Nets point guard Kyrie Irving recently returned from a three-game hiatus from the team due to personal leave.
Ever since his return Irving has been tearing it up for the Nets and on Wednesday against the Philadelphia 76ers he continued his hot streak.
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Fans Have New Nickname for Kyrie
The All-Star’s point guard’s play as of late has made fans dub him with the alter-ego ‘Ramadan Kyrie.’ The name is derived from the fact the Kyrie may have recently converted his religion to Islam based on his latest social media activity.
While the name may have been given to Irving in good faith, one must wonder if the point guard views it as a sign of disrespect as it would be a nickname that indeed does mock his religion.
Earlier this season Irving got in an exchange with social media influencer MaxisNicee after he did an Instagram skit that mocked Irving’s pre-game saging routine that is derived from his Native American heritage.
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The Nets Have Risen Above the Turmoil
The Brooklyn Nets are ranked second in the Eastern Conference this season, yet the team has been plagued with issues since the beginning of the season.
From injuries and absence in games to roster changes and missing pieces, it seems that the Nets are in the news for some problem or another.
Even with everything going on in the headlines, the players have made it obvious that they know what they must do and are still going out every time to win.
Irving has missed several games this season, mostly due to personal reasons, and as a result, has been vilified in the media like nobody else this year. Most notably, Stephen A. Smith of ESPN went on his morning show, First Take, and said that Irving was not worth all the drama and should retire.
On Wednesday, though, he showed that even through all the theatrics and stories he can still ball with the best of them. He scored 37 points on 59% shooting from the field, along with nine assists and two steals. It was not enough though for an almost fully loaded Philadelphia 76ers’ squad, as Brooklyn would go on to lose 123-117.
Nets Have Shown Fight With Depleted Roster
Wednesday night’s game between The Sixers and Nets was a battle for the number one seed in the East, as both teams held a 37-17 record at the time.
Going into the matchup, Brooklyn was missing two of their superstars in Kevin Durant and James Harden due to hamstring injuries. As for Philadelphia, they had all their pieces with Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, and company, making this a sort of lopsided battle from the start.
A crucial part of last night’s game came in the fourth quarter when several players from the Nets bench came into the matchup and came back from a 20-point deficit and cut it to within 2 at one point.
Though it was not enough, Irving showed his appreciation for his teammates’ hard work in the stretch to try and bring their club to a win.
“They played their hearts out, that all you can ask,” Irving said via SNY.
The Nets will have a chance to redeem themselves on Friday when they play the Charlotte Hornets.
READ NEXT: Kyrie Irving Absence: Did Faith Cause Nets Star to Sit Out?
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Is Nets Fans’ New Nickname for Kyrie Irving Disrespectful?