Kyrie Irving Asks Referee to Remove Hornets Fan From Game After Getting Heckled

Fresh off of ripping Dallas Mavericks fans for booing the team after a home loss Friday, Kyrie Irving appeared to ask a referee to eject an opposing fan from the Mavs’ game on Sunday against the Charlotte Hornets.

The incident took place midway through the third quarter, with the Mavericks losing 59-52 to the Hornets in Charlotte. During a stoppage of play, Kyrie pointed out a fan who was sitting near the court. The referee alerted security, who then removed the fan from the arena.

The incident comes just two days after Kyrie threw shade at Mavs fans for booing the team following its home loss on Friday.

“You obviously want to play well, but it’s only five people on the court that can play for the Dallas Mavericks,” Irving said after the game. “If the fans wanna change places, then hey, be my guest. Got years of work ahead to be great enough to be on this level. But our focus isn’t necessarily on the boos, it should be on the performance.”

Dallas’ loss Sunday dropped the Mavs to 36-38 and tied for 10th in the Western Conference, which leaves the team on the brink of missing the play-in tournament. The team is 3-7 since acquiring Kyrie.

While speaking with reporters on Friday, Irving chalked up Dallas’ recent performance to the team’s lack of familiarity with one another.

“We’re still feeling each other out in a way of getting used to each other’s efforts and attitudes and temperament,” Irving said. “And that’s a real thing. That’s a human thing. That’s a human element. Whether people believe it in basketball or not, there’s a very fine line between winning basketball games and everyone being on the same page and losing basketball games and things splintering and pointing fingers.”