Watch: Kyrie Irving destroys any hopes of joining Lakers with a straight ‘No’
The Dallas Mavericks recently signed Kyrie Irving to a new deal that would allow him to stay with the team for three years, earning him $126 million. Despite this, fans still haven't moved on from the possibility of him joining the LA Lakers.
Irving is having a great time this offseason and is interacting with his fans. The NBA star recently had an encounter with a young fan who asked him if he'll ever join the Lakers. The eight-time All-Star replied by shutting down the rumors of him joining the California team.
"Are you going to the Lakers?" A young fan asked the NBA star.
"No bro. Why you ask that? People keep asking." Irving laughed. "It's crazy, I had to deal with all summer with that. I'm on Dallas, bro. Come on, man."
Irving didn't seem annoyed with the fan but wasn't entertained by the question either. Since the start of the offseason, rumors regarding Kyrie joining the Lakers have been all over the news.
After the young fan's question, the 2016 champion decided to shut down all rumors in the hope that they end soon.
Also read: Kyrie Irving wore “I AM FREE, thank you god” on his shoes after fallout with Nike and NBA fans had hot takes
Enes Kanter Freedom rips Kyrie Irving for signing with Anta
Former Boston Celtics center Enes Kanter Freedom wasn't impressed with Kyrie Irving's decision to sign with the shoe brand Anta. Irving is Anta's newest athletic brand ambassador after he signed a five-year deal with the Chinese shoe brand. Freedom wasn't having any of it and shared his disappointment with the NBA star.
"He stood up for himself." Freedom said. "This guy literally didn't take the vaccine, 'Even if I lose like what? Hundreds of millions of dollars?' That's outrageous."
"But then, you are signing a shoe contract with Anta. And everybody knows about the slave laborers and the sweatshops. Come on man. You have an amazing tool to inspire millions of kids out there, and you have been. But now, you're going and signing a shoe deal with the biggest dictatorship in the world. It broke my heart. It's just pure hypocrisy," Freedom added.
Freedom isn't the biggest fan of China and has called out the country's political issues in the past. It could be one of the reasons why no team in the NBA has reached out to him to employ him.
Irving had issues with Nike last season after declining the COVID-19 vaccine. The famed shoe brand dropped him and he became the biggest free agent in the sneaker world until Anta picked him up.
Also read: 2023 NBA Free Agency - Kyrie Irving is not meeting with the Phoenix Suns despite earlier reports