<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/celebrity/stephen-a-smith-backtracks-on-past-kyrie-irving-slander-the-brothers-right');   ga('set', 'title', 'Stephen A. Smith backtracks on past Kyrie Irving slander, ‘the brother’s right’');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Stephen-A.-Smith-backtracks-on-past-Kyrie-Irving-slander-the-brothers-right.jpg"></figure><h1>Stephen A. Smith backtracks on past Kyrie Irving slander, ‘the brother’s right’</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-21T08:30:04-07:00">October 21st, 8:30am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-21T08:30:04-07:00">October 21st, 8:30am</time><address><a href="http://designsux.com">Burtland Dixon</a>As an avid enthusiast of entertainment, Burtland Dixon is a passionate individual who revels in the magic of movies, sports, music, and pop culture. Whether it's catching the latest blockbuster, watching the marquee matchup of the week, attending live concerts, or getting immersed in the world of gaming, Burtland finds joy in all forms of entertainment.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Celebrity</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Stephen A. Smith has never been shy about calling it how he sees it, especially when it comes to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/players/a5ba0900/kyrie-irving">Kyrie Irving</a>. The two have clashed for years, their personalities and principles often at odds. But in a rare turn of humility, the First Take host is now walking back some of his harshest words about the Dallas Mavericks star.</p><p>During the 7PM in Brooklyn podcast, Smith <a href="https://www.nj.com/sports/2025/10/espns-stephen-a-smith-applauds-nba-players-covid-stance-we-see-all-the-conspiracy-theories-props-to-him.html" rel="noopener">admitted he might have gone too far</a> when criticizing Irving during his tumultuous Brooklyn Nets stint, particularly around the guard’s decision not to take the COVID-19 vaccine, NJ reports. “Kyrie’s a good brother. We used to butt heads because he used to miss work too damn much,” Smith said. “And I’m like, yo man, this brother’s electrifying, I want to see this brother dancing on the basketball court. I don’t want to hear no sh*t about no COVID vaccines. Get your a** on the court. We see you. Now, obviously in hindsight, the brother’s right because we see all the conspiracy theories that came out. And props to him for having the foresight to see that. We didn’t see that at the time.”</p><p>Smith didn’t specify what “conspiracy theories” he was referring to, but his comments suggest a new level of empathy toward Irving’s perspective. It’s a striking reversal from his earlier stance, when he accused Irving of arrogance and selfishness for defying team and league protocols.</p><figure class="op-interactive"></figure><h2><b>From Villain to Vindicated</b></h2><p>When Irving refused the vaccine during his Nets tenure, the move sidelined him for much of the 2021–22 season and made him a lightning rod for criticism. Smith led that charge, publicly blasting the guard for “letting down” teammates and fans. But in the years since, Irving has rebuilt both his image and his career. His resurgence with Dallas, capped by a trip to the 2024 NBA Finals, reminded everyone just how special he is when he’s locked in.</p><p>The conversation now reflects something deeper: a recognition that players, even polarizing ones, have the right to stand by their beliefs. While Smith’s claim that Irving was “right” may not align with medical consensus, the CDC and FDA still recommend the vaccine for most adults, it shows how public opinion can evolve once emotions settle.</p><p>At its core, Smith’s comments seem less about the science and more about understanding. He’s acknowledging that while he and much of the sports world painted Irving as a villain, the guard’s stance came from personal conviction, not malice. In Smith’s words, the “brother’s right” might not mean Kyrie Irving was scientifically correct, it may simply mean that Kyrie was true to himself.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Stephen A. Smith backtracks on past Kyrie Irving slander, ‘the brother’s right’

