'Thank Mayor Adams': Kyrie Irving slams mayor in courtside banter with fan

BROOKLYN, N.Y. (PIX11) --- Brooklyn Nets fans serenaded Kyrie Irving with boos before tip-off at the Barclays Center Tuesday night and he responded to the cool homecoming by scorching his former team.

The Dallas Mavericks guard was heckled every time he touched the ball but was red hot from the floor, pouring in 36 points, including six 3-pointers, in the Mavs 119-107 win over the Nets.

The All-Star's performance prompted a disgruntled courtside fan to shout, "Kyrie, why you don't play like this when you were on the Nets. Why, Ky?" according to a viral social media video of the interaction.

"Thank Mayor (Eric) Adams for that, bro," Irving responded while waiting to inbound the ball on the sideline.

The jeers turned to cheers in the second half when Irving wowed the crowd with some dizzying drives and when he went up for a dunk on a lob pass. The Mavs had built a 20-point lead and the home crowd softened.

"Just like any other basketball game, but it felt like I was home tonight,” Irving said.

The Nets traded the New Jersey native to the Mavericks last year after a rocky relationship, including his decision not to get the COVID-19 vaccine during the pandemic. Irving was forced to sit out nearly all the Nets' home games over his vaccination status.

He played in just 143 games in his 3 1/2 seasons, missing time during one season after taking a leave of absence and then getting suspended by the team last season when he refused to apologize for posting a link to an antisemitic work on social media.

The team did not do a tribute video but showed photos of Irving, Seth Curry, and Markieff Morris on the overhead videoboard, welcoming the three former Nets back to Brooklyn before starting lineups were announced.

The mayor's office could not immediately be reached Wednesday.

--Associated Press material was used in this report.