After Boos From Mavs Fans, Kyrie Irving Had a Similar 2-Word Response to One He Used With the Boston Celtics

Consistency is the strength of Kyrie Irving. Ever since the Boston Celtics made a trade for the All-Star guard, things have been the same. That’s not a good thing for Irving.

Unless LeBron James is part of the equation, teams that bring Irving on board struggle. They also develop chemistry problems. Maybe it’s not fair to pin the blame solely on Irving, but it’s become a pattern. Irving and the Mavericks, his latest struggling team, have lost four straight, including ugly back-to-back losses to the Charlotte Hornets. After a recent home loss, Mavericks fans loudly booed their team, triggering a similar response from Irving that he had when he was with the Celtics.

Kyrie Irving and the Mavericks continue to struggle

Irving got his wish. He wanted out of Brooklyn, so the Nets traded him to the Dallas Mavericks on Feb. 6. That day, Dallas was 29-26. The plan for Dallas was to give star guard Luka Doncic some much-needed help for a legitimate playoff run. The plan for the Nets was to rid themselves of their disgruntled guard.

On March 27, the Mavs are 36-39 and are on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoffs. They’ve lost four straight, including the last two to the Hornets, who are officially eliminated from playoff contention at 25-51. Meanwhile, the Nets, after losing both Irving and Kevin Durant via trade, are 40-35 and find themselves seeded sixth in the Eastern Conference.

The “Kyrie Curse,” as some have labeled it, began with the Celtics. With Irving injured and unable to play in the postseason during the first of his first two years in Boston, the Celtics reached the Eastern Conference Finals. They fell to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers at home in Game 7 of the series. The following season, with Kyrie running the show, the Milwaukee Bucks easily bounced Boston in five games in the conference semis.

After telling Celtics fans he’d love to re-sign with the team when he arrived in Boston, Irving bolted to Brooklyn via free agency after two rough seasons with the Celtics. Team chemistry had been a mess. Irving proved he was no leader of the team.

Irving then teamed with Durant and James Harden to form a Big Three in name only. Brooklyn never made it past the conference semifinals.

Things are heading down the same path for Dallas. The Mavs are 7-13 since Irving has been in a Dallas uniform. Frustration is mounting with the team. It’s just an all-too-familiar site that the Celtics and Nets have both witnessed up close.

After hearing the boos, Irving had a similar two-word reaction as he did in Boston

When the heavily-favored Mavericks fell at home to the Hornets last Friday, the home crowd showed its displeasure. Boos rained down after Dallas’ 117-109 loss. Dallas coach Jason Kidd said his team was deserving of the boos. Reporters then asked Irving his thoughts.

“So what?” he said, per Mass Live.

“Just the way I feel about it. I’ve been in New York City, so I know what that’s like. You obviously want to play well, but it’s only five people on the court that can play for the Dallas Mavericks. If the fans want to change places, then hey, be my guest. Got years of work ahead to be great enough to be on this level.”

His “so what” comment was similar to the two words he used during his only playoff run with the Celtics. Irving and the Celtics were struggling mightily against the Bucks in the 2019 conference semifinals. Irving shot poorly in the series.

In Games 2, 3, and 4 — all Celtics losses — Irving shot 19-for-62 from the floor. After going 7-for-22 in a Game 4 loss that put Boston in a 3-1 hole, a reporter asked Irving about his shooting slump.

“Who cares?” he quipped, per CBS Sports.

“For me, I had 22 shots, I should’ve shot 30.”

Leadership isn’t Irving’s thing, and one day these NBA teams will catch on.