Kyrie Irving Subtly Disses NBA’s Gambling & Social Media Discourse: “Not The Same NBA That I Fell in Love With”

Kyrie Irving made a retirement confession after voicing his concern about NBA’s gambling and social media problems.

Kyrie Irving Subtly Disses NBA’s Gambling & Social Media Discourse: “Not The Same NBA That I Fell in Love With”

Kyrie Irving (Image credits - Bleacher Report)

It has been 15 years since Kyrie Irving entered the NBA. The Cleveland Cavaliers drafted him with the No. 1 pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. Since then, he has dazzled the NBA world with his offensive weapons and unmatched dribbling ability.

Irving has completed 14 seasons in the league. He has played for franchises including the Cavs, Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, and Dallas Mavericks. At 34, he is a veteran.

Nowadays, NBA players can maximize and extend their careers. While back in the day, players used to hang up their boots after 10 to 12 seasons, modern-day players are easily able to cross the 15-season mark.

LeBron James will be heading into his 24th season in the NBA. However, Irving does not see himself playing for as long as James has and explained how things like sports gambling and social media have affected his relationship with the game he loves.

In terms of the NBA schedule and things of that nature, I think you’ve got to really be in love with that too. You have social media and gambling right now, which is just like running rampant. And it’s not the same NBA that I fell in love with as a kid. So basketball is an eternal flame. It’ll always go, but I just don’t see myself playing in the NBA at 42, 43.

Kyrie Irving in his media scrum

Kyrie Irving has always been a vocal figure. He does not shy away from speaking his mind and stood by his “anti-vaccine” stance despite all the criticism he received from the NBA world.

As Irving mentioned, gambling has been a major concern for the NBA for the past few years now. There have been multiple instances where players were confronted by fans over missed parlays. Players have also been arrested over gambling allegations. Hence, it is not surprising to see Irving get affected by such issues, as it can take a toll on one’s love for the game.

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Fans react to Kyrie Irving addressing the impact of social media and gambling on his NBA future

While Kyrie Irving did not hint at any retirement in the near future, he just did not envision himself playing into his 40s. However, he was specific about how the league has shifted since he arrived in 2011.

Gambling and social media have not been kind to Irving over the years. Therefore, his response regarding his future is not very surprising, but it did generate a lot of buzz across social media.

Several fans supported Kyrie Irving and his comments about the impact of gambling and social media on basketball. However, for now, Irving is excited heading into the new season.

Kyrie Irving is excited to return after his lengthy layoff

There has been a lot of excitement surrounding the return of Kyrie Irving. The former champion missed the entire 2025-26 campaign due to an ACL tear and finally made his return during the preseason.

Kyrie Irving
Kyrie Irving (Image credits: Yahoo Sports)

While Irving gears up for the 2026-27 campaign, questions have been raised regarding his future with the Mavs. It has also been reported that the Detroit Pistons are interested in acquiring him.

Amid the noise about his future, Irving is focused on the upcoming season and taking it one day at a time.

We’re approaching day by day and game by game, and I think that’s the best case scenario for me. I’m hypersensitive about my health and I wanna be at a 100% when I go out there. I am coming off a long layoff but also, putting in a lot of great work and preseason’s been great.

Kyrie Irving in his media scrum

The Mavs are building their roster around their new franchise superstar, Cooper Flagg. With the Mavs far from contenders, many expect Kyrie Irving to be on his way out, possibly at the trade deadline. But for now, everyone is excited to see him back on the court.

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