Kyrie Irving Pulls Receipts on How He Was Treated for Opposing COVID-19 Vaccine

Kyrie Irving posted a number of tweets and did not hold himself back.

Kyrie Irving Pulls Receipts on How He Was Treated for Opposing COVID-19 Vaccine

Kyrie Irving (Image credits - Firstsportz)

It has been a long time since Kyrie Irving was last seen on an NBA court. After his devastating injury last year, Irving missed the entire 2025-26 campaign for the Dallas Mavericks.

Prior to joining the Mavs, Irving spent three and a half seasons playing for the Brooklyn Nets. His spell in Brooklyn was a chaotic one to say the least. It was riddled with injuries and controversies just like the majority of his career.

But the worst of it took place in 2021. Due to his anti-vaccine stance, Irving was on the receiving end of a lot of criticism. He was limited to just 29 games in the 2021-22 campaign because he was ineligible to play or practice with the team under the New York City COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

Irving took to X and spoke about how he was treated by the NBA world. He reposted Shams Charania’s post from 2021 when a fan in Boston was arrested for throwing a bottle at Irving in the tunnel. Irving wrote:

What a time.

Kyrie Irving on X

Several figures labeled Kyrie Irving as “selfish” and “arrogant” for putting himself over his team and teammates back then. The former No. 1 pick has always been seen as a polarizing figure, as he never shied away from speaking his mind.

ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith was one of the most vocal figures in criticizing Irving during that time. The two had some heated exchanges which was one of the biggest beefs between a journalist and a player in recent years.

While Smith apologized to Irving in the past, his biggest and heartfelt apology came a few days ago. On his podcast, he apologized to the Mavs guard for his COVID-19 vaccine stance, as Irving did nobody wrong at the end of the day.

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Fans react to Kyrie Irving’s post on X regarding the attack on him in Boston in 2021

The treatment of Irving during the whole time was unfair to say the least. He was punished for having his own stance and unfortunately had to pay the price for it. The attack on him in Boston was an unfortunate incident as he did not share a good relationship with the fans there due to their history during his time there.

Following his post on X, fans were quick to react and show support to him.

Irving spent two years in Boston and was criticized by the fans for leaving after promising that he would re-sign with the Celtics. Since then, there has always been animosity from the fans towards him.

Kyrie Irving posts strong comeback message

Irving is one of the best scoring guards the league has seen over the last decade. His dribbling, craftiness, and offensive weapons are second to none. However, he is still looking to win a championship after leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2017.

Kyrie Irving
Kyrie Irving (Image credits – Yahoo Sports)

A lot has happened in Dallas since Irving tore his ACL last year. But he seems to be more motivated than ever ahead of his return. He posted a strong message to anyone who might have counted him out during his long injury absence.

Don’t ever forget how you were treated when people thought you were finished.

While he did not provide more context, it is fair to assume the message is for all his doubters over the past year. The Mavs are building their team around Cooper Flagg, and there have been questions regarding Irving’s future in Dallas.

It remains to be seen if the former champion will return to the player he once was. However, he is still one of the most skilled offensive guards in the league and is not a player very reliant on athleticism. The 34-year-old could provide some valuable veteran experience as the team builds around Flagg for the future.

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