As Kyrie Irving waited to throw in an inbounds pass in his return to the Barclays Center on Tuesday night, a fan sitting courtside asked the former Brooklyn point guard why he didn’t perform like he has been with the Mavericks while he was still a Net.
“Thank Mayor Adams for that, bro,” Irving responded.
The comment was a clear shot at New York City’s vaccine mandate, which Irving elected to not adhere to and therefore missed much of the 2021-22 season. the Nets eventually bought him back in a part-time role for road games, but he didn’t play in a home game until late March.
Irving missed time for various reasons during his tumultuous Nets tenure, which included injuries, sitting out due to his vaccine stance, and being suspended for promoting a video with anti-Semitic messaging.
The New Jersey native shot 62.5 percent from the field on Tuesday, finishing with 36 points to take down his former team.