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-rumors-russell-westbrook-ghosted-lebron-james-vegas-kyrie-irving-trade-betrayal');   ga('set', 'title', 'Lakers rumors: Russell Westbrook ghosted LeBron James in Vegas over Kyrie Irving trade betrayal');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Lakers-LeBron-James-Russell-Westbrook1.jpg"><figcaption>Bill Streicher-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Lakers rumors: Russell Westbrook ghosted LeBron James in Vegas over Kyrie Irving trade betrayal</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-20T10:30:18-07:00">October 20th, 10:30am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-20T10:30:18-07:00">October 20th, 10:30am</time><address><a>Josue Pavon</a>Josue Pavon is an Associate Editor and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat writer for ClutchPoints. He started his career as a credentialed media member writing about the Boston Celtics for WEEI.com in Boston, where he grew into a local on-camera NBA reporter and podcast host for CLNS Media. Alongside the Celtics radio broadcaster and two-time NBA champion Cedric Maxwell, Josue is the co-host of the Cedric Maxwell podcast.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Lakers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers’ 2022-23 campaign, Russell Westbrook felt betrayed by All-Star LeBron James amid trade rumors that LeBron was pushing for a reunion with Kyrie Irving. The only problem at the time was fitting Westbrook into the deal, which was a move that the Brooklyn Nets weren’t interested in making at the time. Ahead of <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-lebron-james-stat-projection-basketball-reference">James’ 23rd NBA season in 2025-26</a>, he’s still chasing his second championship with the Lakers.</p><p>James was interested in swapping Westbrook, his Lakers teammate at the time, for Irving, which got back to Russell. It’s what led to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-the-bothering-truth-behind-russell-westbrook-snubbing-lebron-james-in-sl-revealed" rel="noopener">an awkward noninteraction between James and Westbrook</a> at a Summer League game in July, per Yaron Weitzman.</p><p>“The scene became the talk of the night. Side-by-side images contrasting how LeBron and Westbrook had interacted at summer league the previous year—they’d entered the building together and sat next to each other—made the rounds on social media. The noninteraction was red meat for talking heads. It also sparked concerns within the team’s new coaching staff,” Weitzman wrote.</p><p>“We knew that we’d have to bring Westbrook off the bench eventually because things weren’t a good fit,” a Lakers coach said. “But seeing that play out that night it was like, ‘Oh, these mother******* aren’t even talking to each other.’”</p><p>Irving was entering the final year of his contract, a player option worth $36.9 million, and wanted an extenstion, which the Nets were not willing to do given Irving missed chunks of the regular season, and refused to get a COVID vaccine. He was also suspended for promoting an antisemetic documentary on social media. Brooklyn was not willing to extend his deal. Therefore, Kyrie asked for a trade, with the Lakers mentioned as one of his preferred destinations.</p><p>However, it didn’t get him any closer to LeBron and the Lakers.</p><h2><b>Nets, Lakers reportedly discussed a Kyrie Irving trade</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Lakers-LeBron-James-Russell-Westbrook.jpg"><figcaption>Rob Gray-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Lakers never came close to poaching Irving from the Nets in exchange for Russell Westbrook. The trade attempt also fractured Lakers All-Star LeBron James’ relationship with Westbrook.</p><p>“Negotiations between the Lakers and Nets went nowhere. Pelinka never showed any real interest in Irving. And even if he had, the Nets had no desire to take Westbrook back,” Weitzman wrote. “Irving picked up his option and remained in Brooklyn, but by then the damage was done. Because of the NBA’s salary-matching rules, the only way for the Lakers to acquire Irving would have been by dealing Westbrook.</p><p>“Westbrook knew this, and he knew that LeBron did as well. Meaning that no matter what LeBron said in public, the reality was clear: He was pushing for the Lakers to ship Westbrook out.”</p><p>Westbrook was ultimately traded to the Jazz in Feburary, 2023.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Lakers rumors: Russell Westbrook ghosted LeBron James in Vegas over Kyrie Irving trade betrayal

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-kyrie-irving-coaching-dallas-practice');   ga('set', 'title', 'Watch Kyrie Irving back on the court, but he’s not playing basketball');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_0224.jpeg"><figcaption>Jerome Miron-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Watch Kyrie Irving back on the court, but he’s not playing basketball</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-18T13:17:27-07:00">October 18th, 1:17pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-18T13:39:04-07:00">October 18th, 1:39pm</time><address><a>David Yapkowitz</a>David Yapkowitz is an NBA Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He is a credentialed reporter based in Los Angeles who covers the NBA/WNBA, NCAA/NCAAW and boys/girls high school basketball.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Dallas Mavericks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>On paper, the Dallas Mavericks would appear to have a contending roster in the Western Conference. With the arrival of No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg, it’s almost enough to erase the bad taste left by the Luka Doncic trade last season. But Mavericks fans are going to have to wait to see their team at full strength as <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-kyrie-irving-workout-video-brings-excitement-acl-injury-rehab">Kyrie Irving continues his injury rehab from a torn ACL</a> suffered last season.</p><p>While Kyrie Irving is still sidelined due to injury, he’s still <a href="https://x.com/townbrad/status/1979590363334734028" rel="noopener">been an integral part</a> of Mavericks’ training camp and preseason, coaching up Brandon Williams alongside assistant coach Phil Handy during a recent practice, as observed by Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Daniel Gafford gets in some straight-line running and Brandon Williams gets quality coaching from Phil Handy — and Kyrie Irving. <a href="https://t.co/DEyWzk8F4O">pic.twitter.com/DEyWzk8F4O</a></p><p>— Brad Townsend (@townbrad) <a href="https://twitter.com/townbrad/status/1979590363334734028?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 18, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>With Irving in the lineup, the Mavericks’ ceiling becomes that much higher. Irving suffered the ACL injury back in March and was out for the rest of the season. The Mavericks ended up rallying to make the play-in, defeating the Sacramento Kings in the opening round, before falling to the Memphis Grizzlies.</p><p>Irving currently does not have a concrete timetable for his return, and at the start of training camp, Mavericks head coach <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-jason-kidd-bad-reporting-kyrie-irving-injury">Jason Kidd slammed an erroneous report that suggested Irving</a> was ahead of schedule in his recovery.</p><p>The nine-time All-Star was originally acquired by the Mavericks via the traded deadline during the 2022-23 season. Although the team failed to to make the playoffs upon his arrival, Irving played a major role during the Mavericks’ 2023-24 run to the NBA Finals.</p><p>Before the injury last season, Irving had appeared in 50 games for the Mavericks at a little over 36 minutes per game. He had been averaging 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.3 steals with splits of 47.3 percent shooting from the field, 40.1 percent shooting from the three-point line and 91.6 percent shooting from the free-throw line.</p><p>The Mavericks will open the 2025-26 season on Wednesday, Oct. 22 at home against the San Antonio Spurs.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Watch Kyrie Irving back on the court, but he’s not playing basketball

