"I'm done with y'all" - Kyrie Irving hits out at fans in impassioned defense of Karl-Anthony Towns

Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving has defended New York Knicks big man Karl-Anthony Towns from critics. On a live stream, Irving delivered a strong message to trolls who bring up KAT's "zesty" moments on the internet.

Towns has been ridiculed by fans on social media for his mannerisms on and off the court, and Irving has had enough.

"Before I forget, y'all gotta stop making fun of my brother KAT," Irving said. "I'm done with y'all. ... It's a f*cking wrap. If you repost that sh*t again and meme him up, I'm attacking y'all. Not like that physically, in GTA, but' I'm attacking you. Y'all gotta leave KAT alone."

He added:

"Y'all don't know what it's like to grow up in Jersey and have all of these cultures that you're a part of. ... He's Dominican, he's black, he grew up in a certain area of Jersey just like me, and you gotta survive out here. You have many different demographics of people."

Kyrie Irving added that while he doesn't agree with Karl-Anthony Towns seemingly trying to make his voice deeper at times, he would defend KAT no matter what.

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Kyrie Irving and Karl-Anthony Towns grew up in New Jersey

Kyrie Irving and Karl-Anthony Towns grew up in New Jersey. (Photo: GETTY)

While Kyrie Irving was born in Melbourne, Australia, he grew up in West Orange, New Jersey. Irving was raised by his father, Drederick, and became a star at Montclair Kimberley Academy and St. Patrick High School.

On the other hand, Karl-Anthony Towns was born and raised in Edison, New Jersey. His mother was Dominican, which is why he plays for the Dominican Republic in international competitions. He was also a high school star at St. Joseph in Metuchen.

Irving and Towns went on to become No. 1 picks in the NBA in 2011 and 2015, respectively. Another first overall pick from New Jersey is Shaquille O'Neal, who grew up in Newark.