‘Hell on earth’: Unvaxxed NBA star Kyrie Irving goes berserk

Controversial star Kyrie Irving has shattered NBA records with a performance for the ages that has left a vaccination policy at breaking point.

He’s on fire. Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images/AFP.

Kyrie Irving set fire to Orlando’s Amway Centre with a record breaking night — and put more petrol on the burning controversy surrounding his New York ban.

The Brooklyn star went berserk on Wednesday, putting up a career-record 60 points, which was also a franchise record.

Irving was taken out of the game with eight minutes to play when he was on track to score more than 70 points.

His performance has wowed the NBA and put enormous pressure on New York City’s controversial vaccination policy which has banned him from playing home games in Brooklyn.

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Irving this week sat on the team’s courtside bench and entered the team’s locker room at the Barclay Centre in New York. The City responded by fining the team $50,000.

Irving was in the house despite not being vaccinated. Sarah Stier/Getty Images/AFP

He was forced to buy himself a ticket out of his own pocket, but was ultimately able to watch the game, maskless, from inside the stadium, yet was not able to set foot on the floor.

It comes after he attended the Barclays Centre on Sunday too to watch a college basketball game.

There had been widespread criticism of the City’s policy with rules stating Irving was allowed to attend the game as a spectator, but not participate in anyway because the team's environment is classified as a place of business for the 29-year-old.

Irving has made a mockery of New York’s vaccine mandate, with many supporting his cause, despite his refusal to get vaccinated.

As a result of the policy, Irving is only able to play away games outside the New York City boundaries.

On Wednesday in Florida, he showed exactly what New York is missing.

His performance was one for the ages.

Kyrie Irving had a night. Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images.

Kyrie Irving can be a very bad man. Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images.

His 60-point haul included eight three-pointers (shooting eight from 12 shots attempted) while also scoring his points at 65 per cent. He had 41 points at half time — something no one else has done this season.

The records broken includes:

— He and teammate Kevin Durant have become the first teammates in NBA history to score 50 points in consecutive games, after Durant scored 53 points against the Knicks this week.

— It is the first time since 1962 that the NBA has had two 60-point games in consecutive days after Karl Anthony Towns yesterday exploded with 60 points.

There was plenty of jaws dropping across the United States, but the more significant reactions were focused on New York’s vaccination mandate.

The mayor of New York has to be the DPOY . He’s the only man that can stop Kyrie Irving 🔒 pic.twitter.com/Pgl2Gu4ox2

— VLONE (@fredddy1600) March 16, 2022

Unless either Kyrie Irving gets vaccinated or New York City lifts its private sector mandate, the Nets should hope they don't get home court advantage in the playoffs. https://t.co/VEtntwTm1D

— Michael McCann (@McCannSportsLaw) March 16, 2022

He was described as “hell on Earth” by former NBA star Kendrick Perkins.

LeBron James led the social media appreciation.

“Ky stop it man,” he posted on Twitter.

“Actually don’t.”

Prominent sport commentator Skip Bayless wrote: “My oh my, Ki”.

NFL legend Shannon Sharpe called Irving “ridiculous”.

NBA star Bogdan Bogdanovic wrote: Kyrie is sick”.

Even the Orlando crowd was chanting his name in the second half as the Nets blew the magic away 150-108.

The biggest consequence is the pressure it has put on New York City mayor Eric Adams.

Durant had earlier put a rocket up the politician.

“It’s ridiculous. I don’t understand it at all. There’s a few people in our arena that’s unvaxxed, right? They lifted all of that in our arena, right? So I don’t get it,” Durant said.

“It just feels like at this point now, somebody’s trying to make a statement or a point to flex their authority. But everybody out here is looking for attention and that’s what I feel like the mayor wants right now, is some attention. But he’ll figure it out soon. He better.

“But it just didn’t make any sense. There’s unvaxxed people in this building already. We got a guy who can come in the building, I guess, are they fearing our safety? I don’t get it. We’re all confused. Pretty much everybody in the world is confused at this point. Early on in the season people didn’t understand what was going on, but now it just looks stupid. So hopefully, Eric, you got to figure this out.”

LeBron also swiped the policy earlier this week: “FACTS FACTS FACTS!! It literally makes ABSOLUTELY ZERO SENSE!!! They say if common sense was common then we’d all have it. Ain’t that the truth. #FreeKyrie,” he tweeted.

Originally published as ‘Hell on earth’: Unvaxxed NBA star Kyrie Irving goes berserk