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“Zlatan Welcomes the Nets”: Fans Go Wild as Soccer Legend Witnessed Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving Torch Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Bucks

Published 12/24/2022, 8:30 AM EST

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USA Today via Reuters

Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Ben Simmons, and the Brooklyn Nets won comfortably against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the visiting Milwaukee Bucks. With this latest win, the Nets are on a bit of a roll with eight straight wins after the loss against the Boston Celtics in early December. They are now 21-12 for the season. As the Nets’ Big Three dazzled, there was a special guest in attendance at the Barclays Center. Soccer legend Zlatan Ibrahimovic was seen courtside as he witnessed the Nets cruise to victory.

Ibrahimovic currently plays for the Italian giants, AC Milan. He is currently on vacation during the winter break and decided to indulge in the NBA.

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Fans react to Zlatan Ibrahimovic watching the Nets win

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is not just known for his soccer prowess but also for his mentality and over-the-top comments over the years. While some think the veteran number 9 has a huge ego, others love him for his quirky replies and statements. So when Zlatan was seen courtside, fans went wild and got creative with their comments. Here are some of the reactions.

After the game, Ibrahimovic was seen embracing Kyrie Irving. The Swede is one of the most successful club soccer players of all time. He has won major trophies with almost every team he has ever played for, and he has played for a whopping nine teams. He also played in the MLS during the 2018-19 season for the LA Galaxy and scored a mindboggling 53 goals in 58 games.

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Despite his connection with Los Angeles, Zlatan decided to not watch the Los Angeles Lakers play. Interestingly, he fell out with Lakers superstar LeBron James in 2021. As per reports from Daily Mail, things started to heat up between the two when Ibrahimovic stated he doesn’t believe athletes like James should be involved in social issues. The four-time NBA champion replied that he is more than an athlete and that he will continue to be involved in social issues.

Kevin Durant and the Nets took care of business

Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving starred in the win against the Bucks. However, it was a team effort as every starter scored in double digits. Durant scored a team-high 24 points with 5 rebounds and 6 assists. Irving had 18 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists. Guard Ben Simmons almost had a triple-double with 12 points, 11 rebounds, and 8 assists.

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He was also very efficient from the field making 6 of his 9 attempts. Nets fans would hope Simmons would continue this good form. On the other hand, Giannis Antetokounmpo scored a game-high 26 points with 13 rebounds and 7 assists. However, he could not lead his team to the win. With this, the Bucks have now lost two straight and would be looking to go back to winning ways when they face the Boston Celtics next.

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Written by:

Bagavathi Eswaran

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Bagavathi Eswaran is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports. He has been playing the game of basketball for more than 20 years now and has also been following the NBA for more than 10 years. After not being able to go pro, this former college player decided to join the IT industry.
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Edited by:

Jayant Chhabra