Nassir Little defends play that nearly injured Kyrie Irving

Kyrie Irving may not have loved Nassir Little’s diving effort that nearly injured the Nets superstar late in Monday’s game against Portland, but Little saw nothing wrong with it.

Little took to Twitter on Tuesday to defend the play after Irving called it “unnecessary” after the game. The play in question occurred in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter as the two went after a loose ball.

“I would never hurt someone on purpose,” Little said on Twitter. “I have the utmost respect for Kyrie! But y’all are delusional if you think this is a bad play, and id do it again. Idgaf what y’all talkin about”

I would never hurt someone on purpose, I have the utmost respect for Kyrie! But y’all are delusional if you think this is a bad play, and id do it again. Idgaf what y’all talkin about https://t.co/kcChvvupG4

— Nassir Little (@2ez_nassie) January 11, 2022

Irving was hurt on the play but did finish the game and is expected to play in Chicago on Wednesday. Little went sliding for the ball between Irving’s legs as the Nets’ guard tried to jump and get out of the way.

Little appeared to catch Irving’s leg on the slide and Irving fell awkwardly on his ankle.

“I’ll be okay. It’s a bad one, just one of those bad plays,” Irving said. “Yeah, I tried to get out of the way, but I just felt like it was unnecessary for him to dive that far away from the ball. I was just trying to get out the way. But just unnecessary play. I asked the refs, just, you’ve just got to protect our players out there. It’s just totally unnecessary.

“I get Nassir wants to go for the ball, but it’s like bro it’s just a bad play. It’s all good.”

"It was an unnecessary play…I could've broke my ankle or done something worse. There's just no place in our game for it. I get the intent from Nassir…but it could've been avoided"

Kyrie Irving speaks on the diving play by Nassir Little that twisted his ankle pic.twitter.com/h42SQZ23m6
— Nets Videos (@SNYNets) January 11, 2022