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-kyrie-irving-calls-out-bill-simmons-over-dangelo-russell-comments');   ga('set', 'title', 'Mavericks’ Kyrie Irving calls out Bill Simmons over D’Angelo Russell comments');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/kyrie-irving-basketball.jpg"><figcaption>Jerome Miron-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Mavericks’ Kyrie Irving calls out Bill Simmons over D’Angelo Russell comments</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-11T08:18:54-07:00">October 11th, 8:18am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-11T08:18:54-07:00">October 11th, 8:18am</time><address><a>Tim Crean</a>Tim Crean started writing about sports in 2016 and joined ClutchPoints in 2022. He excels with his versatile coverage of the NFL, NBA, soccer, sports media, and more. As a longtime self-professed sports junkie, it is a dream to write about sports professionally. He’s a lifelong Buffalo Bills fan from Western New York and when he’s not enjoying a round of golf he's probably coaching youth soccer or flag football. You can catch all of his sports-related musings on Twitter at @twcrean.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Dallas Mavericks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Podcaster, NBA historian, and hot take artist Bill Simmons isn’t afraid to take shots at professional athletes from his Los Angeles estate. His funny, biting, and often on-the-money analogies are one thing his fans love about him, but the players on the receiving end of the barbs likely don’t find them amusing. And at least one player, Kyrie Irving, believes that Simmons would never be so brave as to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-bill-simmons-hilarious-take-dangelo-russell">make a joke like he did about D’Angelo Russell</a> on a recent podcast, to the player’s face.</p><p>“He’s your buddy that comes to visit, and it’s really great when he is only there for one day, and by day six, you’re like, ah, I’m ready for him to leave,” Simmons said about <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/grading-dangelo-russell-mavericks-contract-2025-nba-free-agency">Russell, who signed with the Dallas Mavericks this summer</a> to hold down the fort while Irving continues to rehab his knee injury.</p><p>Irving wasn’t a fan of this shot at his new teammate and the point guard <a href="https://x.com/KyrieIrving/status/1977021069241483486" rel="noopener">fired back on social media</a>.</p><p>“Oh Bill, you would never say this to Dlo in person and we both know it,” Irving posted with a GIF of Omar from The Wire saying, “It’s all in the game, though, right?”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Oh Bill, you would never say this to Dlo in person and we both know it. <a href="https://t.co/Qb0Rj1sxP7">https://t.co/Qb0Rj1sxP7</a> <a href="https://t.co/krThotZ5rN">pic.twitter.com/krThotZ5rN</a></p><p>— Kyrie🤞🏾 (@KyrieIrving) <a href="https://twitter.com/KyrieIrving/status/1977021069241483486?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 11, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Kyrie Irving has never been shy about sharing his views, no matter how controversial. However, he doesn’t have an extensive history of firing back at pundits on social media like his former teammate, Kevin Durant, does.</p><p>As for Bill Simmons, his history does include a ton of shots at players, including Irving, whose time with Simmons’ beloved Boston Celtics did not end well. And while The Ringer founder has never shied away from calling out pro athletes on his podcast or even on the ESPN pregame show or draft coverage, he has never been a true reporter who has gone into locker rooms and had to face players that he’s made fun of.</p><p>The one thing that is for sure here is that neither Simmons nor Irving is known for backing down, so this feud is likely far from over.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Mavericks’ Kyrie Irving calls out Bill Simmons over D’Angelo Russell comments

