Bill Simmons had no problem dissing Kyrie Irving’s new contract with the Mavericks — and the polarizing guard had something to say about it.
When news broke that Irving reached an agreement to re-sign with Dallas on a three-year deal worth $126 million, Simmons tweaked the signing on Twitter soon after.
“Dallas had to go to 3 for 126m for Kyrie because there were at least 3 other teams ready to offer 2 for 25,” Simmons, who founded The Ringer and is the head of Spotify’s global sports strategy, tweeted.
Irving fired back with his own retort, returning the favor but staying positive.
“I see you couldn’t help yourself with this one huh Billy Boy,” he replied. “Just wanna say I appreciate you and continue to be the person you are. My Tribe says hello.”
Earlier in the week, ESPN reported that Irving’s free-agent options were “extremely limited”, given his tendency to jump between teams and the drama that accompanied his stints with Brooklyn, Boston and Cleveland.
Simmons, a die-hard Celtics fan, likely still holds a grudge over Irving’s troubled tenure in Boston from 2017-19, when he promised he would stay with the team but ultimately left the Celtics for the Nets.
Irving, 31, was traded from the Nets to the Mavericks in February after he requested a move, and Dallas sent Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith and draft picks back to the Nets.
The eight-time All-Star left Brooklyn after his attempt to build a contender with Kevin Durant and James Harden failed miserably, ending with just one playoff series victory over Irving’s tenure.
Irving missed most of the 2021-22 seasons after refusing to comply with New York City’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate and was suspended for eight games without pay last season for promoting an anti-Semitic movie on Twitter.
His brief stint with the Mavericks last year also ended in disaster, as the team went 9-18 following Irving’s debut and missed the playoffs for the first time since Luka Doncic’s rookie season.
Irving averaged 27 points and 5.5 assists last season on 49 percent shooting.