The frustrating thing about a handful of Kyrie Irving’s polarizing views—about the earth being flat, for instance—is that they overshadow the fact that he’s been spot-on about other important points.
In May, before playing in front of a Boston crowd for the first time since leaving the Celtics, he told writers he hoped fans wouldn’t behave in a racist or belligerent manner. But then on that trip, a fan launched a water bottle at Irving’s head as the guard walked off the court following the contest.
Irving drew criticism from some corners during the height of the pandemic, too, when the players association vice president reportedly supported the notion of punting on the rest of the suspended NBA season—and the idea of the bubble—after George Floyd was killed by a Minneapolis police officer.