Kyrie Irving and Dillon Brooks have decided to bury their beef — sort of.
The Mavericks guard and Grizzlies forward exchanged some trash talk during Monday night's spirited contest in Memphis. Early in the game, Irving reportedly told Brooks to "keep playing that dumbass defense," but as usual, Brooks refused to back down.
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Brooks ultimately got the last laugh despite Irving scoring a team-high 28 points, as the Grizzlies dominated the fourth quarter on their way to a 112-108 win. After the final buzzer, Brooks and Irving met for a postgame hug, and both players appeared to be preparing for a jersey swap.
Just one small problem: Irving didn't seem interested in accepting Brooks' jersey, turning the swap into a giveaway.
Kyrie Irving really didn’t take Dillon Brooks’ jersey during the jersey swap 😬
— JayOnSC (@JayOnSC) March 21, 2023
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(🎥: @NBA) pic.twitter.com/qF0EhJqjqQ
During his postgame media availability, Irving explained why he declined Brooks' offer.
"I saw that after the game. I'll probably get it next time, probably get it next time — not this time, though," Irving said. "I was really onto the next thing, my thought process-wise."
Mavericks' Kyrie Irving says it wasn't intentional that he didn't take Dillon Brooks' jersey in a post-game swap:
— Grant Afseth (@GrantAfseth) March 21, 2023
"I saw that after the game. I'll probably get it next time. Probably next time. Not this time. I was really onto the next thing, thought process-wise." pic.twitter.com/ItEYxyIeWi
Irving's actions didn't dampen Brooks' excitement, though. The 27-year-old told reporters that he plans to sign Irving's jersey and place it on his wall.
"I'm a fan of Kyrie, for everything he stands for, the way he uses his platform, his basketball game," Brooks said. "When you're growing up, you want to aspire to be able to do what he does. He's just like Kobe [Bryant]. He's just like [Michael] Jordan, those guys.
"He plays the game at a different pace. He uses both hands, midrange god. And that's where I want to be at one day when I'll be able to shoot the ball more."
If Irving truly wants to snag Brooks' jersey "next time," he may have to wait until next season. Monday marked the last matchup between the Grizzlies and Mavericks, so Irving and Brooks would only cross paths again in a potential playoff series.
