Kyrie Irving
Emotions were running high at the Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday. Not only was it Luka Doncic’s first time playing against the Dallas Mavericks since the infamous trade that rocked the NBA at the start of the month, but it was also a night of returns for Max Christie and Anthony Davis.
But perhaps the person most affected by the occasion was Kyrie Irving. Prior to the game, Irving was spotted sitting next to and paying tribute to his mentor, Kobe Bryant’s statue outside the arena. During the game, Irving kindly wore some fan-made sneakers, showing his love for his supporters.
After what was an intense game playing against his former teammate, Irving spoke about the relationship he has with Luka Doncic, and why he feels that players like him need to be protected and cared for. Clearly, Irving is having a tough time in the absence of a teammate he had grown close to in very little time.
For now, Irving will focus on building chemistry with his new teammate, Anthony Davis, when he returns from injury. On paper, the Mavericks have a strong roster that can cause problems for any top contender in the West. But injuries have been a problem for many of their players, and they currently have no starting centers available to play.
The road ahead is tough for Kyrie and the Mavericks, but he will have to find a way to adapt and overcome.