Dave Portnoy has risked stirring up more controversy in his feud with Kyrie Irving after taunting him with a T-shirt, depicting Irving as a clown at the NBA Finals game.
The founder of Barstool Sports sat courtside as the Boston Celtics faced the Dallas Mavericks in Game 2, with the Celtics prevailing 105-98 to take a 2-0 lead.
Kyrie Irving engages in heated exchange with Celtics fans after boston win
Portnoy, 47, showed off his shirt when he was featured on the Jumbotron during the third quarter. He was also seen standing and cheering in a photo posted by the Celtics on social media after Boston‘s 105-98 win in Game 2.
Portnoy, who sat next to a mystery blonde woman, also promoted Barstool’s post showing the “KI Clown Tee” for $32 in a post on X, so it may have been more of a publicity stunt than anything.
The American chat show host has often criticized Irving, calling him a “scam” of a player, particularly in light of Irving‘s attempts to recruit LeBron James to the Dallas Mavericks. However, the four-time NBA champion joined the Los Angeles Lakers instead.
In response to Portnoy‘s trolling, Irving took to Twitter to issue a veiled warning, suggesting that karma would catch up with Portnoy.
This exchange escalated further when Irving challenged Portnoy to a one-on-one basketball game, a challenge which Portnoy accepted – adding more fuel to the fire.
How did Dave Portnoy and Kyrie Irving’s feud begin?
It was just the latest instalment in their long-standing feud, which dates back to Irving‘s tumultuous tenure with the Boston Celtics.
Irving played for the Celtics for two seasons in 2017-18 and 2018-19, and didn’t deliver an 18th title to the franchise before he left for the Nets. But fans were mainly upset with Irving for leaving Boston after he said he would re-sign with the team.
Portnoy‘s stunt at the NBA Finals is seen as a continuation of his effort to mock Irving, leveraging their contentious history for entertainment and publicity.
