Nets' Kyrie Irving fined $25,000 for on-court incident with fans
Nets guard Kyrie Irving gestures during the first half of an NBA game against the Trail Blazers in Portland, Ore., on Monday. Credit: AP/Craig Mitchelldyer
SAN ANTONIO — Although Kyrie Irving helped deliver the 2016 NBA title to Cleveland along with LeBron James, he wasn’t exactly treated as a returning hero when the Nets visited the Cavaliers on Monday at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse. Irving engaged in a bitter exchange with a group of fans at courtside, directed an obscenity at one and was fined $25,000 for the incident, president of league operations Byron Spruell announced on Thursday.
The incident took place with 4:19 left in the second quarter of the Nets’ 114-107 loss. A group of hecklers was chiding Irving, who suddenly decided to exchange barbs that were captured on cellphone video and subsequently went viral on social media.
"Got y’all a championship, [expletive] still ungrateful," Irving yelled.
Irving hit the game-clinching three-pointer at the end of the Cavaliers’ Game 7 win over Golden State. He also scored 41 points in their Game 5 victory.
Irving, who only is playing on the road because he is not in compliance with New York City’s vaccine mandate, scored 27 points in the Nets' loss to the Cavs.
Greg Logan has worked for Newsday since 1982 covering a wide array of sports and events, currently including the Brooklyn Nets beat.
