This is Actually Why Kyrie Irving Flipped off Boston Fans
I love Kyrie Irving and what he’s been able to do in the NBA as a player. The crossover, the acrobatics, and the assassin mindset perpetuates throughout an arena. However, we have to be honest about the guy. He’s not a leader. Not everyone can be a leader, but a guy ‘pedistoolizing’ himself like one needs to be criticized.
In 2017, the guy commented that the world was flat and followed, stating ‘it really doesn’t matter.” Then he added, perhaps facetiously, “The fact that it’s a conversation, I’m glad it got people talking like this.” was selfish in its dyslexic way. Irving stated simultaneously why you should negate the comment but was happy people were giving it attention. You can’t have both. Either your comment doesn’t matter, or it does. This is the first of many examples of Irving’s selfish behavior, but we can’t stop there.
Remember, in July 2017, Irving requested the Cavaliers to trade him. Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com reported Irving requested a trade because he wanted to “play in a situation where he can be more of a focal point and no longer wants to play alongside LeBron James.”
However, during an interview with ESPN’s Jackie MacMullan, Irving refuted that suggestion, stating simply that he knew it was time to move on.
“[Leaving] was inevitable,” he said. “I could feel it. I didn’t feel the need to say anything because I knew the truth, and so did they. So it didn’t matter what others said.”
How about this past year in 2021? He chose not to get vaccinated, which was his choice. I have no problem with the choice, but it was ultimately for himself, which adds to what I believe he has narcissistic tendencies. Irving seems to always be about himself. In 2020 he also went away on a “sabbatical,” where he left the team to deal with ‘personal’ reasons. This past year Irving returned to the Brooklyn Nets after two weeks away from the team and addressed the media for the first time since taking a leave of absence.
Irving missed seven games, including five for personal reasons and two for conditioning. As ESPN’s Bobby Marks noted, he lost nearly $817,000 in salary while in quarantine for two games. The NBA also fined Irving $50,000 for violating the league’s health and safety protocols after videos surfaced of him attending a family birthday party.
I bring all this to discuss a more pressing issue with Irving. When he announced that he was following the Muslim faith, it blew me away. As you can see, I never had any reverence for him until he made his transformation to Islam. I was one of the first supporters of his conversion to Islam.
One of the main reasons was because Kyrie seemed like he was evolving and turning on a new leave. Another reason is I’ve seen what dedication to this faith has done for many others in my personal life. Suppose anyone converts to a religious institution: Muslim, Chrisitan, Buddhist, etc. There is a certain expectation that you hold for that person. The expectation is usually higher due to the moral obligations of all the practices.
As a Muslim myself, there is a lot of responsibility to represent yourself with integrity that I take every day. Whether I’m writing, cooking, at the gym, or you take that Islamic teaching brings your circumstances positively.
Unfortunately, Kyrie didn’t do that yesterday evening. What Irving did was a total embarrassment to the faith of Islam. The middle finger waving, the amount of cursing he did in the holiest month of the religion was sickening.
When he first flipped the fan off in the front rows of TD Garden, I gave him the benefit even though it didn’t seem right. Then when cameras showed him doing it twice again, he wasn’t following his principles. Then even after that, he capped it off with some more sickening remarks as he walked to the locker room.
Finally, he capped it off with a painful and less pleasant press conference which solidified his defiant behavior. There is a reason Kyrie Irving didn’t work anywhere other than with Lebron James. The sad truth is Kyrie is immature, and a perpetual lent child. Defenders may say that fans shouldn’t yell Subliminals at players, and I agree.
However, there is a confident composure that you should carry as a professional. I also think that you should be more modest in your place of work during this month than any other month of the year. Kyrie showed Boston fans that he isn’t the guy he tries to portray for his brand.
I can’t comment if Kyrie believes in Islam or not, but that wasn’t the behavior of a Muslim adult. While everyone was Oohing and Ahhing at the magnificent talent display, I was disappointed in his actions. As fans, we often are asked to separate the player and the man when it comes to sports fandom. Here though, it is damn hard to after these actions.
Let’s be honest Irving has selfish tendencies like most guys with money but power. He’s no different from a childish kid that cries when he doesn’t get his way or a teen. I’ve realized that no matter how much Kyrie thinks he’s trying to be relatable, he falls into the same traps every time. Last night was just another example of that. Now, in all honesty, everyone makes mistakes. I’ve always learned that smart people learn from their own mistakes; wise people learn from others. Which one are you, Kyrie?
What do you guys think? Can he learn? Or am I missing the boat entirely?
Comment Let Me Know!
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