New York City Mayor Eric Adams sentΒ Kyrie Irving a parting shot after the Brooklyn Nets star was traded to the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday.
During an appearance on NY1 on Monday, Adams was asked how heβd handle an employee who behaved like Irving.
βIf City Hall was a professional sports team, and you had an employee who gave you as much drama as Kyrie Irving is giving to the Brooklyn Netsβ¦Β what would you do if that employee said, βCould you trade meβ β would you do the trade,β Adams was asked.
βI will find the team that beats us the most and then send him to that team because we then weβd start beating that team,β Adams said, adding, βItβs about synergy in energy. No matter how much talent you have, your ability to interact with your colleagues is more important. One player can bring down the synergy of the team.β
On Sunday, Irving was traded to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Spencer Dinwiddie, Doran Finney-Smith, a first-round pick, as well as multiple second-round picks.
Kyrieβs trade to Dallas ended the point guardβs tumultuous tenure in Brooklyn. During the 2020-21 season, KyrieβsΒ refusalΒ to get the COVID-19 vaccine barred him from playing Nets home games for a period of time. Last year, KyrieΒ was criticizedΒ after he postedΒ a link to a documentary that was widely seen as containingΒ antisemitic tropes. For doing so, the NBA handed Irving aΒ suspension without pay.