For the first time in a long time, Kyrie Irving faced off against Steph Curry and the Warriors in California. The highly-anticipated game was extremely entertaining until it finally ended with the Warriors on top with a final score of 110-106.
One of the many storylines of the night was the level of hostility shown by the Warriors crowd, who booed and heckled Uncle Drew all night long.
Seemingly unphased by the behavior, Irving delivered a pretty short and cool response to the fans during his post-game presser.
Kyrie on getting booed by the Bay crowd again: “We know each other well.”
— Nick Friedell (@NickFriedell) January 30, 2022
"We know each other well. This crowd out here, we know each other very well" – Kyrie Irving on getting booed by Warriors fans tonight pic.twitter.com/lrsuawLMvl
— Nets Videos (@SNYNets) January 30, 2022
Kyrie’s words are totally accurate. In fact, besides LeBron James, he’s got more history with that team, and their crowd, than anyone else.
From 2015 to 2017, Kyrie and the Cleveland Cavaliers faced off against Curry and the Warriors in the Finals, where things got especially intense. By the time Irving left the Cavs in the summer of 2017, Curry had won two titles while Kyrie only captured one.
Still, it doesn’t mean Uncle Drew did not have his moments.
One of the moments that stands out, even now, is his clutch 3 in the 2016 Finals, which helped secure the Cavaliers’ first-ever Championship. It’s a memory that probably still haunts Dub Nation today.
This season, the two are on a collision course to meet again in the Finals.
In Golden State, the Warriors are near the top of the West standings with an impressive 37-13 record overall. With the rise of Andrew Wiggins and the return of Klay, they are poised to make a deep run this spring.
Meanwhile, for the Nets, Kyrie Irving is finally being allowed back into action after the controversy involving the COVID-19 vaccine. If James Harden and Kevin Durant can return and stay healthy, no other team can say they have as much fire-power.
We will see soon enough how it ends for these teams, but it was good to see two familiar faces rekindling an old, light-hearted rivalry.
