While the start of the 2025-26 NBA season is still a week away, we already have our first beef between Bill Simmons and Kyrie Irving.
The latest bad blood between The Ringer founder and 9-time All-Star comes as a result of comments that Simmons made on an episode of his eponymous podcast last week. Discussing the Dallas Mavericks’ outlook for the upcoming campaign, the Sports Guy made note of the team’s addition of D’Angelo Russell, who is expected to help fill the void in its lineup as Irving continues to recover from a torn ACL.
Suffice it to say, when it comes to the Ohio State product, Simmons isn’t his biggest fan.
“You know who D-Lo is? He’s your buddy that comes to visit and it’s really great when he is only there for one day and by day six you’re like, ‘ah, I’m ready for him to leave. That’s D-Lo,” Simmons said, referring to Russell by his nickname. “D-Lo would be great for the one day, which in this case will be two months of his first season with the Mavericks and they’ll go through all the stages of D-Lo, right? They’re gonna be like, ‘wow, what a steal. My God, D-Lo had 35 tonight. He’s amazing. They’re not gonna have to worry about the playoff version of him because Kyrie will be back by then.”
Even with the backhanded compliment of Russell, Simmons’ comments paint a fairly optimistic view of the Mavericks’ outlook for the 2025-26 season. But after his analogy about the veteran point guard was aggregated by the NBA Central account, Irving took issue, effectively daring the ex-ESPN columnist to say it to his teammate’s face.
“Oh Bill, you would never say this to Dlo in person and we both know it,” the 33-year-old posted, along with a gif of Omar from The Wire.
Oh Bill, you would never say this to Dlo in person and we both know it. https://t.co/Qb0Rj1sxP7 pic.twitter.com/krThotZ5rN
— Kyrie🤞🏾 (@KyrieIrving) October 11, 2025
Irving might not be wrong, but that doesn’t make Simmons’ analysis any less accurate. Ultimately, it’s his job to give opinions and analysis, most of which would look a whole lot different — and likely, less honest — if he was required to say it to the subject’s face.
Nevertheless, it’s hardly a surprise that Irving would publicly take issue with Simmons considering their history. Factor in Simmons’ past issues with the NBA Central account and it’s officially starting to feel like basketball season.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.