Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving disputed reports that he called for the removal of signs held by fans during Monday's game against the Utah Jazz. However, at one point during the first quarter, Irving and a fan were seen having some kind of interaction.
The fan was later identified as Abremi Zippel, a rabbi and longtime Jazz season ticket holder. Zippel sat courtside during the New Year's Day game holding a sign that read, “I'm Jewish and I'm Proud.” The message appears to be a reference to the backlash Irving faced after posting a link to an anti-Semitic film on social media in 2022. Irving was a member of the Brooklyn Nets at the time.
Irving initially refused to apologize for the post, and the Nets suspended him indefinitely on November 3, 2022. The next day, Nike announced that it had ended its relationship with the star athlete.
Featuring Trent Staggs, Mayor of Riverton, Utah Outkick's Dan Dakich “Don't @ Me” We did a show and discussed courtside signs with Irving. Riverton is located approximately 32 miles from the Jazz's home arena.
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Kyrie Irving of the Dallas Mavericks during a game against the Utah Jazz at Delta Center in Salt Lake City on January 1, 2024. (Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
“If that sign is going to distract an NBA player, I think he needs to get a new job,” Staggs told Dakich. “I've been to a lot of Jazz games, and there were more distractions than signs, like handing out towels and thundering sticks.”
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Zippel is believed to have attended the game with a group that included his family and other rabbis.
Irving reportedly tried to make it clear that he had “no disrespect” for the rabbi.
“I wish him and his family all the best,” Irving said Wednesday via The Athletic. “There's no disrespect in his approach. That's not my MO.”
Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving, 11, dribbles the ball during the first half of a game against the Utah Jazz at Delta Center in Salt Lake City on January 1, 2024. (Christopher Krebling/USA Today Sports)
Zippel said a Jazz representative approached him and asked him to either put away the sign or move to a seat a few rows back. Mr. Zippel also claimed that he received conflicting explanations as to why he was not allowed to display a sign in the front row.
Zippel told The Athletic that he and his group posed for a photo with the sign before the game and that arena security did not cause any concerns at the time.
Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving, 11, protects Utah Jazz forward/center Lauri Markkanen, 23, during the first half at Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Jan. 1, 2024. . (Christopher Krebling/USA Today Sports)
Staggs said Zippel consulted the arena guidelines on fan signage before entering the building.
“(The sign) is 11 inches by 17 inches, and the rabbi checked the jazz audience code of conduct to make sure the sign was within the specified size. So he was well within his rights to have that sign. That's what happened,''' Staggs said.
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The Jazz released a statement saying the organization had no issue with the message on the sign, but that the sign was removed due to interference with the game.
“The part-time employee who told the fan that the content of the sign was the issue was incorrect. The problem was not the content of the sign, but the disruptive interaction caused by the use of the sign,” the team said in a statement. Ta. statement.
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