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/wnba/dallas-wings/wings-news-paige-bueckers-explains-friendship-favorite-player-kyrie-irving');   ga('set', 'title', 'Wings’ Paige Bueckers explains friendship with her ‘favorite player’ Kyrie Irving');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/yrie-Irving-talks-with-Paige-Bueckers-during-the-second-half-of-the-game-between-the-Mavericks-and-the-Oklahoma-City-Thunder-at-Dickies-Arena.jpg"><figcaption>Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><h1>Wings’ Paige Bueckers explains friendship with her ‘favorite player’ Kyrie Irving</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-07T08:35:14-07:00">October 7th, 8:35am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-07T08:35:14-07:00">October 7th, 8:35am</time><address><a href="http://hoopnut.blogspot.com/">Enzo Flojo</a>Enzo Flojo is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints and a columnist for Asian basketball at FIBA. He brings a dynamic spirit and background, having expertise that spans writing, analytics, coaching, and broadcasting. He is also currently an Assistant Coach on Scouting &amp; Analytics for the Philippine national youth basketball team.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Dallas Mavericks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Dallas Wings star Paige Bueckers has opened up about her special friendship with NBA veteran Kyrie Irving. She called him <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1975562459365904827">her ‘favorite basketball player ever.’</a> Bueckers also praised both his skill and his character. This growing connection between one of the WNBA’s rising faces and one of the NBA’s most polarizing yet admired figures <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/wnba/dallas-wings/wings-news-paige-bueckers-kyrie-irving-unguardable-motivation">underscores how mutual respect</a> can bridge leagues and inspire the next generation.</p><p>In a recent interview with People magazine, Bueckers shared <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-kyrie-irving-paige-bueckers-favorite-wings">where her admiration for Irving began</a>.</p><p>“He’s been my player growing up, and I’d always looked up to him, and he has just like a really unique journey and story,” Bueckers said. “I feel like he’s misunderstood sometimes. And for me, for him to still be authentically himself and not care about other people’s opinions — that’s something I really admired growing up.”</p><p>That respect has since evolved into a genuine friendship. Earlier this season, Irving attended a Dallas Wings game against the Indiana Fever, where he briefly met Bueckers courtside. The two have since kept in touch. Bueckers has described Irving as an “amazing, genuine human being” who deeply supports women’s basketball and the next wave of athletes.</p><p>“He really cares about the next generation and women’s basketball,” she added. “He’s always been supportive, and it means so much coming from someone like him.”</p><h2><b>Solidarity is growing between NBA and WNBA</b></h2><p>Irving’s presence in Bueckers’ corner highlights a broader theme: the growing solidarity between NBA and WNBA stars. For Irving, that support extends beyond appearances. People know him for engaging with young players about the game’s future. He also advocates for greater visibility for women’s sports.</p><p>Meanwhile, Bueckers continues to ascend as one of the WNBA’s brightest young leaders. She uses her platform to promote inclusivity and empowerment. Their friendship illustrates how athletes across leagues can lift each other up, shaping a more united basketball community.</p><p>For Wings fans, Mavs fans, and the broader WNBA audience, this bond offers more than a feel-good story. It’s a glimpse at how authentic mentorship and mutual respect can accelerate the sport’s growth and inspire both current and future generations.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Wings’ Paige Bueckers explains friendship with her ‘favorite player’ Kyrie Irving

Stephen Curry

Kevin Durant

Russell Westbrook

James Harden

Kyrie Irving

Chris Paul

Carmelo Anthony

Damian Lillard

Giannis Antetokounmpo

Lonzo Ball

2x All-NBA

6x All Star

2015-16 NBA Champ

2011-12 All-Rookie

2016 NBA Champ

7x All Star

2013-14 AS MVP

8x All Star

2011-12 ROY

9x All Star

3x All-NBA

Cleveland Cavaliers

Boston Celtics

Brooklyn Nets

Dallas Mavericks

1 season

4 seasons

3 seasons

Career

https://twitter.com/KyrieIrving/status/1649426634607321088/

“As the Prodigal Son I come to you, merciful God. I have wasted my whole life in a foreign land; I have scattered the wealth which You gave me, O Father. "Receive me in repentance, O God, and have mercy upon me” 

Hélà 
🤞🏾♾

https://twitter.com/KyrieIrving/status/1641869166494769173/

I am Honored to be A Soldier in Gods Army. Gotta stay poised and serve humanity selflessly. 

Hélà 
🤞🏾♾

https://twitter.com/KyrieIrving/status/1641820543165890563/

https://twitter.com/KyrieIrving/status/1638571953186304000/

https://twitter.com/KyrieIrving/status/1638065776799129600/

Chop wood, Carry water. 
Gotta stay poised 

Hélà 
🤞🏾♾

https://twitter.com/KyrieIrving/status/1635052174664425472/

https://twitter.com/KyrieIrving/status/1634588391340687363/

Long Live King Najee Seabrooks 

Rest Easy with the Ancestors 

🤞🏾♾❤️
Hélà 

https://twitter.com/KyrieIrving/status/1634198561087795208/

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
24.7	4.8	4.6	0.5	1.3

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
24.7	4.8	4.6	0.5	1.3

Kyrie
Irving

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