Massive Kyrie Irving Billboard Goes Up Next to Madison Square Garden

In Wednesday’s Hot Clicks: A billboard Knicks fans won’t like, an embarrassing way to lose a game and more.

Author:
Dan Gartland
Publish date:
Nov 6, 2019

Sorry, Knicks fans

Knicks fans going to games at Madison Square Garden will be faced with another reminder of what could have been.

Kyrie Irving, who spurned the Knicks to sign with the crosstown Nets in free agency, appears on a new billboard adjacent to Madison Square Garden with a quote about how he “wanted to play at home.”

The Australian-born Irving was raised in the New York suburb of West Orange, N.J. He grew up a Nets fan, attending games at the Meadowlands with his father.

The quote on the billboard comes from a video Irving recorded to announce his decision to sign with Brooklyn. In the video, he explains that he was inspired by the Nets’ Finals appearances in 2002 and 2003 to become a better basketball player.

“In my heart I knew I always wanted to play at home,” Irving said. “And home is where my heart is. And it’s always been there. It’s simply because of such a great love that I have for my family and the way I grew up. I wouldn’t change anything about the experience, at all. It’s brought me back here, and that’s home. And home is where my family is. Home is where I want my legacy to continue. I’m happy to be in Brooklyn.”

Kyrie could have easily grown up a Knicks fan, except that when the Nets were tearing it up with Jason Kidd, Richard Jefferson and Kenyon Martin, the Knicks had Allan Houston, Latrell Sprewell and, uh, Kurt Thomas.

The billboard is sure to have Knicks fans rubbing their temples, but you can bet the team’s petulant owner, James Dolan, will be even more upset. Back in 2010, Dolan reportedly had to have a sit-down with then-Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov and commissioner David Stern because of—you guessed it—a billboard across the street from the Garden featuring Prokhorov and Jay-Z touting the franchise’s impending move to Brooklyn.

On second thought, there’s nothing Knicks fans like more than making Dolan unhappy, so maybe they’ll actually welcome the new billboard.

This is such an embarrassing way to lose a hockey game

The Canucks lost to the Blues last night in exceptionally brutal fashion. Vancouver defenseman Tyler Myers wiped out a teammate behind the goal line, which blocked the path of another teammate, giving St. Louis a 3-on-0 opportunity down the other end.

“It was just unfortunate,” Bo Horvat, who got caught in the traffic jam, told The Province. “I made the pass and was going toward the net and the puck went by me and the next thing I know there are three of us in the corner and two of us fall down. Tough to get back from that position. There’s nothing you can do and it’s tough to give up that one.”