On Saturday at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, Kyrie Irving of the Dallas Mavericks lost a 3-point shooting competition against actor Michael B. Jordan by the narrowest of margins after three rounds.

Irving, who is now 31 years old, sat out the Mavericks’ second preseason loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in Abu Dhabi. While he did play in the first game, he was held to only two points in 14 minutes of playing.

Jordan, now 36, and a number of other celebrities were present in both contests. During the second game, he dared Irving to a fight, and the Mavs star did not back down.

Irving, dressed casually, immediately rose up and challenged the “Creed” star. The first two rounds were evenly matched, with Jordan scoring a point more than his opponent.

The NBA veteran simply lifted Jordan’s hand in the air like a referee would for a victorious boxer, showing that he was unfazed by the setback.

Linked: Kyrie Irving, Luka Doncic

Luka Doncic played in both games and scored more points than any other Mavs player save for Jaden Hardy on the opening night.

Last year, before Irving was transferred to Dallas, Doncic, then 24 years old, and Irving never really clicked.

In the first preseason game, Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd started both stars, although they rarely played together.

As the 2023–24 NBA season approaches, it appears that Kidd’s plan is to split up the playing time between his two superstars.