The concept of jersey swapping sometimes feels a bit strange, but it was especially awkward for Dillon Brooks and Kyrie Irving.
After the Grizzlies defeated the Mavericks and earned a crucial victory for their playoff seeding on Monday, the Memphis wing attempted to exchange jerseys with the eight-time All-Star.
Irving seemed to have no issues gifting his jersey to his opponent, but he seemed to lack much enthusiasm when it came time to receive the Grizzlies uniform in return.
You can watch how it all unfolded in this painfully awkward moment after the game was over at FedEx Forum in Memphis:
Dillon Brooks tried to do a jersey swap with Kyrie, but Kyrie wouldn’t take his jersey 😭 pic.twitter.com/laewo5bunK
— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) March 21, 2023
Congratulations to Brooks on receiving a jersey from the former No. 1 overall pick. If he leaves the Mavericks this offseason, it could be a limited edition!
But boy, that rejection has to hurt. Let’s take a look at how Brooks reacted, shall we?
Here is a slo-mo version of the exact moment the former Oregon standout realizes that Irving did not take his Grizzlies jersey and he is devastatingly holding not one but instead two jerseys.
Be warned, though: It was so powerfully awkward, it felt like it was in Curb Your Enthusiasm.
Of course, there could be any number of reasons why Irving decided that he didn’t actually want Brooks’ jersey after breaking his ankles with his dribble during the game.
Irving may not have wanted any affiliation with the NBA player that recently pushed a cameraman. Perhaps he didn’t like Brooks’ cheap shots on Donovan Mitchell or on Gary Payton II. Maybe he just finds Brooks’ sketchy on-court shot selection or his fashion sense to be offensive.
It could also be personal. Irving could be upset that Brooks stepped on his foot. They had previously exchanged words when Irving played for Brooklyn and even during the most recent game, the guard talked trash to Brooks and said his defense was a gimmick.
Mavericks' Kyrie Irving says it wasn't intentional that he didn't take Dillon Brooks' jersey in a post-game swap:
"I saw that after the game. I'll probably get it next time. Probably next time. Not this time. I was really onto the next thing, thought process-wise." pic.twitter.com/ItEYxyIeWi
— Grant Afseth (@GrantAfseth) March 21, 2023
Grant Afseth asked Irving what happened. This is what he said:
“I saw that after the game. I’ll probably get it next time. Probably next time. Not this time. I was really onto the next thing, thought process-wise.”
Brooks, meanwhile, had nothing but effusive praise for Irving (via SI):
“He’s just like Kobe. He’s just like Jordan and those guys … He plays the game at a different pace. He uses both hands, mid-range God. And that’s where I want to be at one day, be able to shoot the ball more.”
Brooks added that he is a fan of Irving and everything that he stands for, specifically referring to how the former Duke guard has used his platform off the court.
