Nets' Kyrie Irving fined $25,000 by NBA for obscene response to 'ungrateful' Cleveland heckler

Thu, Jan 20, 2022
NBA News (AP)

During Monday's game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving had some comments for a fan that was heckling him from courtside seats.

"Got y'all a championship and motherf---ers still ungrateful," Irving could be heard saying in a video that was gone viral. Irving hit the winning shot in the Cavs' Game 7 NBA Finals win over the Golden State Warriors in 2016. It's the only championship in franchise history.

Kyrie chirped back at this Cavs fan heckling him. ????

(via _willswish/IG) pic.twitter.com/qAObz6tSUO
- Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 18, 2022

Irving's wallet will be a little lighter for his remarks. The NBA fined Irving $25,000 "for directing obscene language toward a fan,"the league announced Thursday.

The Cavaliers got the best of the Nets during the Monday meeting as they came away with a 114-107. In the loss, Irving finished with 27 points on 12-of-23 shooting while also dishing out nine assists and seven rebounds. It was the team's first game without Kevin Durant, who will miss at least four-to-six weeks due to a sprained MCL in his left knee.

Monday's contest marked the fourth game for Irving on the season. He is ineligible to play home games due to New York City's vaccine mandate, which requires players to have at least one dose of the vaccine in order to enter indoor gyms. The Nets initially didn't want Irving to be a part-time player, but the team changed its stance in recent weeks. Irving is now playing in Nets road games after returning on Jan. 5 against the Indiana Pacers.

Despite Durant being out of the lineup for a length period, Irving has no plans to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

"I'm not bringing science into the basketball," Irvingtold reporters following Monday's game. "Everyone's feeling what's going on in the real world. I'm walking around as an unvaccinated person. I've already been separated into another group of community. I'm just saying to everybody, I'm human. I have decisions to make, I have a family to take care of."

Since returning to the court, Irving is averaging 20 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5 assists while shooting 36.8 percent from beyond the 3-point line.