Kyrie Irving’s anti-racism rant goes viral after Mavericks superstar’s live stream

Mavs star Kyrie Irving sparked discussions with his candid take on racism and NBA media during his recent stream.

Kyrie Irving’s anti-racism rant goes viral after Mavericks superstar’s live stream

Kyrie Irving

Over the weekend, Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving, recovering from an ACL rupture, returned to streaming. He also took the opportunity to address the ongoing rivalry between current and former NBA players, reflecting on how one-on-one basketball helped him discover his individuality and originality as an athlete.

Irving then addressed a sensitive topic on his stream: racism. He recently called it “the dumbest thing ever” and shared his thoughts based on personal experiences. He highlighted how racism has fueled global issues for decades, particularly in the U.S.

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Growing up in this society, just because you have this different skin tone, you have different rules to abide by — or you can’t be proud of your history because of skin tone, because people really got killed because of [it]. Do you realize how stupid that is? You know how ignorant you’ve gotta be to put somebody in a tree and hang them because they’re Black? That’s probably the dumbest s**t I’ve ever heard to be honest with you.

Kyrie Irving said

Irving has conveyed his opinions on racism before. The slogan “the rights of a human being should be above any law” and a 1971 Black Panther newspaper cover were among the photos Irving shared on Instagram back in February to convey his feelings about it. Irving also made his thoughts known in 2021 that he didn’t desire to face racism while playing in Boston.

In addition, Irving did not hold back against the NBA media, especially former athletes. According to Irving, these personalities have an inaccurate understanding of the league and its players. Irving also thinks that jealousy and confusion caused athletes of the past to reject the current generation’s attempts to form connections.

Kyrie Irving aimed jabs at former players in NBA media

Kyrie Irving is not someone who will mince his words on any kind of topic in and around the NBA. The Mavs star got injured on March 3rd. Now, Irving has some free time and is currently going through his recovery process.

On the other hand, Irving often goes live, finding a way of talking to the fans as the Mavs compete for a Play-In berth. He used his position to voice his disapproval of the way past players are currently portrayed in the NBA media.

They have lost their way. There are some former players that just chat sh-t, don’t talk about anything, and just hate on younger players. You see somebody you admire go on TV and say, ‘Get over it because you make more money.’ I’m so sick of that.

Kyrie Irving said on his stream

Irving is not alone in criticizing the NBA media’s current state; LeBron James also voiced his disapproval a few weeks ago. James even went so far as to confront Stephen A. Smith courtside during a Lakers game lately.

Kyrie Irving paid tribute to late Kobe Bryant despite tearing ACL

On multiple occasions over his 15-year NBA career, Kyrie Irving has acknowledged his mentor, the late Kobe Bryant. Back in 2024, Irving even claimed that the Black Mamba played a huge role in shaping his career. Notably, Irving injured himself during the game against the Sacramento Kings on March 3, 2025, but did not leave the court immediately.

The referees awarded Irving two free throws on the play he got injured but told him to leave the court. He opted against it and came back to complete his two free throws in honor of his mentor and idol. Irving informed fans of Kobe Bryant’s Mamba mentality.

I think that the greatest gift that I got that I gave to myself was going to that free throw line & hitting both free throws. If I didn’t make both FTs & if you know, you know (Kobe Bryant). If I didn’t make those FTs, I would’ve been pissed all year.

Kyrie Irving said via his Instagram Live
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After tearing his ACL, the former champion said he would be disappointed if he hadn’t made both of his free throws. It was not even 48 hours since his injury when Irving went live to speak to his fans, but he expects to get better as quickly as possible, he added before concluding the live video.