“Kyrie Irving lives in another world of delusion when it comes to media coverage,” Shan Shariff said on Monday morning when talking about the Dallas Mavericks’ guard’s plea to the media to stop talking about him.
On 105.3 The Fan in Dallas that morning, Shan & RJ discussed the way ESPN has been talking about Irving and his offseason plans. Shariff said that the network” has “hasn’t just been speculating. They’ve been reck-ulating,” referring to just how over-the-top some of the coverage of his impending decision has been.
The duo also played audio from Stephen A. Smith, who said on First Take last week that the only way for Irving to ensure people don’t talk about him is to not play in the NBA.
“Respectfully to Kyrie Irving, who doesn’t want us talking about him. Yeah, don’t play basketball,” Smith said in the clip played on Shan & RJ. “We talk about basketball. Nobody’s talking about his personal life. Nobody’s talking about the tweets from months ago. Nobody’s talking about all the things that he’s gotten himself involved with, headline wise or whatever. It is not disrespectful to talk about you. Kyrie Irving, a superstar basketball talent. It is not disrespectful to talk about you playing basketball.”
Shariff, who has a history of defending Dallas teams and players and even his own show from Stephen A. Smith’s criticism sided with the ESPN star this time.
“He wants to be able to play basketball and not have anyone on TV or radio talk about it or anyone at the games have a microphone and put it in front of his face,” Shariff said. “That’s what he wants. So, just stop playing. Quit. Stephen A’s right about that realistically.”
Kyrie Irving will be one of the most-watched free agents this offseason, with the Los Angeles Lakers a prime candidate to land his services unless past behavior issues make it a non-starter for ownership.
