Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving was fined $25,000 by the NBA for cursing at a fan in Cleveland, the league announced on Thursday.
Irving’s comments to the fan during the second quarter of Brooklyn’s 114-107 loss on Monday were captured on video. Irving used profanity in reminding the fan that he helped the Cavaliers win the NBA championship in 2016.
“Got y’all a championship and motherfuckers still ungrateful,” Irving could be heard saying in a clip that has since gone viral.
Irving hit the winning shot in Game 7 of the NBA finals over the Golden State Warriors in 2016, sealing the first and only championship in the club’s 52-year history.
The NBA has been trying to clean up profanity among players, fining Irving’s teammate Kevin Durant and New York’s Julius Randle recently for using obscene language during interviews.
Irving’s exchange with the fan was part of an eventful return to his former home. After the game, he reiterated that he wasn’t changing his stance on refusing the Covid-19 vaccine, which has kept him ineligible to play in home games because of New York City’s mandate for professional athletes.
In five games played since making his season debut with the Nets, Irving has averaged 20 points, 5.5 rebounds, and five assists while shooting 36.8% percent from beyond the three-point line.